Day 75, Saturday June 16, 2018, The “Icefield Parkway” to the Athabaska Glacier

ATTENTION TO THOSE READNG THE BLOG: When we are back in  the United States  (less than a week from now) I will be no longer giving the total bird count as I have. The reason being that there will be a contest to see if you can tell the number of birds that we have seen on the trip when we end. the trip. The prize for the winner will be  “The Sibley Guide to Birds” all 500 + pages of it. Closest answer wins.  At present we have over 285 species seen and identified.  In a week I will no longer be giving any numbers. I will continue to post new birds that we see by name.

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No Elk those morning! It was rainy and I think they may have wanted to “sleep in”. But that did not deter us from getting an early start in the trailer at 6:00 AM, so we could get on the road by 8:00 or so. That would allow us to get well up the Parkway and avoid some of the crowds at the venues and stops. We had not figured on road stoppages as there were some for the main highway (# 93) was being repaired in spots. A big asphalt plant was set up in one of the construction zones.

Road stoppage was often.

More waiting usually 15-20 minutes

Cutting, tarring, laying, and leveling process. All at once.

But we stopped for gas and a cup if coffee first,  at the “Cavalanche” and  but “Gabby” had her day off, and  Daniel from Manchester, England and the two gals from Japan were there (“Ai” and  her pal). I just got coffee and a blueberry muffin for Ruth. 

It was a very quiet morning traffic wise, Ruth saw one deer behind the highway fence. We decided to head for “the” Lake Louise while the crowds were slim. It also was not completely sunny, but  some what cloudy . We were in luck as we parked right up in the front row with the handicapped license.  The  photos were good considering the dim morning light. A small, fast moving  creek runs out of the lake and down toward the Bow River and we looked for Dippers  there but found none. They like those kinds of creeks with the fast water. The Lake Louise Hotel and lake is a very popular venue and a jumping off place for hundreds of j=hikers in the summer There are five different ridges that parallel Lake Louise , so accessibility is close.

The wellknown Lake Louise early morning.

A vie of Lake Louise from a distance

The Former Guides cabin built in 1920

Along the way to the Athabaska Glacier we stopped at a few new views, including two tremendous waterfalls, one that dropped some 2,000 feet or so. That ridge just stopped abruptly and the water was pouring over the edge in many places. Some had dug deep grooves from centuries of wear, which added to their beauty.

IT made a big splash in the middle.

Many drops

Rushing, roaring!

Another waterfalls was hidden by the road as it had a canyon right next to the road.  It was hidden from view. Ruth saw it and as I had let all of the work stoppage traffic go by me,  the road was clear so I stopped n the bridge. She got out of the truck and took some photos of it. It might be one of the very first photos of that waterfall.

Ruth spotted this canyon when I stopped on a bridge. Cannot be seen frm the road.

It's down there , really!

Hebert Lake was another stop for reflections on a still surface of that lake. It was surrounded by trees and not very large.  At that stop we did see some GRAY JAYS and  PINE SISKINS.

Herbert Lake reflections.

We crossed the Saskatchewan River again as we did yesterday  and I think how that river flows such long distance to the east, through Manitoba and the big lakes of Manitoba and finally into Ontario and southeast.. We have crossed it on the way to Alaska more than once. After that  river  came the high glaciers and snowfield just before the appearance of the Athaabaska glacier and the surrounding snowfields.

There is parking for those certified as handicapped in the upper lot with the busses so we took advantage of that, getting permission from the lass at the entrance, and parked at the front of the lot facing the glacier. IT was a good view and easy access to a walkway that overlooks the entire glacier and accompanying mountain.  Behind us the tourist busses were dropping the people from all over the world, from their bus to catch a second bus at the lodge, that would take them up to the base of the glacier. . They would depart that bus and board the tracked vehicles that would slowly move  them at a crawl,  finally,  up to the glacier itself.  There they could walk around on the glacier , or stay put!  This entire process must take about 2 hours.
(See photos)

Athapaska Glacier, can you see the track vehicles?

The track vehicles at the foot of the glacier

On the glacier, the tracked vehicles with tourists.

The busses take the riders tothe tracked vehicles.

ON the way home we stopped again at Vermilion Road and picked up seven species making the days total 17. Not an extremely long list, but significant in their names. WIDGEON, RING NECKED DUCK, COMMON MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD , CHIPPING SPARROW, WHITE CROWNED SPARROW,  LESSER SCAUP, VIOLET GREEN SWALLOW, PIED BILLED GREBE and  GREAT BLUE HERON ( 3 of them).

That ended a long day with a long drive of 256 mies from the trailer to the glacier and back. I am happy that tomorrow is a short day of only 75 miles to Calgary AB.