Day 5 in the Canadian Rockies saw our first hike in Jasper National Park. This entire trek was done in the shadow of spectacular Angel Glacier, so named because it resembles a white form with wings.

The trail starts at an elevation of 5,780 ft (1760 m) and coincides with the Path of the Glacier, a relatively flat path that goes to Cavell Pond at the foot of Angel Glacier. It being a holiday weekend in Canada, this portion was really crowded (think families with baby carriages and dogs) -- it wasn't pleasant! But the lake was pretty cool, with huge chunks of ice of various sizes floating in its green water. Half of the lake itself sat in the middle of a glacier, too, named Cavell Glacier.

Our hike, though, took us up, up and up more than 1,400 ft (438 m) to the wonderful open spaces of Cavell Meadows, just above the treeline and with a wide open view of Angel Glacier across the valley. As we approached the higher elevations of the mountain, the trail got extremely steep. And even though it was a warm summer day, a chilly wind blew upon us on this exposed terrain.

In an open area close to the highest point on the trail, we saw several other hikers taking a breather in what seemed like a rest area. We took a break and, after noticing some dark clouds sailing above us, decided to head across the mountain instead of up, and continue down the loop of the trail back towards the trailhead.

Though the crowds towards the bottom were not very appealing, the wide, grassy meadows at the top made this a wonderfully lovely hike. Brightly colored wildflowers dotted the meadows, and lush green forest contrasted quite beautifully against the layers of white snow on the ledges of Mt. Cavell. I especially loved taking in the great views of Angel Glacier and the surrounding mountains of Jasper.

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