THE CANADIAN ROCKIES PHOTO, PAGE 1

These pages cover our August 24th to September 8th, 2000 trip to Canada and Montana. We flew into Spokane, WA and drove to Canada. On our return from Canada, we stopped in at Essex, MT and spent several days at the Izaak Walton Hotel near Glacier National Park. There are three pages for this trip because I ended up with lots of photos. My camera's packing self-destructed so many photos were ruined. I managed to salvage a few. There are links to page 2 and page 3 below as well as here See the complete official park guide online here. Ft. Steele This is the entrance to Ft. Steele which is just north of Cranbrook, BC, Canada. It was hazy that day due to the forest fires in the area. The fort was built in 1887 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They were there to intervene in a dispute between the native Ktunaxa people the white settlers over land. A view from the Ft. Steele watch tower down onto the Kootenay River. The railroad tracks belong to CP rail. This tower was originally a water tower. The Ft. Steele website offers a wealth of information regarding the area. Kootenay River flows through the lower half of Kootenay National Park. The wind was quite strong as you can see by the waves on the water. We chose this spot for a picnic lunch. Kootenay River once again, but from a higher vantage point. These mountains are spectacular. Marble Canyon is on Rt. 93 at the north end of Kootenay NP. It is cut by the Tokumm Creek. It moves along quite rapidly! Marble Canyon We hiked the trail north along the canyon for awhile. As luck would have it, it starts to sprinkle. Most of the trip can be described in one word, RAIN. Marble Canyon These flowers cling to the edge of the canyon. The rushing water makes an interesting backdrop. Glacier NP We arose to a nice crisp morning for a drive west from Golden to the park along Rt. 1, the Trans-Canada Highway. If you are a railfan as I am, the CP tracks follow the Rt. 1 all over the place. The park contains historic Rogers Pass where CP passed through the mountains. It also contains McDonald Tunnel completed in 1988 to reduce the rail grade. You can see my Canadian Rail photos at my train page. The Illecillewaet River flows through the middle of the park and along Rt. 1. We stopped for a quick picnic lunch which we ended up sharing with a pair of Stellar's Jays. They made good company. Bear Creek Falls made for a nice hike. It was a short 1km (about .6 mile) hike with a nice view at the end. There is a really nice visitor's center at the park. I ended up watching 2 videos on the rail history of the area. I also had to buy a warm hat. It got cold and my wife had wisely recommended I leave my warm hat at home in the U.S. I don't know why I listen to her. Go To PAGE 2

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