Crossing the Border

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Geo: 49.0775, -113.818

We were all up early, yet again, and chose to get an especially early start for our drive up to Waterton Lakes National Park. The park itself was the first "international peace park," and straddles the U.S. and Canadian borders. We drove up and formally crossed into Alberta, and then back down into Waterton, which is home to the iconic Prince of Wales hotel. As was the case throughout nearly all of our trip, the weather was perfect. There were far fewer people in Waterton, and we made it with plenty of time to make the first boat tour of the day. The tour brought us across the lake, and across the border back into the U.S. to the far shore, where there are U.S. Border Control officers "on guard" and allowing hikers through. We went across, if only to have our passports stamped "Goat Island, MT" and then quickly crossed back into Canada.

Following obligatory shopping stops in the small downtown area, as well as a visit to the stunning Prince of Wales hotel, we drove up Red Rock Canyon, where our bear sightings all but exploded. We came across multiple black bear, as well as another grizzly. To add to our wildlife tally, we also visited a Bison Paddock, where they protect the last remnants of what had been a huge native herd of buffalo.

From here we had a several-hour drive ahead of us to reach our destination of Calgary. Along the way, we visited Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. I'd seen the place written up in a guide book, and the name alone made me want to visit. As it turns out, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and we were all very glad me made the trip. They have built a very large and impressive museum into the side of a cliff from where Indians -- for more than 1200 years -- would mount a very intricate annual hunt of buffalo, which resulting in forcing them into a controlled stampede that would force them to literally jump off a cliff and die in the valley below.

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Photos

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Notice all the gunshots to the sign