Waterton Lakes and Surrounds

Leaving Writing on Stone we went first to Lethbridge on the hope of finding a motel for the evening. It was well and truly time to break the labor of camping for the 'luxury' of bedding in-doors, adjacent 'washroom' facilities and the mindlessness of cable tv plus air conditioning!  Lethbridge is a pretty big place so we had cause for optimism. Sadly though there was an 'event' which meant that  every motel room within cooee was taken. We had to drive to Fort Macleod to find accommodation and we got a neat little room for 82 bucks including tax which ticked the above boxes!! The owner/ manager was an Indian guy, originally from Gujurat and had spent much of his youth in Nairobi - I encouraged him to dust off his basic swahilli.

From here we went to 'Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump' - a museum which again was rich in Black Foot culture. Now to simply say it is a museum under sells it a little. Again we have very much an in-situ museum built at the actual site where Black foot people and their descendants hunted for Buffalo. They had a variety of methods but one involved them luring and driving the herd off a cliff - hence buffalo jump. The technique, according, to the archaeology, was both successful and long lasting although the coming of the horse allowed other less risky methods to develop. Anyway the museum interprets the land, the people, and the buffalo and, in particular, the hunting method practised at the site. There is also a short film which dramatises the proceedings. Btw - The Black Foot Indians apparently have been named by virtue of a joke which has stuck. Apparently there was a big gathering of many tribes to meet the government way back when for the purpose of signing treaties[?]. The 'Black foot' Tribe were of the prairies and had to cross a vast stretch that had recently burned and, as a result their moccasins had become pitch black with soot. Some of the other Indians yelled out hey here come the Black Foot....and the name stuck. [Clayton, at Writing on Stone was telling us too that his Clan, the Blood, was supposed to have been the Weasel Clan however the Black Foot words for Blood and Weasel are very similar and a mistake was made in translation.]

enroute to Waterton

The mountains of Waterton meet the Prairie

And then to Waterton Lakes National Park, the smallest park in the Rockies but a spectacular one nonetheless. The National Park of Waterton makes a bit of the fact that the park preserves not only part of the Rocky Mountains but the prairie lands east of the mountains. The Park extends to the border but the protected area continues south through Glacier NP in Montana. Together they are known as the Peace Parks.

We stayed at Waterton Springs, an area just outside the Park's border.

Perhaps to emphasise its prairie street cred WNP has established a large Bison Paddock. The paddock is pretty big and features rolling hills, several small lakes, little valleys filled with a variety of shrubs but mostly prairie grassland and many flowers, which at this time of the year were in full bloom. Oh and about a dozen or so Bison which obviously not so long ago would have been a legitimate and common part of this grassland ecosystem.   The paddock is big enough that it takes quite a while to drive around and big enough such that our first drive through revealed no bison. But when you do see them you can convince yourself that they are wild animals and that the high fence bordering this patch of prairie is invisible.

Explored the park.

Red Rock Canyon

Waterton Lakes - you can take a boat to Montana from here

Cameron Falls

The Cowgirls - Hope, Millie and Tacey

The Magnificent ...........five?

On our last morning in the Waterton area we took the kids for a trail ride at a nearby ranch. The ride was an hour and a half but in the event was over two hours. It was mostly walking and the occasional trot but for us - all very inexperienced riders it was fine and the young girls, who were our guides, were nice, friendly and chatty and particularly attentive to the equally chatty to Millie.

As we drove out of Waterton village for the last time we saw our last?] grizzly feeding on a not-so-distant hillside.

We decided to drive all the way back to Nakusp to the cheers of the kids, arriving there about midnight.

Writing on Stone

Writing on Stone Provincial Park is an Alberta Provincial Park in south east Alberta on the Milk River. I visited here briefly in 2009 and was keen to return to camp.

From their website;

“Welcome to Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park / Áísínai'pi National Historic Site, Where Histories, Stories and Dreams Become One.

Set in the prairie grasslands of southern Alberta Canada, Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai'pi is a sacred landscape. Glaciers and erosion have carved the land over eons by into a richly diverse place of awe and inspiration.
The spectacular Milk River valley contains the largest concentration of First Nation petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) on the great plains of North America. The landscape also preserves fascinating stories of the North West Mounted Police, the settlement of the Canadian West and rural life in the community today.
The Blackfoot people believe that Spirit Beings dwell here and share their messages on the sandstone cliffs. First Nations people have been coming here for generations to receive them."

