Alberta Trip - 2008 - Back to B.C.

In less than one weeks time we will be on the road for this year's adventure....so I had better get the trip we took to Alberta, last June finished.... as you recall we were at Crimson Lake just outside of Rocky Mountain House in Alberta, being less than enchanted with the spot, we were up and on the road early. We had never traveled the David Thompson Highway from Rocky Mountain House to Saskatchewan Crossing before and despite the less than ideal weather, we were quit enchanted with the route and lamented the fact that we were towing a trailer as there were all sorts of interesting recreational spots that invited exploration. Now we have a more suitable rig...that will be on a future 'to do' list. This was a rest area along the highway.

Ernie had to go over and examine this rock formation and find out what the black stuff was - it was coal. (remember you can click on the picture to enlarge it then use your back button to return to the blog)

You didn't know that metal guards were really scratching posts for Big Horn Sheep did you!

When your coat looks like that no wonder you need a good back scratcher!

This was another area we pulled into for a bit of a break...seems to me we had some lunch here.

This is a close up of the little flowers, close as I can figure they are 'Fern leaf Candytuft'. Once we got to Saskatchewan crossing in Banff National Park, we headed south on the parkway. We would have liked to have stayed at Waterfowl Lakes campground but unfortunately it wasn't open yet. It is one of our favorite campgrounds in the Rocky Mountain National Parks.

Passed Crowsfoot Glacier....the bottom 'toe' has pretty much disappeared now, leaving a 2 toed crow foot.

Took another break at Peyto Lake. You can just make out the highway we had traveled on in the top right part of the picture.

While Ernie took in the view, Shantz had a view of her own......

This Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel was running around underneath the viewing platform. As there was still snow in a lot of the areas, it had probably just woken up from hibernation.

The Chalis Cup Anemone were just breaking through the ground in areas where the snow had melted (it wasn't quite the middle of June)

These Cut-leaf Anemone were just slightly ahead....they must have been in a sunny spot (when it wasn't raining or snowing which is what it was trying to do while we were there). Back on the road until we hit Lake Louise when we turned west, heading to Yoho National Park.

After a long day of driving we headed to Chancellor Peak campground at the west end of Yoho National Park. We had stayed here the previous year. This particular campground had been closed for a number of years and had just reopened in 2007. It is a lovely campground on the Kicking Horse River.

The end of a long day....you will note that this was a 'pull through' campsite! You don't find many of them in National Parks!

The road into the campground had the Kicking Horse River on one side and this smallish pond on the other. There is a railroad running just along the back of this pond.

These magenta colored flowers are Northern Hedysarum....they were a little past their prime...

Well these Yellow Ladyslippers were just coming into flower.