Back in Canada........ Aye!



The mountains were collecting snow as we were there.



Downtown Banff





Norman drawing a crowd!





Norman and His younger brother Someday



 Our stay in Banff was late in the season, so we got the pick of the litter when came to a camping spot.  We settled on a place in downtown Canmore, Alberta.  The kids spotted rabbits running throughout the campground when we pulled in so they were happy!  It turns out, after speaking with a local man in town, that the rabbits were descendants from a dozen or so domestic rabbits let go into the wild back in the 1980s and now they have bred with the wild rabbits and multiplied like crazy.  The markings on the rabbits are domestic like, in which they are bright white or brown with white spots which is definitely not good for camouflage! After getting settled in, we headed in to Banff to check out Lake Louise. The lake is at the base of a mountain range that has a glacier that melts and fills this lake.  The water color was close to an aquamarine color which they say is due to the glacier grinding away at the rocks underneath it and the powder gets washed down into the lake. We decided to take a canoe trip out on the lake, but Norman was with us so I took the kids and Karen stayed back with Norman.  The kids had fun paddling the canoe and looking at the water!

The next morning we were up and at it, heading to the Columbia Ice Fields, which were 130 miles from our campground.  After driving through some very scenic terrain, we ended up in a town called Jasper.  The ice field is on top of the mountain range and sits roughly in a 100 kilometer long bowl of glacial ice that runs down the mountainside in Jasper, as well as other areas.  We took the tour in which we boarded a souped up monster truck-like bus and drove out onto the glacier.  The kids really got a kick out of this and frankly so did we.  Being able to get that close to something that big, that has been around for 1000's of years is very humbling.  We took pictures and even drank freshly melted glacier water from a stream on the glacier. The next morning we headed into Calgary to let Norman do his thing!  It turns out they did a whole interview on the family, the trip and the superstar Norman!  After the interview Karen met up with a facebook friend and her Briard (Norman's brother Someday) for a little family reunion.  The dogs played together and the kids played together and I took nice break on a park bench in the sun for a little while.  Lunch time found us in a little brewery and burger joint right downtown with Norman sitting with us just outside the fence.  After lunch, we headed home for some down time and school work!  The next morning we woke to cooler temps and some drizzle.  We braved the weather and headed to downtown Banff for some window shopping and to just stretch our legs.  Norman was a hit!  He was recognized by several people and others just wanted to have there picture taken with him.  While heading back to the truck after walking the streets of Banff, Norman was recognized again by a couple of people, so we did an impromptu scooter run  for them on the parking lot roof!  We headed back to the campground to clean up for dinner plans with Karen's new found friend and her family.  Dinner was great and the company even better, unfortunately time had run out for us in Banff!  The next morning we packed up the RV and headed west to Vancouver! 

We're Back!

I'm writing this segment from a little town called Revelstoke, British Columbia! The Internet/phone access has been limited to say the least!  Without a good Internet connection it makes loading pictures near impossible, so I had to wait until now, 9 days later, to write about our visit to Glacier NP. 

Leaving Yellowstone it was a short 3-4 hour drive north to Glacier NP.  The morning air is now crisp and cool which tells us winter is close!  This did not deter us from spending some good time in this amazing park.  The wildlife is a little more aloof than at Yellowstone and the landscape is a rich green with beautiful wild flowers growing everywhere! The 1st day in the park we spent traveling the Going to the Sun Road.  This a narrow two lane road that winds it's way through the mountains of the park and then dumps you out in the valley! 

We stopped along side the road of some magnificent rivers that the water was so clear it didn't look real. Norman and the kids were eager to get in the water, only to find out it was very cold glacier/snow pack runoff water!  The kids and Norman braved it out for a while, but they could only stand so much and out they came.  The next day we went to Logan pass, a mountain top rest area with a hiking trail that runs behind it up into the mountains to Hidden Lake.  We took a three mile round trip hike up to a land locked glacial lake and got our first glimpse at the mountain goats!  These goats are bright white and very elusive at times, not to mention Karen's favorite of all the animals we have seen so far.   The hike was nice with great weather, but we started at 6500 ft above sea level and the trail ends at 7200 ft, so you can feel the elevation when walking this trail!  After the trail we called it a day and headed home.

The next couple of days were spent exploring the parks mountains and rivers!  We ended up seeing Black Bears, Marmots, Mountain Goats, Big Horn Sheep and the list goes on!  Glacier NP reminded me of Alaska, in the fact that the scenery and nature is very raw and undisturbed!  Just like many times before, we sadly must move on, because weather won't wait for us!  Canada he we come again! 

Goodbye Yellowstone.

As with the saying "all good thing must come to an end" the cool morning air signals that winter is on its way.  With a few more stops planned even farther north of Yellowstone, sadly its time for us to leave this nature wonderland and push forward on our journey.  Instead of walking you through the final few days of our visit, I wanted to close the Yellowstone segment by saying we have fished some of the nicest rivers, hiked the beautiful mountains & trails, walked through a geothermal wonderland and witnessed wildlife in its most nautural form. Yellowstone is a true treasure to experience and has lived up to all the hype! If there is anyway possible, you must see this place in person as even the best cameras do not do justice to what Yellowstone has to offer!