Banff National Park is simply stunning. The town of Banff is charmingly nestled at the foot of Rundel Mountain carved from a glacier. Charming, albeit crammed with tourists of the Asian variety. On our first morning Ginny, Nancy, Carol and I took a boat ride around Lake Minniwanken. So lovely, the blue green, clear glass water surrounded by jagged peaks calmed the soul. What spectacular land where the Blackfeet made their home. No wonder the aboriginal people hold the land sacred, protect and honor it. It truly is a humbling experience to be held in the arms of such beauty.
Our boating experience was also exciting when the captain spotted a grizzly on shore. What a sight! We watched for several minutes while it rooted around a log then ambled off into the woods. Further along the shore we saw a pair of nesting eagles. It is always a thrill for me when I come close to wildlife!
After our outing on the lake Carol and I went into town to hike around and see Bow Falls. We hiked along the river to the falls and came across a Magpie chick huddled by a tree. We thought perhaps it had fallen out of the nest as it didn't make any attempts to fly. On our return trip I noticed a parent on the ground close to the chick. It flew away as I approached leaving the chick alone. Now the chick was pecking around looking for food. I shot quite a few photos but only one or two turned out halfway decent.
Later, we stopped to have coffee and post on the internet. By that time it was late and started to sprinkle so we returned to camp. I made spinach pasta soup and Ginny came down to have dinner with us. It was a little cramped in the Casita but we made do. Actually it was nice and cozy with the rain.
I must tell about my mosquito net! This mosquito net came from Ace hardware and was supposed to hang from a tree and cover a picnic table. I thought it would be perfect to hang under the awning on the casita. I should have known! So, I use a rubber band to attach the net to the center bar of the awning and tiny clothes pins to secure it to the front edge. Then I set up my 2 chairs and table under it all ready for dinner. As Carol is walking up to the trailer, Foxy sees her and tries to run through the net to greet her. The clothes pins all pop off the net, the table falls over and Foxy is clawing at the net to get out but only succeeds in rolling himself up in a net cocoon. Carol and I couldn't stop laughing. Fox was so funny and bewildered! It took a minute or two to unravel him. So much for the mosquito net!
For our next day at Banff we took in the Whyte Museum. Whyte was a well known Blackfeet artist and many of his works were on display along with native clothing. Whyte was a black and white photographer and painter. His photos really were stunning. After the museum we wanted to hike up Finland Trail but it was closed due to a grizzly sighting. Evidently, the grizzly was there for the elk calving. We drove out to the golf course and saw a small herd of cows and one calf. Unfortunately, there were no good photo Opps.
On our way back to camp we talked to a ranger who told us, unbeknownst to us, that Jasper would be full this weekend due to the Canada Day holiday. A long weekend from Fri to Wed! That's an awfully long weekend! So back we went to town and wifii to try and book a camp sight. Unfortunately, none were available except om a first come first serve basis. Jasper is 145mi and we would have to be on the road at O'Dark Thirty to find one. At present, we are considering leaving Lake Louise a day early in hopes of beating the rush. So much for planning!
Oh, I met Julian while hi king and he needed a ride. I told him it might cost him. We talked for a couple of minutes and he agreed. He was very nice the next morning and we said our goodbyes and vowed to meet up again someday.
Julian, he's kinda cute don't you think?
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