Golden or Clearwater BC ???

Either route would be a spectacular drive. Because 93 goes south east the mileage probably would not be much different.
I doubt if you would be bored going back this route, it would give you a different view. OTOH, 16 and 5 are very scenic, try to catch Mt Robson at sunrise. It will leave you speechless. Hint. If you go via Golden wave as you pass my front door. We are south of Enderby.:B

Definitely go back down the Icefields Parkway- do this section twice! Beyond Mt. Robson, I find Hwy 5 quite boring!

The icefields parkway IS worth two traverses but Mount Robson provincial park is spectacular provided the weather is good and that is on the northern route. The drive from Golden through Roger's pass on Hwy 1 is also quite spectacular in good weather.

Hwy 5 does have much less traffic than does Hwy 1 if that is a consideration for you. You will see a lot of trees on the northern route and a lot of trees, several towns, and a lot of traffic on the southern route.

Hwy 5 is just as busy as hwy 1 as it is a main truck route to Edmonton and the north country and is a very pretty hwy, lots more camping area's also. Just my thought's as I live in Clearwater.

TenOC, is there any way you can add more nights at Banff or Jasper? This area of the world is, well, world-class -- we spent a month up there and we wished we had more time! It'd be a shame to drive all that way and then just give it a look-see and leave.

I would recommend little or no time camped at Lake Louise -- great hiking, but terrible train noise, the worst we have ever heard.

If you go Yellowhead west of Jasper to Mt Robson, be sure to stop again a few km west of Robson tourist info - the mountain is more spectacular from the west side.
- Sept 5, 2006: Carolyn and I high up on the north side of the trail going east of Miette Hot Springs


The trail in Robson park to a lake at the foot of the mountain is very nice.

I like highay 5 down to Kamloops. No nasty hills or curves and less busy, with great scenery. A nice stop is the town of Blue River which has a lake right in the town, lovely for swimming.

Our last trip west from Lake Louise on highway 1 was unpleasant. We turned off just inside Yoho park to see a waterfall which was great but there is a nasty hairpin curve with cliffs on the road. No warning for long vehicles that can't turn around. By the time we got going west again, it was getting dark. No campsites open in October and the road was extraordinarily dark in rain and fog. Lots of hills and heavy truck traffic. We finally stopped at a large truck park beside the highway at Revelstoke. Mor spectacular views than highway 5, though.