September 7, 2009 Labor Day
Yellowstone
Biggest Hot Spot in the World
I am not certain that I understand what a hot spot is, but it is underground and very hot and there are only 20 in the world and Yellowstone is the biggest. Geologists don’t know what causes them. In Yellowstone they provide over 10,000 thermal springs the steam from which one sees rising all over the park. The magma under the earth heats and moves around.
In some cases one sees “bubbling cauldrons” looking like mud or yeasty substance bubbling away. Often you can smell the sulfur that is rising as the hydrogen sulfide in the land converts to sulfuric acid because of thermoacidophiles (organisms that thrive(love) on acid.
Right hand with palm facing you- map of Yellowstone Lake
When you hold your right hand this way, you get your map of Yellowstone Lake. Water enters from the river at the Pinky and eventually goes out through the West thumb. It takes eleven days to go through the Yellowstone Lake to exit at the West Thumb. From there it flows into the Missouri River and then the Mississippi.
Old Faithful
Perhaps the most famous piece of Yellowstone is the thermal spring that is the biggest geyser in the world and erupts faithfully every 60-90 minutes. Hundreds, if not thousands of people, sit each hour watching the steam as it changes and waiting for a big eruption. At times before the eruption we saw bubbles like a fountain of water rising a few times and then returning to steam. It came beautifully into much higher fountain waters that erupt a few times before they settle back down. Old Faithful is not the only geyser at Yellowstone, but it is the biggest.
What causes a geyser?
From what I understand, the hot magma moves around and can create fissures. In order to have a geyser, there have to be three things. First is plenty of water and Yellowstone has lots of snow and rain. The water finds its way in to the fissure and is under the tremendous pressure of the earth above it. The hot magma heats the water and because of the very high pressure, it can heat to a boiling point of 400 F. There has to be way out for this steam but in order for it to come out as a geyser, there must be a serious constriction in its route out. At old Faithful the constriction is 4.5 inches and the rest of chamber is more than 20 inches. So when the steam gets that restriction it builds pressure until it explodes up through the top. If there is not a very special rock coating the steam’s path, the whole geyser would explode the first time it blows. So you need a rock to withstand the geyser. Someone called it Carbonite and someone called it Geyserite.
Is this a volcano?
Yellowstone is super volcano but it has not erupted in 430 million years. When it did erupt it made a crater that created Yellowstone Lake, the biggest lake in North America at this altitude. Yellowstone is basically in Wyoming and when this volcano erupted, dinosaurs in Nebraska had their lungs burnt out.
Wildlife
Yellowstone may be best known for its bears but we did not see any. You see bears out mainly in the early summer –they are still in the park but have moved north to eat White Birch -and what you see in the late summer are lots of Bison. Bison have their rutting season mostly in August and when they are looking for mates, they join the heard to find females that they can court. Gestation is 8 months so the newbies conceived in July have the best chance for their first winter survival. We are in to September now and there are still a few Bison still trying to copulate and you can see them try to separate a female from the herd to cut down other male interference. The male bison can weigh 2000 lbs and are quite big. We were seeing a lot of them but we only got really close in a car because they can be dangerous to walk near. You should leave 75 ft. between yourself and the bison. We went on a nature walk with a ranger in the area of a herd. First thing, it is easy to identify the scat of these animals as they are quite circular and loose and have rivulets around the feces. The bison is upset if his tail is raised and that is a sign to be careful. We saw many relaxed bison (even an orange bison which shows that it is less than 4 months old) but we did not too close. On our way back along our loop, a bison wondered on to our path so the ranger took us off trail through the meadows to avoid him. We also saw an elk.
