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“Pic of the Week”, August 9, 2013. Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton National Park
Waterton is the smallest of Canada’s Rocky Mountain National Parks. It’s tucked into the southwestern corner of Alberta, abutting British Columbia and Montana. The park is situated where the rugged Rockies thrust up from the rolling grasslands of the prairies and is a place of awesome scenic beauty. Together with the U.S.’s Glacier National Park, Waterton is part of an International Peace Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a World Biosphere preserve.
The most iconic landmark of Waterton National Park is The Prince of Wales Hotel. Built by the Great Northern Railway, which constructed the many (now historic) lodges in adjoining Glacier National Park, Montana, the hotel sits on a hill overlooking the Waterton Lakes and Waterton village. The …
Aug 8, 2013
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“Pic of the Week”, Bonus photos, August 6, 2013. Sunset over the Alberta Rocky Mountains
Just wanted to share with everyone a lovely sunset I enjoyed yesterday as I was driving back to Calgary from the Crowsnest Pass. There were scattered showers most of the afternoon and early evening, but the sunset as viewed from Highway 22 was lovely! Highway 22 lies east of the Rockies and parallels them for more than 150 kms; the road takes you along the transition of the great plains with the mountains and is one of Alberta’s most scenic drives.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, then right arrow to advance the slideshow)
“Pic of the Week”. June 14, 2013. Crowsnest Mountain, Alberta
Alberta has many beautiful drives, one of my favorites being Highway 3 through the Crowsnest Pass in the extreme southwest corner of the province, just east of British Columbia. The area has a colorful western history. It was one of the first major train routes across the continental divide and in the early days of rail travel many steam trains from the United States diverted into Canada to make the relatively easy climb through the Crowsnest Pass before heading south into the USA. The area is dotted with lots of abandoned mines; you’ll find the remains of a huge rock-slide (Frank Slide), and many beautiful Rocky Mountain peaks.
The grandest and most beautiful peak in the region is Crowsnest Mountain (2785m, 9138 ft), a very distinctive massif …
Jun 11, 2013
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“Pic of the Week”. February 01, 2013. Paint Pots and Ocher beds, Kootenay National Park, British Colombia.
Kootenay National Park lies just west of Banff on the eastern (i.e. wetter) part of the Continental Divide. It’s a great park to drive through , especially popular with antique car owners in the summer, with grand vistas. Situated in this vast landscape is a small place covering a few acres, where large amounts of pigmented material lies on the earth’s surface.
I discovered the Paint Pots while exploring trails in this area. There are three “pots”, formed by cold mineral springs with deposits of iron oxide rich soil around them. As these deposits increase the rim is elevated — hence forming a “pot” instead of just a pool. The water is a greenish (where a …
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
Kananaskis Country: A fall visit to Highwood Pass and the alpine meadow of Ptarmigan Cirque
Kananaskis country is one of the lesser traveled gems of the Alberta Rockies. Locals know this area well but it’s off the radar for most tourists traveling to the Rockies, who selectively go to such highly worthwhile (but much busier) locations like Banff and Lake Louise. Kananaskis country stretches from the southern border of Banff National Park (Canmore) due south for several hundred kilometers. It includes the same type of rugged mountainous beauty you expect in the Canadian Rockies, replete with lakes and streams and lush pine forests. It’s also rich in wildlife but unlike Banff National Park, where a large fence keeps the animals away from traffic, the wildlife …
Tagged Alberta, fall colors, hiking, Kananaskis Country, Rocky Mountains
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
Banff National Park: “Lake of the Spirits” (Lake Minnewanka)
Lake Minnewanka is a great destination for a day’s visit (or longer if you’re so inclined) while in the Banff Rockies. The lake’s name derives from the Stoney Indian language and means “lake of the spirits”. Indian people lived around Lake Minnewanka for 100 centuries before it was “discovered “ by Europeans in the 19th century. Lake Minnewanka is located just a few kilometers east of Banff with easy access from the Trans-Canada Highway. The approach to the lake, as you drive past Mt. Rundle and Cascade Mountain, is inspiring! There’s a large bachelor herd of bighorn sheep that frequent the roads in the area and if you want a chance to see some of these beautiful creatures up close, this is …
.All Trips / British Columbia / North America / Western Canada
Cranbrook, B.C. — Gateway to the Kootenay Rockies
I’d driven through the small city of Cranbrook at least a dozen times without stopping for more than gas or a cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s. The view of Cranbrook from the highway 95 is not inspiring — a lengthy string of fast food joints, hotels and small businesses. But the mountainous setting of the area is beautiful so I wanted to spend a little time exploring the region “off the highway”. My wife and I took a weekend to do so and had a lovely time.
Cranbrook is situated in the middle of the 16 km (10 mile) broad Rocky Mountain Trench in southeastern British Columbia, close to Alberta and Idaho, …
Tagged British Columbia, Cranbrook, Rocky Mountains
.All Trips / British Columbia / North America / Western Canada
Yoho National Park: Yoho Valley, Twin Falls and Whaleback Circuit
In a region of beautiful and dramatic scenery, Yoho Valley holds its own. The Yoho Valley Road is only a few kilometers east of the small town of Field, British Columbia, just off the very accessible TransCanada Highway. Don’t expect to be here alone — this a popular area, especially on nice summer days. Many who drive into the valley just stop to see Takakkaw waterfall, then continue on with their car trip. At 384 m high (with 254 m “free fall”), Takakkaw — pronounced Tah-kuh-kah, Cree for “it is wonderful” — is the tallest of a number of memorable waterfalls you’ll find when exploring Yoho Valley. It is one of Canada’s highest waterfalls.
I generally like to hike alone or with a small group …
