Bright sunny but chilly morning as we set off back to Banff. Quick stop to view a small glacier and Tangle Falls which we climb up. There are some unusual pine trees with red flowers. The mountains look so beautiful with a layer probably quite a few meters thick of snow along the ridge. You can see a cross section where it has fallen away.
Our next stop was Athabasca where we walked to the Glacier. This left me quite breathless both physically and mentally with awe. Serious evidence here of the icecap melting. There were markers showing how much more quickly it was melting in recent years. The resulting water runs into The Pacific, The Atlantic and The Arctic Oceans.
On the way to our next stop we saw a splendid herd of. Big-Horned Sheep beside the road. They looked more like large deer.
Next we stopped at Pandora Falls which was accessed along a lovely trail through the Forest. This fall cascaded out of a hole in the rock creating a fine mist and hence, in the warm sunshine, a beautiful rainbow – just magical! Next picnic lunch.
After lunch we travelled a little further before stopping at Weeping Falls which literally cried water down the wall of the mountain. The meandering river below was a scene to behold and I would have loved to have sat there all afternoon and painted in the warm sunshine.
I love being around these young people (and some older ones too) on these adventure tours. They are so positive, forward looking and love life and everything around them. They are also so caring and helpful… it becomes contagious and we are all on a high together!
Next stop Peyto Lake and if I had painted this no one would have believed me… It is a stunning cobalt blue in colour resulting from a complex mix of minerals from the glacier and the mountain. There were tame chipmunks here obviously used to being fed by visitors passing through.
Another stop with stunning views was Moraine Lake where there were trees strewn on the beach from centuries of avalanches. We had to clamber over them to get to the cool clear turquoise waters of the lake.
We finally arrived back on Banff where went up in the bar for dinner. I had pre ordered a pork curry which was one of 4 dinners included with the Moose deal – very nice washed down with a glass of Sauvignon blanc from the bar. It was nice to catch up with everyone as some were leaving in the morning. Hannah and Jeff were off to Calgary on the Greyhound bus but we would probably meet up again in Vancouver. We got talking about art and Everyone wanted to see my artist FB page and were in awe.