Canadian Rockies: We're On the Road Again

Contents

Farewell to the Pandemic
Arrival in Calgary
Banff: A Town of Mountains and Rivers
Jasper and the Icefields Parkway
The Rocky Mountaineer
Vancouver: "Most liveable" to "Least affordable"
Postscript

It had been ten years since we celebrated our 50th anniversary. What should we do for our 60th? We had a wonderful vacation in 2013 on the Costa Brava; why not return? We decided a return trip could not be any better, and it might be a disappointment. We needed to do something different.

Then we encountered a report of a train journey across the Canadian Rockies. It was something JoAnn had mentioned often in the past. Gordon had visited Banff 55 years ago, and told JoAnn what an astonishingly beautiful location it is. Road Scholar was offering a guided tour from Calgary to Vancouver, including a two day journey by train across the Rockies. That settled it.

We had one other reason for choosing a trip to Canada. After four years of avoiding most travel because of the pandemic, we were anxious not to stray far from home. Canada seemed like a more gentle way of exposing ourselves to the hassles of airline travel.

Seattle was the first stop on the journey, and as we approached we had a perfect view of the Cascade Mountains. These mountains stretch north into British Columbia,. so gave us a preview from above of the scenery in which we were to immerse ourselves.

The first evening we arrived in Calgary. We met our friendly, helpful, and superbly organized host, Andrea, and the other members of our group. The next morning was devoted to a light hearted talk about Canada and the Canadians, followed by a short tour of the city.

We saw markers of the early (European-based) history of the country. In 1875 Fort Calgary was established by the North-West Mounted Police in South West Alberta at the confluence of two rivers.

A replica of the original stockade has been created. It marks the dimensions of the original. The faces carved into the planks are symbolic of the many who have passed by, and those who continue to arrive.

The center of Calgary reflects the changes that have taken place in the last 150 years. The architecture is a blend of the Traditional and the Modern (we'll see more Modern architecture like this in Vancouver). The change reflects a changing economic focus from oil and gas to high tech and biomed.

The traditional has not been abandoned. In the construction of new buildings, it is not unusual to absorb rather than demolish the old. One other blending of modern and traditional was seen in street gratings, where foot-shaped plates are used as protection for modern high heels.

Early in the 20th century there had been extensive Chinese immigration to Calgary, in spite of efforts to restrict the numbers. There is now a large Chinatown, which is a lively hub of Chinese culture.

In the course of our walk we encountered a number of interesting works of art. Outside the Bow Building, a typical glass and steel construction, there is a large wire frame model of the head of a young woman, an attempt to humanize the impersonal character of modern buildings. One controversial piece is the "Family of Man", by Spanish artist Mario Armengol, representing the diversity of people who have inhabited the region for thousands of years.

In the Olympic Park is a statue by renowned Winnipeg artist, Helen Granger Young, commemorating the "Famous Five", five women who fought for the constitutional rights of all women that were finally granted in 1929.

We left Calgary after lunch and took the Trans-Canada highway for Banff, about 80 miles away. The route follows the Bow river, with suburbs giving way to pasture and farms. Rolling hills give way to the foothills of the Rockies.

At this point we encountered a problem we had not anticipated before the trip. Canada at this time was experiencing an unprecedented encounter with forest wildfires, and southern Alberta and British Columbia were impacted worse than any other area. Fortunately, our exposure to the wildfires was minimal, but as we came close to Banff we noticed increasingly dense smoke. The smoke came close to hiding the spectacular scenery that normally greets visitors.

By the time we arrived in Banff the smoke had largely cleared. In fact, we were not troubled by it again until much later in the trip.

Our hotel in Banff was about a mile outside the town, half way up Sulphur Mountain. The road between the hotel and town provided beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. It was not unusual to see an occasional elk grazing beside the road.

Behind the hotel was a gondola one could take close to the top of Sulphur Mountain. One morning the group rode the gondola, and a few of the more energetic hiked the rest of the way to the watchtower at the top. From there one had a 360 degree view of Banff and surrounding countryside.

