When I woke in the early morning a snowstorm had covered the hostel, riverbed and surrounding mountains in 20cm of fresh snow. While the peaks had already been snow covered the landscapes still resembled more of an autumn like scenery in the previous days. The nights snowfall had turned the world into a winter wonderland.

My plan for the day was to get to Jasper on the northern end of the Icefields Parkway, I hadn’t had internet in a while, so it was time to get some work done and Jaspers library was still about 80km away. The road hadn’t been plugged yet, I had to lay the tracks for the first 20km which made the journey a lot longer than anticipated, but was a fun experience. I found a deserted RV on the side of the road, on its side, honking every couple of minutes. The accident must’ve taken place a couple of hours earlier, the owners were nowhere to be found. Out of respect and for good luck I didn’t take any pictures with my camera, but made a mental note to drive even more careful. I only stopped for the main, easy accessible locations on the way, my highlight being Sunwapta falls.

The Icefields Parkway is a 230 km long scenic road that parallels the Continental Divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies, travelling through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park.

It is named for features such as the Columbia Icefield, visible from the parkway. It links Lake Louise with Jasper to the north. At its southern end, the Icefields Parkway terminates at Highway 1. Highway 1 west leads to Yoho National Park in British Columbia and Highway 1 east to Lake Louise and the Town of Banff. A second parkway, the Bow Valley Parkway also links Lake Louise and the Town of Banff. Known as Highway 1A, this road parallels Highway 1 and, at the midpoint, passes the Castle Mountain junction where Highway 93 south, or the Banff-Windermere Highway, branches southwest into Kootenay National Park in British Columbia.

The Icefields Parkway was predated by the Glacier Trail, which opened in 1885 after the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed and brought increased tourist traffic to Banff National Park. In 1931, the federal government commissioned the construction of a single-track road between Lake Louise and Jasper as a Great Depression as a relief project. In order to employ as many people as possible, the road was constructed by hand and employed 600 men. The road was completed in 1940; however, the 1950s saw an increase in automobile use and increased traffic along the parkway. In 1961, a reconstructed paved and modern highway was opened.

The parkway is busy in July and August with up to 100,000 vehicles a month. The parkway is mainly two lanes with occasional passing lanes. It minimizes grades and hairpin turns but travellers must look out for wildlife, and vehicles stopped on the shoulder. Snow can be expected at any time of year and extreme weather is common in winter. Stations near Lake Louise and Jasper enforce the law. Commercial trucks are prohibited. The speed limit is 90 km/h although the limit is reduced at Saskatchewan River Crossing and the Columbia Icefield area. In winter, chains or winter-rated radial tires are required by law and road closures may occur without warning. There is no cell coverage.