I'm still catching up from my June moodling break... in these beautiful summer days, it's challenging to spend time at the computer. So I'll keep this vacation summary short on words and a bit longer on pictures.
We drove to Southern Alberta on the last day of May,
and after a brief visit with my father-in-law in Lethbridge,
set up camp in Waterton Lakes National Park on June 2nd.
It was so windy, Lee had to drive the car in front of our tent
to protect it from 80 kmph winds. Windy and noisy!
It wasn't easy to sleep, hearing the wind roar up the lake like a jet plane!
I wore my long underwear for all but the last day
of our Southern Alberta vacation. Glad I did, too
-- it was cold at Cameron Lake, but we had a good hour's hike
along its edge. We were almost the only ones there.
Waterton Lake remained rainy and windy except for the day we left!
The Blakiston Creek hike was an easy, lovely walk
and didn't disappoint, though, like much of Waterton Park
after the 2017 wildfires, the forests were gone.
When we got back from our walk, the view from
the Prince of Wales Hotel was promising...
but windy and cold. I guess that's why Waterton
is more popular in July and August!
We moved on to camp at a warmer spot at Beauvais Lake
and had a beautiful climb up Baldy Mountain
-- there were bear warnings for the other two popular vistas,
so we satisfied ourselves with this view.
Near Beauvais Lake we found the carefully preserved gravesite of
kind and good Metis settler John Whitford
and a pair of Trumpeter Swans! Beautiful birds!
(I wish I had a better camera...)
We spent some time driving through Castle Provincial Park
(recently protected from destructive recreational vehicles)
and I soaked my feet at Castle falls,
which was running too cold and fast to be a good
swimming hole at the time!
We enjoyed watching wildlife from respectful distances,
and I took lots of wildflower pictures.
On our way back for another visit with Lee's dad , we stopped at
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
and took our time in the visitor's centre.
The cliffs above were hidden to the buffalo...
until it was too late, and down they plunged,
a feast for indigenous communities
who carefully herded the buffalo to this place.
After a brief return home, we drove to see a few uncles and aunties
in rural Saskatchewan before driving on to Saskatoon
to visit my godmother and my second-favourite river city.
I especially enjoyed watching an Oilers' playoff game with Auntie Jo!
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| Saskatoon's Bessborough hotel, a landmark from my youth. |
Though those early weeks of June were the chilliest vacation Lee and I have ever taken overall, we made many good memories, and I managed to read a few good books while sitting in our car in the worst of the lashing rain and wind.
It was great to get away and see old and new places, but the best part was seeing the faces of Saskatchewan relatives. And, of course, enjoying the beauties of Creator's nature, human and otherwise. I think, though, that we'll pick a warmer time for our next trip to Waterton!
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