From the plains to the mountains
It was great seeing the cousins and sharing a wonderful meal at their home. some of the leftover canadian money I had from the last time I was in Canada raised a few eyebrows, as it was 20+ years old, but they finally took it. The weather has been holding, a few showers but mostly great. The Rockies are incredible, they touch the spirit. I saw the old gravel pit where my father was raised on the farm in the twenties, had a nice night and then drove out of the flat plains and through the rolling foothills into Jasper. We immediately saw big horn sheep, a couple of Elk, beaver den and the mountains are spectacular. It is the very beginning of the season, the first campground opened today and there are hardly any people here, just right! The Pyramid Lake resort was originally built by my uncle Henry, and the staff are impressed, but have no old pictures of the place, so I think I will try to get some for them to hang around to show off the history. No time to write, must be off to see the sights. 
Tags: Travel
James
May 7th, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Sounds like you have the trip off to a good start, Jim. Keep it up.
My first job away from home in 1957 was in the Maligne valley, so I have a soft spot for Jasper Park. Upper Maligne Lake is pretty spectacular. On the way out that year I walked over to Bokenfohr’s lodge. If I remember rightly, your folks were there but no kids. Were you abandoned often as children?
As far as places in the Rockies that touch the spirit, Mt Assiniboine had the strongest effect on me. I don’t know how much walking your joints and footgear would accommodate. There were rental horses available at that time. I walked in through an 8 mile dry canyon with my tongue hanging out. There are helicopters available nowadays, but the effect might be different when you are in an atmosphere of noise and aviation fuel at a level even with the mountain.
If you are into paleolivestock, Mt Stephen near Field is some sort of international heritage site.
Beware Lake Louise at the moment. The chateau is having a norovirus outbreak.
May 9th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
I think it was a couple of years later that I was at Pyramid lake, and we were only abandoned a few times, which is surprising given that we were three boys who were “spirited” as they say. I don’t see any sign of Norovirus here now, but I am sure they don’t advertise it. Thanks for the heads up.