I left the cold temperatures behind and found sunshine, blue sky and +4C in Jasper National Park.  Things never change.  That first glimpse of the mountains is always exciting.  On the drive through the park I saw two herds; one of mountain sheep and one of elk.  They were in areas along the highway where I could not pull over to take photos.  Hopefully I'll get some wildlife photos tomorrow.

I got settled in my room.  By the time I was done, the snow was melting off the roof and I was roasting like a turkey.  I had to take some layers off.  I wore only a windproof shell over a light under layer when I went for a walk. 

I hiked north on the road to the bridge that joins the shore and a little island on Pyramid Lake.  The sun was so bright.  I had to take advantage of that so I decided to walk back on the lake.  It was warm and beautiful.  I could hear laughter on the skating oval.  A family was out there with skates and a sled.  I'll be trying that oval out tomorrow.

As I walked along the shore, the wind picked up loose snow and created little snow devils that travelled across the surface.  The wind gusted now and again but that didn't deter some skiers from trekking across the lake.  I hope that I'll be able to do that tomorrow when I get back from the tour.

I have an ice walk tour of Maligne Canyon planned for tomorrow.  The weather is looking great.  It will be a fantastic way to spend some time outside in the mountain air.  I'm hoping for another blue-bird sky day.