The soil quality of Yellowstone is quite poor. It can support the Lodgepole Pine and that tree makes it possible for some other tree types to grow. There are fir trees which are identifiable by there soft luxuriant needles like fur. Our ranger told us that Congress allowed this to become the First National Park because they believed it had little value—the soil was poor, it contained no gold or silver, and you couldn’t get lumber out of here without big problems.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
On the Road;Yellowstone Natl. Park-Getting Here
Yellowstone National Park
September 6, 2009
Trip from Glacier to Yellowstone
We got an early start to leave Glacier as Yellowstone turns out to be 625 miles away and we had a room booked for tonight. We began driving across Montana on the highways. On and on we drove and there was nothing on either side of the road but grass, some fences, occasional cows. At last we came to a rest stop. At the entrance to the little park was a sign “Stay on Sidewalks. Rattlesnakes have been spotted.” David made very good time on the roads. A lot of time he could go 70 or 75 and sometimes he passed slower motorists.
The first sign of residences or businesses was around Helena, the capital. We stopped for lunch at a Burger King and it appeared to be crowded with people coming from church. At the booth next to ours was a couple of great grandparents with 3 very young ones of a granddaughter(who is just turning 21 years old) and a granddaughter(aunt to the little ones who is 9 nine years old). After lunch they were going to picture appointments at the Wal-Mart next door.
Arrival at Yellowstone
We arrived at Yellowstone at a little after 3 p.m. but after waiting for a ranger to give us information and going to the hotel for more information, we found out that our cabin was another hour and a half away. On the way we saw large fields of ice and steam from geysers rising into the air. We were stopped on the road by some inconsiderate visitors who stopped their cars to apparently look at bears. We did not see the bears but we did see two enormous bison grazing by the side of the road as we neared our destination. Our cabin was at the end of some cabins that felt like the middle of nowhere but we were pleasantly surprised to see that the cabin had been remodeled into an attractive western cabin with a nice new bathroom. For folks who like the feeling of no internet, no cell phone connection, no radio or tv this is wonderful but I feel insecure.
September 6, 2009
Trip from Glacier to Yellowstone
We got an early start to leave Glacier as Yellowstone turns out to be 625 miles away and we had a room booked for tonight. We began driving across Montana on the highways. On and on we drove and there was nothing on either side of the road but grass, some fences, occasional cows. At last we came to a rest stop. At the entrance to the little park was a sign “Stay on Sidewalks. Rattlesnakes have been spotted.” David made very good time on the roads. A lot of time he could go 70 or 75 and sometimes he passed slower motorists.
The first sign of residences or businesses was around Helena, the capital. We stopped for lunch at a Burger King and it appeared to be crowded with people coming from church. At the booth next to ours was a couple of great grandparents with 3 very young ones of a granddaughter(who is just turning 21 years old) and a granddaughter(aunt to the little ones who is 9 nine years old). After lunch they were going to picture appointments at the Wal-Mart next door.
Arrival at Yellowstone
We arrived at Yellowstone at a little after 3 p.m. but after waiting for a ranger to give us information and going to the hotel for more information, we found out that our cabin was another hour and a half away. On the way we saw large fields of ice and steam from geysers rising into the air. We were stopped on the road by some inconsiderate visitors who stopped their cars to apparently look at bears. We did not see the bears but we did see two enormous bison grazing by the side of the road as we neared our destination. Our cabin was at the end of some cabins that felt like the middle of nowhere but we were pleasantly surprised to see that the cabin had been remodeled into an attractive western cabin with a nice new bathroom. For folks who like the feeling of no internet, no cell phone connection, no radio or tv this is wonderful but I feel insecure.
Glacier National Park-U.S.-Continental Divide
To my loyal readers--We have been out of connection for the last 5 days that we spent at the National Parks. These are coming not on real time.
Glacier National Park-
September 5, 2009
Continental Divide
This morning we planned to drive to the West Side of the park. I wanted to see what made that more popular. David said that the west side is warmer and less windy but rains more. This weather difference is apparently because of this called the Continental Divide. As far as I understand it is a fault under the Rockies that travels on the same lane north/south through all of N. America. It holds lots of water. When rain or snow falls on this fault area, all the snow that falls on the West side goes out to the Pacific, the precipitation that falls on the East side goes to the Hudson Bay and all the wetness that falls on the South side goes to the Atlantic.