Near the gondola building we encountered a herd of Big Horn Sheep, including this mother and youngster. The horns of Female Big Horns, it turns out, are not very big.

Although surrounded by mountains, the town of Banff provides mostly easy walking for pedestrians. A pair of pedestrian bridges provide access to the center of town. They cross the Bow River, a broad, shallow, gently flowing stream. It is so shallow, they say if one falls in, the best thing to do is sit up.

An exception to the shallow, gentle flow is Bow Falls, a dramatic set of rapids. From the falls a trail leads past tree and rock formations to a wooded area, site for the "Art in Nature" display featuring local artists.

If feeling exhausted from the walk, a good place to rest is the Banff Gardens. Here one can have a seat and enjoy the gardens, or go sit by the river and be entertained by the noisy magpies.

One morning the group visited the Banff Springs Hotel. Gordon clearly remembered the elegant building and the beautiful golf course, laid out in a mountain valley. And now, 55 years later, JoAnn had a chance to see why he was so impressed.

We entered the hotel, and took a hidden door in a bookcase to a room where we were served high tea, an exercise in high calory indulgence.

Another morning we visited the Cave and Basin national historic site. A Union Jack flies over the site, representing the sovereignty of the British when the site was founded.

The site had been known to indigenous people for thousands of years, but when a cavern leading to hot springs was found by three railway workers in 1883, the federal government declared the site to be a national area. It eventually became the first of the Canadian National Parks.

The sulphur spring became a popular site for those seeking to "take the waters". This may be a less attractive idea if one notices the clumps of algae growing on the surface, and the hundreds of rare tiny snails (5 mm long) that make their homes there.

Trails from the main building lead to a marshy area watered by overflow from the spring. The area contains some unique vegatation and offers beautiful views of Mount Norquay across the Bow river.

The Whyte Museum was founded by two local artists, Peter and Catharine Whyte. It offers extensive collections of work by other artists, and exhibitions illustrating life in Banff since its founding.

One section we enjoyed was devoted to representations of local birds. Brian McArthur is a prolific carver, especially of birds. Here's one of his pieces. A friend of his had turned the table on him with this sculpture.

There was a collection of intriguing bird prints, and examples of how bird feathers were used in headdresses by the Iyâhe Nakoda Nations

Following a talk by one of the Road Scholar team, Gordon had developed an interest in the geology of the area. The museum had a small but handy collection of rocks and fossils that intrigued him: For example, a Pelecypod, or fossil shell fish something like a clam, and a Baculite or "walking stick" fossil. It's actually something like a squid, with a very straight shell.

The National Park established around the Banff hot spring extended for 26 square kilometers. In a little over 100 years it grew to over 250 times that size. It contains some of Canada's finest mountain scenery. And wherever there are mountains there is likely to be water, in the form of a gentle lake, a rushing mountain stream, or, if cold enough, a glacier.

One morning we took off to explore some of the highlights of the park. Along the way we drove under numerous overpasses like this one. They carry busy roads that intersect the highway. But they are not for vehicles; they are for wildlife that might otherwise fall victim to trucks and automobiles when they try to cross.

Other problems arise with mountains when building railways. For example, the railway that paralleled our route originally featured a grade of 4.5%, more than twice the then permitted maximum. After a few years of predicable disasters, an engineer designed a solution incorporating a series of back-and-forth spirals (see the model) that ensured a safe route.

Our next stop was at Emerald Lake. The area is famous for the beds of fossils found in the Burgess Shale on the sides of Mount Burgess (in the background). Patches of fireweed are common, perhaps as a response to the wildfires that have been prolific in this region. Our guide pointed out signs of a bear using a log as a scratching post, and turning over a rock looking for ants.

Next stop was Lake Louise, a beautiful lake, but overrun with tourists. It was still worth a visit for the view of the glaciers at the head of the lake.

We encountered plenty of rushing water, as recorded by our intrepid photographer, at the nearby Natural Bridge. Later we visited a lake popular for boating, Moraine Lake. This was a good location for a refresher course on the different forms of moraines, and the difference between a moraine (on the left) and a landslide (center-right).

