Car Wash

Now, how often do car washes in Texas have doors? Freeze warnings? I mean, Texans have to use ice water just so it doesn't boil the paint off. At any rate, here in Canada, sloppy, snowy roads mean messy cars and salted roads mean corrosion. Hence the need for car washes at a minus 20.

Jason Pearman washing the Toyota.

More Banffffff.

View Eastward from the Bow River Falls area below the Banff Springs Hotel.

It was calm by the river, but a high upper wind was blowing the snow off the peaks as recorded here.

The Three Sisters above Canmore, Alberta. Not a bad sight to have outside the window for two days.

Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies from Hwy 1 between Banff and Lake Louise.

The stream leaving a now-frozen Lake Louise.

A Winter Wonderland in the Canadian Rockies.

Dog Sledding

On our way to Lake Louise, we passed two pickups and lots of dogs in a roadside turnoff. Tourists can pay $300/person for a 2-hour ride in a dog sled. Each sled is pulled by 10 dogs. The sleds held two adults seated inside plus the driver standing behind. This is the last of four sleds that took off. And at a very good clip too.

There were extra dogs that didn't go on the trip and they stayed behind in the trucks' cages. The sound of 50+ dogs barking was tremendous. But as soon as the dogs started off with the sleds, they grew silent. However, this is the mournful sound of those who stayed behind. Weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Three Blind Mice

Cheryl Lumley playing "Three Blind Mice". Heather Hansen (CA) and Michael Moulson (AB) enjoy the show along with many others. This rendition is the "Singing Lady from London." The jump and jolt on the keyboard are the "mouse" scaring the singing lady. She screamed "a mouse" but you can't hear it over the laughter.

Maligne Canyon

Maligne Canyon is a deep narrow gorge in Jasper National Park. It's depth ranges from 50-160 feet, but it's width in most places being only 5-20' at most. Water from Medicine Lake enters an extensive cave system. It's not known where all the water reappears despite various tests with dies. Some comes above ground at Maligne Canyon, about 10 miles from Medicine Lake. The creek merges with several large springs and finally joins the Athabasca River.

Giant icicles from a spring entering Maligne Canyon.

View of Bridge 5 and the Canadian Rockies.

Jasper National Park

Thursday, eight of us went to Jasper National Park. On the frozen lake we saw two animals crossing over. They were far enough away we still haven't had an expert answer on them being coyotes or wolves. Evidently an adult coyote and a young wolf are nearly identical. On the far bank of the lake are a herd of elk. A little hard to spot. Two wolves were spotted further up the road, but gone before we could turn around. On the way back, Garry Bailey spotted a bald eagle sitting high up in a tree, but I never could spot it's location. Too far away for a picture at any rate.

Mr. Stone Ram blowing kisses to his sweetie.

Bull elk taking a break by the road. Just a young fellow but he was the only male we could see in the crowd.