Lesson on Rocks
At an early pull off for an overlook we noticed 3 mini-buses marked Whitman College, Walla Walla WA. It was a geology field trip and 3 professors were explaining the rock formations. I was fascinated.
The different kinds of rock are fairly easily identifiable if you know rock. Layers of rock pile on top of each other to make a mountain. I had wanted to know what makes different colored layers on mountains and seems to be because they are different rocks. Near water the bottom layer is sandstone and then on top of that is shale and then on top of that may be a carbonate. A carbonate is a layer of rock of which fossilized shells and animals form a white layer. There are names for all different rock layer groups. For example a mountain made of sandstone, then shale, then carbonate has a name to identify the group and then if that mountain is grouped with others with characteristics there is a name for that group. There are also angles of rocks that happen when they converge and these angles are called orthogonal. Geologists can tell where rock slides will occur from the angle of the rocks. Also, when you look at mountains with vegetation you can see vertical lines down the mountain where rock slides can occur.
There is a term for rocks that crack easily. These cracks get increased as ice and silt forms in them. They measure the angle of the cracks in these rocks.
Biggest glaciers are on the NE corner of a mountain.
Acid is often used to identify a rock. The biggest glaciers are on the Northeast side of a mountain. This is because they melt less and get more cold wind.
My own Cairns
Since we got lost yesterday I decided that on each trail today as the path turned I would put down some stones that I could recognize that pointed in the direction home. At first I thought that I was doing a Hansel but then I realized that I was actually making cairns like the ancients. And they work.
Tree lines are beginning of the Alpine Areas
5880 is the treelike on the mountains here.
I was watching for the trees to disappear as we entered alpine and sub-alpine areas. Our GPS gives elevations so it is easy to see how high we are by pushing a button. I saw the treelike as being at 5880 but a ranger intern said it was 6440. In alpine areas there are no trees and it is colder and windier and the sun is more intense. Very few plants and animals can adapt to this. On the other hand, if you can adapt to this you have the advantage of being in a place inhospitable to predators. Plants that adapt sometimes have swollen and hairy leaves that allow it to hold more water. There is at least one plant that turns red in the winter. The bright color allows it to absorb more sun and to photosynthesize at lower temps than green plants. When summer comes it begins to turn green.
.Remnants from forest fires
We saw a large area on our drive that had white skeletons of trees for miles. This was apparently a big fire. At one point on our road we saw 4 t black cows with piercings in an ear and other places but this was to show who they belonged to. They stood right at the asphalt road edge waiting to cross the road as cars sped by a 70mph.
Clickety Clack Butterflies
In the east side of the park are numbers of yellow butterflies with black trim. When they fly their wings must touch each other and each time they make a large clickety clack.
McDonald Lodge
On our drive on the Road to the Rising Sun (as the park road is called) we stopped to see the stately old lodges in the park. These were built in the early 20th century and look like giant log cabins with Native American furnishings. I love the big lobbies with the really high ceilings and the long outdoor porches that are lined with rockers or other comfy chairs to look out at the mountains, the lakes, the trees. They have nice dining rooms, lounges, gift shops, card rooms—all within the Lodge building.
My favorite is McDonald Lodge. When it was built there were no roads in the park and visitors had to arrive there by boats on the lake.
Glacier National Park-
September 5, 2009
Continental Divide
This morning we planned to drive to the West Side of the park. I wanted to see what made that more popular. David said that the west side is warmer and less windy but rains more. This weather difference is apparently because of this called the Continental Divide. As far as I understand it is a fault under the Rockies that travels on the same lane north/south through all of N. America. It holds lots of water. When rain or snow falls on this fault area, all the snow that falls on the West side goes out to the Pacific, the precipitation that falls on the East side goes to the Hudson Bay and all the wetness that falls on the South side goes to the Atlantic.
Lesson on Rocks
At an early pull off for an overlook we noticed 3 mini-buses marked Whitman College, Walla Walla WA. It was a geology field trip and 3 professors were explaining the rock formations. I was fascinated.
