7/10/11
Indeed, the instant noodles this morning was delicious, though it tasted quite odd. Soon I was sent to get ice for the cooler. The guest directory said that there was one ice machine every floor, but there isn’t on the third floor, the one on the fourth floor is out of order, so the only one in the hotel is on the fifth floor. So much for “one on every floor”.
We soon checked out of the hotel and drove to Canmore, where we shopped at the Safeway there. They sold sushi and Chinese hot food, so we bought some pork spring rolls, fried chicken wings, fried ribs (they tasted like bones covered with flour and then fried), and many kinds of sweet-and-sour meat. The spring rolls tasted fabulous; there were a lot of bean sprouts in it. It was cheaper and tastier than Silver Dragon, the restaurant we went to in Banff, and Canmore is only 21 kilometers away. Mom and Dad both thought that we should have driven here instead of going to that expensive Chinese restaurant. We also bought some cherries and a bag of peaches (of which two were extremely sour and hard and taste like apples).
We kept driving on because we have about 360 kilometers to cover. However, we stopped at Field, where we used their restroom. We also went to Rogers Pass National Historic Site, where I stayed in the car after emptying our bladders while the others hung out in the visitor center and Judy got a bookmark. After a short drive we arrived at Rogers Pass Summit, where I rang a bell several times and took many pictures. Then we drove on until we arrived at Hemlock Grove Trail, which is only 400 meters. Giant Cedars Nature Trail came next, which is also an easy trail. The only bad part was that we met a large group of people that spoke an unfamiliar language (probably French). They talked very, very loudly.
We stopped at Skunk Cabbage next. The sign said that it was in bear country, and Judy wanted to stay on the car, so Mom was very nervous. She kept rushing and walked really quickly, so I couldn’t really enjoy the trail. Suddenly, Mom yelped; she saw a lady in brown and mistook her for a bear. The lady kept calming Mom down, “I’m not a bear! I’m not a bear!”
Our next stop was Meadows in the Sky. It was really beautiful when we went there in 2006, but this year about half of the road was closed due to construction work because of a landslide. We drove up as far as we could go (about 13 kilometers) and then drove down to our next hotel, Best Western Sicamous. This hotel has an indoor pool (which none of us wanted to go to) and a lot of mosquitoes (which we all wanted to kill).
We ate the sweet-and-sour meat with instant noodles and sprinkled in some Taiwanese instant noodles seasoning. It was pretty delicious.
7/26/2011
Calgary Stampede
7/9/11
This morning we ate sandwiches and hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top. Then we took the subway from our stop, Banff Trail, to our destination, Victoria/Stampede Park. This time, after buying the tickets for the Stampede, we did not waste time walking around. Instead, we headed for Saddledome immediately.
The first competition was the chuckwagon races. Ten individuals riding on chuckwagons (miniature wagons carrying something that looks like a roll of tissues), and two individuals competed at a time. It was an exciting, fun competition, but the racer didn’t ride as fast as I remembered they did two years ago. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
After the chuckwagon races came the Show Riders. They were twelve cowgirls riding horses, and they formed different patterns and such in the dome. We did not see anything like this when we attended this festival two years ago, and this was a nice surprise. Soon it ended, and the Heavy Horse Show came, in which horses and their riders competed against each other. It was like a beauty contest for horses. Each individual (horse and rider) had to walk and drive to let the judges decide which the best was. The ladies looked elegant, and all the men were bald. The Calgary Symphony was performing there as well, and I liked them a lot. Each note sounded precise, and every instrument fit well with the others, working together seamlessly. This event continued for a long time until 2 o’clock, so my family was left to our own devices.
Thus, we went to the Agriculture building, where we saw many animals, including the horses, donkeys, mules, and strange looking cow. We walked around the building and saw a sheep-shearing contest, in which participants have to shear the wool off two sheep. Each group had three people.
At three thirty, we went back to Saddledome, where we witnessed people putting the next races’ obstacles in the field. The riders have to remember the course and ride their horses through the difficult, challenging obstacles. Many horses were very nervous, and were afraid to pass some of the obstacles. However, their riders were marvelous; they ride so elegantly with ease and looked very relaxed.
Next came the Team Cattle Penning, which is a wonderful, fast-paced competition which really pikes one’s adrenaline. Each group of three people have to work together and drive three cattle of the correct number into the pen, which is a difficult job because they cannot let the cattle of the wrong number go into it, or else they would be disqualified. I liked it a lot; it’s very fun and exciting.
As it was past seven when the competition ended, we decided to leave. We rode the subway back, and decided to go to a Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant for dinner. Dad, Judy, and I ordered beef noodles, the one that had the most kinds of variety of beef. Mom ordered a dry beef noodles with spring rolls. Both were tasty, but Mom’s would be even better if it were saltier. The restaurant is wonderful; each meal is large and delicious. Dad packed two bowls of soup so that the instant noodles we have tomorrow would be even more delicious.
This morning we ate sandwiches and hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top. Then we took the subway from our stop, Banff Trail, to our destination, Victoria/Stampede Park. This time, after buying the tickets for the Stampede, we did not waste time walking around. Instead, we headed for Saddledome immediately.
The first competition was the chuckwagon races. Ten individuals riding on chuckwagons (miniature wagons carrying something that looks like a roll of tissues), and two individuals competed at a time. It was an exciting, fun competition, but the racer didn’t ride as fast as I remembered they did two years ago. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
After the chuckwagon races came the Show Riders. They were twelve cowgirls riding horses, and they formed different patterns and such in the dome. We did not see anything like this when we attended this festival two years ago, and this was a nice surprise. Soon it ended, and the Heavy Horse Show came, in which horses and their riders competed against each other. It was like a beauty contest for horses. Each individual (horse and rider) had to walk and drive to let the judges decide which the best was. The ladies looked elegant, and all the men were bald. The Calgary Symphony was performing there as well, and I liked them a lot. Each note sounded precise, and every instrument fit well with the others, working together seamlessly. This event continued for a long time until 2 o’clock, so my family was left to our own devices.
