Phone: 1-250-566-9899 BC & AB: 1-888-566-9899
February 24th, 2014 by
February 12th, 2014 by
Are you adventurous? Do you love nature and make opportunities to get out in it, closer to it, whenever you can? If you said yes to any of these questions, you should consider guided backcountry tours of Jasper National Park.
The majestic Canadian Rockies contain some of Canada’s best backcountry: rewarding trails with stunning views that make for incredible, guided hiking, walking, skiing, and snowshoeing experiences – whether you’re experienced or a hardy newcomer. There are even backcountry lodges for those interested in multi-day, overnight ski and snowshoe trips.
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January 30th, 2014 by
View historical photos like this and more
at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives
(Athabasca hotel site, circa 1915)
Started by the Jasper-Yellowhead Historical Society in 1977, itself a group with a history spanning back to 1963, the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives are a treasure trove of various displays and artifacts containing almost 200 years of Canadian heritage in its collections and reflecting the natural and human history of the Jasper National Park area.
The permanent Historical Gallery, renamed the Fred Kofin Historical Gallery in 2010, in honor of the longest serving Jasper-Yellowhead Historical Society Treasurer, holds exhibits on the fur trade, the railroad, and the early exploration and development of tourism in Jasper National Park.
See artifacts from Jasper’s fur trade days, vintage musket balls, remnants of the Pocahontas coalmine, an historical ice axe from Mt. Alberta, and an interpretive exhibit focusing on the history and heritage of Jasper’s native people.
The Showcase gallery at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives is always worth a look, as its displays are ever-changing throughout the year. Exhibits such as “Outfitters and Guides of the Glittering Mountains,” “Bears in the Alley,” and “David Thompson 200 Years Later” have been in this spot along with arts and crafts by local artisans and photographers, traveling historical exhibits, and special installations, such as the popular and seasonal Festival of Trees.
Thousands of more artifacts are held in collection storage, including wooden shovels dated to 1911 and used on the Skyline Trail and woolen bathing suits worn at Miette Hot Springs. The Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives collection continually grow with donations of new artifacts arriving on a regular basis.
www.jaspermuseum.org
Stop in and check it out – you never know what you’ll see!
January 8th, 2014 by
Maligne Canyon, just north of Jasper, Alberta, is a beautiful place to visit, no matter the time of year but, in winter, the canyon’s river freezes up, creating a world like no other you’ve ever experienced but which you now can, via a Maligne Canyon Icewalk!
Maligne Canyon is the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park, with steep, limestone walls that, in the summer, rushes with churning waters. Come the cold of winter, however, those same waters recede quite a bit, leaving stunning and beautiful formations of ice behind.
Imagine the kinds of formations you’re used to seeing in caverns – stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, soda straws and more – now picture these formations and others made entirely of ice. 30 meter-tall, frozen waterfalls ascending canyon walls aalong with other amazing, natural ice sculptures.
But that’s not all – the limestone walls of the canyon, themselves, reveal a their own secrets when the water recedes. View in wonder the strata that clearly illustrates the billions of years of gradual formation as well as the fossils embedded within – a paleontologist’s dream.
So secure a guide company, strap on some anti-slip cleats, and take an icewalk! Maligne Canyon Icewalk guides are knowledgeable and will not just show to you but also explain all that you see: the ice, the river, the canyon, the fossils. With washrooms, a restaurant and a gift shop nearby, there’s no excuse to not go!
Some guide services even offer night tours of the Maligne Canyon Icewalk – a truly, other-wordly experience as you view the canyon and its ice formations in the glow of a headlamp and, even more breathtaking, under stars!
Book your tour with one of these three, outstanding and knowledgeable companies:
• Jasper Adventure Centre
• Maligne Adventures
• Sun Dog Tours
Jasper Lodging
Mountain River Lodge has cabins and a bed and breakfast lodge. Make us your lodging choice during your visit to Jasper National Park – you wont regret it!
December 9th, 2013 by
When it comes to promoting Mount Robson Mountain River Lodge, we try our best to do an honest job of telling you about the lodge and cabins, the services we offer, and the (amazingly beautiful, we think) area we’re in but … why take our word for it? Sometimes it’s just better to let others do your talking for you.
With that in mind, here are some reviews we’ve received from our guests on a third-party website, Trip Advisor – we think they do a pretty good job …
“This is a great lodge, and it’s perfectly located near a number of great day hikes around the Valemount/Jasper region. Claudia and Curtis are very friendly and accommodating, and the breakfasts are fantastic. I don’t know who the main cook/chef is (and it could be both of them), but the food is outstanding. Try to arrange a dinner if they’re offering it that night.”
“I suspect there are few B&Bs with such a view of Mt. Robson. Mountain gazers would do well to reserve one of the rooms upstairs in the lodge that have decks and sliding glass doors facing the peak. When the clouds dissipated following the autumn’s first higher-elevation snow, the view was just glorious. The inn is very close to hiking trails to the mountain and wilderness areas. Whatever your plans may be, the day starts off with a great breakfast.”
