Flying High on the Jasper SkyTram with Coton Vanille

Over the Canada Day long weekend, we made the four-and-a-half-hour drive from Calgary to Jasper for the first of many 2017 summertime adventures! Our Jasper trip was our first vacation during which Miss Cub was an active participant. At almost 2 years old, she is sturdy on her feet and a total daredevil. No more snoozing in the carrier while the rest of us have all the fun!

Kitted out in her zebra-print Coton Vanille maxaloones and T-shirt, Miss Cub was already on the move as we waited at the base camp of the Jasper SkyTram for her cousins to arrive.

Tickets for the SkyTram can be purchased in advance, but it was surprisingly not busy this sunny Sunday morning, perhaps because lots of Jasper tourists were nursing a post-Canada Day hangover!

Once the rest of our party arrived, we bought our tickets and waited to be called up for flight #17 to the Upper Station, an altitude of 2277 metres (7470 feet) on Whistlers Mountain. (The mountain is named for the characteristic whistle of the marmots who call it home.) If you are an AMA member, you can save 15% on your tickets, and children under 5 ride free.

The SkyTram is a 7-minute gondola ride that is not for the claustrophobic (nor those afraid of heights). My kids and my niece and nephew loved it, and once at the top we were stunned by the breathtaking view of the Canadian Rockies.

You can call it a day once you reach the Upper Station, taking in the view from the wooden walkways and having a bite at the alpine restaurant. Or, you can hike the steep 1300 metres (4265 feet)  to the Whistlers Mountain summit to be at the top of the world. I wore Miss Cub for the trek upwards, and she was nice and comfy in her Coton Vanille maxaloones, which don’t ride up. I was able to unroll the cuffs to keep her little ankles covered since we didn’t pack socks: there were a surprising number of mosquitoes up there, and the higher we went, the chillier it got!

Once we made it to more or less the top of Whistlers Mountain, Miss Cub was eager to be freed from the confines of her carrier and get climbing. This child fears nothing!



There are rocks and boulders aplenty to clamber upon, and she was fully prepared to follow her older cousins everywhere. There were a few alpine critters to spy and even some snow!

Layers are key for a mountain climate. When the sun was out she was plenty warm enough in just her T-shirt, but when the clouds rolled in a bit and the wind picked up, it was time to pull on a sweater.

Once you leave the Upper Station and start the hike up to the summit, there are no facilities. We had a picnic lunch packed and used rocks as our picnic table.

It’s important to make sure your little explorers don’t try to feed the animals, and make sure you take all your garbage back down with you!

Whistlers Mountain summit is basically one giant playground for junior rock climbers, and my heart skipped a beat a few times as I watched my overly confident munchkin fearlessly explore.

Riding the SkyTram was big-brother Cub’s favourite Jasper activity, although the hike to and from the summit was an exercise in patience. It’s a steep climb, and it took a lot of cajoling to get him to the top … and back to the bottom. For the return journey, I wore a pooped out Miss Cub on my back and let Papa handle the preschooler.

If you’re planning to ride the Jasper SkyTram with your kids this summer, pack lots of water and snacks, and dress everyone in layers! Comfortable shoes are a must if you plan to hike up to the summit.

About Coton Vanille:

Miss Cub’s fabulous hiking outfit is from Coton Vanille of Rimouski, Quebec! They recently made a deal with Serge Beauchemin, one of the Dragons on Quebec’s Dans l’oeil du dragon (the French-language version of Dragon’s Den). Since I reviewed their maxaloones last year, they have added a bunch of new apparel and accessories to their line, including shortiloones, headbands and printed T-shirts to perfectly match their bottoms. Shipping is always free in Canada and the US. Watch out for their Fall/Winter 2017 line … I can’t wait to see what they have in store!





38 responses to “Flying High on the Jasper SkyTram with Coton Vanille”

  1. Angelica Dimeo

    I would choose the maxaloones pineapple pants and the pineapple shirt

  2. kathy downey

    Thanks for the review,they certainly have a nice selection of items. Shipping is always free in Canada ,love this ,it usually decides where i shop!

  3. I would love to win this and try my first ever maxaloons! The pineapple print is gorgeous but so is the zebra. How to choose?!

  4. Elizabeth Matthiesen

    So many lovely bits and pieces, love them all but I did make a choice 🙂 I love the idea of the Maxaloones growing with the child.

  5. jan

    Probably the Camping Car would be my choice

  6. Robijn C

    I love the patterns they have! I’d choose the hedgehogs 🙂

  7. Melissa A.

    These are adorable! My son would look so cute in the camper one. i’d have to get a matching diaper!

  8. Carole D

    I would choose the Zebra set, I totally love it! The SPRING FLOWERS is also cute!

