Jasper in January
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Ever heard of Jasper? No, it’s not a friendly ghost. It’s a location. Could you place it on a map? Jasper is located in the Canadian Rockies in the province of Alberta. Ok – I must confess – like most Americans, I used to be horrible at Canadian geography. I had no idea what the provinces were or where they were located – but notice I used the phrase “used to be”.
That’s right – Canada is no longer just that country north of the US any longer – 2013 marked my year to finally get to know Canada beyond my little knowledge of beer and Whistler ski area. I went to Toronto (Ontario), Vancouver (British Columbia), Halifax (Nova Scotia), and Golden (British Columbia).
Jasper is my first stop on my 2014 travels, and it’s going to be an adventurous kick in the ass to the new year! Actually – it will most likely have me falling on my ass a lot. Jasper in January means snow – and lots of it. This means skating, sledding, snowshoeing, and skiing at Marmot Basin. I do none of these things well – which is why much of the time I may be on my ass, but the cool part is that I love all of them – despite my inability. It’s ok to like things you suck at – as long as you can laugh at yourself. It’s humbling – BUT it gives you more of a reason to go drink beer afterward to laugh at all of your flubs and sore ass.
Why should you care about Jasper in Alberta?
Jasper is a unique place to go to experience winter that is authentic, local, international, and adventurous. That, my friends, is what I’m all about. Oh – and there’s beer and poutine – I’m also about that stuff! In addition, much like Golden BC, Jasper lives in the shadow of the well-known Banff to the south. And that’s exactly why I want to go there. I did Golden in the summer and am excited to do Jasper in the winter.
What is Jasper in January?
It’s a celebration of all things winter. And this year it happens to be the 25th Anniversary of Jasper in January – so they have some special things planned. I’m heading there on the weekend of January 17th with my good friend and past travel partner Lisa Lubin – her presence there will make this already fun weekend even better! After all, I said I was going to make an effort to see more friends and stay in touch in 2014, so this is a great way to start.
Here are a few of the things I’m hoping to do while in Jasper in January during the festival:
- Star gazing and night photography in the Dark Sky Preserve
- Snow Shoeing
- Dog Sledding
- Wildlife Photography
- Canyon Hiking
- Skiing (I’m a novice and haven’t been on skis for 12 years!)
- Attend a drag queen show (yes – you read that right)
Plus – there are even rumored to be a few things you get to decide for me on Jasper’s Facebook Page by voting. Letting others choose my itinerary has me slightly nervous – so let me just give you some help – if one of the options is to go on a sleigh ride with Brad Pitt – choose that one, please. Please. (Note: voting is now closed.)
Discover the story of two sisters, Canmore and Banff
For the occasion, I bought myself a little Christmas gift: a GoPro camera. I figured if I was going to try skiing again– I better get some decent footage of me falling on my ass. After all, you can only watch those beautiful helicopter dare-devil skiing videos for so long; beginner videos – that’s where it’s at.
Jasper in January kicks off my 2014 travels, and from there, it just gets better and better. Trust me, I’m really excited about my 2014 plans so far – Jasper, Oahu, Kauai, India in a Rickshaw, Australia, Tasmania, and the next Niece Project (destination TBD). There’s no shortage of challenge and adventure in my future – and there will be no shortage of me falling on my ass, either.
Disclosure: I will be a guest of Tourism Jasper for this trip. However all of the opinions expressed here are my own. I had been wanting to see the Canadian Rockies in the winter for a long time and getting to the lesser known town of Jasper is the perfect destination for my style of travel.
I spent a weekend in Jasper last summer and had a really good time. As my partner and I travelled around in an RV we stayed at one of the campgrounds. Had bikes and biked into town for dinners. (Had awesome Japanese on the street where the train station is!) We also went horseback riding in the Rockies for three hours, but I guess you’d have to be there in summer to be able to do that.
Have a great time in Jasper!
Cool! I would love to do Canada in an RV! Excited that I get to show you what Jasper is like in the winter now too – you may realize you have to come back!
So very cool! Dog-sledding sounds amazing and I, too, have always wanted to see a drag show – can’t wait to hear about it!
These are great write-ups on Canada, since we are taking the bus from Seattle up north first before bringing her home to SC for the finish of our short bus circumnavigation in May/June this year.
So helpful to know of these destinations–we’ve already added Golden and Jasper was already on the list!
Stay warm, Sherry!
Experiencing a dog sled ride has been one of the highlights of my life. You will love it. What a trip!
I love winter when you can do wintry things, like skiing and sledding. I don’t like winter when it’s just gray and bleak and there’s no snow. Enjoy the festival!
Jasper is a magical place. You will love it. So pleased you are enjoying your trips to Canada. 2014 sounds like a fabulous year for you!
Looks like a very beautiful place. There is also a Jasper, Georgia. It’s nice up there, too! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
I had no idea there was a Jasper Georgia!
Great post! I don’t know much about Canada to be honest. Do you know any other interesting places nearby if one would visit Jasper? Your plans for 2014 looks really amazing indeed btw!
There’s tons of fun scenic stuff around there as it’s where all the National Parks meet in Canada – Baanf, Jasper, Yoho, and more! The scenic drives are gorgeous, there’s a ton of hiking and white water rafting all around that area. You won’t be bored summer or winter!
Haven’t heard of this place before, and to think I have been to Canada twice now. Will have to check it out when I come back. Thanks for the tip.
My husband and I plan to go around America and this would definitely be on our list. I miss Wisconsin thought and we definitely would love to get back to America soon. But for now, we love where we are now and we look forward to seeing Jasper too!
Hello there! Cheers for the awesome blog. The pix make me wish I was on holiday right now. Thanks for sharing.
I’m a huge fan of Canada and was thrilled to see this article – I agree with you that most of us Americans are completely ignorant when it comes to Canadian geography, culture, politics, you name it. There’s a whole world “up there,” and it’s stunningly beautiful!
Poutine and dog sledding, you have me captured and now I know where Jasper is 🙂
I’d love to get up in the winter! It’s been years since we’ve been able to have a proper ski getaway. Can’t wait to read about the results.