Fall Trip Part 6 - Heading Back Home
Mount Edith Cavell
One of the most beautiful mountains in the vicinity of Jasper, is Mount Edith Cavell, named in honour of a British nurse, executed during WW! by the Germans for helping hundreds of prisoners or war to escape. Not only is it a beautiful mountain, but it is also one of the most accessible in the Rockies. There's a 14 km road winding up to a parking lot below the awesome north face, and trails lead to the high mountain meadows, and one used to lead up to the glacial lake at the base of Cavell Glacier. I had been so looking forward to taking some dolls up the trail and taking photos beside the glacial lake - which is filled with small icebergs. It was always such a fabulous scene. But this past August a massive landslide completely wiped out the lower trail, as well as part of the parking lot. Now the only view is by means of the trail to the high mountain meadow.
We started the almost one kilometre long uphill hike to Cavell Meadows....
We started the almost one kilometre long uphill hike to Cavell Meadows....
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It was supposed to be a nice day, but no sooner did we finally get to the top of the trail, but a couple of raindrops started to fall. We very quickly set up the four dolls we'd brought along, but it was difficult terrain, the wind had picked up, and it was really starting to rain. Thankfully I'd brought along a garbage bag to sit on, but the dolls were getting wet, and the camera was getting wet, and the sky looked rather threatening, so we had to work fast....
I managed a few quick shots, even though the dolls weren't that well posed.....
It was cold, and very windy, and we were all getting very wet....
It was cold, and very windy, and we were all getting very wet....
The dolls quickly went back into their boxes, and we tucked the boxes into the garbage bag, and I tucked
my camera under my jacket, and we started back down the trail back to the parking lot. Halfway down, the
rain slowed to a drizzle, so we took the dolls out for a few more quick photos...
my camera under my jacket, and we started back down the trail back to the parking lot. Halfway down, the
rain slowed to a drizzle, so we took the dolls out for a few more quick photos...
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Cavell Lake
By the time we got back to the RV, the rain had stopped. So we went to Cavell Lake....
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Beauty Creek
Heading south on the Icefields Parkway, we stopped at the Beauty Creek overlook....
Tangle Falls
I love Tangle Falls. It's just north of the Icefields Centre, and the new 'Glacier Walk'.
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The wind was really picking up, and it looked like we were in for some stormy weather....
the Icefields Centre
One of my very favourite spots along the entire Icefileds Parkway is the Icefields Centre. We like to spend the night and wake in the morning to the amazing scenery all around us. However, a storm moved in overnight, and it was pouring rain, and the mountains were shrouded in mist. The Athabasca Glacier was barely visible. Even so, the Sno-coach tours were still heading out onto the glacier. I can't imagine taking an all-inclusive tour of the Rockies, and having today be the day you were scheduled to go out on the glacier.
Only Lonnie and Holly ventured out into the rain. They were so disappointed.
Over at the Visitor Centre, there were some nice life-size carvings of local wildlife...
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It started to rain even harder, and it was time to move on....
Dinner at the Vermillion Lakes
We saw very little along the Icefields Parkway that day. It was misty and pouring rain, and most of the mountains were invisible in the low clouds and fog. We didn't stop at anything, not even Lake Louise. But by the time we reached the town of Banff, the rain had stopped, and we decided to get some fast food and enjoy it along the shore of the Vermillion Lakes.....
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Gull Lake, Saskatchewan
After leaving the Rockies, and heading east for several hours, we spent the night in Medicine Hat, rocked by wind all night long. The next morning it was back on the Trans-Canada with the wind on our tail. As long as we were straight ahead of the wind it was fine, but if the road curved, the cross-winds were terrible. We stopped at Gull Lake Saskatchewan to make breakfast, and parked behind a transport trailer to block the wind. But Coco and Holly wanted to go outside for a bit.....
The sky to the west was very dark, and the wind was crazy strong....
At Reed Lake, which is a very shallow large pond along the side of the highway, the road going
across was closed because of the severe waves. Birds could barely fight the wind.
across was closed because of the severe waves. Birds could barely fight the wind.
The boys wanted to have a picture taken with some of the farm equipment in Swift Current...
Mortlach
We stopped in Mortlach for a break, to check out their last remaining grain elevator.
Wind in Manitoba
We stopped for the night in Regina, but during the night the storm overtook us, so next morning, not only
did we have wind gusting to 100km, but it was also raining. We drove across all of Manitoba in the storm,
but before leaving the Prairies, I wanted to take one final photo of the girls in the wind.......
did we have wind gusting to 100km, but it was also raining. We drove across all of Manitoba in the storm,
but before leaving the Prairies, I wanted to take one final photo of the girls in the wind.......
The wind was so strong that it actually blew their wigs right off their heads.Thankfully they didn't land in a puddle
or in the mud! So after putting their wigs back on, I took the photos in the relative 'shelter' of the RV.
or in the mud! So after putting their wigs back on, I took the photos in the relative 'shelter' of the RV.
"Look, we are flying!!"
Next - Fall Trip 7 - Northern Ontario
Copyright © 2015 Martha Boers
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