Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Hiking Trails - Skyline Trail - Day 5

The Skyline Trail is over the top of the Maligne Range in Jasper National Park in Alberta. Today's hike is over the last 14 km to Jasper townsite. For those hikers who wish to take it slower may stay overnight at the Signal Mountain campground.

From the Tekkara campground the distance is 5km through wildflower alpine meadows past the shoulders of Tekarra and Signal Mountain.


[99-Spruce Grouse]





[100]






[101-Smokey Athabasca Valley]





[102-Pyramid Mountain from Skyline Trail]




[103-Mount Tekarra northern most peak]




[104-On Tekaara looking down - click to enlarge]






[105-Looking back at Mt. Tekarra]




[106-Looking at valley with the Yellowhead Highway - click to enlarge]




[107-Moss Campion]




[108]


The trail drops down to the Signal mountain fire road via numerous switchbacks to the campground.



[109-Fireroad at Signal Mountain]



Descending the trail to the right, the fire road passes the junction to Signal campground before plunging into the forest with a final 9km trudge downhill dropping over 800m in elevation. This is very hard on the knees. At the bottom of Signal Mountain at Annette Lake is a parking lot where the hiker may catch a ride back to Jasper on the Maligne Lake Shuttle or to retrieve your car from another location.





[110]




[111-Bull elk with spring antler velvet]



[112]



[113]



[114]



[115-Coyote near Lake Annette - click to enlarge]



[116-Lake Annette water - click to enlarge]



[117-Annette Lake - click to enlarge]


Source: ParksCanadaPhoto Credits:
Photo Credits:
[99][100][101][102][103][105][107][113][114]-brilang CC=nc-sa-flickr, [104][106][108][109]-runningclouds CC=nc-sa-flickr, [110]-Karen Hall CC=nc-nd-flickr, [111]-Strange Ones CC=flickr, [112]-wonkanerd CC=sa-flickr, [115]-iFluk CC=nc-nd-flickr, [116]-HBarrison CC=sa-flickr, [117]-Christina T CC=flickr.

17 comments:

Gary's third pottery blog said...

that lake sure looks inviting!

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

Stunning landscapes and some nice photography. Keep posting these kind of things. I very much enjoy looking.

Charles Gramlich said...

Gorgeous pics as always. Would love to have a nap in the shade beneath some of those mountains.

Lana Gramlich said...

I love spruce grouse, although I've never seen one in person. SUCH lovely birds! Their tails are like geometric perfection.

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Another wonderfully picturesque route! Mount Tekarra is a very distinctive shape.

(Have missed you at Necky Knoll House!)

laughingwolf said...

in my current shape, i'd have to take about a week to cover that trail, barbara ;) lol

BernardL said...

Simply gorgeous.

Barbara Martin said...

Gary, in a couple of months it will be springtime in the Rockies.

Gary Dobbs, every Thursday has to do with hiking trails in different locations of Canada.

Charles, and have the chipmunks and squirrels play with your hair.

Barbara Martin said...

Lana, they're good eating, like partridge.

Raph, as you will have guessed by now...it's the woods that attract me.

I've been lax visiting all my bloggy friends once my new job started. I have less hours to write in and try to get that done before blogging, otherwise my manuscripts won't be complete.

Barbara Martin said...

Tony, that's why I did it in increments as there are several campgrounds along the trail.

Bernard, the Rockies are gorgeous wherever one looks at them.

L.A. Mitchell said...

The water reflection looks like glowing eels. The view at the top looks especially rewarding :)

Merisi said...

Magnificent vistas!
My favorite is the spruce grouse,
standing guard on top of the rock.

Raph G. Neckmann said...

I hope your new job goes well, Barbara! It is difficult to fit everything in, isn't it - blogging is wonderful and visiting one's bloggy friends, but so very time consuming! (I'm looking forward to reading my 'What would Emma do' book now it is getting warmer - my reading treats are when I'm parked somewhere picturesque in between journeys!)

A Cuban In London said...

The last two photos left me speechless, but then again, I am water, that's my element. Many thanks.

Greetings from London.

Rune Eide said...

You do have a very fascinating country, as you show so well. I wish I could have seen more of it than I have.

PS Thank you for the nice comments!

Barbara Martin said...

L.A., the sun has been caught at an odd angle on and in the water which provides this special effect.

Merisi, the spruce grouse are often very shy and not seen too close to trails. They tend to stay closer to the pine trees high in the branches.

Cuban, there are water photos that I take a shine to and then post.

Barbara Martin said...

RuneE, thank you. I hope to post some photos of remote locations in Canada for others to see. Northern Canada in the taiga is beautiful with its sparse vegetation.