After spending four days in Banff, we headed north to the smaller town of Jasper, with a much larger national park. The drive took us along the Icefields Parkway, well named for its views of numerous glaciers and ice fields.

First stop was Bow Lake, source of the Bow River we had been following upstream since Calgary.

Our major destination for the day was the Athabasca Glacier. This is one of the world's most accessible glaciers, and has become a focal point for anyone concerned about the fate of glaciers in an era of global warming.

Specially designed buses are used to transport visitors. The road in the background, descending the lateral moraine, has a slope of 1 in 3, which would challenge any vehicle. Visitors dress for the cold, even in July, and admire the enormous wheels of these ice explorers.

A close-up view of the glacier, and seeing the glacial melt, makes it clear how rapidly it is melting. It as also clear how much ash from the wild fires covers the ice, making it dirty, and promoting faster melting.

Runoff from the Athabasca Glacier forms a small stream, which rapidly becomes a large, fast flowing river, the Athabasca River. A few miles north of the glacier is a magnificent waterfall. It rushes through a ravine, decorating the side walls with moss, lichens, and small trees.

Compared with Banff, Jasper is a simple town with fewer tourists. The firehall and the Visitors' Center are the main buildings, while most houses are quite simple.

The main street is about a mile long, and beyond that the countryside, and local wildlife, encroach quickly.

The main railway line of the Canadian National passes through town, and a totem pole, a gift from local indigenous people, site outside the railway station.

While in Jasper we were informed and entertained by one of our guides, Mary-Pierre, who provided a wealth of information about bears and elk. Did you know that one of these elk antlers weighs about 20 lb? Try carrying two of those around on your head.

Compared with Banff, the mountains are not close to the town, but they are still evident. Mount Edith Cavell, named for a nurse who helped Allied soldiers escape during World War I, is one of the closest.

A second peak clearly visible from Jasper is Pyramid Mountain. Marie-Pierre escorted us to Pyramid Lake, overlooked by Pyramid Mountain. We explored Pyramid Island in the middle of the Lake, a good location for learning about local vegetation and wildlife. She pointed out a canoe, built by a friend of her using techniques learned from indigenous people.

Our next stop was a fascinating area of Karst, a section where the bedrock has dissolved to create sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, and springs. These structures lie adjacent to the Maligne River, so called because an early French explorer found the river so fierce, it must be full of devils!

At one point the river takes a precipitous dive through the karst, creating a canyon over 160 feet deep. It turns out that the canyon is not entirely the result of erosion by the river. Some of it had been a cave that was uncovered when the river broke through.

Before leaving the Maligne River we paused to appreciate some of the area's fauna. For a while we were accompanied by a beautiful Mourning Cloak Butterfly. As we left the river, Marie-Pierre pointed out a scar on a small tree. Given the shape of the scar (two vertical, parallel gouges), the cause had to have been a little practice sparring by a big horn sheep.

Next day we left Jasper on a two-day journey to Vancouver. Not just any journey. We would spend the two days on the "The Rocky Mountaineer", a privately operated train across Alberta and British Columbia.

That morning the train was waiting for us. The train staff assisted us with boarding, and we left promptly. We were soon out of sight of Jasper.

We were seated in one of several "Gold Leaf coaches," dome cars that offered views all around of the scenery we would travel through. Some of the scenery was indeed dramatic.

In addition to the dome car, there was an observation platform at the rear of each car that offered fresh air for those so inclined, or alternative views for the photographic contingent. Of course, our intrepid photographer and our guide Andrea could not resist the inevitable shootout.

The first day's journey followed the course of the Thompson River, and provided a series of lovely views of lakes, mountains, and the river.

We passed a beautiful waterfall, surrounded by woods, that seemed to be unapproachable from any direction other than the railway. Other creeks discharged into the river from time to time.

As we neared Kamloops, smoke from wildfires became obvious. We were reminded that this, the first day of our train journey, is a particularly auspicious day in the history of wildfires. July 30 is the 20th anniversary of one of the worst fires in British Columbia, caused by the careless discarding of a cigarette butt. The fire damaged or destroyed 72 homes and 9 businesses, and burned over 65,000 acres. The remnants are still visible from the train for many miles.

