 |
| Running Eagle Falls, GNP |
 |
| Beaver pond, GNP |
 |
| Moose, GNP
After leaving Glacier NP, we spent three weeks in Fernie at
our place there. We had to return to Montana to get meds from CVS. We returned
to Glacier NP, but this time we stayed on the east side of the park. While in
the Many Glacier area we watched a moose grab some lunch while he cooled off in
a beaver pond. We reserved seats on a boat cruise across St Mary’s Lake to a
trailhead at the end of the lake. We were surprised the trip was not cancelled when
the wind gusts reached 50 mph. It made for an exciting ride, although the boat
captain could not drop us off at a trail head because that boat dock was
recently damaged by the waves.
|
 |
| St Mary's Lake, GNP |
 |
| Cascade Gardens, Banff NP |
 |
| Bow River, Banff NP |
 |
| Rock Island Lake, Sunshine Meadows, Banff NP
On
July25, we drove from Glacier NP to Banff NP which was very crowded. Some of
the hikes we wanted to do were restricted to groups of four or more hikers, due
to grizzles in the area. We were kept off these trails, but parents with small
children were okay to enter! We escaped the madness by taking a $43 gondola
ride to Sunshine Valley. This is a beautiful alpine valley full of wild flowers
and scenic lakes. We even saw a grizzly bear there.
|
 |
| Grizzly Bear, Sunshine Meadows, Banff NP |
 |
| Peyto Lake, Banff NP |
 |
Moraine Lake, Banff NP.
We didn’t realize how crowded a park could get until we
got to Lake Louise. There was a two hour wait just to get on the shuttle bus,
so we walked. We were told by the Ranger not to try to get to Moraine Lake
before 7 PM. We waited until 7 and still had to wait in a long line of traffic
before we could access the parking area. Jasper NP, not to be outdone by its
southern neighbors, closed its largest campground for the season. We had to
stay at a KOA in Hinton, 43 miles from Jasper. No tears were shed when we left
the Canadian Rockies. Our advice - avoid these parks in July and August and
make reservations six months in advance.
|
 |
Maligne Canyon, Jasper NP
|
 |
| Grouse, Yoho NP
Once we left these overrun parks, we enjoyed hiking in Yoho
NP and we spent several nights camping in Glacier NP (the one in Canada, not
the one in MT). We camped at Radium Hot Springs and Kimberly on our way back to
Fernie. On Aug 15 we returned to Fernie and met up with Lois and Eldon. They
related their experience of how Delta messed up their travel plans on both ends
of their trip. This and other personal factors led to a decision to put their
quarter share of our unit up for sale at a discounted price. Any takers? Lois and
Eldon’s presence in Fernie will be missed. They were a major factor in our
decision to buy in Fernie.
|
 |
| Canadian Timeshare |
 |
| Big Horn Sheep, Radium Hot Springs |
 |
| Wildflowers of the Canadian Rockies |
 |
| Tom, Julie and Mimi
On Aug 17, Tom, Julie, Susan, Windsor, and Mimi flew in to
stay with us. We did many hikes during the first week, including our favorite,
the Old Growth Trail with 800 yr. old cedar trees. Returning from a hike, a
large Black Bear was spotted, right across the road (on Fred’s field) from our
place. Everyone enjoyed the Mountain Market on Sunday mornings and our dinners
out. Susan, Windsor and Mimi returned home after the first week.
|
 |
| The Gang |
 |
| Black Bear |
 |
| Tom and Giant Ammonite
During our second week, the four of us took the Ammonite
Trail. This five-foot carnivorous cephalopod is the biggest complete ammonite
fossil ever found in Canada. A second giant ammonite was recently found in the
Sparwood area, but it is smaller than the Fernie ammonite. We also went to
Crowsnest Pass area and hiked to Allison Creek Falls. Tom and Julie flew home
after the second week.
|
 |
| Susan and Windsor |
 |
| Allison Creek Falls |
 | |||
Tom and Julie
 😀 |