The different kinds of rock are fairly easily identifiable if you know rock. Layers of rock pile on top of each other to make a mountain. I had wanted to know what makes different colored layers on mountains and seems to be because they are different rocks. Near water the bottom layer is sandstone and then on top of that is shale and then on top of that may be a carbonate. A carbonate is a layer of rock of which fossilized shells and animals form a white layer. There are names for all different rock layer groups. For example a mountain made of sandstone, then shale, then carbonate has a name to identify the group and then if that mountain is grouped with others with characteristics there is a name for that group. There are also angles of rocks that happen when they converge and these angles are called orthogonal. Geologists can tell where rock slides will occur from the angle of the rocks. Also, when you look at mountains with vegetation you can see vertical lines down the mountain where rock slides can occur.
There is a term for rocks that crack easily. These cracks get increased as ice and silt forms in them. They measure the angle of the cracks in these rocks.
Biggest glaciers are on the NE corner of a mountain.
Acid is often used to identify a rock. The biggest glaciers are on the Northeast side of a mountain. This is because they melt less and get more cold wind.
My own Cairns
Since we got lost yesterday I decided that on each trail today as the path turned I would put down some stones that I could recognize that pointed in the direction home. At first I thought that I was doing a Hansel but then I realized that I was actually making cairns like the ancients. And they work.
Tree lines are beginning of the Alpine Areas
5880 is the treelike on the mountains here.
I was watching for the trees to disappear as we entered alpine and sub-alpine areas. Our GPS gives elevations so it is easy to see how high we are by pushing a button. I saw the treelike as being at 5880 but a ranger intern said it was 6440. In alpine areas there are no trees and it is colder and windier and the sun is more intense. Very few plants and animals can adapt to this. On the other hand, if you can adapt to this you have the advantage of being in a place inhospitable to predators. Plants that adapt sometimes have swollen and hairy leaves that allow it to hold more water. There is at least one plant that turns red in the winter. The bright color allows it to absorb more sun and to photosynthesize at lower temps than green plants. When summer comes it begins to turn green.
.Remnants from forest fires
We saw a large area on our drive that had white skeletons of trees for miles. This was apparently a big fire. At one point on our road we saw 4 t black cows with piercings in an ear and other places but this was to show who they belonged to. They stood right at the asphalt road edge waiting to cross the road as cars sped by a 70mph.
Clickety Clack Butterflies
In the east side of the park are numbers of yellow butterflies with black trim. When they fly their wings must touch each other and each time they make a large clickety clack.
McDonald Lodge
On our drive on the Road to the Rising Sun (as the park road is called) we stopped to see the stately old lodges in the park. These were built in the early 20th century and look like giant log cabins with Native American furnishings. I love the big lobbies with the really high ceilings and the long outdoor porches that are lined with rockers or other comfy chairs to look out at the mountains, the lakes, the trees. They have nice dining rooms, lounges, gift shops, card rooms—all within the Lodge building.
My favorite is McDonald Lodge. When it was built there were no roads in the park and visitors had to arrive there by boats on the lake.
Friday, September 4, 2009
On the Road-Calgary
Thursday, September 03, 2009
After I did laundry we left Canmore and started East on our way to Glacier National Park across the border in Montana, Our route took us practically into Calgary, and since we were there, I wanted to see its downtown. It is a giant and confusing city. They have numbered streets and numbered avenues and the visitor centre is listed as being at 238 11th Avenue. I kept directing David to what truned out to be either 11th street or 2nd ave. We finally got to second street and eleventh avenue and parked the car. There are pay booths located on every block or so. You enter the number of the parking zone that you are parked in-the zone number is on a sign above the sign that says 2 hour parking. So you put in the zone number and then you must put in your license plate number. Then you put in your loonies or townies or credit card and choose your time for up to two hours. The parking meter maid told me that this is a great system because no matter where you are in the city, you can go to a pay booth and put in your zone number and add time. I asked her “what about the 2 hour limit” and she said “well, you’re supposed to stay only two hours but so what.” I guess at $3.00 an hour they don’t mind you staying.
