Smell the sulphur.

Whistlers Campground, Jasper AB (3 stars)

We saw the cloudy skies and decided not to take the Jasper Sky Tram up the mountain since the views are not as nice as when it is sunny. Instead, we headed for Miette Hot Springs.

The smell of sulphur tells you that you are getting close to the source of the hot springs. Source spring number 3 is quite hot. The overflow from the source (and the other two also) flows into Sulphur Creek. Along the way we pass the previous hot spring pool structure. It now looks more like a prison, according to Lez. Quite creepy and what is behind all those locked doors and bricked in doorways.

More hiking - but the muscles are getting into shape! We have had the perfect weather for these mountain ventures, some sun and cloud but no winds or rain. The trip to Miette Hot Springs was another view filled but very easy climb to where the springs pour through the mountain side. The water is HOT! Not warm. I wish I had taken a cooking thermometer with us - I am curious just how hot they are. Hot on the hands but not scalding. The water also comes with the smell of sulphur.

The water is now piped into a new pool facility which was very busy, and is lower down the mountain from the original pool. The ruins of a pool from 1938 are at the source of the hot springs. The photos share the ruins and the trees planted in what was the middle of the pool. Empty sockets along one wall show that the pool area had lights.

The trek up to that pool would have been the only way to get there then and there are still no roads up that far, only a path wide enough for two hikers.

On the road back down from the hot springs, we stopped at a lookout where a huge rockface exposes rock 350 million years old. We read that information on an info board at the parking lot located on 150 million year old rock bed. Oh Canada!