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Electric Bear Fence
At Lake Louise campground all tenters were protected with this "Texas" cattle guard and an electric fence around the campground. Happy Canada Day everyone...frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday," the occasion marks the joining of the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces on July 1, 1867.
When I broke camp this morning I had to pack everything wet. Not an issue if you can dry it out within a reasonable time. It was cooler this morning since I was at a higher elevation but very comfortable traveling especially with my Transitions textile riding jacket...well worth the investment vs. leather.
Oh by the way, the electric bear fence worked as I'm still here and typing...see the photo. My dad used an electric fence for years and it seemed to work very well. Wonder how much a jolt I would get if I touched it?
I would strongly suggest that if you have not been to Banff and Jasper area that you try and get here. As I was driving today I had to again really concentrate on driving and not sightseeing. On a bike you feel, smell and experience everything around you. What a great feeling to have all your senses challenged.
The highlight of the
Steams are Everywhere
This is just a small sampling of the many streams as you traverse from Banff to Jasper...coupled with the pine trees and mountain peaks...well, you just better have your camera batteries up to par. day may have been touring the Columbia Icefields. The Icefields are a living remnant of the ice age. It covers an area five times that of Manhattan and its meltwater feeds three oceans; the Pacific, Atlantic, and Artic. There are eight glaciers in the Icefield.
The ice is up to 1,200 feet thick and is deep enough to bury the Empire State Building. At this time, as with most glaciers, it is retreating since it was recorded in the late 1800s...almost one mile from the roadway when once it was near the road.
You can take a ride in a 6-wheeled Ice Explorer, a giant all-terrain vehicle that is designed for glacier travel and drives on the ice....all for $38.00. I decided to walk to the base of the glacier since I needed to exercise and get my heart rate going at 5,000 feet. It was a great feeling to be so close to and know the tremendous force behind the wall of ice. It was the Athabasca glacier.
Check out their website at http://www.columbiaicefield.com/
Traveling on down the road I came across a bear and her two cubs. Now let me tell you, I left
Bow Lake with Crow Foot Glacier in Background
The day I took this picture there was not a breath of air blowing so it made for an unusual reflection in the water my helmet and riding jacket on which has protective plates on the shoulders, elbow and kidney area for obvious reasons. I could not believe people were so close to her and taking pictures. One alarm for her cubs and they would be history.
Then a little down the way I came across a mountain goat and her offspring (not sure what you call a baby goat!) Now, I felt a little safer as you can see by the extreme closeup of the pair. Walked right past me in the ditch.
Jasper is like a small Colorado tourist town with a lot of young people and special nitch shops...it has a history of railroads.
And then on to Hinton where I camped at the Hinton/Jasper KOA. Very clean facility.
So, enjoy the pictures that are posted...more so than usual. I would rather let you see the beauty than me trying to explain it.
Miss all of you but not enough to come home yet.
Rob
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Jessica Brokaw
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I can't wait to see all of the photos
This is really an amazing journey and I can't wait for you to share all of the photos with us! I've got the perfect tool for you to use for your trip. www.picaboo.com It's amazing! I've done two really, really great books with it. I'll share with you when you get back. Stay safe!