Canada - Day 7

 Our last day on this Caravan tour included a visit to the Athabasca Glacier - Columbia Icefield.

Ron was risking life and limb to fill my water bottle.  I tasted it (very cold) but finally dumped it - who knows what was in that water!

The top of the icefield was very dirty - "Because of a warming climate, the Athabasca Glacier has been receding or melting for the last 125 years. Losing half its volume and retreating more than 1.5 kms, the shrinking glacier has left a moonscape of rocky moraines in its wake."  (quote from a Parks Canada article)

This was our all-terrain Ice Explorer.  Ron was impressed with the cost of the tires - $5,000 each.  

Another photo stop at one of Canada's beautiful turquoise lakes.   

Canada - Day 6

Day 6 started with a visit to Maligne Canyon.

The gift shop at our potty stop had these wonderful paintings by Norval Morrissea.  The prices ranged from $40,000 to $150,000.   

 

Medicine Lake

Next stop was Maligne Lake where we watched a moose grazing.  People were standing on the shore, watching and photographing.  I was told when he came out of the water, people really scattered.  

Another view of Maligne Lake

Lunch was in Jasper at the L & W Family Restaurant.  Then we had a couple of hours to walk around the town and explore - the gift shops, of course!

Back at the cabin for a light supper of apples and granola bars.  A naturalist built a campfire in the circle of picnic tables and gave a very interesting talk about the wildlife in the area.   

Canada - Day 5

Heading to Moraine Lake this morning.  The tunnels overpasses were built for the wildlife.  There are fences on each side of the road to direct the wildlife to the overpasses.  Our tour guide said they really have saved lives, both human and wild.

Fireweed

Moraine Lake

   

Lake Louise 

Ron and I walked around Lake Louise and stopped for a snack.  This was a selfie I took - I need practice! 

After lunch at Lake Louise, we stopped to see Peyto Lake and Bow River Glacier.  The color of the various lakes was so striking, ranging from turquoise to blue. 

 Then on to Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park.

Our last stop today was Jasper House Bungalows where we had dinner and spent the next two nights.  Dessert was a berry crumble with ice cream - yum.  Perfect end to a beautiful day. 

Canada - Day 4

 Our first excursion today was a ride on the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain.  Photos with my point and shoot camera just don't do the views justice.  The Rockies are really spectacular.

Marmot

Mountain goats just below the viewing deck.  

View of Banff from the summit of Sulphur Mountain

Banff Springs Hotel

 

This was a small park at the Administration Building called Cascade Gardens.  We took a short break here for photos.  The flowers were gorgeous everywhere, much like they are in the Seattle/Vancouver area.  

Our next stop was Bow River Falls and a float trip on the Bow River.  More beautiful scenery and hoodoos!

View of downtown Banff after our walk back from the Banff Springs Hotel.  We got off the bus at the hotel and had lunch there.  We were seated on an outdoor patio for lunch but decided to go inside when a rainstorm blew in.  We heard later there was golf-ball sized hail so we were glad we made the decision to move inside.

Canada - Day 3

This morning we headed north through the Kananaskis Valley on our way to the Bar U Ranch.  Most of our group walked down to the various buildings of a working cattle ranch.  Our guide was very informative.  He worked in the leather shop, making saddles, belts, etc.

The rest of our group rode down in a horse-drawn wagon.  The horses were Percherons.  They were originally war horses from France but are now used as work horses.  We were told there are more of them in the US and Canada than the Clydesdales that we usually see pulling wagons.

Bar U Ranch

Bunkhouse

The cook baking cookies - snickerdoodles.  

This gentleman told us about cattle roundups.  The chuck wagon is behind him.  

Mountain goats

After lunch at the Bar U Ranch, we headed to Two Jack Lake.

Mountain Goat 

On the way back to our hotel we spotted this bear foraging for food.