A jewel in the forest...

Out for a search and discovery drive, we came upon this stunningly beautiful and under-populated Emerald Lake - which boasts a conference center/resort.  We first spotted this quaint gift shop and canoe/kayak rental area from the parking lot...but we decided to walk as the lake loop trail was only about 3.4 miles and it was a nice day. Simply gorgeous!



Anytime we are about to enter "wilderness" we try to ascertain whether there may be any bear activity and were told that the previous week a family (parents, 2 toddlers) had surprised a mom w/cubs and she chased them into the lake - the very glacier cold lake - where they stood for 20 mins while the bear growled at them. Wasn't until other walkers came along that the family was rescued...of course we had a good laugh about the story because we are sick and twisted, after all, it wasn't us standing in the lake...funny how we decided that wearing our 'bells' would be a good idea after hearing that story.

Emerald Lake is so clear and pristine, even on a cloudy day we were able to capture the mirror images.


Emerald Lake



Another mirror image awaits us.

Half way - resort in the background



At about the halfway point, the lovely paved path, with it's park benches to stop and enjoy the view ends, eat lunch or just rest, ends  and  wooden boardwalks appear to lead you off into the forested portions of the trail, leading you back to the resort.                                                                                   

This is worth the drive to see....and unlike Lake Louise - less congestion = more peace and enjoyment.

This sign was waiting for us at the end of our walk..Good to Know....if it's cold enough to freeze the lake then it's too cold for moi! This day the weather was perfect for a stroll around this gem...

~Ciao

Over the river and into the woods...

Once we park our rig and have plotted our agenda for the 'hood we are visiting we will frequently take an impromptu drive to discover what else is around to explore...such was the case when we drove over the Continental Divide from Lake Louise into YOHO National Park, established in 1886 it is just one of the 41 national parks in Canada.

A solitary sign, which we quickly passed going west became available on our return - so off we exited to take in one of the area's natural wonders. (This one is not the highway sign...)

Natural Bridge/Falls, Yoho National Park, BC

 The natural bridge crosses over The Kicking Horse River...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ciao~

Apple Pie in the middle of a hike=Perfection

Our original plans for this adventure was to see Yellowstone & the Grand Tetons and then travel into Alberta to see Banff/Lake Louise and the Canadian Rockies via their national parks system. We had no idea that the area contained some really beautiful lakes that are rarely, if ever, mentioned. In conversations with those we know who have visited the aforementioned "Lake Louise" no one ever spoke of other lakes in the area.  While I will briefly tout the beauty of Lake Louise - the Canadian Rockies has many beautiful lakes to enjoy along the way and over the next few days will share their beauty and what we found

First up: Lake Louise

Dockside looking up the lake 

Looking down the lake @ Fairmount Hotel

There is a lovely paved walk to nearly the end of the lake. Along the way you can then decide to hike up to the Agnes Tea House (3.2km) or take the longer, steeper and more scenic route to the Plain of the Six Glacier Tea House (5.5km). Both offer sandwiches, desserts and tea. Try the apple pie - delicious!



Snow still on the trail



Cable line for traversing this part of the trail...



Rocky part of the trail lined with a cable to insure you don't fall down the slide of the cliff - water is pouring down the side from above

This is the tea house at the end of the Plain of Six Glacier trail...staff live here 5 days and cooks everything from scratch...including the Apple Pie....all the waste is packed out, all food staples needed packed in....

Since we hadn't grabbed our backpack when exiting the car, lunch at the Tea House was both welcomed and tasted "well earned!" after hiking 5.5KM (3.4 mi/one-way).


Teahouse information

Below is the view of Lake Louise from the Tea House rest area....spectacular isn't it?



At the beginning of our day at Lake Louise, we had no idea of the views we would encounter - certainly not from 3 miles beyond and above the lake, however, we were thrilled to discover this treasure literally in the woods!

Ciao!

Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park...

Athabasca Falls is Canada's highest...the river feeding the falls is massive and fast. Here are two short videos...hope you get the idea of it's beauty and it's power.

Athabasca Falls - this link will provide you with additional information about the falls and the park.

Calgary by rail...

