rock washing machine

Charlie and I took a day trip in the Jasper National Park, and found yet another beautiful example of God's handiwork: Maligne Canyon.
The story starts with some of the glaciers in the Columbia Icefields melting into Maligne Lake:

 



Spirit Island on Maligne Lake

Then the lake drains out and starts Maligne River..... which runs some 15 miles or so into Medicine Lake:

Medicine Lake is actually only a "lake" (about 30 feet deep) in the spring/summer season when the icemelt is active. Other times in "drains out its bottom, thru sinkholes and fissures, into an underground river. (This is all we saw)
This underground (inaccessible) cave and tunnel system runs about another 10 or 15 miles and the water emerges aboveground into the Maligne Canyon:

 

 

This "Canyon" is not very wide, like maybe 30 feet at its widest...... but it is very deep.

As it rushes thru the fissured rock, bouncing back and forth, it forms whirlpools.
You can see in the pics below how the rocks and small boulders (over enons of time) erode the limestone in circular patterns.

 

 

And there you have it:  a rock washing machine :-)

 

 

 

so far we've seen 4 bears.... but no moose.

 

By the way, we have traveled almost all the way across Canada (13 days since we left Jasper), without phone service, google navigation, GPS, or reliable internet !!!!!!!
We are definitely survivors..... (also feeling really deprived).
It is tough to withdraw from electronics.

Another thing..... it is a loooonnnnnng way across Canada!
Later, Marilyn

jigsaw lake

As we were driving northward from Banff toward Jasper, we came to a very pretty lake and as I pulled off at the overlook, I thought... this looks familiar.
It was the scene of a jigsaw puzzle I had put together last summer:

This is Bow Lake, on the Icefields Parkway, in Jasper National Park

Overlooking the town of Banff

Three mug shots

BooBoo gets to see Bow Falls

 We are in Saskatchewan now.... heading east.  And the rain finally caught us.
More later,
Marilyn

 

 

hydrological apex

We have found the center of the northern hemisphere's water distribution!
Driving from Banff National Park northward into Jasper National Park we came across The Columbia Icefield.
It is one of the largest masses of glacial ice outside the Arctic Circle, and is surrounded by a multitude of high peaks.
This icefield feeds several large glaciers.... I counted 12 on a map at the interpretive center.
Here's what is so cool about it:  from one of those points, called Snow Dome, melt water from the glaciers flow to three different oceans.  On the north portion it flows to the Arctic Ocean, the southwest to the Pacific and the southeast to the Atlantic. The area is protected in the Jasper National Park area

 

Those tiny little rectangles on the bottom portion of the glacier, just to the right of the flagpole, are special snow busses that will take you out onto the ice.

.

This "Icefields Parkway" was about 150 miles, paralleling the continental divide, the spine of the Canadian Rockies.   We had 150 miles of wow, wow, wow.

The glacial valleys are so pretty with their aqua blue water...... and prime moose habitat, but we haven't seen one yet.

We are not paying for internet or data charges while here in Canada, so we are mostly out of touch except for wi-fi here and there.  This blog connection is being brought to you by Tony Romas restaurant :-)

We have started east as of this morning, heading all the way across Canada toward Buffalo, NY...... with an interim stop at Thunder Bay, ON, on Lake Superior (our favorite of the Great Lakes).
More later, Marilyn

BANFF !!!

I think the earthly heaven must be Banff.  The most beautiful place yet

Moraine Lake

our motorhome, and our front window view

.The towns of Banff and Lake Louise are literally surrounded by magnificent peaks:

  My lungs are going crazy with all this FRESH AIR.

Lake Louise     a little chilly

We are all on sensory overload ! These flatland country girls have our mouths hanging open.
We actually pushed the limit on the season to arrive here. Most travel tips say to be OUT of Canada by the end of Labor Day.  So.... here we are :-)  You'd think we would have learned our lesson when we went to New York for Christmas.
But, the low has only been about 32, 33..... but the great side of it is the kids are all back in school, the crowds have diminished significantly, and the campground prices have fallen back to their off season.

We can't be out and about as much because of the chill..... and one really great (short) hike we were looking forward to is all snowed in.  It is called Sunshine Meadow, a fairly flat meadow at 7100 feet elevation, between 2 peaks..... and they shuttle you up to it so you can walk around and see the views.  But its got a couple feet of snow. Oh well. 

More later, Marilyn

Olympic Peninsula

The Olympic Peninsula is a huge area of mountains and forests in the very northeastern point of Washington state.  From Seattle, which is on Puget Sound, the peninsula extends approx. 90 miles to the west, and is about 70 miles north/south.  We hung out there for about 10 days.


this is Crescent Lake, a freshwater inland lake on the peninsula
(also gives you a motorhome's eye view)

 

 

 

 

from the top of Hurricane Ridge, overlooking The Olympic Mountains National Park

Looking out over Port Angles onto the Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating the peninsula from Vancouver Island

down on the coastal plains, the Olympic Mountains make a beautiful backdrop

 

Point Wilson, Port Townsend, WA

There are really 12 different ferry routes in the area between Seattle and the main Peninsula. I've read there is an unbelievable number of people who live on the islands and peninsulas and commute to the mainland for work every day.

most beautiful spot

I explained to you once before my fascination with the Lewis & Clark expedition..... so being able be in the spots where they were, and to see what they saw was really thrilling for me.

From the continental divide (Lolo Pass) near Missoula, Montana, the explorers crossed down into Idaho and found Native Americans who helped them.  They found the headwaters of the Clearwater River, built more canoes, and were "off for the ocien" again.
The Clearwater joined the Snake River, which came through the southern part of Idaho; then the Snake joins the Columbia in southeastern Washington State. As the Columbia moves west it cuts through what is now called The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. It's only about 150 miles from the Pacific, and fairly near Portland, OR.
 

 My most beautiful spot so far in our travels.  We took a paddlewheel boat trip down a portion of The Gorge, to see it from "an adventurers perspective".

 

As you can see, the freeway runs right along beside the river.