Tuesday, August 30, 2011 (Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta)

It was a much nicer day today...the wind had died down and there was more sunshine...too bad it hadn’t been like this on our boat trip yesterday.  However, a look at the forecast for the rest of the week indicates a cold front coming in...a high of 11c (or about 52F) for tomorrow is a far cry from the high 20’s we’ve been experiencing!

So we thought we would take advantage of a nice day today and go sightseeing to Cameron Lake.  There are also several hiking trails in the area so we’ll take our backpack, water and lunch with us as well.

Cameron Lake is about 20kms off the main road...again, it was a rather bumpy ride...they sure could use some re-paving of the roads in the Park!  We stopped numerous times along the way to take pictures. 

The top of this mountain is quite red...waterfall down below...

First Oil Well in Western Canada...

  

Cameron Lake used to have a campground back in the 30’s but it was so popular that it got over-used.  The natural vegetation was getting destroyed and they finally decided to close the campground and let the area return to a natural state.  Now there is a large parking lot, washrooms, an interpretive kiosk/shelter that tells the story of the area, and a small store and boat rental business (mainly kayaks and canoes...no motors are allowed on the lake).

There must be a forest fire burning in Montana because it was really hazy/smokey out as you looked down the lake.  That is Mt. Custer in the background...it is on the Canada/US Border and is the continental divide...

After reviewing the map sign that gave all options for the various hikes in the area, we thought we would start off with a short one to Akamina Lake.  It was just a kilometre but as it was going on 11:30 by this time, we thought we would do that hike and when back, have our lunch before venturing out on a longer one.  The trail was very easy going as it wound through the forest...

Along the way, we passed a couple on their way back.  They told us that there was a moose grazing on the other side of the lake...Yay...finally more wildlife!  Steve really had to zoom in and then we cropped the picture...so it’s somewhat blurry...

This is the lake...the moose was way over on the far left side...

Once back at the parking lot, we went to the truck and got the cooler bag (yes, we use our handy, dandy Piper’s Pale Ale bag all the time)...we ate lunch while sitting on a bench by the lake.  Here is Steve checking out mountainside with the binoculars...

After we had finished our lunch, it was time to embark upon our next hike.  We chose the Lakeshore Trail which follows the west edge of the lake for 2 kms.  This picture shows the sign as the end of the trail.  They do not want you to hike any further than that spot due to the Grizzly bear habitat....

This picture is looking back at the north end of the lake...that’s the kiosk with the beach and dock out front... 

Here I am...actually using my hiking stick today...

At the end of the trail, we walked down to the lake...here’s Steve with Mt. Custer in the background...

Waterfall way in the distance on Mt. Custer...

There were tons of small black flies...they loved the flowering Cow Parsnip....

There were lots of people out kayaking on the lake...

We had a great hike...on a very easy trail...it was sunny off and on...really quite nice for hiking but a little more sunshine would have been nicer for the pictures.

On our way back, we ended up stopping numerous times (again) for pictures.  This little guy was not afraid of Steve at all...

I did not like where Steve had to go to get this picture...the edge of a very steep cliff...

The road followed a steep canyon edge as we headed back down to the townsite...

There’s that hotel again...and that is where we are now headed...

The Prince of Wales Hotel...

We decided to go into the Windsor Lounge for a drink...

After enjoying ambiance inside this very old hotel...

...we headed outside for more pictures.  Steve went all of the way to the top of the fire escape to take some great pictures...

This picture shows where Middle Waterton Lake meets Upper Waterton Lake...

It was REALLY windy standing out on the point in front of the hotel...

It was close to 4:30 by the time we got home.  We’d had another great day!  The sun was shining so we thought we would take advantage of it and sit outside for a bit.  We had put the awning back out (you definitely do not leave your awning out unattended...it is so windy here!) but before we knew it, the wind had come up again...so back in went the awning. 

I was sitting at the table with the laptop after dinner trying to get yesterday’s blog posted...uploading the pictures is very slow with the Internet connection I have here...when I noticed big dark clouds coming in.  I guess the weather forecasters were right...next thing we knew, it had started to rain.

Monday, August 29, 2011 (Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta)

Well, sometime during the night...it must have been around 2am...the power came back on.  It woke me up, so I got up and switched the fridge from propane back onto AC.  We found out later in the morning that the whole town had lost power...I wonder what happened.

We are going on our boat cruise of the Upper Waterton Lake today.  We checked the forecast before booking and it was suppose to be another day of beautiful sunny skies...but when I opened up the blinds this morning, there were clouds and wind...figures!  Maybe it will clear up by the time head off...there was still a few hours before the trip. 

