A raindrop that lands on the Columbia Icefield has three possible destinations, and it is hard to find a better place to say so. From the snowy dome at the heart of this ice, meltwater drains to the Pacific by the Columbia, to the Arctic by the Athabasca and Mackenzie, and to Hudson Bay via the Saskatchewan. The icefield itself sits astride the Continental Divide, a plateau of ice some hundreds of metres deep, feeding half a dozen big glaciers, of which the Athabasca is the one you can see from the highway.
The Icefields Parkway, Highway 93, is the road that takes you there, and it is rightly counted among the great motorcycle roads of the world. It runs between Lake Louise and Jasper for about 230 kilometres, through a procession of peaks, glacier-fed lakes, turquoise rivers and waterfalls. The surface is smooth, the bends long and open, and the speed limit low, which is fine: you will not want to hurry. Wildlife is part of the show, with bighorn sheep, black bears, mountain goats and elk beside the road. Sunwapta Pass, at about 2,030 metres, marks the boundary between Banff and Jasper national parks, a short ride north of the icefield.
The Athabasca Glacier has retreated more than a kilometre in the last century, and markers beside the path show where the ice reached in different years. The glacier is an easy walk from the car park, but crevasses and fast-moving meltwater make it dangerous to go far without a guide, so heed the signs. The visitor centre across the road has a cafe and information, and there is a glass walkway at a lookout nearby, though riders may prefer to spend the money on a good lunch.
The nearest pumps are at Saskatchewan River Crossing to the south, which is seasonal, and at Jasper, a long way to the north, so fill the tank at Lake Louise or Jasper and top up when you can. The parkway is open all year, but snow can fall in any month, and winter tyres are required in winter. Dress warmly: the wind off the ice is cold even on a sunny July day.