Teddy Roosevelt National Park - Bully Pulpit Golf Course

We couldn't believe it when yesterday dawned sunny and lovely! So we booked a tee time and then went for a drive through the park. We have been here before but wanted Judy to see the different beauty of this area. We didn't see the buffalo herd but we saw one playing "king of the mountain." We also saw the wild horses and a coyote stalking the prairie dogs. All the prairie dogs were "barking" to warn each other of impending danger as they scurried to their holes!

The Bully Pulpit Golf Course is rated one of the top #100 courses in the states. The holes are entwined in the hills and canyons of Medora - it is challenging and beautiful!

We had lunch at the Teddy Roosevelt Hotel and finished the day at the Medora Musical. A nice break before finishing our drive to Michigan.

Montana

Wow! What a change in scenery as we drive east in Montana! Weather is nasty - in the 50's, raining and with 35 mile an hour winds - someone needs to tell them it's August - it's summertime!!! We did not experience anything like this in Alaska!

We are spending the night in Medora, home of Teddy Roosevelt National Park. Hoped to play golf at the awesome Bully Pulpit golf course tomorrow but.......weather will have to improve drastically!

Not exactly the way we would have liked to spend our 46th wedding anniversary but a small price to pay for a great summer!

Johnson Canyon

A drive down Bow Valley Parkway between Lake Louise and Banff led to more gorgeous scenery and Johnson Canyon.

Johnson Canyon was our last hike in Canada and an especially great one! The trail leads up the canyon through a wooded area along Johnson Creek and soon becomes a “catwalk” that is literally attached to the canyon wall. A sturdy railing prevented me from panicking!

We walked to the lower falls and when we got there discovered a cave in the canyon wall that you could get through to see the falls from an opening on the inside. It was awesome!

A walkway for wildlife over the highway

A little ice cream to rejuvenate us and then on to Banff. We shopped around, enjoyed happy hour in a little pub and then drove back to Lake Louise for the night.

Our 4 day pass for Jasper/Lake Louise National Park expired at 4pm yesterday so we had to get out of town quickly this morning. We joked that we were “playing on our face” – if you play 31 you know what that means!

We stopped at the duty free store and bought Kahlua and Carolina with our left over Canadian money. We got hooked on Duck Farts in Homer and are now making our own!

3:00pm – back in the USA!!!!!


Thanks for the memories Canada and Alaska!!

Lake Louise

We followed the Icefields Parkway into Lake Louise and stopped at Peyto Lake on the way. Judy’s back was bothering her and Roger stopped half way up the trail – key word being “up!” So, being the explorer that I am (ha,ha) I continued and took pictures for them. Just another beautiful aqua lake with mountains and waterfalls!! We then passed the Weeping Wall and Bridal Veil Falls.

Peyto Lake

Peyto Lake Falls

Lake Louise is actually a small lake wedged between mountains behind the famous Fairmount Chateau hotel. We drove up to see it on a sunny afternoon and could not believe the crowds and traffic jam!! Should have read the description in our AAA book before – “…one bus after another disgorges throngs of tourists. It’s an amazingly beautiful place, but during the high season, not a very peaceful one.” We saw it first from the ski tram.

Lake Louise and the Fairmount Chateau

Judy's first tram ride!

Judy had a great idea – we went back early the next morning for breakfast, parked up front and enjoyed a quiet time touring the grounds. By the time we were done the parking lot was packed and the hordes had arrived!!

Moraine Lake is in the same general area so we stopped there on our way back into Lake Louise. By the time we were driving out the park rangers had the road closed and were only letting cars in as others left! We would certainly recommend touring this area in May or September to avoid the crowds. You wouldn’t believe the number of rented class C campers; tour buses and foreign travelers!

Lake Moraine is only about half the size of Lake Louise but it is called the “jewel of the Rockies” because it is in the Valley of the Ten Peaks and surrounded by saw-toothed ridges. It is damned up by a huge rock slide that many were climbing to get a panoramic view.

Athabasca Falls and Glacier Tour

The Icefields Parkway took us past Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls and Tangle Falls. We couldn’t park with the motorhome at Sunwapta Falls but Athabasca Falls was magnificent! (I’m running out of adjectives!)

Can you see the rainbow?

The Athabasca Glacier is part of a series of glaciers in the Columbia Icefields. We stayed overnight in the parking lot at Athabasca Glacier (what a view!) and took the tour to walk on the ice. They take you to the base of the glacier in a bus and then you transfer to these special vehicles with wide tires that can drive up and down a 37% grade (yikes!) and out on the ice! We used our hiking poles! This has been a trip of many “firsts!”

Judy and Roger walked out on the Glacier Skywalk - an observation platform 918 feet above Sumwapta Valley. I passed on that experience!

Looks like frosting on this mountain!

Jasper National Park

After a reluctant good-bye to Tommy and Dorothy in Prince George we continued on to Jasper National Park. They were heading west to visit friends in Canada before returning to the states.

The scenery has been spectacular for the entire trip but the trip down the Icefields Parkway –said to be the “most beautiful road in the world” - to Jasper/Lake Louise/Banff was especially gorgeous.

 Our first stop was to hike back to Rearguard Falls. The glacier water is such a beautiful color of blue-green that all the rivers and lakes are stunning against the green back drop of trees and snow covered mountains. There were two kayakers trying to decide whether to brave the falls – thank goodness they did not! – but they put back in and tried to go up the falls! No success – the current was way to strong!

Jasper is a great little town with shops and restaurants – busy in the summer with tourists and busy in the winter with skiers. We rode the tram up the mountain to get a birds eye view.

The golf course is rated #1 in Canada and for a mere $200 you can play 18 holes. The staff are all dressed in argyle socks, knickers and hats!

Maligne (pronounced Mal-een) Canyon was another great hike with waterfalls and a rushing glacier river. We passed Medicine Lake – a river feeds water into the lake but there is no visible exit – the water just seeps into the ground.

Maligne Lake is home of the iconic pictures of Spirit Island. You have to take a boat trip to the end of the lake to see it. It wasn’t sunny so our pictures are not quite postcard quality but I had to go there!

We finished our day with pizza at a rooftop restaurant overlooking Mt. Columbia!


On our way home, here was this magnificent bull elk and his “family” eating on the side of the road. You can imagine the traffic jam but it didn’t seem to bother them. He looked like he was enjoying the attention and was posing for pictures!