We headed off at about 9:15...taking a leisurely walk through town to the marina.  Unfortunately, the weather had not improved...it was cloudy, windy and some occasional rain but at least it wasn’t cold.  Steve took some pictures along the way...this is the building that the RCMP is housed in...pretty nice...

This is the Prince of Wales Hotel (you’re likely going to see quite a few pictures of this intriguing building)...

This is the marina...and the boat we will be taking...The MV International...

...and a close-up of the boat...

We were early so we sauntered through the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Pavilion. Waterton Lakes National Park (http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/index.aspx) borders with Glacier National Park in Montana...

A close-up of the hotel...

It was about 9:40 when two tour buses arrived...the larger bus was a tour group from Minnesota. It looks like it is going to be a full boat this morning.  The boat doesn’t look all that big but it holds 200 people on 2 decks. Shortly before 10am a rep from the Waterton Shoreline Cruise Company greeted everyone over the loudspeaker.  He told us about the seating arrangements on the boat (lower deck—inside and upper deck—outside) and advised that there would be no washroom facilities for about an hour until we reached Goat Haunt, Montana at the end of the lake.  That caused a flurry of activity at the washroom here...me included...nothing like the threat of no facilities to make you have to go all of a sudden!!

Now it was time to board...we chose the upper deck, of course!  And we‘re off....

The border between Canada and the US is marked by a straight-line clearing on the mountains...

A look back towards the town...

Sawtooth Mountain...

The only wildlife we saw on our whole trip...this eagle perched in a tree...

During the one-hour trip to the end of the lake, a fellow was telling us all about the area. He said that this area is one of the most consistently windiest areas of Canada with sustained winds of up to 30 mph and occasional gusts up to 100 mph. When the Prince of Whales Hotel was being built a storm had blown it off of its foundation and had to be pulled back with teams of horses.

We arrived at Goat Haunt, Montana where we would be allowed to leave the boat for about 20 minutes without having to go through Customs.  Only those staying and planning on hiking the trails would have to go through the Border Patrol check.  Here is a picture of the Rangers Station as we approached the dock just across the bay...

This is where we docked and disembarked.   There is an Interpretive Centre and washrooms here.  We could also walk the path along the shore to the Rangers Station...

We went for the short walk to the Rangers Station...

Ten minutes before the boat was going to leave, it sounded its horn...that was the warning signal for everyone to re-board for the trip back.  Once we left the dock, Steve went down and stood on the bow for better picture taking...I stayed put in my seat...

This is where the 84 year old ship is stored during the winter...

Beautiful scenery...just too bad that we didn't have the clear blue sky and sunshine that we had hoped for...

This is a picture of a unique rock formation...apparently National Geographic has been here to photograph it...see the “V” and the “A” formations...the mountains have been created by layers of compressed mud into rock from an ancient sea. When the mountains were forming many of the rock layers actually bent without breaking. The mountains here are similar to the ones in Fernie in that they are upside down...oldest on the top and youngest on the bottom. That’s very hard to fathom.

Here is the campground we are staying at...

Approaching the marina...

The Commentator thanking us all for taking their cruise...as we approach the dock...

...and there’s that hotel again...

 Getting ready to dock...

It was shortly before 12:30 when we disembarked from The International.  It has been an interesting and fun trip...too bad the weather couldn’t have been nicer, though...

After stopping to pick up some milk, we headed home for some lunch.    Pretty darn picturesque with the mountain backdrop...

We relaxed for a bit inside...avoiding the wind outside...and then thought we would get out for a walk.  We took the path towards Cameron Falls which is just on the other side of the campground.  Actually the river runs through the campground dividing it into two sections. 

Cameron Falls...

Kids feeding sunflower seeds to a squirrel...

We hiked up one side of the Falls for a better look...

Steve slowed down the shutter speed on this pictures...cool effect...

Steve let me use his camera :)...

View back towards the campground...

One final picture of the Falls (slow shutter speed),,,

And then over to the other side...which was actually a trail that led to some major backcountry hiking...we only went up (and I mean “UP”) until we were just above the falls and then decided to turn around.  We met a couple of girls that had hiked all the way from Cameron Lake...almost 20 kms!  They had started at about 9am...and it was now after 3pm...now...that’s a hike! 

This little fellow scared the whatname out of me as he rustled in the bushes as I walked by...

 It was a very very windy day...especially as we walked closer to the lake on our way home...

We have been intrigued with these birds that are in the campground...not sure what they are (guess I'll have to do some research).  They look a bit like a Magpie but have some deep blue on them...

 

Back home, Steve replied to an email from Jim...planning their elk hunting trip.  I had also booked my flights home earlier this afternoon.  I will be flying to Victoria on September 25^th for a couple of weeks.  I’ll visit with the family and catch up with friends...and also go over to Vancouver for a few days to see Chris and have a “girl’s getaway” with some very special people.