Part 2 of Day 3 & Day 4 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2023 Dingo Vacation to Canada & Alaska!
7-25-23, 4:35 PM, 52ºF, Wilcox campground, Jasper National Park – After closing the side door behind Lupe’s perch, SPHP walked around the RAV4 and hopped into the driver’s seat.
Get all the water we need, SPHP?
Yup. We’re ready to roll, Looper!
Wilcox Pass was awesome, SPHP! What’s next?
Mainly the long drive N, Loop. Need to keep making tracks, if we want to spend as much time as possible in the Yukon & Alaska. You can look at the scenery or snooze on your pink blanket while I drive.
Not that late. It’ll still be light out for a long time, SPHP. Aren’t we going to stop at some of the big Canadian Rockies waterfalls along the way like we usually do? Doesn’t take very long. Most of them are practically right along the highway.
Fully intend to, Loopster. No sense in missing out on your traditional Canadian Rockies waterfall tour. In fact, we probably won’t go too much farther today. We’ll concentrate on making tracks tomorrow once we get past Rearguard Falls.
Sounds good, SPHP, but I’ve got a request. After seeing Tangle Ridge again from up at Wilcox Pass, it reminded me of Tangle Falls. We usually don’t stop there. Can we this time? It isn’t much farther, is it?
Sure! We can stop at Tangle Falls. Think it’s only something like 9 km NW of the Icefields Centre. We’ll be there before you know it, Looper.
7-25-23, 4:48 PM, Icefields Parkway No. 93, Tangle Falls pullout –
Careful, Loop! There’s a ton of traffic. I better leash you up.
Tangle Falls was already partly in sight right across the highway, but to get a really decent look at it, Lupe would have to cross the road. Easily done with a little patience, although room was limited along the steep shoulder on the other side.
Sorry, Loop. Not enough room here to get you in the picture. Want to hike up to the base of the lower falls, like we’ve done before? Can easily get you in there.
Do you even have to ask, SPHP? Of course!
Lupe scrambled around on the rocks at the base of the lower falls amid a fine spray of cool water. Unfortunately, since Tangle Falls is actually a series of waterfalls instead of a single dramatic plunge, the middle and upper falls weren’t in view from the base of the lowest one.
However, while the American Dingo watched, something happened that she’d never seen before here.
Did you see that, SPHP? They found a way up!
Sure enough, L (NW) of the lower falls, 2 young people and a black lab had scrambled up to the next level, and were now out of sight.
Let’s try that, too! C’mon, SPHP!
Caution was required along a near vertical rock wall, but the trickiest part wasn’t all that tall. A route up with only momentary exposure did exist, and that was all there was to it. Entirely worth it, too!
The upper Tangle Falls were undisputedly the best.
Clearly this was it as far as being able to go any higher, but just getting to the base of the upper falls was awesome. Lupe hung around for a little while, enjoying the magnificence of the multiple cascading showers.
So much for making tracks today, though! Upon returning to the RAV4 at the Tangle Falls pullout, 2 young women approached SPHP asking what direction Lupe was going? When SPHP said N, that was the wrong way. They’d done the entire Wilcox Pass trail clear down to Tangle Falls, and needed a ride back to the trailhead at the Wilcox campground.
No worries! It wasn’t that far back. SPHP made room for them. Soon enough, the young ladies were giving Lupe a farewell pat.
Deja vu all over again! Once again, the Carolina Dog headed N. This time the RAV4 went right on by Tangle Falls.
7:25-23, 6:20 PM – Even though skies were rather darkly overcast, SPHP had to wait for a parking spot to open up at Sunwapta Falls. Throngs of people were on the bridge with the best overall views, and many more were right down by the fence near the lip of the mighty roaring torrent. Lupe had to wait her turn to get to see anything at either place.
Sunwapta Falls is mighty impressive, SPHP, but I seem to recall a lower falls that isn’t nearly this crowded that we went to once.
That’s right, Loopster. We went and saw the lower falls during your first ever Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies. Only about an hour round trip. Shall we? It’s quite a waterfall, too, if I remember right.
The American Dingo did want to see lower Sunwapta Falls again, but didn’t get very far before it started to rain. When persevering another 15 minutes didn’t help, SPHP was done.
Sorry, Loop. Just raining harder. No telling how long it’ll last. We might as well call it before you’re completely soaked.
7-25-23, 7:50 PM, Athabasca River – Naturally, the rain ended when Lupe got back to the RAV4. Shucks! Getting to be about dinner time, anyway. Instead of another foray along the trail to lower Sunwapta Falls, SPHP had driven N to Lupe’s favorite picnic ground along the Athabasca River.
How does chicken and dumplings sound, Looper?
I’m famished, SPHP. Heat ’em up!
