The Almost Great Divide Trip June 29/2012

June 2012 

Ruth and I headed out to Field BC, planning to hike The Great Divide.
The Grizzlys of the area had a different idea for us...

We pulled up to the entrance of the Lake OHara parking lot and what's left of the old highway that was used prior to the TransCanada being built in the 60's, had a barrier across with this sign.

The bears were roaming looking for food. Just out of hibernation, there was no negotiations, so the wardens had closed the road for safety reasons.

Disappointed, yes but in reality, I certainly was not one to object! Let them have all the berries they want! We would find something else to do.

The road is still intact between Lake Louise entrance and Lake OHara but restricted to vehicular traffic. Looks to be about a six K hike to the actual Divide.
We tried three times in 2012, never successful, always bear warnings. 

Never ones to be discouraged we took the opportunity of the day to explore the area.
It was a cool sometime showery day, in my opinion perfect for hiking.


Our first stop was right at the barricade to the hike, as we were pulling away I notice my favorite flower from my travels with Phyllis in the Yukon. I am thinking she was nudging
 me on the shoulder to make me see the little yellow nodding heads of this ground cover that apparently has covered all roadsides from the Yukon to Alberta & BC. How encouraging to see! 

We had to wait for the train anyway!

My Nodding Dryads

It was just like us not even to get away from our first destination before we spent about an hour exploring a new discovery, and how nice a train just happened to roll through and block the roadway for us......

The area around Field has plently of things to investigate with a camera. How important it is to get off the highway and really see the country, Didn't matter the bears changed our route or the showers that came and went, it turned out to be a perfect day.

Takakkaw Falls Field BC

Mascot "Muffin Joe"

Ruth , tourist shot in front of falls

More faces!

The Falls in all their Spring Glory

Interesting faces in the old trees


We spent a few hours exploring the falls and even having our lunch in the back of the car sheltered from the rain.

 

Doesn't really matter what direction you watch the falls from, you can stop numerous times on the switchback road up to the site and get beautiful views. This was June, so spring run-off was just starting, I can imagine its the time when the falls are their most powerful. Although I can imagine the ice buildup in the winter would make it spectacular also. I don't know if they keep the road open in the winter. The switchback would be impossible to keep clear of snow and be dangerous......

As mentioned it was raining off and on this day, You wonder how long it would take this snow to disappear.

Meeting of the Waters. Yoho & Kicking Horse Rivers

 The glacial silt turned the Yoho quite Milky whereas the Kicking Horse was clear.

It is really important to get this photo of an orchid!

Meeting Point of the two Rivers

Not the most flattering outfit...but appropriate!

Bracted Honeysuckle

 I'm afraid from this point on the blog is going to become nothing other than flowers....
We had travelled down the road to Emerald Lake and as I said it's June, it's springtime. The lake walk in the rain was splendid in all it's flowers. As I did in the Yukon , I was drawn to individuals, unable to identify all of them. Perhaps I will broaden my knowledge over the yrs. but they are still challenging me.....but I will take their photos and marvel at their beauty, even if I don't know their names....

Bunchberry

Might be Solomen's Seal ?

False Huckelberry (a favorite)

Western Meadowrue (male)

These guys were like hula dancers, the skirts actually twirled and swung in the breeze. I had never seen these before. I have meadowrue in my garden but not like these. 

Western Meadowrue (female)

And isn't this just the way life is?

Yellow Columbine

This little lady just glowed in the forest bed. She looked like an angel.

Ruth's red jacket overpowered the yellow in the columbine, but after all she was another story that needed to be shown ;-)  The story of our day.Ruth at one end of the path and me at another...and yet always saying to each other "Did you get that shot"?

Purple Clematis just like at home uses anything as a prop. In this case a tree hollow.

Purple clematis

Pink Ladyslippers

Emerald Lake Reflections

Yellow Ladyslippers and Red Canoe!

I almost missed this shot of the reflections on 
Emerald Lake. Ruth is always the first to notice
Thank goodness she poked me and said Look!

Beautiful Columbine

Purple Clematis

Yellow Lady

Calypso Orchid

Homeward bound "A perfect end to a perfect day"

Backtracking

Yellow Dryads found both in Yukon & Great Divide

I first started with "blogspot" on my travels to the Yukon in 2007. I found the program very unwieldy, not very user-friendly with this lady!. I remember sitting in Phyl's living room, early morning, while everyone still sleeping! over looking the Pelly River valley out her windows (beautiful) trying my best to make the blog work. Had such trouble importing photos, melding the text with the photos etc. I managed to make it work as best I could, then when I arrived home struggled mightly archiving, printing out the copies to ensure I had copies of my efforts....