Clayton telling stories about writing

The second day at Writing on Stone started with a guided walk with Clayton – an authentic First Nation man of Blackfoot heritage, specifically of the Blood Clan. His job was to escort us to the restricted area of the park where we could truly witness some of the rock art which gave the park its name.

Clayton started by reminding us of some of the park’s rules; one being that if you leave your mark on the rocks you could face a  50 000 dollar fine and, perhaps, a year in jail. The warning was given mildly with a gentle voice, perhaps  as a mother warns her children of the dangers of sunburn.

The talk from Clayton was wonderful and even the kids were enchanted – no mean feat given that the excursion involved a two hour session which was mostly sitting and listening in considerable morning heat. Each of the pictographs and petroglyphs were explained and enriched by recollections of his extended family; his father and great greats as well as the heritage of the Black foot clans. The gentleness of the guy, who was at least six foot tall, solid and a keen rodeo bull rider as a young man, was impressive. Much of the rock art sadly had been vandalized with European engravings of names and dates extending down from the times of the first settlers into the area. “You could hardly blame them”, Clayton said matter-of-factly,”I guess they just saw a place where there was a tradition of engraving and they wanted to add to it.”

“ It’s a little sad they didn’t realize the cultural value of them,” he acknowledged.  He didn’t make comment of the many engravings still being left in the park -  I saw some from folks as recently as 2011 and they made me as mad as hell. The law that outlawed graffiti only came about in the 1970’s and it’s sad that even since then some people clearly ignore the fine and think that it is reasonable to add their mark to the rocks.  

The rock art depicts First Nation folk, apparently you can decipher roughly the age o f the figures by virtue of neck style; V necked signifies a period of 500 years plus where the straight neck is of a later fashion. Some of the figures are protected by large shields with black] feet extending below them and a head above. These depict a time pre horse culture when Black Foot soldiers were unmounted and fought on foot. The huge shields were crafted from the leather of Bison humps and were strong enough to deflect arrows. Also from this time period warriors were depicted with huge bows that had blades mounted on the ends, much like Bayonets. The coming of the horse  destroyed this weaponry and the art style that it inspired.

Many figures representing people lack eyes, as do Black feet children’s dolls, because they believe that the eyes are associated with spirits. Spirit figures are illustrated with eyes. 

Also of interest were a variety of horse figures which obviously reflect relatively recent times. The last authentic piece of native art was in the early 1900’s when a Black Foot man visited the area in an automobile from a reservation and recorded the visit on a rock face.  

The area is very picturesque generally; particularly so in the early mornings and in the evenings when the heat doesn’t make the blood in your temples throb so much.

The hoodoos and rock formations warn of Rattle snakes however we didn’t see any. During our short visit we managed to see one garter snake plus two Bull snakes which were pretty interesting. The bull sankes were large and colourful yet non venomous. All garter snakes are non venomous. Mountain Cottontails, Mule Deer are both common around the campground and Pronghorn are common on the prairie proper.

The information centre at Writing is first class with a small store and a variety of creative displays interpreting both the cultural and natural history of the area. Another bonus is a self guiding walk through the park, there are detailed coloured books / brochures that explain aspects of the walk via a number of stops.  Hawks, Eagles, Swallows were described and for the most part seen. Remnants of Pack Rats were also pointed out. 

Hide or blind at Frank Lake

Prairie Scene

To Boldly go.....................

To get to Writing on Stone called for about a four hour drive south of Calgary. WE went via another previously visited birding site, Frank Lake. White faced Ibis and Saunders Tern were the immediate FOY’s seen here. One birder who was leaving as we arrived boasted of a Bittern he had just seen in the reeds. Another birder arrived who was looking for his lifer Clarks Grebe, a bird I need as well. Apparently it had been edently claimed from here. However he lacked a scope as did I [not having room for it in the car] he was going to need very good luck or imagination to separate Clarks from Western across the lake which is where the Westerns were.

where no one has gone................before

We also visited Vulcan enroute, A small town in a wheat growing area which was visited for a few reasons. One the name, second the connection with Star Trek of which I am – to a small extent – a fan and third out of respect for Norm, Wren’s  Dad, who is a hell of a nice guy and he hails from there.

