Canada, June/July 2018

When I was about seven my grandmother bought me a book for my birthday, an encyclopedia-style photo book called (something like) A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words. The book had the coolest pictures of all the coolest places in the world (at least to a seven-year-old). Thinking about it now, the book had a lot of black and white snapshots of locations someone thought were important. The book did hold my attention for quite a while and I still remember it (vaguely). I would say now, though, “a good picture can generate a thousand words” is a more accurate statement. So, with the 30 plus photos on this post, I’m hoping to generate a book’s worth of words.  

Our June/July trip to some of the great national parks of Canada (particularly Kootenay, Banff, and Jasper) presented me with the opportunity to take a multitude of photos. I’ve chosen to share our trip through some of those images in categories—eating, waterfalls, people, flowers, rivers and lakes, animals, and mountains. I’ll provide short captions on the photos, but will be glad to answer questions for those wanting more details. I hope these give you a sense of a trip we loved.

The Joys of Eating. We tried to revisit past favorites and find new places to add to our favorites list. We were more successful with the tried and true.

Frank's Diner in Spokane and a great rail car breakfast.

The fish burger was a great sandwich to split (Hogshead Pub, Canmore).

The rainy day coffee crew at Moraine Lake Lodge.

Poutine is a Canadian favorite--this one at Baker Creek Bistro near Lake Louise was wild boar, cheese curds, gravy, and fries. 

A new favorite is Cassio's Italian in the village of Jasper.

Waterfalls and More Waterfalls. All three of the parks we visited had numerous waterfalls or cascades. Here are few of our favorites.

This cascade is at the entrance to Kootenay Park.

This impressive falls flows into Grassi Lakes in Canmore.

Johnston Creek's Lower Falls, Banff National Park 

Tangle Creek Falls in Jasper National Park.

Sunwapti Falls in Jasper

The important People We Met. Although most of my photographic subjects were nature, there were a few people pictures worth revisiting.

A very colorful tourist at the overlook to Mt. Rundle outside Canmore.

Legs were in in Banff.

This vendor at the Canmore street fair was there four years ago...same shirt and hat.

My favorite people, Anne, was bundled up as she braved the elements (wind and sleet) at the top of the Jasper Mt. Gondola.

Flowers. At the turn to summer there were some lovely flower displays.

On the short hike to the Grassi Lake Falls, I spotted what looks like a type of orchid in the wilds.

At Brewster's Kananaskis Ranch GC we found these lovely day lilies. 

Wild roses grow beside the burned out logs along a section of the Bow Valley parkway (between Banff and Lake Louise).

Rivers and Lakes. Water is the dominant force in the parks. The light blue color is caused by glacial silt in the rivers.

Canoeists launch into the Vermillion River in Kootenay Park.

Mountains, forest, and river in Kootenay.

Rock reflection at a manmade lake along Spray Lake Drive from Canmore.

Lake Louise may be more famous, but we think Moraine Lake 14 km away is more picturesque.

Johnston Creek Canyon is one of the most popular hikes in Banff National Park.

Mountains reflected in Hector Lake north of Lake Louise.

One of several roadside streams we saw on the way to Jasper. 

Wild Animals. The wildlife sometimes seems quite tame, but rangers are always warning people to remember they are wild animals--cute though they may be.

Ground squirrels at a mountain overlook. 

Ravens are one of the dominant species in the parks.

The first bear we saw was the only grizzly (identified by a ranger) we saw.

A nesting pair of osprey was spotted by Anne when I was photographing snow fields.

Most of the mountain goats we saw were in the process of "blowing their coats," but this mom and kid were still in pretty full coat.

We saw several black bear.

Large male elk with full rack of antlers just outside Jasper National Park on our way to Kamloops, BC.

Mountains. Obviously, the Canadian Rockies are impressive. Everywhere we looked there seemed to be a new range of mountains. Every once in a while we could put a name to a mountain, but most were just beautiful--named or not.

Mountains surround Spray Lake near Canmore.

We pulled in to a turnout to turn around, but I saw this view and we stay for photos. We think the mountain is called Cascadia.

Bow River and Castle Mountain

An edge-on view of part of the Columbia Ice Field.

Mt Athabasca

Next: With Highland Games coming up and a central Oregon camping trip just after, I should have plenty of material for the next post.

