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In August '97 Patrice, my first child, and I went on our first extended packing trip together on the Glacier Trail.  We hiked three mountain passes from the south boundary of Jasper National Park north over the Nigel, Jonas and Maligne passes to Maligne Lake. We took nine days and had a great and memorable experience together.  The gear behind the intrepid hikers is not ours.  It went with a group of students doing a loop trail from the same departure point.

In June '98 I lived close enough to Jasper to be able to hike weekend trips.  The Fryatt Valley (98) is one such hike.  This view out over sandstone cliffs is down the Bow valley toward Banff.  The Icefields Parkway runs down the valley to the left of the river. From this point the trail leads away from the Parkway and civilization into the Lower Fryatt Valley. The spectacular part if this trip is at the end going up to the Upper Fryatt Valley.  A grizzly prevented me doing that this weekend.  I returned to get into the upper valley in July 2000.

Another of my June '98 weekend adventures. Jacques Lake is a magnificent lake easily accessible from Medicine Lake which is on the Maligne Lake Road.  Beaver Lake, in this picture, is a beautiful one a short couple of kilometers from the trailhead. A couple were quietly fishing from a rowboat. A wonderfully peaceful sight. Jacques Lake can also be the first stopping point on the lengthy South Boundary Trail, a ten day to two week jaunt.  The pictures might tell you why I was enchanted with Jacques Lake.

This was a milestone trip for me.  Hiking alone for 17 days is an incredible experience even if it begins with a very heavy pack.  The North Boundary Trail is described as a bush walk.  It affords a wonderful opportunity for solitude and is punctuated with the kind of scenery that makes me take pause and be captured by the wonder of the universe.  I've not spent that much time alone in my life before.  It is magnificent.

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