  9. Carole D

    I love Jasper it’s so beautiful when we live in Edmonton we would go a couple times every summer. The Coton Vanille set is perfect for exploring.

  10. M Hobson

    My husband and I loved going to Jasper and the other parks while I was doing my residency in Calgary, and he visited me. We spent one week camping in Jasper just a tent and were the only ines in our campsite with just that! I can’t wait to take our son to visit! I would love to get the zebra or Hedgehog matching set for our son.

  11. Debbie Clauer

    I love the black zebra shirt and matching pants.

  12. Marie Lowther

    I just love this set! I’ll have to look into getting my son some of these, so cute! Thanks for the review! 🙂

  13. Melissa Bissett

    Hi great review and beautiful place. I hope one day I will be able to visit Jasper. I live in Quebec so no plans for this yet.
    Coton Vanille clothes are adorable.
    Love the zebra outfit. It will be great for my daughter!! I have the bear pants but I need the shirt for matching!!!!

  14. stephanie

    These are so cute! I need some for my 2-week-old babe. Also, this makes me want to go to Jasper! It’s been years since I’ve been… but now I’m tempted to take a road trip from Vancouver. 🙂

  15. Janet M

    i really like the look of the set. They look comfortable and easy to move in whether hiking, rock climbing or playing in the back yard.

  16. Kristine

    I love how the pants make it so easy to adjust for temperature changes and mosquitosee. The pants are also very Cute!

  17. Barbara

    I love the pictures posted with this review. Looks like an absolutely gorgeous place to visit. Hope you all had a wonderful time.

  18. Alysha

    The photos are beautiful. The rockies. The baby girl and the babywearing! Thank you for sharing and for the opportunity! If i dont win, ill be looking at purchasing !❤

  19. Elizabeth C.

    I love Coton Vanille. Your little girl is so sweet in her zebra set! If I win, I would love to have the new Kumbaya print to go with our diaper, wet bag and hanging pail 🙈

  20. Stephanie

    I love the fit of maxaloone’s but have never liked the look of the patches on the bums, so I have never bought any. But I love the look of these!

  21. Kaley H

    Wow! It looks like you had a lot of fun out and about 🙂 if I had to choose a pattern it would have to be the camper car ( Kumbaya) although the hedge hogs are pretty adorable too!

  22. Elishia

    Maxiloones are my favourite for babywearing; I love being able to roll down the legs a little in cold weather.

  23. Leigh K.

    I love that this set is cloth diaper friendly & gender neutral. The maxaloons can be worn a long time too which is great because my LO grows sooo fast!

  24. Natalie L

    I would love to win a pair for my 1 year old . Their products look awesome 🙂

  25. Lisa Williams

    It’s a difficult choice because I like all of them but I would choose the pineapple.

  26. Tera Penton

    Thanks for the review they seem like such awesome quality children’s outfits

  27. Ashley snider

    These are just super cute! Made roomy for cloth bums and in such cute styles! I’m super excited about these!

  28. tennille

    Yes to layers! We spent a chilly weekend up at Silver Star Mountain in BC and we definitely wore lots of layers. As we hiked and biked we shed those layers, lol! These are the cutest little layers for littles

  29. Anjaliegh

    I love the spring flowers in coral!!! Such a cute set!

  30. Monika wojciechowski

    Love the zee you later print! I would love the matching diaper or 6 month t shirt to go with the pants I bought yesterday.

  31. SarahCB

    These are so cute! I love a little cloth bum!

  32. Ulina Rakurea

    This zebra outfit is SO SWEET! and she looks so comfy! Love it 🙂

  33. Sally Gearhart

    You captured some breathtaking views, i would love to visit there and do some hiking! Looks like alot fun for the kiddos, Miss Cub is super cute too in the zebra print. I love all of the prints but i would have to go with the pineapple print.

  34. […] Jasper SkyTram takes you up Whistlers Mountain for a spectacular view of the Canadian Rockies. While we were […]

  35. Andrea Miller

    I always love to support Canadian companies, and their stuff is so cute! Would love to win this great giveaway for my active little guy 😀

  36. Danielle Petryshyn

    I love those zebra prints!! My little man would look so cute in those 🙂

  37. Katie Lawrence

    I need to visit Jasper asap. It looks like the perfect trip for our family 😊 Thanks for the post, those zebra pants are the cutest thing I’ve seen all week!

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Welcome to my Wolf Pack!

My name is Lindsay and I am a 40-year-old mama of four trying to live an eco-friendly, budget-friendly life! I am a substitute teacher and Child Passenger Safety technician in Calgary, Alberta. Join me on my adventures!

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