It turned out that while we had found 2nd street and 11th ave. we were in the NW 2nd and 11th and we needed the SE. We had a lovely lunch at a chophouse called Vintage. The glass of house Chardonnay that I ordered turned out to be $14. I complained that I had clearly told the waiter that I wanted the bottom price and the waitress brought me a menu to show that the $14 glass was the cheapest one. The food prices were more reasonable.
After I did laundry we left Canmore and started East on our way to Glacier National Park across the border in Montana, Our route took us practically into Calgary, and since we were there, I wanted to see its downtown. It is a giant and confusing city. They have numbered streets and numbered avenues and the visitor centre is listed as being at 238 11th Avenue. I kept directing David to what truned out to be either 11th street or 2nd ave. We finally got to second street and eleventh avenue and parked the car. There are pay booths located on every block or so. You enter the number of the parking zone that you are parked in-the zone number is on a sign above the sign that says 2 hour parking. So you put in the zone number and then you must put in your license plate number. Then you put in your loonies or townies or credit card and choose your time for up to two hours. The parking meter maid told me that this is a great system because no matter where you are in the city, you can go to a pay booth and put in your zone number and add time. I asked her “what about the 2 hour limit” and she said “well, you’re supposed to stay only two hours but so what.” I guess at $3.00 an hour they don’t mind you staying.
It turned out that while we had found 2nd street and 11th ave. we were in the NW 2nd and 11th and we needed the SE. We had a lovely lunch at a chophouse called Vintage. The glass of house Chardonnay that I ordered turned out to be $14. I complained that I had clearly told the waiter that I wanted the bottom price and the waitress brought me a menu to show that the $14 glass was the cheapest one. The food prices were more reasonable.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
On the Road-Banff-Lake Louise
September 3, 2009
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is quite famous and it could be the most beautiful lake in the world. It is a total clear light blue that sits at the bottom of magnificent mountains, some with glaciers showing. The whole area smells of pine trees. There is one hotel on the property, a Fairmount property that looks like a fairy castle. From inside this hotel you can look out at the lake and snow on the the jagged peaks of individual looking peaks.
You can walk half way along the lake and at the end of the road is a trail up the mountain.. We always meet people along the way often with the guise of getting more information about the trail or vegetation. There were some mountain climbers along the way that were exciting to watch as they look for purchase on the sheer rock and try to go up. The scenery changed as the road turned and it wall gorgeous except for one spot which was black rocks in piles as you looked down and it seemed like something that we could have seen in Peekskill. Ther was a mountain goat along the way that some people saw but we never did.
At the end of the road is a path leading up Mt. Whyte (named for a Canadian Pacific rr mogul) and it did not too steep. A sign said that it was only 3.5 km and that there was a famous teahouse at the top. I still can't get a handle on how far those km are and the teahouse looked inviting so I thought that we might try to walk it. Actually, I make a correction today to say that the path to the teahuse said 6.5 km and it was some km until you even reach that path. We had met this delightful young lady at the Lake and she was wanting to take the hike but she was catching a greyhound back to her hostle in Banff and would not time. We told her that she could walk with us and we would take her back to Banff as we had to go back to exchange a tee shirt. It turned out that both the girl and me would have turned back if we did not want to look fainthearted in front of the other one. We were hoping that there would be a road to take back from the teahouse but oh no. There is no road and their supplies are dropped by helicopter in early summer and they try to make tea there with no electricity and no plumbing. I was dying for a glass of water but they would give me a sip because their water is taken from an underground spring and then boiled for use. On the mountain as we neared the lake we noticed that the water level of the lake had risen(I don't if it was a tide or what) but we noticed because it was wetter to have to cross a bit of the road.
