PCA Polar: 2004 Jasper Jaunt

September 18^th-19^th:

The Second Annual Jasper Jaunt.

	The trip kicked off early Saturday morning at Norden Autohaus, where Ben already had the coffee on. Ivor briefed the group on route and protocol, then we set off on our adventure.

	Ruth? Peter? Where are you? Despite some confusion and a missed turn, we all arrived at Nordegg for a picnic lunch.
	And what a lunch it was ... champagne for the non-drivers, barbequed bratwurst, braised onions, sauerkraut, German potato salad, and Bernard Callebaut chocolates for dessert. ... we could hardly finish it all. Thanks again to Page the Cleaner for sponsoring the great eats; and to John, Laurel (bottom left, cleaning up after the rest of us), Sebastian, Angela, Peter (bottom right, stoking the fire while the rest of us supervise) and Lindsay for setting things up in advance.


	By the time we reached Saskatchewan River Crossing, the weather was starting to look a bit ominous ... as was the traffic.
	Ahhh, cones ... but then who really needs 'em out here?
	Driving was a bit treacherous as we climbed to the Colombia Icefields ... but by the time we arrived back down at Beckers Chalets in Jasper it was typical fall weather again.
	Saturday evening found us at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge for cocktails and an exquisite dinner in The Edith Cavell restaurant (see »menu). And look ... all our vehicles survived the valet!

	A small group was up early Sunday for a spirited trip up the Marmot Basin. The road was twisty and fun ... and climbed all the way to the snow line. For those who haven't heard the stories, you might want to ask Ivor what Peter showed him; or ask Paul how thin the air is.

	Around noon Sunday, we all gathered for group pictures then headed out for a leisurely 45 minute drive through Jasper Park.

	At Overlander Mountain Lodge, located just east of the Jasper Park gates and perched high above the valley, we had a pleasant lunch stop.
	After a spirited romp eastward from Edson, some time was needed to regroup for the final leg into Alberta Beach ... where John auctioned off a Porsche tire guage with case, donated by Norden, that went home with Laurie.
In addition, please view Keith Hatton's photos which arrived after this chronology was completed. Thanks to Ivor Lammerink for all his efforts to make this well-planned event seem spontaneous. Thanks also to Dale Eurich, Ivor Lammerink, Alex Eliuk, and Margaret Conquest for the photos appearing on this page.

Page last updated: September 27, 2004
© 2004 PCA Polar Region and Webmaster Paul Conquest. All images and content reserved.