I now find again I would like to start another blog with my travels again. I found Google has purchased Blogspot and renamed it Blogger. I am moving fwd. with a positive attitude! Lets see if things have improved. Perhaps my I can take my IPad along in the camper and happily blog under the stars. Wish me Luck...

So first I need to backtrack a bit!

Ruth a great friend of mine for numerous years, lost her hubby this past year. In the following long heart to heart talks I heard her mention she felt like she had to start her life all over again. sounded familiar, I had been feeling the same since I retired and I guess I have been doing the same, so we decided in one of those talks to start with new adventures! Ruth and I have a lot of common interests, photography, camping, reading, gardening etc. Imagine the possibilities.

Over the past few years I have been working on a genealogy scrapbook for the family.

I came across a photograph of my father and I under the Great Divide archway on the original old highway to BC. (Yes the photo must be over 60 yrs. old as I look about 3 or 4 years old in the photo). 

The Great Divide 1952/53

 Thanks to google, I find that section of the old highway to BC is still intact! It lies between Lake Louise and Lake OHara just off the TransCanada #1. It is closed to vehicular traffic now so route must be hiked.

So Ruth and I decided in June 2012 for our first adventure to take a day trip to Field BC area to hike the Great Divide. 

Over the following summer and fall we took a few more trips through BC and Alberta, starting off camping with my CRV and att. tent and I guess if having adventures was our goal, then adventures we had. I am going to try this blogging again and I hope whomever takes the time to read and view the photos, I hope you enjoy.

Heather

Road to Waterton Sept. 5-13/2012

Waterton highway roadside stop.

How many yrs.?

Off we went into the wild blue yonder....Sounds corny...I know, but how true. Ruth a great friend for what seems a lifetime and I, are both in the part of our life that we feel like we are starting anew. Our kids have grown and have their own nests, (are we suffering from empty nest syndrome? probably) but that is certainly OK. I have retired, I always say recently retired, but all of a sudden it's been four yrs... and feel like I am still adjusting to that...and for the most part well (I think). Ruth is most recently on her own this year, not retired yet, still in the planning stages. and also feels like I in that it's the start of a new adventure...
Both of us have always loved photography, we are thinking now we have time to indulge ourselves!
It's time to be selfish, look after ourselves, have fun, no responsibilities.!
So, last August, we packed up my little CRV with all the necessities required including a CRV tent and
headed out to Southern Alberta. I had found this tent on-line (am I not just "with it" shopping on-line?) I thought it would be just perfect, as you sleep in the back of the car, not on the cold hard earth.
That thought process proved to be the beginning of our adventure in Waterton!.

Lundbreck Falls AB.

  The tent area is quite large 10x10, lots of room
to stand etc. Surprisingly, it's turned out to be quite dry (as we found out in a heavy thunderstorm in Field, BC.  Worried about potential leaks, I had
brought along a couple of wooden blocks to place
under back wheels when parked to increase the angle of the roof. Hopefully so rainwater would then run down the front instead of the back. Not sure if that was the greatest idea I ever had, but so far so good!

The neatest campsite !

 Now isn't that the most neat and tidy campsite you have ever seen?
When I look at photo, I recognize it's way overboard! but looking back, it took us a long time to set up and get everything organized!
I don't remember successive campsites this neat! Coming photos will tell the story if we (I) need to relax!
This particular site is Lundbreck Falls, a smallish rustic campground with a few sites right on the river (we got the last one!) Thought it might be a good idea to use it as a base and just travel around the area sightseeing rather than the hassle of taking down and setting up the tent numerous time.....A little more driving but I think worth it.....Not so bad driving in southern Alberta....Everywhere you look there is a beautiful something to look at ;-)

Lundbreck Falls

I believe Wild Yellow Clematis

I now understand why this particular flower was placed on the obnoxious weed category this year.
I originally complained because I have a yellow clematis that showed up in my yard and I love it....and wasn't about to get rid of it....but this year at Lundbreck Falls I found this strain choking out everything in the campground, even trees....In places it was so thick you couldn't even see the tree supporting it.....Ok maybe the experts are correct. Very similar to mine but not quite the same....I need to find out more.....

Did I say  I LOVE my new camera...its a Nikon P500 red!!!! and the zoom is fantastic....40x
Which enable it to catch this Kingbird (I think) across the river. Not sure if these are their nests or is he waiting for supper?





And of course an even closer shot......The Macro and the zoom are the reason I bought the camera....but you know I still have to carry along my old Nikon D 70 my old heavy workhorse. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.....Thank goodness for digital though......

Kingbird

 The Falls are just a short hike down from the campground. Very hot day but nice and cool and fresh under the bridge.

