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