Banff
Banff is a beautiful looking little town. We ate breakfast and dinner there and I shopped at the great little shops. They had a gondola ride up a mountain but since we had just done that, it did hold much of a temptation for us. We were surprised that almost every hotel(all but one) had a vacancy sign and one had a sign saying "walk in and be surprised at our price." I didn't stop there but later on I got curious and stopped at the King Edward hotel and got a price for a room with a queen sized bed and bath for $85.00 Canadian. This is less than the cabin like accommodations that we had in the town of Canmore. Canmorebeing the town nearby known for cheaper rooms.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is quite famous and it could be the most beautiful lake in the world. It is a total clear light blue that sits at the bottom of magnificent mountains, some with glaciers showing. The whole area smells of pine trees. There is one hotel on the property, a Fairmount property that looks like a fairy castle. From inside this hotel you can look out at the lake and snow on the the jagged peaks of individual looking peaks.
You can walk half way along the lake and at the end of the road is a trail up the mountain.. We always meet people along the way often with the guise of getting more information about the trail or vegetation. There were some mountain climbers along the way that were exciting to watch as they look for purchase on the sheer rock and try to go up. The scenery changed as the road turned and it wall gorgeous except for one spot which was black rocks in piles as you looked down and it seemed like something that we could have seen in Peekskill. Ther was a mountain goat along the way that some people saw but we never did.
At the end of the road is a path leading up Mt. Whyte (named for a Canadian Pacific rr mogul) and it did not too steep. A sign said that it was only 3.5 km and that there was a famous teahouse at the top. I still can't get a handle on how far those km are and the teahouse looked inviting so I thought that we might try to walk it. Actually, I make a correction today to say that the path to the teahuse said 6.5 km and it was some km until you even reach that path. We had met this delightful young lady at the Lake and she was wanting to take the hike but she was catching a greyhound back to her hostle in Banff and would not time. We told her that she could walk with us and we would take her back to Banff as we had to go back to exchange a tee shirt. It turned out that both the girl and me would have turned back if we did not want to look fainthearted in front of the other one. We were hoping that there would be a road to take back from the teahouse but oh no. There is no road and their supplies are dropped by helicopter in early summer and they try to make tea there with no electricity and no plumbing. I was dying for a glass of water but they would give me a sip because their water is taken from an underground spring and then boiled for use. On the mountain as we neared the lake we noticed that the water level of the lake had risen(I don't if it was a tide or what) but we noticed because it was wetter to have to cross a bit of the road.
Banff
Banff is a beautiful looking little town. We ate breakfast and dinner there and I shopped at the great little shops. They had a gondola ride up a mountain but since we had just done that, it did hold much of a temptation for us. We were surprised that almost every hotel(all but one) had a vacancy sign and one had a sign saying "walk in and be surprised at our price." I didn't stop there but later on I got curious and stopped at the King Edward hotel and got a price for a room with a queen sized bed and bath for $85.00 Canadian. This is less than the cabin like accommodations that we had in the town of Canmore. Canmorebeing the town nearby known for cheaper rooms.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
On the Road-Jasper Canada, Inukshuk; Mt. Whistler
Tuesday, Sept. 1
Mount Whistler
We drove to catch the first Tramway up 5000 feet and above the tree line on this mountain. There is supposed to be some wildlife up there but no one I spoke to saw any more than mosquitoes. The mountain gets its name from the whistling sound made by the Marmot who is supposed to be there. This Mt. Whistler is not to be confused with the famous Mt. Whistler skiing area next to Vancouver. These were biting like crazy at 10:00 until 12:30 when we left. You are surrounded by beautiful mountains in all directions as you climb a steep path. The air is thin and one is always struggling to catch one's breath. At the summit or near the summit is a metal disk which looks a lot like a sundial. But this is a mountain pointer. You move the raised wedge around the dial and it points you to any of 20 mount ins.