“Upon our arrival I was already in awe of our point blank view of Mt. Robson in all of its glory. How could it get any better, a river of glacial water rushing by the lodge is how. Woot! This picturesque setting was stunning with the wonderfully designed and crafted log lodge. Our host was very welcoming and got us settled in to our room. With a mountain home feel the room was cozy and a perfect fit for our overnight stay. After our 9 hour drive we enjoyed crashing out on the bed in front of our flat screen. Breakfast was very good and we enjoyed the view from the breakfast table of Mt. Robson and the glacial river rushing below.”
“We had a great stay here with delightful hosts who were extremely helpful and who went out of their way to make our stay so great. The views from the house were stunning and we were fortunate enough to see Mount Robson in all its glory. Our room was spotlessly clean and the bed incredibly comfortable. The breakfasts and evening meals were extremely tasty and we enjoyed experiencing some true Canadian food.”
We’d post even more but, honestly, we’re blushing enough, already – if you’d like to read more, please feel free to do so at: TripAdvisor.com
November 27th, 2013 by
It’s the outdoor adventure of a lifetime – dog sledding tours of the Canadian Rockies!
Nothing can prepare you for the experience: the excitement of riding in the sled as it traverses the snowy trail; the quiet, regal beauty of the Canadian Rockies all around you, the warmth and respect you will feel after meeting and watching the sled dog team work – there’s nothing else quite like it.
Offering 4 different dog sledding tours (including one by moonlight!) Cold Fire Creek Dogsledding gives you the opportunity to find out for yourself just how exhilarating and unique an experience dog sledding can be.
The four tours range between an hour and a half in length to four and a half hours, with the shorter tour being more suitable for those just looking for a taste of the experience and the longer ones for those who would prefer a more immersive experience. All four tours include rejuvenating food and drink of some kind to warm you back up and replenish those lost nutrients after your sledding experience.
Cold Fire Creek’s dog sledding tours use Alaskan Husky or mixed breed Northern Dogs to pull their sleds. At any given time they have around 75 of these good humoured, hard working dogs in their kennels. Trained from pups to pull sleds, these dogs like people and love their job, so there’s no need to be nervous around them or worried about their well-being.
Want to learn to drive the sled? The average adult is big and strong enough, so sure! Prefer to ride? No problem! Want to help with the dogs? Some of the tours accommodate the would-be helpful individual – so yes! Want to pet the dogs? Go for it – but be warned you can’t pet just one!
When your tour is over, come on back to your cabin or room at the main lodge here at Mount Robson Mountain River Lodge. We’ll be keeping the room warm for you.
For more details and to make reservations, please visit: dogsleddinginjasper.com
November 8th, 2013 by
Heli-skiing, heli-boarding, heli-hiking, heli-touring – all a heli-good time!
To most of us, this is a fascinating spectacle but *not* something we think of ourselves doing. It’s hard not to be a little jealous of all that untouched snow up there, though – all those pristine, long slopes and empty glades piled high in dry powder … well, stop being jealous. You CAN do this!
If you’re in reasonable shape and can handle the blue and black diamond runs at the resorts, then you’re ready! You don’t necessarily even need your own equipment to handle the fabulously deep, virgin powder. Most heli-ski operators will have skis or snowboards for rent but, by all means, if you’ve some nice, fat powder skis or a board, bring it! Before you know it, you’ll be flying down some of the most epic verticals you’ve ever dreamed of.
But wait, let’s say whipping down intense verticals is not your idea of a good time but the thought of being on top of the world on an alpine glacier still sounds like heaven. Well, fear not: heli-hiking is also available. Strap on those snowshoes and traipse around the beauty that is Mt. Robson with your family and an experienced guide. Oh, did I mention the included lunch? Yum!
Okay maybe playing in the snow isn’t for you – but you have to admit the pictures look fabulous. Well, how about a heli-tour? You’ve NEVER seen the mountains like this and, believe me, folks: pictures simply cannot do it justice. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to view the top of the world from *above.*
And now for the good news: there’s a heli-skiing operator right near Mountain River Lodge that can set you up for heli-skiing, heli-snowboarding, heli-hiking, or going on a breathtaking heli-tour: Robson Helimagic.
Make your vacation to Mt. Robson one you’ll never forget with lodging at Mountain River Lodge and a day of heli-skiing: you’re bound to have a heli-great time!
Robson Helimagic
Please visit www.robsonhelimagic.com for rates, schedules, and details.
September 30th, 2013 by
Jasper Dark Sky Festival 2013: Oct 25 – 27
The Jasper Dark Sky Festival may sound a little odd at first but, unless you live in an area similar to ours, you may not realize that there’s a lot more to be seen in the night sky beyond the reflected glow of your city. In Jasper, when you look up at night, you see something amazing: a stunning forest of stars. Jasper is the world’s largest, accessible dark-sky preserve, in fact.
And what, exactly, is a dark-sky preserve?
