South, west and north – with every direction we travelled today, we were stunned by Alberta's glorious countryside!
We said our goodbyes to Anne and Russell – but, for once, the farewell should not be for long, as we will hopefully be seeing them soon in Utah! In Lethbridge, we found a Costco on our way that had gas for 98.9 cents/litre, so Roberto was replenished. We then headed south and eventually passed through Cardston (where Anne and Russell’s son-in-law is from). What a breathtaking view of the mountains they have – with such fertile farmland in the foreground! Quite the combination!
Our most southern point of our Albertan adventure soon followed as we entered Waterton Provincial Park. It is there that the Prairies meet the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Lakes, streams, valleys and peaks await hikers and sightseers. The striking Prince of Wales Hotel sits atop a high bluff and overlooks Upper Waterton Lakes and the town of Waterton itself. It was in grave danger of being lost in a massive wildfire in 2017 but thanks to tremendous efforts of firefighters from all over Alberta helped save it. I believe that thirty percent of the park was destroyed. You can still see lots of scorched trees, but in that devastation there is so much rebirth. All is definitely not lost!
As Dave and I ventured north, we couldn’t help but think of our time in Scotland – some parts brought us back to our time in the Highlands! We didn’t see any kilts, but, in Pincher Creek, we saw our first cowboy hat! This is definitely not Inverness!
Next we headed to Crowsnest Pass to see the Frank Slide, a rockslide that buried part of the mining town of Frank, Alberta at 4:10 a.m. on April 29, 1903. It is the deadliest rockslide in Canadian history, as approximately 100 of the 600 residents were killed. The rockslide lasted only about 100 seconds – but could be heard as far as 200 kilometres away in Cochrane. Mother Nature’s ferocity cannot be underscored! Thank you to my cousin, Jean, who told me about the Frank Slide a few weeks ago. You were right, Jean – it is definitely worth a visit!
Our destination for this evening is none other than Banff. Yes, Banff – a place I have been dreaming of visiting since I was a little girl! Highway One ushered us in with landscapes that included snow-capped mountains in the distance! Do the Rockies have snow on their peaks all year-round, I wonder? As we motored through Canmore, I looked for Mike (Royal Canadian Air Farce reference), but never saw him – he must be at the coffee shop. We soon found our campsite for the evening, Tunnel Mountain, and set up shop. That means I don’t have any photos of Banff as of yet, as taking pictures through the windshield just doesn’t do the trick. Tomorrow, I promise.
Tonight, I sign off as a gleeful girl with another item soon-to-be checked off her bucket list:
Good night from the land of grizzlies! ~ CC
