WELCOME TO 2010!!!!

Its a new year for everyone and here in Jasper its a wonderful beginning! Warm weather and sunny skies are gracing our days and we enjoying them as much as we can!

New Year's day was a fun one for Murray and his family. A snowshoe tour was on the books so out they went to enjoy the fresh snow! This tour, it would seem, was out of this world...as you can see in the pictures, it would appear that Abby fell from the sky!!

Our Maligne Canyon Icewalks were in full swing over the holidays, operating everyday at 10am , 2pm, and 7pm. The new format for the Icewalk appears to be a great decision....

For those of you who have been on the Icewalk before, you probably remember parking at the 5th Bridge and making your way into the Canyon from there, then returning the same way. For part of last year, and of course now this year, we are starting the walk from the 1st Bridge and ending at the 5th bridge with our vehicle being moved while the walk occurs!! What a change!! You get to see the whole canyon without having to walk back up that hill!!

Of course, we do have other winter adventures available. We have a Snowshoe Discovery Tour, Maligne Valley Tour, and a Cross-Country Ski Intro Course.

Feel free to call us before you arrive in Jasper to book your tours as booking ahead is always a good plan!! You can also book your tours online through our website. If you want to wait until you are in town, drop by our office located at 618 Connaught Drive, across the street from the Historic Black Steam Engine. We are also able to offer you ski and snowboard rentals so stop by and check us out!!

The end of the season is very near with highs for the next few days up to 16c.
Say goodbye to the icewalk for the season. There is still plenty of ice in
the canyon, but things are dangerous due to a varity of objects falling in from
above as the ice melts releasing rocks, tree limbs and pieces of ice.

Some fading memories of the ice this year.

1. Fresh snow on the Icefall below Bridge 1,
taken two days ago when it snowed/rained
in town, but at the canyon up to 10-12cm of snow.







2. Entering the Canyon. At the start of the year, we were
walking under this tree with clearance of several feet.
Ever Evolving in the canyon.

3. Approaching what the guides are calling the Grotto. This icefall formation
has stayed up all winter. There is a cave behind this fall that goes back 3-4m
Generally the icefall collapses partway through the winter with a warm period.
But not this year. Didn't have that break in the weather this year.



4. Looking from Angel Icefall to the
Queen of Maligne Icefall










5. "Queen of Maligne" Icefall in all her glory.











6. The Queen's Behind












7. Showers constantly happening that form up the Queen
throughout the winter.








A few more weeks of Skiing and Bye Bye Winter 08/09!

Could It Really Be????

After a disastrously cold beginning to the week, I'm feeling optimistic. Spring may actually be right around the corner! Of course, the weatherman wants me to believe that March will be cold, cold, cold...but today is once again the kind of beautiful day that people hope for in Jasper. With the weekend weather becoming warmer and warmer, we expect a great weekend of Maligne Canyon Icewalks! Although the cold snaps this winter aren't the best, they sure make the ICE FORMATION in the canyon a true marvel of nature. I've been told that the canyon hasn't been this ice-filled in 6 to 8 years...amazing!!

Our tours depart at 10am, 2pm and 7pm for those wanting to hit the slopes at Marmot Basin before their Icewalk! With the warm weather, you could arrive in Jasper completely unprepared and still go on the Maligne Canyon Icewalk, as the only thing you really need is yourself and a camera, since we provide appropriate footwear and ice cleats for your safety! Our friend the bighorn sheep has been hanging around the canyon this season, and if you're lucky he might just make an appearance during your tour!! Young and old, this tour is for everyone who wants to see what Mother Nature does in her spare time!!

Give us a call or stop by our booking office for more information! We are located at 618 Connaught Drive, across from the Historic Steam Engine. 1-800-565-7547

See you on the ICE!!!

SPECTACULAR!

That's about all that needs to be said about a day like today. The sun is shining, warming up the cool mountain air just enough. Our Maligne Canyon Icewalks are in full swing, spring break is almost upon us and we are READY! The Canyon is the most beautiful its been in years. With the warmer weather for large parts of the season, the snow and ice has been melting and creating some absolutely amazing formations right on the floor of the canyon! In my four winters in Jasper, I've never seen so much ICE in the canyon. This tour is a must during your trip to Jasper!! But what to do once you've done the icewalk?? During the week, we offer a snowshoeing tour, and also an Introduction to Cross Country skiing. We always appreciate reservations for our tours, but most of the time we can fit you in if you just happen to be walking by! The Maligne Canyon Icewalk is a great tour if you pull into town in the late afternoon, as our evening tour departs at 7pm.

Have a great week and have fun planning your trip to Jasper!!!

Welcome to 2009!!

A new year has come and here we sit contemplating what the last year gave us. For Ryan Titchener (at right), life is full of adventures. Originally from Ontario, Ryan fits right in here in this majestic mountain town. As an ice climbing enthusiast, he is out there every chance he gets, and wanted to share some of that with you!!

Here are a few photos taken on Ryan's most recent ice climb, with fellow guide Troy Gallant.
Who ever knew that frozen water could be so absolutely magnificent??

This is not a hobby for the faint hearted. You have to be confident and strong to get yourself to the top of those icefalls.

The Maligne Canyon is always a popular spot for Jasper's ice climbers, and they don't have a schedule...they are pretty much always out there! If you are brave enough to venture out on our Maligne Canyon Icewalk Tour, chances are pretty good you'll see this amazing action taking place.

A long climb up!! During the summer the rock

face that these falls sit upon, is mostly

impassable.

What kind of animal makes tracks like that?? Only a few ice climbers! That's right! Ryan and Troy don't drop bread crumbs, they follow their feirce tracks home!

Enjoy 2009!! Get out and about and enjoy the beauty that Jasper has to offer!!!

Come out and Explore Maligne Canyon!

At last, the weather has co-operated and we have started our Maligne Canyon Icewalks. We have also picked a great guide crew for this winter season! To book any tours, simply go to our main website http://www.jasperadventurecentre.com/ and select winter tours...where you will find all the tours that we offer during the snowy winter months. You can book directly from the website, or give us a call at 1-800-565-7547. Our phones are answered from 8am until 8pm daily.

Our guides for this season are Murray Morgan, who is owner/manager of the Jasper Adventure Centre, Ryan Titchener, Chuck Cantley, Alicia Waller, Troy Gallant, JF Bussieres, and Dieter Regett.

These photos show our guides, and their supervisor Bev, out in the canyon preparing for a season of guiding. For safety reasons, we go in early and break up the ice in order to help solidify soft spots, where the top layer of ice is thin. This gives us a thicker, more secure base to hike on!

Check out the post from November, in which Murray does an interview on the Canyon!!

WINTER HAS ARRIVED!!

Who knew that the beginning of winter would be so harsh, although fairly short lived?? We started out this past weekend with around -25* then continued down to -30*, and yesterday much to Jasper's demise we reached a frighteningly cold temperature of -38*!! Today, sitting at a very nice -19* even before the sun came up, I'm surprised to see no one is wearing shorts, then I remember, it is still winter, just not so terribly cold!

I received a nice email from one of our guides, Alicia Waller, who along with Ryan Titchener (another one of our guides) took the opportunity during the warm month of November to go climbing in Watchtower Canyon. Our guides never have a "day off" because they love to keep themselves busy, whether it be exploring the areas we guide in, or going out on a totally new adventure. They each offer different views and information on each location, but here's Alicia's rundown in photos of Watchtower Canyon!