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We saw caribou on three separate occasions in Jasper, every time quite close up. Their heads seemed strangely out of proportion to their bodies. The coloring of some are different from the others, so much so for a while we thought they were a different kind of animal altogether.
Here are some of the close up views we had in the Canadian Rockies, mostly of rocks, lichen, and flowers.
The island in Jasper’s Pyramid Lake was a wonderful place to hag out and watch the drama of the last evening light play out.
The Columbia Ic Field is the biggest patch of ice outside the poles. It sits very thickly on top of this mountain range in Jasper, spilling down the sides in glaciers. The melt off from this ice sheet goes into all the watersheds of the world, poised as it is on the continental divide.
We returned three times to try to get a good view of Lake Louise. The first time, I exclaimed to our daughter, “This is a cathedral and (motioning to the glacier) there’s the alter.” It was so glad to be back.
This spot epitomized my pilgrimage to Banff more than any other place.
Since Banff was still shrouded in rain, we went up to Yoho National Park to see Emerald Lake noted for its exceptional color. I was trying to be patient, flexible, and cheery, but we still had not seen what we had traveled here for.
With threatening weather and the mountains we came to see obscured by clouds, we opted for a canyon hike.
I had always vowed to go back. I swelled with emotion entering the Bow Valley, overcome with gratitude to my parents for planting this extraordinary place so deep in my heart.
On car drives, we have been enjoying singing hymns in the car, belting them out with enthusiasm. Hymn 453 keeps coming up, partly because of its zippy tune, but also because of the line “mountains and seas, great rising trees” which seems so appropriate for this trip.
I’ve been really happy to see so many signs of alternative energy being put into use. The wind farms are especially cool!
We enjoyed touring Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake was formed of melted ice and snow filling a volcanic caldera. The lake has no inlet nor outflow, and is unusually clear, accounting for its fabulous color.
