Alberta, Canada

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We drove for two days on the Trans-Canadian Highway from Vancouver into Alberta. In most places, the Highway is two lanes and the scenery is beautiful. We spent one night at a rest stop in Revelstoke before arriving in Banff. A rustic campground in the heart of the Canadian Rockies was our base for a two-night stay. One morning in camp, we heard a "bugling" bull elk. When he finally came into view, he was the largest elk we ever saw, with a massive set of antlers. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the camera handy at the time.

We did have the camera ready when we spotted a rare pack of black wolves. We were heading to Lake Louise when we saw the car ahead of us slow down on the winding two-lane road. We pulled over as the pack moved across the area, and we got a few shots of the wolves crossing into the woods. As black wolves are rarely spotted, this was a treat for us.

When we arrived at Lake Louise, we found a beautiful emerald-colored glacier-fed lake in a pristine alpine setting. The famous Fairmount hotel sits at one end, with a view of the glacier across the water. We had lunch at the hotel and hiked around one side of the lake toward the glacier. It was a lovely day, chilly but sunny, and we spotted some rock climbers along the way. Hanging off a sheer vertical face of rock is not exactly my idea of fun, but.......to each his own!

We left Alberta after a too-short stay, drove through Calgary, and headed back to the USA.

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Photos

Drive into Alberta
Beautiful Trans-Canadian Highway

Rare Black Wolf
Basically shy, they crossed the road when it was clear

Lake Louise
The water is a pale emerald, from glacier-created sediment

Fairmount Hotel at Lake Louise
Famous landmark in the Canadian Rockies--you can see why

Rock Climber
Look closely......Yikes! Wonder if his mother knows what he's doing?

Victoria Glacier
Stunning views of nature at its finest

Waterfall
Oops, can't remember the name of this landmark.......reminds me a little of Yosemite Falls but it's not, of course

Autumn in Alberta
Leaves were changing, there was snow in the mountains, days were chilly, and nights were cold

Comments

[Harriet]

Gorgeous. I want to go! After talking to you and seeing your photos Dennis and I decided we would go there next August for our anniversary. Thanks for inspiring us, and for great company at dinner in Dallas.