Alberta Foothills

The Alberta Foothills

One more day. What to do? Right! How about an excursion into the Alberta foothills? Sounded perfect - so off my sister and I headed.

No need to pack bear spray this time – just going for a drive on the hunt for some beauty spots and no trails to navigate. Remembered to pack our utensils for our much anticipated salad lunch, though.

RE: Beauty spots Did we find any? Well, I'll let you be the judge of that...

(Really recommend you click on each picture to bring them full screen - for best viewing experience!)

 

 

Kananaskis Country: Barrier Lake

Barrier Lake

This place is utterly beautiful and serene. 

 

 Sandy and I decided that on another occasion we would return with lawn chairs, a picnic and a good book. 

 

 Also what a place to paddle or wade. 

 

 Nice and open so easy to spot bears too. 

 

 Bonus.

 

(Click on pictures to open in full screen.)

 

 

Kananaskis Village

Kananaskis Village - Home of the G8 Economic Summit of 2002, now a beautiful little complex where tourists can rent and stay right in the centre of the Rocky Mountains.

Originally we had planned to have lunch at one of the many picnic areas accessible off the highway. However, they all had “caution tape” across their entrances and signs warnings of “Bear in Area”. Better to have it here. Intriguing names though: Kovach Ponds Beaver pond. Widow Maker. Must return one day.

Kananaskis Village was a beautiful spot although the fake waterfall, however pretty, wasn't as nice as the real waterfall we visited.

Sat down to eat our salads only to discover we'd forgotten our utensils. Pretty hard to mix dressing and eat a salad without utensils. Save it for tomorrow we said – and went with a purchased panini.

 

 It was good too.

 

 

 

 

Kananaskis Country: Troll Falls

Kananaskis Country: Troll Falls

We decided we would first find the trail to Troll Falls and then go for lunch. However, given all the threats of bears we changed our minds – there were lots of people just starting out on the trail so we decided to forgo lunch in order to do our walk at a popular time of day.

 

So fortified with an orange and some wonderful peanut butter/marshmallow square we set out.

Absolutely lovely, although boy-oh-boy you can see how dry some of the creek beds were. Last winter there hadn't been much of a winter and snow, so no run off into the creeks and rivers. Also note the bare tops of the Rockies... any snow that was there has melted away.

Click on the pictures to bring them full screen.

 

 

 

 

Mount Lorette Pond, Kananaskis Country, Rockies

Our first stop - Mount Lorette Pond

Stunningly beautiful!

When we got out of our car a man and his son were getting back into theirs. 

I asked, "Any bears around?"

He said no, but they had seen some earlier that day at "Wedge Pond."

As we strolled around a young man came up to us asking us where Wedge Pond was since he'd heard the other man say he'd been there.

Sandra said, "Why?  Are you looking to find bears?"

He seemed mildly shocked.  "No, I'm not looking to find bears."

We explained that that was where the man had said there were bears.

:)

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous spot.

If you click on these pictures they will go full screen for you... worth it for these I think.

:)