After much discussion all 4 of us went to Waterton National Park for the weekend, overnight at Kilmoney Lodge. And what the latest entries in TripAdvisor say are true. Never mind, we had to stay somewhere and since the Prince of wales and most other places were closed for the season we had little choice. Waterton was less than a one horse town.
The Prince of Wales is the most photographed hotel in the world, I am told ....see where we didn't stay... this time....(you really do need to enlarge this image - Burj Al Arab...no contest!)
In summary: Frank's slide
One morning in the very early 20th century the mountain side collapsed as the result of geological conditions, the action of man whilst coal mining and of course... the weather the town of Frank was buried (90 dead). The Earth's power is truly and hauntingly demonstrated in this valley where one cannot believe the extent of the slide.
Farms on the Prairie
The prairie farm and the sort of view I frequently see in the mirror...
Graded roads aren't limited to Oman
Mountain biking down to Waterton Lake (another one click on)
I am not won over but I can see that you cover more ground in the same amount of time when on a bike. And it is beautiful.
Same as Oman only more clothing
Lake Cameron - Corrie lake dramatic view and lovely walk
An interpretative set of boards at the end of the walk explained that the adjacent area was an avalanche region where the snow ploughs down and wipes out all but the shrub. Berry bushes thrive in the summer... hence it is a "must visit" for grizzlies and a "to be avoided" for humans. We did see a large white rabbit, it wasn't scary at all!
Head Smashed In
A brave youth wanted to see the buffalo falling over the cliff during the yearly hunt. He hid under the cliff. It was a particularly good hunt that year. When the people came to butcher the meat, amongst the bodies of the fallen bison they found the youth with his head smashed in. This is how Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump got its name and it is now a UNESCO site. It has about 10 metres of buffalo bones at the base of the cliff - these have reduced the drop by half. People had been living in harmony with the bison for 1000s of years (Except they did drive a herd of them over a cliff once a year).
But then...
The bison were decimated by locals and settlers when the need for phosphorus for weapons and their skins for the belts on machinery in Europe had to be satisfied... very sad - in a century the millions of bison on the plains were very nearly wiped out.
Check it out on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-Smashed-In_Buffalo_Jump for more information.
The creatures you see in the mid distance are buffalo, honest. Open the image and you will be able to enlarge and see that they are not cows at all!)
And what of our camera man during all these interesting days???
1 comment:
Well family Millson a few comments:
A) I am now even more determined to talk Belinda into agreeing to us coming to see you in winter! The views look spectacular.
B) I think the new camera needs a really good telephoto lens, such that we can see the animals better!
C) Ali looks like she is in training for both the walk to the North Pole and the ride to the South.
D) Daniel must stop drinking, he looks very bleary eyed in the car!
E) I’m even more jealous than I was last week!!!!
Great pictures and summary, it is worrying that we do not learn when we hunt animals to near extinction that the impacts can last such a long time and we keep on doing it!
You didn’t say what hotel you stayed at – was it Hotel Prince Mill Son, aka The Tent?
David
Post a Comment