The Rocky Mountaineer does not have sleeping cars. The journey is largely restricted to daylight hours, and passengers are booked into hotels along the way. So when we arrived in Kamloops we were taken to lodgings in the town. Kamloops has always been a major transportation center in the heart of British Columbia. Lumber is clearly one of the major products of this area. However, the heart of Kamloops seems to be the two major railways, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific.

There did not seem to be much to do in Kamloops, but we found a park near the hotel where we could amuse ourselves watching youngsters have a good time. Our reactions were tempered somewhat by the wildfire smoke hanging ominously over the town.

Next day we boarded the train again, for the second day of our journey to Vancouver. Overnight the train had been joined by a second Rocky Mountaineer coming from Banff, so the train was twice as long as it had been.

For several miles we followed the shore of Kamloops Lake. Once past the lake, we continued to follow the Thompson River as it passed through a ravine, then became a broad river again. After the lake the scenery changed to scrub desert and marginal farm land.

At one point the Canadian National railway, whose tracks we were following, crossed another major set of tracks, the Canadian Pacific. This happened just as a CP train was passing underneath.

Eventually the Thompson River joined with the Fraser, which would take us the rest of the way to Vancouver. The Fraser is a fast flowing river, with rocks and boulders creating dangerous-looking rapids. The rocks would be interrupted every now and then by small beaches.

There was a telephone wire strung along much of the river. How useful it was was not clear; it seemed to be in bad need of repair.

Later in the afternoon we passed other trains, suggesting a major city up ahead. The scenery changed from mostly rural to suburban. This must be Vancouver.

The clearest indicator was the appearance of a range of mountains in the north, the North Shore Mountains just outside Vancouver. The train slowed to a crawl as it worked its way through the rail yards (Port Mann Bridge in the background).

The scenery was about what one can expect as a train passes through the industrial section of a city. For somewhere like Vancouver, products such as lumber or wood pulp featured prominently. Inside the train, the staff kept things lively with an enthusiastic sing-along (♫"It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A."♫)

When the train stopped, we all boarded buses and headed for our hotel.

We visited Vancouver 25 years ago, and decided it must be one of the most desirable of places to live. Since then the city has fallen victim to the law of supply and demand. It is no less desirable, and the city is just as attractive, but growth has not kept pace with demand.

One reason for the slow rate of growth may be that Vancouver tries to prevent the city from being overwhelmed by highrise buildings. Right of way for pedestrians and bicycles must be preserved. There are limits on the permitted height of buildings, and builders must maintain lines of sight along streets.

This is one reason for the city's "most liveable" reputation. However, building regulations have often given way to other agendas. For example, the city cathedral acquiesced to increases in the height of surrounding buildings in return for investments in its own renovation.

Whether or not it is sufficient to meet the need, there has been a significant increase in the number of highrise buildings. Developers have sometimes out-done each other in designing spectacular buildings. No longer is the skyline dominated by plain rectangular structures.

Here are three showing that not everything has to be rectangular. The brick building on the right of the right-most photo, built in the 1920s, was said to represent a rock set firmly on the hill beside the harbor. The highrise next to it represents a wave breaking over the rock! Here are some more highrises. The building on the left makes clever use of a very narrow triangular lot.

We spent five days altogether in Vancouver, exploring a number of sections of the city. Here's a brief review of what we encountered.

Granville Island is a great location to eat lunch. One can find a large market with a food hall offering a wide variety of food and drink. And they are not too fussy about what and where you drink.

We each purchased a good helping of fish and chips. However, as JoAnn was starting to enjoy hers, she was attacked by a voracious sea gull. Apparently this has become a serious problem on Granville Island.

The solution has been to introduce raptors to scare away the gulls. As we were eating, Poquito the Harris Hawk came by on the arm of his handler, and the seagulls disappeared. His handler was happy to answer questions from interested (and grateful) diners.

