7/20/1991 - Saturday

John:  The day started off being rainy, but cleared up by noon.  we went to the Columbia Icefields.  You go out on them on these monster six wheel drive snow mobile coaches.  They cost $375,000 each... they have 12 of them.  The ice fields (glacier) were huge... and cold.  The glacial ice is approximately 1200 feet thick.  The glacier deposits about 550 tons of silt and rock debris at the “toe” of the glacier.  The twelve tallest mountains in the Canadian Rockies are in this area.  It makes up a “Tri-Continental Divide”... which means the glacial ice melt flows into three different oceans... the Arctic, Pacific or the Atlantic oceans, depending which way the water goes.  There’s only one other place in the world that this happens... in Siberia some place.  Susan and I took a drink directly from a glacial stream.  The water is 99.9% pure!  They test it all the time and have never found anything in the water.  It was good and cold!!  That water came from ice probably 400 years old or older!!  The glacier was really something!  We then hit the road and headed for Banff... Went by some more great scenery, fantastic rivers and lakes, and more glaciers.  We also stopped to photograph a big horn sheep... more great pics I hope.  We also saw a coyote and a deer.  We visited Lake Louise (was pretty), then got a camp spot at “Protection Mountain” campground in Banff Nat’l Park.  We drove 99 miles today.

ODOM:  30346

Summary:  After five weeks we have spent a total of $2935 cash, plus $455 on gas credit cards... for a grand total spent of $3390.  The total mileage driven = 6484 miles.

Big Horn Sheep

Big Horn Sheep

Susan & Kari on the Athabasca Glacier

Kari, Karen & Susan in front of one of the monster snow mobile coaches

Glacier

Another Glacier

A tiny kid near the huge snow mobile coach

One of the old, retired snow mobile coaches

Susan, Kari & Karen in front of a Glacier

Glacier & scenery

7/19/1991 - Friday

John:  We drove to beautiful (major beautiful) Jasper National Park.  We gift shopped in Jasper, had lunch down the road from there.  The mountains here are very majestic... much like the Grand Tetons.  We made stops at the Athabasca Falls and the Sunwapta Falls they are truly awesome!!!  They have so much power they roar and make the ground rumble.  We made stops at some large glaciers.  We also stopped and took pictures of a grizzly bear eating berries along the side of the road... and just down the road a few hundred yards were about seven mountain goats.  They let you get within 3 feet away from them... so I should have some excellent pictures of them.  These are different from mountain sheep 'cause they have straight horns, and they look a little different.  We also saw a mother moose and her baby cross the road in front of us this morning shortly after we left our camp spot.  They were so cute... they crossed too fast and we didn’t get a picture (darn it).  It is very, very scenic here... wow!  The camp grounds are pretty crowded and fill up quickly.  We stopped at several and they were full.  We stopped at Wilcox Creek Campground (which is just past the Columbia Ice Fields).  We drove around and around the camp.  A ranger told us that he had one spot left and said we could have it.  When we got there 5 seconds later, somebody swooped on it... the ranger saw us again at the gate and said we could stay next to the telephones... Sounded like a great idea to us, as it’s very, very private level with a good view.  It’s quite nippy outside as the wind is blowing off the ice fields & glaciers... It even snowed a teeny bit while I BBQ’d our steak supper.  We drove 171 miles today.  The rock guard got another bird...

ODOM:  30247

Mount Edith Cavell

Kari & Susan in front of Locomotive 6015 in Jasper, Alberta

Athabasca Falls

Athabasca Falls

Athabasca Falls

Susan & Kari in Jasper National Park

Susan, Kari & John in Jasper National Park

Glaciers!

(Possibly) Pyramid Mountain

Mountain Range in Jasper National Park

Mount Edith Cavell

Grizzly bear eating berries!

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goat closeup

Scenery in Jasper National Park

Kari, Susan & John at the Wilcox Creek Campground

7/7/1991 - Sunday

Susan:  Kari & I crossed and played in a stream next to our campground.  We went under a road bridge.  Later we settled down & made beaver dams.  We cooked marshmallows it started to sprinkle we saw a rainbow that stretched all the way across the sky!  :)

John:  Drove 165 miles to Glennallen, AK.  We are camped at Tolsona Wilderness Camp ground - very nice private spot right next to a 20 foot wide stream.  Made a nice fire after our BBQ’d steak supper.  It’s almost 11pm and has started to rain.  The rainbow is still up in the sky at this hour!!  Saw another glacier today on the way here.  Very spectacular views today.

ODOM: 28002

Susan & Kari in front of a glacier.

Glacier.

Susan & Kari playing in the stream.

Kari & Susan playing in the stream.

Susan & Kari playing in the stream.

6/26/1991 - Wednesday

Karen:  Our second day on the ferry was great.  A baby humpback whale (25 ft.) put on a good show for us.  We saw a lot of other whales too.  Also saw porpoise & a seal that had caught a big old fish.  The scenery was beautiful & the weather was pretty good.  It starts out foggy & I think the best viewing of the mountains is in the eve.  Saw some glaciers in the distance.  Have seen a lot of bald eagles in the distance.

John:  The whales were great.  You hate to go to sleep ‘cause you’ll miss something.  Fantastic waterfalls along the way.  Became friends with Larry & Pattie Owen from N. Carolina, Gary and Susan Whittemore from Cantwell, Alaska, a couple from Holland (Peter & Betty Das) (living in Canada), and an older ex-prize fighter from Minnesota named Harlin.  The guy from Alaska races in the Iditarod most every year.  I wonder if we’ll run into these folks again along the way?

Kari:  We saw a baby whale and other whales too.

Whale Tail

Waterfall