Time to document our trip to Banff and Jasper National Parks.
We arrived in Calgary at 1:00 a.m. following weather and mechanical delays in Denver. We boarded the plane for an on time departure and then there was lightening in the area so the ramp closed. Following the delay we taxied to the runway and then sat there forever. Finally the pilot came over the loudspeaker and said the plane's comm systems weren't working. Back to the gate we go and by this time we'd been stuck on that plane for nearly three hours. I had my phone out googling and sure enough airlines cannot hold you on the plane for more than tree hours. They finally let us deplane and we waited for a new aircraft to arrive.
I'm not one to get mad at the airlines. I prefer they are overly cautious. Anyway, we arrived in Calgary 10 minutes before the rental car center closed. We made the very long trek from customs to the counter and thankfully got there in time to get our car!
The next morning we started our adventure. We made our way to the Trans-Canadian Highway and headed towards the town of Banff after stopping at Walmart to get drinking water and other supplies.
I knew from my research that there are limited amenities on the way to the Ice Fields Parkway. Before we hit the parkway we needed to get some picnic supplies because we wouldn't see food again for several hours.
North of Banff we exited the big highway and got onto the Bow Valley Parkway. It's a much more scenic and slower paced drive through the park. This is the Bow River.
Look at those mountains!
For lunch we stopped at Baker Creek. Had the place to ourselves! The last week in May was the perfect time to visit because there were no crowds.
I kept expecting to see a grizzly walk out of the woods at any minute.
We then continued our journey and entered Jasper National Park. The Ice Fields Parkway is literally so beautiful that we had to stop to admire the mountains and take photos every few miles.
Our first hiking stop was Peyto Lake.
As you can see it was still snow and ice packed in several areas.
Luckily we had hiking shoes on. Many people were trying to traverse it in athletic shoes. There were several old ladies who were having a rough time on the ice.
Then we made it to lookout and were welcomed with amazing views.
You can't really see in the picture, but Peyto Lake was still a little frozen.
It is supposed to be one of the beautiful turquoise lakes, but unfortunately we didn't get to witness that. It was still beautiful though.
Another lake we stopped to see was Waterfowl Lakes.
This one was thawed and was gorgeous! Look at the reflection of the mountains in the water.
Stunning!
One of our favorite stops along the route was Mistaya Canyon.
In Canada the signs are in French and English. I loved being able to translate with some of the French I've been learning over the past 1 1/2 years.
This trail was in much better condition. It was a long hike down, but it was worth it.
The water funnels through the canyon with such velocity. If you fell in there you'd be a goner.
More stunning views!
I appreciate the trail crews who maintain the trails and information signs like this. Much to Irv's chagrin I always stop to read them.
Then we continued our journey and stopped at the Saskatchewan River Crossing on the Ice Fields Parkway. It's the only gas station for 232 km plus they have a little convenience store and nice restrooms (or washrooms as they're called in Canada).
Our destination for the day was Glacier View Lodge at the Columbia Icefield Centre. We splurged on this hotel so we could stay at the base of Athabasca Glacier. It's a luxury hotel with only 32 rooms that we booked months ago. The only downside was that the hotel restaurant was the only option.
Even though the food was mediocre and over priced, you can't really complain too much when you have an aperol spritz and view like this.
We had a fire out here on the eastern plains of Colorado last week. I kept getting reports on the fire's location on my cell phone while I was at work. Then a warning popped up that let me know it was time to hit the road and go home to prepare to evacuate the critters. When we initially got home it was still a decent distance away. Within 30 minutes it had come up over the ridge and flames were visible. The winds were gusting 45 to 50 mph. It was a fast moving fire that burned 5,000 acres in only four hours. Then the most amazing thing happened--the winds died down and the firefighters got in under control by 8:15 that night. Thank you, Lord! Have you ever had to stand in your house and wonder what you should take out with you? There were only two things I could think of...1) my critters and 2) my passport so I could still go to Europe next month. Irv and I agreed that we need to get things organized so we can just grab a box...
Yesterday I got to visit the recently completed Uncle Tom's Overlook along the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. This is the first really good look I've ever had at the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River. These falls are almost as good as the Lower Falls. After leaving the Upper Falls you go downstream for a mile or so to.... ...Artist's Point which has the very best view of the Lower Falls (in my opinion). In this location the view is perfect, so perfect that it look like a painting. This is just one of the features of this Park that make it my heart and soul. Linking with Skywatch Friday
The Salt River wild horses have been eluding us since we arrived in Arizona several weeks ago so today we went in search of them again. This time we started at the Coon Bluff Recreation Area. First we went one way down the river, but soon had to turn back because we didn't bring any rock climbing gear. Then we turned around and went the other direction. The water in the river was crystal clear, but no sign of fish or horses. There are times when I really miss my dad especially when I want to know what kind of tree I'm looking at. This one has something that resembles Spanish moss hanging down. What is it? This riparian area that surrounds the river has all kinds of wildlife. Today we saw theses white egrets. This gray heron was also hanging out in the distance. We met a guy carrying all kinds of photographic equipment and he said we needed to go about a quarter of a mile further down the river to find a spot where the horses cross every afternoon around 5:0...
Comments