From Wikipedia -   "The town was named by a surveyor for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1915 after the Roman God of Fire - Vulcan. Originally all the streets of Vulcan were named after gods and goddesses of the classical world such as Juno, Mars, and Jupiter. In July 1927, a major tornado destroyed many homes and the new curling rink in the town. That tornado was made famous when a photograph of it approaching Vulcan was used for the "tornado" article in Encyclopædia Britannica. At one time,^[when?] Vulcan had nine grain elevators, more than any location west of Winnipeg, making it the largest grain shipping point at that time. Due to the changing economics of the agricultural industry, the original elevators were taken down one by one. Today, Vulcan has only one of the "prairie skyscrapers" left that once could be seen miles away. Although not original, this last wooden elevator was built in the 1980s.

The town's name has brought some attention that has helped it become a tourist attraction.^[3] In the Star Trek television and feature film series it is the name of the homeworld of the Vulcans.

Capitalizing on this coincidence, the town has built a Star Trek-themed tourist station (the Tourism and Trek Station), which provides tourist information, displays Star Trek memorabilia, provides unique photo opportunities, and allows visitors to participate in The Vulcan Space Adventure virtual reality game. Nearby, a replica of the starship Enterprise from Star Trek V has been mounted on a pedestal which includes writing from Trek alien languages like Klingon. The town has also created space-themed murals and signs, and hosts an annual community-wide Star Trek convention known as VulCON: Spock Days/Galaxyfest. This convention attracts hundreds of Star Trek fans from around the world."

prairie scene

Live Long and Prosper.

Calgary

part of Calgary skyline

We stayed f or a few nights in Calgary at the West Calgary Campground, where there was a pool and a good view of the western freeway. It was a reasonable place to camp and about twenty minutes or so from the city centre.

We had a little time in the first afternoon here for a walk around part of the city centre. We parked in China town and strolled from there. Also visited Inglewood Bird Sanctuary briefly, apparently a very good place for birding in Spring and Fall however it was very quiet due to the heat and the time of day and year.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Gorilla

The Calgary Zoo warranted an entire day. The kids had not visited a zoo for a few years and a visit was long overdue. Clagary Zoo was a great choice. The car park alone was huge and full however the crowds were for the most part forgotten once you got in as the zoo is huge and naturally the crowd spread out. A large Penguin exhibit had opened recently and it was here where the crowds congregated. We passed and passed on the Penguins for much of the day but as the day came to a close the crowd and queues waned and we walked straight in. Rockhopper, Gentoo, King and Humboldts were the four on display.

They had an impressive collection mostly arranged zoogeographically. A large African house featuring Hippos that allowed an impressive underwater view was kinda cool. Millie’s favourite was the giraffe. Megan loved seeing the gorillas; even if the information talk erred on the side of babyish. Tom too valued watching the Gorillas and I allowed myself the brief excitement considering seeing Mountain Gorillas in Uganda in 2014. These gorillas on display were Lowland Gorillas.

Great Grey Owl - Zoo View

The following day I awoke at  4-45 for a days birding with birdingpal Tim Allison. Tim too was a teacher and he took me on a long tour surrounding Calgary to the south and east searching for waders etc.  The morning we got great views of Sora, Least, Semipalmated, Pectoral Sandpipers plus Long billed Dowitchers etc. Black winged Stilts were also a FOY. Much of the wetlands visited throughout the day were very full after very generous June rains and therefore lacked edges appropriate for migrating waders. Got Avocets and  Phalaropes though. We took a long walk though some prairie country and saw Spragues Pipits, Horned Larks, Chestnut Collared Longspurs plus a few spp of Sparrow. Got excellent view of Ferruginous Hawk. In the afternoon the wind got up and up and up making birding difficult and frustrating. A good day and without wind it could have been a great day. Thanks Tim!!

Tim of the Prairie

In the evening we were visited by Nakusp mate, Rick; a recent returning Calgary resident.

Drumheller and the Prairies - 18 - 21 July

Little Millie on the Prairies

not Godzilla?

Today we drove east from the Rockies  and onto the prairies, past the sprawling metropolis  of Calgary and to the small badland town of Drumheller. 

















 The badlands are beautifully eroded ancient sedimentary rock that are bad for farming but good, it turns out, for revealing the fossils of dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles from millions of years previous. In striking contrast with what has happened else where it was wisely decided that the museum to house these discoveries and to interpret this fascinating history should be located here,  in-situ , and not in a faraway  capital city. And so the Royall Tyrell Dinosaur Museum was born and a great museum it is too dedicated to telling the natural history of life in the area of Canada from the very first aquatic life revealed in the Burgess Shale from BC to the dinosaurs and aquatic reptiles from much later time periods revealed in a variety of sediments throughout Alberta and BC.