Lundbreck Falls is located down on route to the Crowsnest Pass between Blairmore and Pincher Creek...Beautiful but windy area.
Birthplace of our Chinooks! Winds can easily reach over 100K per hour.....

 I can never help wondering what is the story behind these old cabins on the prairies, who lived here, how did they survive the winters, how old is this place....I want the stories...

Unknown but beautiful.

Dusk on our first night out

First on the morning
 priorities....Coffee!!

You can see Supports used for tree

Burmis Tree

Our 2nd day out we passed the "Most Photographed Tree" In front of sunrises, sunsets etc. It is just off highway # 3 so easy for tourists to access. Tree fell over in a storm one year so community has used very strong supports to hold the "Old Guy" or perhaps I should say "Old Girl" up for another few years.

Leitch Collieries

Foreman's Manager's House

Manager's house was destroyed by fire.

I had never heard the word Collieries before, I found out at the reception area it was a term brought over to Canada from the Coal Mines in Britian.
The area is very rich in history and the different communities are very proactive in restoring as many buildings sites to enrich the area....

There is only the shell of the buildings at this point, but care has been taken to preserve and make safe for everyone to see...
Great history placques and knowledgeble staff to ask any questions you may have. Thoroughly enjoyed our stop...
How many times have I driven through the area with a further destination in mind and never stopped! 

 The stories that happened within these walls, if only they could talk.

Highway 3 through the Crowsnest Pass
Blairmore has a great view of Turtle Mtn.
Site of the Frank Slide.

Turtle Mountain site of the Frank Slide

 I keep saying again, I have never bothered to stop at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre! How enjoyable, not only did we get in for Seniors rate! (no I am not quite a senior) but the slide shows the displays were so informative....When walking around later through the paths through all the debris, I actually got a feeling of foreboding so strong, that it became uncomfortable. Not sure if that;s because they informed us, they are sure it is going to happen yet again. Like any earthquake, I guess they just do not know when! Apparently they have placed sensors high on mountain to show any slight movement and are hoping that will be enough to allow people to get out of there.....

The walk through gives you an awe inspiring view of the magnitude of the volume that came down. The size of the boulders, the numbers was truly overwhelming.

Base of Turtle Mtn.

We drove on touring through Coleman, Blairmore Circle tours through the town. We drove up the mountainside looking for Lily, a ghost town created because of the slide. but couldn't find it. There were too many hunting roads branching off the old road that I'm sure we got lost.....Perhaps not a smart thing to do when no one knew where we were!!!!

One of my greatest finds on the trip though was the Sentinel AB. Power plant. We stopped at a tourist info booth on highway 3 just outside Sentinel to inquire if Power plant was still standing...In all my research on this geneaology scrapbook I am doing, I have a letter written by my father's brother Tom. Tom worked at the power plant in 1929, when he was about 18 yrs old. He talks about sitting outside the plant on his lunch hour in his shirtsleeves in the warm sun. They were having a Chinook, yet in Coleman only about 25 miles away it was -25 F below. To my greatest pleasure the clerk at the tourist bureau pointed across the highway and there it was sitting along side Crowsnest Lake nestled in the trees.

Stately old building

I can just see Tom sitting in the warm sun on a break enjoying that sunshine...We who live in Southern Alberta know what that warm Chinook wind feels like, usually in the dead of winter when its so cold and spring feels so far away....Sometimes a beautiful break in the cold, sometimes for a few hours, sometimes a few days.....That warm sun on your face and the warm wind in your hair....You truly appreciate the benefits...

Remnants of old pillars

Now I have to admit something....Ruth and I were trespassing! My desire to get that photo I had driven so far, and was so lucky to find out it was still here and I was so close!!!!
Imagine my disappointment to find a chain link fence around the property and a big sign saying No trespassing! And the gate was open!!!!!

After talking to a local resident to assured me we would not be shot if we drove in (there was no heavy equip or workers around to ask!

So off we trundled through the trees on a two wheeled trail, breached the top of a hill and there she was!
I quickly got all the shots I needed and backtracked quickly...I was terrified someone would come along and shut and lock the gate and we would be trapped.....But how excited I was to have had the courage and got my shots....All for a scrapbook!!!!!

Future Resort Plans

Open gate was to much of a temptation!

Wonderful to see they are going to save the old building and incorporate it into new resort development.  Someday I will have to return to pay homage to Uncle Tom again....
Until then these photos will be placed with love into the scrapbook with his memories and my new ones.

















 Day trip Pincher Creek to Waterton

 Land of the Big Sky Chinook Country
Whatever you want to call it it's one of the most beautiful drives in Alberta. The Chinook winds are blowing patterns in the sky Remember when you were a kid and could lay for hours in the grass picking out patterns in the clouds...This was a perfect day for that...The light was incredible.

