The previous post showed the smoke from the Bear Gulch fire being blown into the Hurricane Ridge area of the Olympic National Park where we were …
Atmospheric Effects
Beautiful photos from Allan at Allan J Jones Photo Blog. Please click the link above to see more of Allan’s gorgeous photography.
This is taken from the Slab Camp trail out of Deer Park in the Olympic National Park. The valley you are looking directly up is the Upper Gray Wolf. …
Gray Wolf Ridge and the Upper Gray Wolf Valley
A beautiful mountain photo from Allan at Allan J Jones Photo Blog. I hope you click the link above to see more of Allan’s stunning landscape photos of his home, Washington state.
We awakened to a very rainy, windy and chilly day in Canmore, Alberta.
The Three Sisters mountains weren’t very visible …
… unless a wind gust provided a bit of clearance.
Happy Saturday.
The Three Sisters are a trio of mountain peaks near Canmore, Alberta.
They are a part of the Rocky Mountain range and are frequently climbed although they vary considerably in difficulty.
Before attempting any or all of them, it’s necessary to have the skill and expertise to handle their demands.
Happy Thursday.
Revelstoke is a small city in the valley between British Columbia’s Selkirk and Monashee Mountain ranges.
It’s known for its challenging, vertical drop black diamond skiing in winter, but we were enjoying its summer hiking trails instead.
Happy Tuesday.
The answer to that question is a resounding yes! Although in the summer of 2024 Jasper National Park suffered a terrible forest fire that resulted in the destruction or serious damage of a third of the townsite and the loss of 325 square kilometres (202 sq miles) of park forest, it is recovering well and appropriately.
When we recently visited we saw that all heavily damaged buildings or the remains of destroyed buildings, vehicles, and other items have been removed from Jasper townsite and rebuilding and new construction are moving along at an accelerated pace. Other than the lots made vacant by the fire (and that are now being prepped for reconstruction) there is little evidence that a major fire occurred.
Some parts of the Maligne Lake area of Jasper Park were very significantly damaged with, in some areas, trees completely destroyed right down to the ground.
The fire was at times so hot that it generated its own weather system, a swirling tornado of flames, gases and heat. Essentially, many of the trees were cooked until nothing was left.
When we visited in late May/early June, a few of the trails remained closed due to fire damage and unsafe conditions. However, the vast majority of the trails, even through the burned areas, are open. Hiking through the burned areas is also an education about the forces of nature: we saw grasses, wildflowers, weeds, and even very tiny trees growing again; the forest will recover.
Many people have thought that they shouldn’t visit Jasper this year, that it’s perhaps too soon. But the people of Jasper townsite and the employees of the park, hotels, restaurants, outfitters and all the others who rely on tourism for their livelihood will welcome you. They have worked very hard to prepare the townsite and to reopen the trails, and of course, the vast majority of the national park escaped the fire. 95% of it is as beautiful and iconic as ever.
Here are a few of those iconic views.
We very much enjoyed our visit and felt that spending our money there was well worth it so yes, if you’re thinking of going, you should.
Happy Thursday.
Sometimes things are so big that we need a comparison to really get the picture. Here’s one.
We stopped at an outlook for a walk while driving the Icefields Parkway through the Rocky Mountains …
… and saw how dinky the highway looked compared to the enormous mountain towering above it.
It was a stunning, breathtaking vista …
… and a reminder that in the scheme of things, we are very puny beings.
Happy Monday.
We had a lovely day hike through the Maligne Lake and River section of Jasper National Park.
The warm weather, bright sun and fresh air was wonderful.
Happy Tuesday.
During our trip through northern British Columbia and into Yukon we have seen some beautiful mountains and mountain ranges.
This is part of the Coast/Central Mountain range that bisects British Columbia. We paralleled or drove around much of this range while en route to Yukon on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. I love the pea green, new deciduous growth that we saw everywhere. Spring is definitely later in the north.
We experienced quite a few showers interspersed with sunny periods, but saw that a lot of snow was still falling at the higher elevations.
Neither M nor I had ever driven this route – the Stewart-Cassiar Highway (highway 37) – before and found it spectacularly beautiful. The Coast/Central Mountains aren’t as tall or rugged as the Rocky Mountains but still breathtaking. It’s well worth the drive and if you’re inclined, there are lots of opportunities for camping, hiking and fishing.
Highway 37 goes north from the junction with highway 16 just west of Prince George and Hazelton and is a total of 725 km (450 miles).
Below shows the highway’s terminus at the Yukon boundary.
This highway is very remote and there’s no cell service (except emergency), but we found that quite attractive. If you’re interested in this trip, here’s a website that might be helpful.
Happy Monday.
We have finished the 855 km (531 miles) Smithers, B.C. to Watson Lake, Yukon, leg of our trip via the Cassiar Highway (highway 37).
We experienced quite a number of rain showers broken by sunny periods but that didn’t dampen the beauty of this route. It’s one of the most stunning that you will find anywhere. We at first paralleled the Central Mountains but after turning a few more degrees due north, we drove through them for about 600 km. (373 miles).
We didn’t stop to do much hiking or walking through this portion of our trip but there are many opportunities for that and of course, there are lots of places to camp or to stay at a lodge.
As long as you are aware of and cautious about bears, there are many, many outdoor activities to be enjoyed in this area of the country.
Here’s a rest area sign showing details of the Cassiar.
Happy Saturday.
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 