False Creek is an inlet, abut 2 miles long, separating Granville Island from the city center. It is so called because an early surveyor believed, incorrectly, that it was the mouth of a creek. One can take a public ferry, the Aquabus, from Granville Island to the end of the inlet.

Near Granville Island are several colorful Storage Tanks. and adjacent to them is a busy Yacht Harbor. Other locations seem to be reserved for owners of especially conspicuous vessels.

Stanley park is a large area of woods and lawns at the North West end of Vancouver, with beaches and an extensive network of trails. One section is devoted to a display of indigenous totem poles ( this pole features a grizzle bear clasping a person, surmounted by a thunderbird) and a symbolic statue representing the tribe's guardians.

Across False Creek from Stanley Park is the Museum of Vancouver, which also contained representations of the history and culture of first nations groups. One example is "salmon and fir", a work symbolizing essential features of their culture. It shows a figure holding a salmon, and planks from fir trees. There was also an interesting account of attempts to create written forms for indigenous languages, based on a phonetic alphabet.

One morning we took a walk through Chinatown. This area suffered badly from the pandemic, and has not yet recovered. Addicts and homeless individuals frequent the streets, and graffiti are prominent.

Tucked away in the middle of this unhappy area is one of the most charming locations in Vancouver, the Sun Yat Sen garden.

Built in 1986 on the principles of Feng shui and Taoism, the Ming Dynasty-style garden-home is the first of its kind built outside China. It is named in honor of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, a Chinese Nationalist leader. Whatever one's philosophical or political beliefs, the arrangements of wood, rocks, plants, and water create a sense of peace and harmony.

The China Maple Hall, the main hall of the house, is a location for larger gatherings, where one can enjoy views to the gardens or the intricate details of small corners. A walk through the garden leads to relaxing views of pond and garden.

Corridors lead to unexpected scenes, with perfectly framed views of features such as Bonzai trees.

Not far from Chinatown is Gastown, where the atmosphere is very different. It is Vancouver's oldest neighborhood, named after "Gassy" Jack, who opened the area's first saloon. It has become Vancouver's trendiest section.

It takes pride in its Victorian architecture, but "trendy" does not always mean "historic". One street corner in particular illustrates the resulting incongruity, with pseudo gas lamps and a historic-looking steam clock. The latter was built in 1977 using nearby steam pipes, one purpose supposedly being to prevent the homeless from sleeping on the warm spot.

Our hotel was in the middle of the Vancouver city center, close to the courthouse. This was itself a frequent source of activity. A new courthouse had been built recently, and one of its unique features is a roof garden, easily accessible. This leads to the former Courthouse, which is now the art museum.

Since the Vancouver Pride Festival was to be held in a few days, several related activities were in progress. The art museum was displaying a pride flag. Around the corner is the Anglican cathedral, and outside was an "Open Doors" display.

One evening we encountered an interesting demonstration in front of the art museum. A crowd was gathered to protest the treatment of indigenous women and girls. A young woman was dancing to the rhythm of a small band. She finished, and the leader of the protest gave an impassioned speech.

The protest was part of a national movement to honour Indigenous women and girls who were murdered or disappeared over the past thirty years. Protesters demand action to address a problem they feel has been ignored.

We conclude by mentioning one incident that was outstanding for its absence. In the five days we were in Vancouver (or two weeks in Canade), we encountered no evidence of hostility to those promoting equity and fair teatment for other groups. There were expressions of disagreement, but no hint of violence. This itself was a refreshing observation.

If you made it this far, you may have forgotten that one purpose of our trip was to celebrate our 60th anniversary. However, when our trip ended, there were still six days to go before the anniversary day. In any case, at this stage we were exhausted and not feeling well.

We had already arranged with JoAnn's brother Joe and his wife Hedda to spend a week in Carmel CA, at their "Little House". It was a perfect location to recuperate, enjoy some of Joe and Hedda's favorite restaurants, and then celebrate with a meal at our own favorite in Carmel, The Flying Fish.

We owe an immense debt of thanks to Joe and Hedda for their generosity, and for their help in celebrating this diamond anniversary.

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