Picture of the day - October 9, 2005

Icefields Parkway - Jasper, Alberta

Photo courtesy of PDphoto.  Today's picture features Icefields Parkway, a scenic highway that follows the western continental divide and a series of glaciers dating all the way back to the ice age. This often-snowy thoroughfare between Jasper, Alberta and Banff takes its travelers along some of the most beautiful scenery in North America. The Columbia Icefield section is especially popular with visitors because you can actually walk on the thousands of years old glacier and drink its pure, refreshing "run-off" water. Just imagine walking on ice that was formed in pre-historic times! The Canadian government began construction on the 143 mile long Icefields Parkway in 1931. Workers built the road using picks, shovels, and horses - and they did it for 20 cents a day! Times were hard then and unemployment was very high so they were glad to have a job at all, even one where they had to work so hard for so little. Today, you can enjoy the fruits of their hard labor and see lots of amazing Canadian Rocky Mountain scenery when you take your very own trip down the unique Icefields Parkway.   Picture Of The Day Homepage | Submit a photo Interesting Articles