When I opened the blinds those Am looking at the mountains, I saw three Elk walking quickly
across the campground, just 50 feet from the trailer, toward the road. There is a woods across the road. I quickly got the camera, opened the door and began shooting.As you can see I did capture the moment even though the photos are certainly not “posed”. What graceful creatures.
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| At 7:30 in the morning they walked past the trailer |
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| They didn't linger long to head for the river. |
When driving the Icefield Parkway, there is so much to see and visit in scenery, that stopping at almost every pullout or site is very tempting.. This is especially true if it is your first time. It can get very exciting at times. IE: at a very specially colored lake (Peyto Lake) that is fed by glacial silt (slurry?) which colors the lake azure, this was especially true. I was standing at the rim overlooking the lake as some bussed tourists came down the walkway and saw it for the first time. It was , “Oh My” and “wow”, and “geez” with big smiles and wide eyes , to see this marvelous sight for the first time. Even if a second time. It is truly an eye opener.
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| The glacial run off moves into the lake with its slurry... |
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| ...Giving the lake that azure color. The rest of the Valley to the north. |
So the point is that almost every mile of this 100 mile Parkway is jam packed with visuals that will last a lifetime. There are folks from all over the world here. From India, to Ireland, from Germany to Japan, from Holland to Peru. Of course Canadians and Americans outnumber them all except when the busses come through. Those times it gets to be a crush. In the years to come there will have to be some system of control in order to maintain a semblance of order as the crowds will only continue to get bigger as the word gets around about how amazing this place is. Witness Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Zion/Bryce National Parks. There is regulation there now, most of the tourists are bussed in and soon it will have to be the same here as well. Just sayin’.
At Peyto Lake Ruth became "lost” today for a spell. She took the wrong trail to get back to the truck. Long story, but a couple from Germany rescued her after I asked a lady to look for her in the other parking lot where she was. It was a happy ending with helpful people.
So we continued along the Parkway stopping at a number of lakes (Bow Lake, Herbert Lake) to mention a few. Three of the campgrounds that are usually open for camping were closed for summer repair. I am sure they are trying to get them open asap.
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| Herbert Lake has a wonderful reflection as it s isolated from the wind. |
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| We did see bear but its movement was too quick for Ruth. |
Pulling over at lunch time with the front of the truck facing a huge mountain range was a treat to be sure. Glaciers, snowfields, talus slopes and lots of snow peaks were visible as well as the thousands of feet (meters) of layers of rock in the mountains so tall. It is a known fact that these mountains (and the USA “Rockies”) were at one time the tallest in the world towering to over 35,000 feet tall. Over the millennia the winds and erosion blew them well off to the east of the continent and they are what they are today. They are still immense but not what they were. It is an interesting geologic story if you want to pursue it.
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| One of the mountains with the layering of rock (Sedimentary?) |
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| Some area peaked, No two alike. |
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| And some are stright up! |
At about 1:30 PM, we had driven about 100 miles and turned around stopping at the Saskatchewan River for a few photos. (No traffic? Stop on the bridge!).
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| The Saskatchewan River waters actually end up in Ontario. |
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| This Saskatchewan River formed the great Valley |
From there a brief stop at the “Cavavalanch” to send out e mail and receive the same and send a blog, The internet was too slow (many using that site) so I did not load the photos and will do that Monday or Tuesday. Gasoline price went up .04 cents (summer is coming?) as we filled up again there. ($4.60 Per gallon) We went back home to the trailer where a man was in the road next to the trailer doing a chalk drawing of the mountain by the campground. (Not Tunnel Mountain) . He was from Pennsylvania and has taken to the hobby since retirement, after an Uncle allowed him to do it when he was younger. It came out very fine as I saw the finished product.
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| This was Chet from Pennsylvania doing a chalk drawing of the mountains |
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| As a retired business man , he took up painting. Talent! |
Rain finally came after supper for about 20 minutes and then it was gone. That happens many times in the mountains here. We drove through a few edges f clouds on the way back today.
Tomorrow we will get as far as the Athabaskan Glacier on the Icefield Parkway and maybe a bit further. A stop at Lake Louise in the morning may be possible.
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