Commercial Announcement: Remember, you can order the limited edition (100) book Scotland in Black and White: 90 Photos from me for $25.00 plus $4.00 shipping. Buy from me rather than Amazon which charges $10 more plus shipping.

Scotland Spring 2016, #2

I’ve finally put down my camera and my golf clubs long enough to put together a post for the travel blog, telling you and showing you a little about our trip.  Before we headed north up the A9 from our home base in Crieff, Merlindale B&B, we did have a chance to grab another of the World’s Best (so say the ads) Bacon Roll at the Horn Restaurant between Perth and Dundee.  I don’t dispute the claim since I’ve certainly had no better or bigger bacon roll (a staple of Scotland’s golfing community).  

Thus adequately fortified we trundled north.

After a night in Dornoch serenaded by the massed pipe bands [see the last blog post], 

The Pipe Major of one of the bands.

Anne and I started the day’s drive to Durness in the far northwest corner of the mainland by driving west along Loch Fleet where while stopping for a  brief look at the ruins of Skelbo Castle,

Skelbo Castle

we spotted a sea lion basking in an unusual position.  

From Loch Fleet the road to Durness goes through Lairg, the village with a world class loo [details in one of my posts of an earlier trip].  We didn’t need to stop at this loo, been there/done that, 

but we did stop to grab some shots of three wild goats just lounging by the side of the road.  

From Lairg it’s 38 miles of single track road to Laxford Bridge.  Driving on single track roads is an acquired taste.  

Typical Highland single-track road.

The narrow road has passing places every quarter mile or so and is not too difficult to drive once you get the hang of stopping or passing appropriately.  

Along Loch Shin

The passing places, though, gives you some great places to pull off for photos even though you’re really not supposed to.  The countryside in this section of Scotland, referred to mostly simply as the Highlands, is very stark yet beautiful.  

Views along River Laxford

Hills of heather and rock are dotted with lochs and lochans (small lochs) and burns or rivers.  There are very few trees left and the land is home to a few crofts (small farms) and sheep—in the spring there are lambs all over.  

At Laxford Bridge we turned north for nineteen miles of mostly single track road to get to Durness.  At this point we were ready for lunch and a real break from the driving.  The trouble is there are no villages between Lairg and Durness large enough for even a pub.  We turned off the main road for a six mile trek to Kinlochbervie, 

once a thriving seaport village.  We discovered that Kinlochbervie is fairly quiet now, but in the hamlet/burg/spot-in-the-road called Inshegra an old school had been converted into a tea room called (duh!) Old School.  We split a delicious fresh crab sandwich and recharged our batteries with lovely lattes.  

Loch na Thull

Back on the single track to Durness the landscape got even more dramatic with loch and lochans coming right up to the road and backing up to massive (for Scotland) mountains.  

This was the slowest part of the trip because of all the photos stops.

When we arrived in Durness the first thing we did was drive the couple of miles west of town to Durness GC, one of our favorites and a truly spectacular, isolated nine hole track.  Much more about the course will come in a post devoted to the golf of the trip.  

Balnaseil Beach with Seaweed Eating Cows

When we pulled into the course’s parking area we saw a herd of black cows meandering the pristine Balnakeil Beach.  We later found out that the cows come down to the beach to eat a certain type of seaweed when there are especially low tides.  After golf and before we checked in at Glengolly B&B, we stopped at a beach parking area to watch a fantastic sky show as heavy winds created beautiful patterns in the clouds.  

It’s times like these that I am so thankful for digital cameras—I couldn’t have packed enough film to capture what nature provided.

That evening we ate at the Oasis Pub at Sango Sands a little east of the village.  

Then we drove back to Balnakeil Beach for a second sky show.  This one featured a rainbow and beach reflections.  

       

       

       It was a glorious day!  It ended with torrential rains pushed by 40-50 mph winds hitting the town just as we tucked in to bed at the B&B.  I was already looking forward to the morning’s porridge—a special of Martin Mackay’s—Scottish oats porridge topped with burnt sugar and single malt whisky.  

Oyster Catcher in flight

NOTE: I’m going to be entering shows with some of the photos from this trip and selling them at Highland Games and would like some feedback on which ones are your favorites.  Pick two or three and let me know which ones you’d chose.