Driving into Drumheller

Millie and Matt at Museum

Least Chipmunk at our campground

The museum was large and grand and intimidating. I often get frustrated that the museum doesn’t appear in book form also so that I can read or re-read the information panels with the appropriate illustrations later . It is impossible to visit any decent museum without experiencing information overload. The kids rated the experience too. 

We were here to see the museum but the charms of Drumheller kept us here a little longer.

The town of Drumheller is a little dinosaur crazy – in a good way -  and dinosaurs of varying descriptions dot its roadsides and, in some cases dominate its skyline. As well as the museum the town boasts, if this is the right word, the largest dinosaur in the world  - a carnivorous dinosaur that towers above the highest buildings. You can climb into it and check the view from the creature’s mouth. I thought it was all a little too cheezy and reneged however the rest of the crew wandered up.

yb sapsucker

The badland scenery is, to my eyes, beautiful. And like Uluru of central Australia the scene changes remarkably with the changes in light throughout the day and,  I imagine the year. This country undergoes such a radical change in climate. Today was 30 degrees plus  and as we crossed a small river ferry the guy running it admitted to us that in winter it often slips below 30 degrees below , freezing the river that we were crossing solid such that farming folks just drive across the ice, assuming that the snow drifts are not too thick. 

We visited Horse Thief Canyon , a secretive steep sided place whose naming origins can easily be guessed. 

cool shadows

We saw Horse shoe Canyon also. We visited the ‘Last Chance Saloon’ at the small town of Wayne, where one of the claim-to-fames was a beer drinking horse that used to frequent the bar. The bar served beer in old jam jars and had authentic bullet holes in the wall. We also visited another local piece of geology – The Hoodoos. We played the Hoodoo gurus on the way there. Hoodoos are little Masas or buttes, Rock formations with a more resistant capping material  than the supporting sedimentary rock which has clearly eroded more easily and quickly. 

We stayed longer in Drumheller than we had originally planned by virtue of a play that was being preformed. The greatest story ever told, The Passion. The story of Christ played out in grand style among the canyons of Drumheller. The play is performed here annually with 7 or so performances and our visit coincided with them. Megan went to a performance and insisted that I take Tom the following evening. It was interesting to see the show, performed as it was in a great natural setting that was clearly evocative of the Middle East. The cast was in the hundreds and had horses and other livestock easily accommodated by the large set.   I quite enjoyed the play as a spectacle however I was a little disappointed by the omission of the Sermon on the Mount.  Megan claimed, that that was because that did not happen in the book of John, the gospel on which the play was based. Ok. During the production I saw a falcon dash across the sky probably a Merlin and, at one point, a Turkey Vulture, no doubt attracted by the Crucifixion.   

Horse Thief Canyon

More Badlands

Speaking of mortality we experienced a hell of a storm in Drumheller. Lightening, thunder, wind, rain and huge hail – a storm, appropriately enough on a biblical scale. It occurred after my viewing of the performance and I had returned the ten km into town to get some medicine for Millie who was experiencing high temperatures. I had just left the town and  the storm hit.;  rain for a few seconds and then the wind gusts and then the first percussions from the hail stones. I had to get the car off the road and parked as close as I dared to a large building, hoping that that would absorb much of the assault.       

We sheltered in the car for about half an hour as the storm raged and only after the last of the wind we crawled back into the tent to sleep. Exciting stuff.

  We stayed at a camping ground about 10km out of town and it was worth it. The grounds were well treed and, more importantly held a swimming pool which we all enjoyed. Mille got a little too excited at one point and launched herself at me, misjudged and her head collided with mine; her teeth smashing into my left cheek bone causing, to her clear shock, blood to begin flowing down my face. Thankfully it didn’t need stitching.

The campground had Cottontails everywhere, rabbits if you will. A plague of them. I was hoping for hawks but saw few. One sight in the park that amused me was this long haired guy, tats with a black T-shirt that boasted with blood and bones, 'Anarchy forever' with his mobile phone poised, patiently following a little black bunny rabbit for a picture. 

Zombie Deer

Farm and Farmland - the common crop of yellow

three little homes [barns] on the prairie

sunset

Richardson's Ground Squirrel - the common Alberta ground squirrel

Hoodoos

More Hoodoos

Groovy Hoodoos

Some more Crosses - from the Passion

Horse shoe Canyon

Millie and Matt at Horse shoe Canyon - Tom is in the car

Birds? – yb sap suckers in the campground. Bullocks Oriole plus many common spp.