After dinner, Lupe looked for squirrels in the forest. Didn’t find any, but even merely searching was fun. SPHP threw a squeaker ball for her to chase until it rolled into a mud puddle. During occasional rain showers, SPHP worked on the trip journal in the RAV4 while Lupe snoozed or stared out the window.
In late July, even in southern Canada, it stayed light a long time.
7-26-23, 8:45 AM, 53ºF, Athabasca River – A dangerously daring squirrel had kept Lupe entertained for a couple of hours, and a last romp up and down the river bank was now about over.
Ready for some more Canadian Rockies waterfalls, Loopster? Say yes!
Oh, you know I love this place, SPHP, but I suppose we need to hit the road.
Yes, but not for long, Loop. Our next stop is only 6 or 7 miles N.
7-26-23, 9:00 AM – The parking lot was filling up fast when Lupe arrived at Athabasca Falls. Swarms of tourists were already milling around at the various viewpoints – another wait your turn situation.
Combining the power of the Sunwapta and Athabasca Rivers, which merge only 2 or 3 miles downstream of Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls was an even mightier torrent.
Over countless eons, Athabasca Falls carved narrow chutes into the solid rock below the falls. A path down one abandoned chute led to views of both the gorge currently channeling the flow, and the region below it where the Athabasca River spreads out again.
Athabasca Falls was it for Jasper National Park. Lupe would see two more big waterfalls in the Canadian Rockies today, but they were both on the Fraser River in British Columbia, and a bit of a drive now. After fueling up the RAV4 in Jasper, the American Dingo was free to snooze on her pink blanket while SPHP drove WNW through occasional drizzle on Yellowhead Hwy No. 16.
7-26-23, 10:20 AM, 54ºF – The mountains may have been hidden in the clouds, but that wasn’t going to prevent Lupe from enjoying the beauty of Overlander Falls in Mount Robson Provincial Park. Only 10 minutes on a well-worn path through the forest with a few switchbacks near the end got the Carolina Dog down to a giant, swirling, blue-green pool just below the falls.
Overlander Falls wasn’t very tall, but the Fraser River was already an impressively powerful stream at this point.
7-26-23, 10:59 AM, 57ºF – Rearguard Falls Provincial Park wasn’t much farther. Rearguard Falls wasn’t even as tall as Overlander Falls, almost just a big rapids, but was definitely worth the short hike on another easy path leading down to it. The trail ended at a series of boardwalk steps and platforms with railings. There had been a few people at Overlander Falls, but Lupe had Rearguard Falls all to herself this morning.
Once Rearguard Falls was in the rearview mirror, this really did become a travel day. Stops were few and far between. The American Dingo got to spend a little time at the Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Park in McBride, and also at a favorite rest area currently undergoing renovation along the Goat River, but that was about it until mid-afternoon.
Shortly after passing the Ancient Forest, SPHP stopped for a hitchhiker who was trudging along carrying a heavy guitar case. Lupe met Asheim, who had finished a 3 month stint planting trees for a logging company. Asheim had been walking for 5 hours, and was deeply grateful for a lift to Prince George.
7-26-23, 4:29 PM, 72ºF – Turned out that Asheim’s ultimate destination was his native, spectacularly mountainous, land of Kashmir, a bit out of the way for the Carolina Dog and SPHP to completely accommodate. After dropping Asheim off in Prince George, SPHP fueled up the RAV4, then invested in fried chicken and OJ at Save on Foods.
Lupe wasn’t keen on the OJ, but quite happy to munch away on some fried chicken as she hit the road again.
The darkly overcast sky had finally brightened on the way into Prince George, and conditions kept improving during the long drive WNW on Yellowhead Hwy No. 16. Brief stops to sniff the air and stretch at the Culculz Lake and Dry Williams Lake rest areas were it for breaks.
7-26-23, 8:44 PM – Crossing the bridge over the Bulkley River, the sun was already near the horizon. A R turn after the bridge, and SPHP parked the RAV4.
Sweet! Would have been better if we’d made it here a little sooner, but at least we’ve got 10 minutes before sunset. C’mon Loopster!
Where are we, SPHP?
Steelhead Park in Houston. Time to stop and sniff the roses, or whatever they planted this year!
Steelhead Park has been a favorite ever since Lupe’s first visit in 2016. Back then the park had been at the height of its glory. The flowers on display were no longer quite as spectacular, and Lupe was disappointed to see that the fountain still hadn’t been repaired yet. Even so, Steelhead Park was still very beautiful, and this evening’s stroll through it was a perfect way to end the day.
All too soon, the sun was down and light was fading.
Still a long way to the Yukon Territory and Alaska, but that was OK. The American Dingo had gotten far enough to be within striking distance of her next great adventure.
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