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