A dark-sky preserve is an area that is free and *kept* free of artificial light pollution – that hazy glow which pervades the night sky of most inhabited areas and makes astronomy and even simple star-gazing difficult if not down-right impossible.
Now, some might take our incredible night skies for granted but we know that what we’ve got is rare and becoming rarer, so we celebrate it all month long in October and cap it all off near the end of the month with the Jasper Dark Sky Festival!
This year’s Festival is shaping up to be something truly wonderful with a host of fun events, local vendors offering specials, and of course, stars – and in this instance, by “stars” I mean celebrities:
Jay Ingram, of Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet will be here, along with David Levy, one of the most successful comet discoverers in history! Science journalist, and children’s author Peter McMahon will also be on hand, as well as renowned night sky photographer Yuichi Takasaka, and a host of other astronomical luminaries.
We’re offering our own special to coincide with the Jasper Dark Sky Festival:
So book now and open your eyes to the wonder of our wonderful night skies!
October 25th – 27th
For more details and a full event schedule, please visit: www.jasper.travel/dark-sky-festival-2013
September 13th, 2013 by
Publicity still from the 20th Century Fox’s ‘River of No Return’
starring Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe … and Jasper, Alberta.
The Jasper Remembers Marilyn exhibit at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum is a fond look back at a summer in the distant past when big name Hollywood invaded the small, mountain town of Jasper, Alberta.
It was the summer 1953 when the full cast and crew of a big-budget western by the name of “River of No Return” came to film in Jasper. Director Otto Preminger was here, and stars Rory Calhoun and Robert Mitchum were on hand along with, you guessed it, Marilyn Monroe. To be sure, lots of folks were excited to have a Hollywood production in town but Marilyn garnered most of the attention. After all, the museum exhibit isn’t called “Jasper Remembers Rory.”
The exhibit, open until September 22nd, features both production and informal photos as well as the remembrances and stories of Marilyn, her co-stars, and the filming.
The museum was surprised by the overwhelming response its staff received when they asked people to talk about Marilyn’s visit. Some of the stories collected contradict each other but part of the exhibit is this fact that people’s memories differ, even when two or more people witnessed the same event.
Regardless of any contradictions, the overall picture presented is that of a cast and crew who weren’t too good to interact with Jasper’s residents. Marilyn, in particular, seemed both charmed and charming, leaving smiles and goodwill in her wake.
The Hollywood icon’s untimely death in 1962 was sad for all who appreciated the star but especially for those who’d met her. Jasper Remembers Marilyn helps to resurrect the happier memories of her legacy with its unique tribute to the star and those whose lives she touched.
For further Information on the Jasper Remembers Marilyn exhibit at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum, please visit: www.jaspermuseum.org
At Mountain River Lodge we have stand alone cabins and a bed and breakfast lodge. We would love to be your lodging choice during your visit to Jasper.
August 24th, 2013 by insideout
The Mount Robson Marathon will is an “out-and-back” run on the world famous Berg Lake Trail. This year’s marathon will take place on Saturday September 7, 2013.There is a full marathon and a half marathon option.
The route passes through several different environmental zones and has its turn-around point on the shores of magnificent Berg Lake, truly making this marathon a one of a kind experience. The route is actually 46 km, or about 4 km longer than a “true” marathon. On the route, you will experience an elevation gain of 825 m (2,700 ft) from the base to the turn-around point.
For non-endurance runners, enjoy a 12km run to Kinney Lake and back. Children aged 5-12 can participate in 3/4 km and 1.5 km fun-runs around the nature trail near the Visitor Centre.
You can register for the marathon online; entry fees range from $25 to $45.
Possibly the best scenery of any marathon!
In addition to the races, other activities will take place in and around the Visitor Centre throughout the day.
Schedule for Saturday, September 7, 2013:
The trail begins in a temperate rain forest. Giant western red cedars create a magnificent canopy of old growth forest. It is an easy route through the forest to Kinney lake. Travel is relatively easy across the valley and up some moderate switch backs. It is not until passing the Whitehorn campground that the trail becomes more challenging. From here a large headwall is ascended through the valley of a thousand falls. The trail is well maintained and the views during the ascent are very impressive, especially in late June or after a rain storm. From the top of the headwall the trail follows the shoreline of Berg lake. Travel is again moderate and the magnificent view of Mt. Robson’s north face comes into view.
The Berg Lake Trail is literally located minutes from the Mountain River Lodge. We have both independent cabins and a bed and breakfast.
Mountain River Lodge
Telephone: 1-250-566-9899
From BC & AB: 1-888-566-9899
Email address: hosts@mtrobson.com
Located at:
Swift Current Creek Road & HWY #16
Mount Robson, British Columbia, Canada
Mailing Address:
Box 1088, Valemount, BC V0E 2Z0
Cross-Country Skiing in Jasper National Park
Guided Backcountry Tours of Jasper National Park
Visit the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives!
View the Extraordinary with a Maligne Canyon Icewalk!