The large individual rock I imagined could be a mountain all by itself. All depending on how you looked at it.

 

First view of Waterton just outside of the Park Gates...The Wind was picking up and blowing quite hard all day..

I am not quite sure exactly how many photos I have of this exact tree. I fall for it every time...and every time its a great photo...
Its located right on shore just beside the campground...Would be a good place to camp...In fact I remember camping there with Elsie and kids years ago and it was raining and windy then also....
I remember jumping out of the old van at that time with my camera to get a shot of a deer or something, I went to slam the van door and threw the camera across the parking lot.....No damage!!

Falls in the centre of town.

We found the day in Waterton very windy, crowded we were not interested in going through stores etc. So we had our picnic lunch by the water and decided to head up to Red Rock Canyon. We were there to take photos

Although the drive up the Red Rock Canyon proved to be very interesting, more photo ops. and an actual mountain top rescue! Apparently two women mountain biking had an accident and had to be rescued, sadly a very serious accident, one woman we heard was paralyzed. After watching numerous helicopter flights out of the canyon with both parties and their equipment (bikes etc.) they hurried off in an ambulance with our thoughts and best wishes.

Red Rock canyon is beautiful but because of that there seemed to be thousands of people doing the same as us and seeing the sights. We walked up the canyon from the top and back but could not get many photos without a stranger in the photo. Perhaps another day!

Along roadside Red Rock Canyon..

There we go again....Ruth at one end me at another
each finding our own special shots.!
Making sure the other doesn't miss a good one.

Cdn Thistle

Red Rock Canyon floor

Red Rock 

 Ok this is overboard....We organized, tidied, got out Ipad, books, maps etc. out and posed for the camera......

Then all hell broke loose!!!!! 

We were in Waterton all day, stopped for an ice cream cone and the wind picked up....

I said to Ruth, look at those funny clouds coming down from the north....We looked at each other jumped in the car and raced back to Lundbreck Falls to the campsite.....

No time for pictures....when we pulled into this campsite the tent was airborne!!

I am sure the only thing holding it down was the portapotti.... (no comments needed)

We fought with it for about 1/2 hour trying to ensure the tent poles did not snap.....then gave up and took the whole thing down and jammed it into the back of the car....We  left our perfect site by the river(which was paid for already!)  and headed into Blairmore, Coleman looking for a motel....anything......We found the last room in Coleman and stayed for two nights....

Which was probably a good thing as that night it went down to +3 which would have been rather chilly!!! Believe me we had to do some organizing in the car to find anything....Clothing etc....

It ended up for the next couple of days we toured around the area but it remained cool andd windy so that was it for the tent that trip.....We ended up coming home two days earlier knowing deep down we would be shopping for a camper of some sort.... 

Whenever Ruth and I stop at any touristy spot we both pick up phamplets, maps sites to see etc. In Sentinel we found a National Geographic Interesting sights to see in southern Alberta/BC. Not far from the Crowsnest Pass near Fernie there were photos of "Ancient Cottonwood Trail"  between Elko and Fernie BC. so off we wnt exploring. And exploring it took, drove right by it the first time..there are no signs on the highway....Drove into Elko stopped to ask directions and headed back down the highway.....Eventually found the road sign way off the highway on a side road and the entrance to the walk was just a path headed into the bush.....!  thank goodness for the NG Map...or we would not have found this gem off the road....

This was the only sign we found, well off the highway.

Very closed in and shady.

We assumed this was the only way in..

I love this shot.

Forget me Not's and I won't 

Spot where the sunshine filtered through, great light.

Different perspective

Mammoth Trees.

 Kinda verifies, get off the trail, peek in the corners, ask questions, you will find gems in those corners of the world. This trip has been all about finding surprises, things I have driven by for yrs. not really seeing.

 The last two days of our trip we just explored, stopped for picnic lunches (no fast food for these girls) where ever the opportunity arose...and if I do say so myself got some good photos....No one may ever look at these photos ( at least not the number we have) but it doesn't matter, as long as we enjoy taking them and then years later looking back and bringing back memories.....and laughter.....

A few I missed  ;-) but no less important. Perhaps my favorite of the trip....!

The magic of Photoshop B/W

times gone by

Worked hard and long

Colour? B/W? Colour? B/W?

Crowsnest Valley 

The road home, always a welcome sight. Always good to get away and good to get home!

As I finish our Waterton trip, I will look back and think "Oh I should have used that shot"

I wish I had started the blog on our trip as so many thoughts run through your mind wanting to share....

We left this trip though, wanting to continue with so many adventures, we went on to shop the remaining part of the summer for a camper. Looked at numerous and of course ended up with Willow......Can't wait for 2013!!!!

Heather