Calgary…Wild Rose Country - and it is true, the roadsides are covered with small bushes w delicate pink flowers that on closer inspection have thorns. Without the flowers they appear to be weeds…

We drove 20 miles to the "end of the line" - (about 10 miles from downtown Calgary) so as to experience their rail system. The parking, plentiful at 7am (not unlike the Sunset Transit garage) was packed on both sides of the tracks so we parked in a mall lot about a 9 min walk away. (This is an important side-note.) Once you get to the "transit plaza" (which looks like Beaverton Transit Ctr) you discover that, if you are not a local, there is NO manner in which to purchase a ticket unless you have exact Canadian coins - you are in for a 9 min walk back to the nearest fast food place - to buy that bottled water in order to get change for the ticket machines. You can not use a debit/credit card or bills. Coins are the only method to purchase your $2.75 one-way ticket. The irritating piece is that you have no way of knowing this until you have parked your car….regardless of where, if you don't have "toonies" ($2/C or a "loonie" - $1/C, or smaller you have to trot over to that fast food place. The good news is that it's $2.75 no matter where you travel.

 

Once the train arrived we were set. The Calgary Transit cars are the same size as MAX, however unlike Portland - they have 4 cars per train - their city blocks are longer to accommodate. MAX has it all over the CRT….MAX actually provides an in-car service routes AND signage on the side of the car indicating which train one is actually stepping into before one discovers that one is headed EAST rather than South and have to abort at the next station. Those darn tourists!

We had a good time wandering around downtown Calgary….discovering the obsessive love affair with all things Stampede. Most of the pubs and restaurants that front the streets all have wooden corrals built around their entrance and street facing windows….creating small patios of outside dining areas. About 90% of the windows have some Western-themed cartoon or language painted on them…quite the sight.

The walking tour provide us with lots of opportunities to see some really great art pieces right in downtown.

 

Buffalo Trails

 

Metal Horses in Courthouse Park Plaza




Horse of Metal Junk





Family of Man







HIGH in Canada...Rockies that is!

We are currently parked in the George Lane Memorial Park, High River, Alberta, Canada, roughly 30 miles from Calgary.

It is a small, quaint and friendly town. just off Hwy 2 The campground is managed by the Lions International group and is well maintained, has nice showers and is close to Old Town…. It'is within walking distance to shops, services and eateries and a mid-size community family park with a really nice baseball diamond rounds out the setting. Only downside - the cottonwood trees are shedding and the mosquitoes consider me their human buffet-dessert zone. We are now heavily outfitted with 30% Deet lotion, 23.5% Deet spray, some anti-itch cortisone cream and a anti-histamine - the bugs are thick here and apparently I am allergic given the size of the welts. (Local posters warn of West Nile virus prevention - something we hadn'tconsidered as an issue south of the border…it's kinda freaked me out-given the dessert platter I appear to be for them.)

We have found the local coffee shop with free wi-fi for those who have their own computers - since we have no tv, this little piece of technology = happiness. They also have amusing cartoons in the ladies room:

 

A short walking tour this morning provided us with some local history and a wonderful series of hand painted murals on many of the buildings throughout the town (slideshow of local photos to the right).

Prior to horses being imported by the Spanish in the 1600's, which eventually migrated North the First Nation (Canadian) peoples (as did the American Plains Indians) drove herds of bison off the surrounding mesas (an easy alternative) to achieve multiple kills. This mural depicts that history:

Tomorrow we will drive 20 miles to the "railway" parking lot to take the train into Calgary. Apparently parking is difficult to find and expensive….we can compare out MAX line to what the Can-nucks offer.

Ciao~

got to love these small towns....

This is just outside Browning, MT... looking west - that's Glacier National Park. We've been in Montana now for about 5 days. We are staying in the small (2800 pop.) town of Conrad, about a hours drive from Alberta, Canada - our distination. It is a really friendly community, well manicured lawns and amazingly, it boasts 2 city parks, 1 with a community pool.

The fire department sounds an air-raid-like siren, every nite...we also discovered that the 1910 bank building (first established bank) clock chimes @ 4pm every day.

At the Museum of Plains Indians in Browning, MT, we found this pedstal monument depicting, by foot/shoe imprints, of the tribal and political members who gathered at a1931 conference on Plains Indian had gesture language.  (It is significantly larger with about a dozen impressions.)




Found these "junk" horse and riders outside Browning, MT on Hwy89. No sign, no credits - nothing to indicate a "point of interest" ahead. We actually had to turn around and go back to get the photos. All of this is fashioned from salvaged pieces of metal - very creative,  very green!

Our Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park photos are just to the right of this post as slideshows. Enjoy.

Our rig is parked just east of a lamb ranch, which has been educational and interesting - aren't they cute. Kinda of raggedy...lots of babes in the field, running after the ewes...sweet.