Inukshuk
These Inuit stone markers are a form of Cairns used by ancient peoples as markers for navigation, road trails, burial, and caribou slaughter cliffs. The Inukshuk was used by Indians of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. They are piles of stones that are quite evident and the word "Inukshuk" apparently means "takes the place of a person." There are some stone markers which are formed to look like a person but they are called by a slightly different name than Inukshuk. On the barren mountain people had erected dozens and dozens of these Inukshuks. I said to David "maybe people come up here each summer and construct these since there is no wildlife to destroy them and no vegetation to obscure them." The Indians here are quite vocal about wrongs done to them and this may an expression of native pride. I have also read that the Inukshuk is becoming the national symbol of Canada and maybe that is why everyone is making them.
Athabasca Falls and the Icefileld Highway
We drove down the Ice field Highway as a scenic experience and to get to Lake Louise. The entire 3 1/2 hour drive you follow the beautiful Athabasca River and are surrounded by beautiful varied looking mountains. The best place that we stopped to see was the Athabasca Falls. These produce the wildest water flow that we have ever seen. In several different places new pools of rapidly swirling water work their way through the rock causing beautiful ruts in all the rock around them. There are lots of warning signs around the fences as ever year someone thinks that they will just step on the rock outside the since and end up slipping to their death. They was a touching memoriam on a bench at one point to this young man-Roger, he was 21- who went hiking with friends in 2002 and made one bad choice.
PRINCESS LOUISE CAROLINE ALBERTA
Since we are at Lake Louise in the Canadian Province of Alberta, I would like to mention where these names come from. Princess Louise Caroline Alberta was the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Her husband was named Governor General of Canada in the 1880s and as a love gift he gave her gift of all of her names being names of Canada. We haven't come upon Caroline yet.
Mount Whistler
We drove to catch the first Tramway up 5000 feet and above the tree line on this mountain. There is supposed to be some wildlife up there but no one I spoke to saw any more than mosquitoes. The mountain gets its name from the whistling sound made by the Marmot who is supposed to be there. This Mt. Whistler is not to be confused with the famous Mt. Whistler skiing area next to Vancouver. These were biting like crazy at 10:00 until 12:30 when we left. You are surrounded by beautiful mountains in all directions as you climb a steep path. The air is thin and one is always struggling to catch one's breath. At the summit or near the summit is a metal disk which looks a lot like a sundial. But this is a mountain pointer. You move the raised wedge around the dial and it points you to any of 20 mount ins.
Inukshuk
These Inuit stone markers are a form of Cairns used by ancient peoples as markers for navigation, road trails, burial, and caribou slaughter cliffs. The Inukshuk was used by Indians of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. They are piles of stones that are quite evident and the word "Inukshuk" apparently means "takes the place of a person." There are some stone markers which are formed to look like a person but they are called by a slightly different name than Inukshuk. On the barren mountain people had erected dozens and dozens of these Inukshuks. I said to David "maybe people come up here each summer and construct these since there is no wildlife to destroy them and no vegetation to obscure them." The Indians here are quite vocal about wrongs done to them and this may an expression of native pride. I have also read that the Inukshuk is becoming the national symbol of Canada and maybe that is why everyone is making them.
Athabasca Falls and the Icefileld Highway
We drove down the Ice field Highway as a scenic experience and to get to Lake Louise. The entire 3 1/2 hour drive you follow the beautiful Athabasca River and are surrounded by beautiful varied looking mountains. The best place that we stopped to see was the Athabasca Falls. These produce the wildest water flow that we have ever seen. In several different places new pools of rapidly swirling water work their way through the rock causing beautiful ruts in all the rock around them. There are lots of warning signs around the fences as ever year someone thinks that they will just step on the rock outside the since and end up slipping to their death. They was a touching memoriam on a bench at one point to this young man-Roger, he was 21- who went hiking with friends in 2002 and made one bad choice.
PRINCESS LOUISE CAROLINE ALBERTA
Since we are at Lake Louise in the Canadian Province of Alberta, I would like to mention where these names come from. Princess Louise Caroline Alberta was the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Her husband was named Governor General of Canada in the 1880s and as a love gift he gave her gift of all of her names being names of Canada. We haven't come upon Caroline yet.
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