Mount Robson, Canadian Rocky Mountains

Today we are off on a road trip traveling west from Jasper, Alberta  in hopes of seeing Mount Robson. I say “in hopes of” because frequently the mountain is encased in cloud. This fact is not all that surprising when one realizes that Mount Robson is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. At 3,954 metres it easily stands out from its mountain neighbors. But that also means clouds frequently get caught there.

One advantage for the tourist hoping to see Mount Robson is that a paved highway passes very close to it. So even if the mountain is clouded in today we will not have traveled hours out of our way to see it. That is not true for every famous mountain. For example on a visit to Alaska we made a point of going to see Mount McKinley. After traveling half a day into the park on their special tour bus we came to a spot where the mountain should have been visible…but it was all clouded over. Oh well, the trip into the park was still worth it.

Fasten your seat belt (that is the law in Canada). Here we go!

As we head out from Jasper the warm colours of autumn leaves are intensified by sunlight. Did you know that the area around Jasper has an average of 1920 hours (326 days) of sunlight a year. Many parts of the world probably envy that statistic.

But I digress. Look over there. That is quite a common site around here…deer grazing in the meadow.

Animals frequently are seen near (sometimes on) the highway. That is why the speed limit is reduced all through this area. We have seen mountain sheep galore over the years. Occasionally there is a bear by the road. If we see one today we are not going to be one of those silly people who get out of their vehicle to get a closer look at the bear and sometimes even try to feed it in an attempt to get it closer for a perfect photo op!

(On second thought “silly” is too mild an adjective to describe such people. “Stupid” would be a better term. Don’t they realize what danger they are putting themselves in! Don’t they realize what danger they are putting the bear in!)

But again I digress.

We have now left Jasper National Park and are in a different province. (We started in Alberta and now we are in British Colombia or BC for short.) Such a lovely drive through this part of the country. The mountains around here are generally less high than ones farther south around Banff but this scenery has a charm all its own.

We just crossed into Mount Robson Provincial Park. Did you notice the sign? We might be in luck. There are not many clouds in the area. It is still sunny. If the mountain is going to be visible today we should be able to see it just after we get down this hill. Look to your right.

So much sky! Lifelong big-city dwellers never see this much sky!

There it is. Mount Robson.

Quite a site isn’t it. We lucked out. I can only imagine how many people on a tour have driven by here without being able to see it.

Poor tourist guide who has to say “And to your right is Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Correction…under those clouds is Mount Robson.”

Let’s head into the Information building. Not only does it have a collection of brochures about this area and far beyond, but there is a quality museum downstairs. I learn more about the birds, plants and animals in this area each time I visit.

While we are not into mountain climbing or even strenuous hiking I do know that this mountain is know for both those activities. A cultured, athletic colleague frequently hikes here. (The fact that he met his future wife on one such hiking trip may or may not be why it is so dear to his heart.) As for mountain climbing, I know that for a fact because when flying to the USA I sat next to a woman flying on her own because her husband had remained behind in Canada. Cloud cover on Mount Robson had delayed his team’s attempted ascent of the mountain and he was determined to stay until he accomplished the climb.

We should have brought a picnic lunch! What a perfect spot to sit at a picnic table and soak in the view.

Next time.

How to get to Mount Robson

• Drive west from Jasper, Alberta on Highway 16, also known as the Yellowhead Hwy (about an hour, one way)
• Rent a GPS Navigation guide to enrich your self-drive
• Book a tour…train ride one way, van back to Jasper

Travel more of Canada with us…click here.

Travel the world with us…click here.

Happy travels!