Mona's First Marmot

May 31st

Had a restful overnight at Wardle Creek, saw my first marmot alongside the "M" (referring to the motorhome from now on). He or she was bigger than I'd imagined: about a foot tall, furry brown, with a stumpy oval tail, and each time he took a couple steps, he would stop, and then flip his tail up in the air, and move again. Adorable guy.

We saw another, larger, medium sized black bear, alongside the Castle Junction Highway, feeding very peacefully and tenderly on long grasses. Several people were photographing him, including Mark. Two bears in 2 days, is a record for this almost 64 y.o.

 

 

Mark promised me that the Icefield Highway would magnify the already incredible panoramic nearness of the Rockies, but I really did not expect the unreal and spectacular proximity to these mountains, with so many varied personalities, shapes, sizes, angles. We stopped several times today, via the nifty Milepost Travel Planner, to take hikes to Lake Louise.

 

 

 

I forgot the view from the Chateau, of that glacier beyond the lake, when Doug and I were there when Max and Lucy were about 6 and 1 y.o., with Bruce and Shannon holding the fort down.

 

 

 

 Peyto Lake, whose waters were the purest of turquoise, ringed by majestic mountains and glaciers. Evidently, the glacial dust or flour creates this crystal-like color of the sky; Mistaya Canyon, with potholes of rust and gold created by the powerful flowing waters of the river by the same name.

Weeping Wall was witnessed from a turn-out, consisting of cascading waterfalls on the rock face, spaced along this natural canvas.

We are camping alongside a myriad of RVs, down from the Icefield Centre, but what makes this motorized campground more than bearable, with a strong sense of community of nature lovers, is our view of 3 giant, tremendously wide and still-flowing glaciers and ever-glowing peaks. It is a sight I liken to my image of the Himalayas, but through my living room window.

Dinner at the Centre was pleasant, sharing a table with our RV neighbors, Carol and Mike from southern Idaho, who are on their way to catching the cruise through the islands, Ketchikan being her favorite port. They have been retired for at least 8 years, and will travel for about three months. Nice folk: genuinely down-to-earth, pleasant.

I am tired, comfortably, enjoying languishing with legs stretched out on the sofa, writing, and Mark on the other end, reading his magazine, Enya serenading us softly.