Thus, we went to the Agriculture building, where we saw many animals, including the horses, donkeys, mules, and strange looking cow. We walked around the building and saw a sheep-shearing contest, in which participants have to shear the wool off two sheep. Each group had three people.
At three thirty, we went back to Saddledome, where we witnessed people putting the next races’ obstacles in the field. The riders have to remember the course and ride their horses through the difficult, challenging obstacles. Many horses were very nervous, and were afraid to pass some of the obstacles. However, their riders were marvelous; they ride so elegantly with ease and looked very relaxed.
Next came the Team Cattle Penning, which is a wonderful, fast-paced competition which really pikes one’s adrenaline. Each group of three people have to work together and drive three cattle of the correct number into the pen, which is a difficult job because they cannot let the cattle of the wrong number go into it, or else they would be disqualified. I liked it a lot; it’s very fun and exciting.
As it was past seven when the competition ended, we decided to leave. We rode the subway back, and decided to go to a Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant for dinner. Dad, Judy, and I ordered beef noodles, the one that had the most kinds of variety of beef. Mom ordered a dry beef noodles with spring rolls. Both were tasty, but Mom’s would be even better if it were saltier. The restaurant is wonderful; each meal is large and delicious. Dad packed two bowls of soup so that the instant noodles we have tomorrow would be even more delicious.
Banff downtown tour
7/8/11
However, in the morning, the icy wind woke me up (I forgot to close the window), and I couldn’t get enough warmth. The whole mattress and our blanket were freezing cold, and so were my feet, my nose, my belly, and my hands. Soon we had breakfast, and everyone (except Judy, who was asleep when the couple was fighting) complained about our neighbors upstairs. My parents found out that the couple was on their honeymoon (lovely way to begin a marriage!). They are probably going to file for divorce today.
We checked out and went to Cascade Garden first. It was very beautiful, and I learned many flower names: pansy, geranium, and snapdragon. I also saw petunias (Harry Potter’s horrible aunt) and a kind of lovely grayish green plant called “silver dust”. They looked magical. We walked along the paths looking at the lovely flowers.
After emptying our bladders in their clean restroom, we headed for Bow Falls. It is wider than it is tall, but it is impressive. However, it is too cold for our liking, so we did not stay there for a long time. Instead, we went to Upper Hot Springs and saw Sulphur Mountain. It is said to be really beautiful, but all we could see was a fog hidden mountain. Therefore, we decided to drive around, and went back to Banff downtown. Our plan was to go to their information center to empty our bladders once again. We couldn’t find a parking place, so we parked on the street. On our way to the info center, we saw a public restroom, so we decided to go there instead. There was a high school beside the restroom.
Our next stop was the train station. Dad took many pictures, but because it was very windy, we didn’t stay for long. We quickly drove to Lake Minnewanka, where we attempted to have lunch at the picnic table beside the lake. I (poor me!) sat on some unidentified liquid (probably last night’s thunderstorm) and went back to the car to change into another pair of pants. When Mom and I got out of the car, we saw Dad and Judy carrying our lunch. They said that it was too cold, so we had lunch in the car instead. We ate chicken sandwiches and the roasted chicken.
After lunch, Dad drove to Two Jack Lake, where we saw a seagull. On the way to Johnson Lake, we saw some big horn sheep along the road eating grass. The babies look cute, but the adult sheep looked dirty. Then we went to Johnson Lake, where Dad took a few pictures.
We left Banff, and drove for an hour or so to Calgary. I fell asleep when we got to downtown, and woke up in Best Western Village Park Inn. Mom cooked us a dinner of instant noodles with canned tuna and chicken breast. After the tasty meal, Judy stayed in the room while Mom, Dad, and I went out. We walked around, and saw a few restaurants. At the door of a restaurant, Mom asked us (in Taiwanese) what the restaurant was selling, and a Canadian answered her, “fish and chips.” It really astonished me; how did he understand what Mom was saying? Or was it just coincidence? We decided that we will eat the cheapest thing for dinner tomorrow: pizza, exactly what we had for dinner two years ago when we stayed here.
However, in the morning, the icy wind woke me up (I forgot to close the window), and I couldn’t get enough warmth. The whole mattress and our blanket were freezing cold, and so were my feet, my nose, my belly, and my hands. Soon we had breakfast, and everyone (except Judy, who was asleep when the couple was fighting) complained about our neighbors upstairs. My parents found out that the couple was on their honeymoon (lovely way to begin a marriage!). They are probably going to file for divorce today.
We checked out and went to Cascade Garden first. It was very beautiful, and I learned many flower names: pansy, geranium, and snapdragon. I also saw petunias (Harry Potter’s horrible aunt) and a kind of lovely grayish green plant called “silver dust”. They looked magical. We walked along the paths looking at the lovely flowers.
After emptying our bladders in their clean restroom, we headed for Bow Falls. It is wider than it is tall, but it is impressive. However, it is too cold for our liking, so we did not stay there for a long time. Instead, we went to Upper Hot Springs and saw Sulphur Mountain. It is said to be really beautiful, but all we could see was a fog hidden mountain. Therefore, we decided to drive around, and went back to Banff downtown. Our plan was to go to their information center to empty our bladders once again. We couldn’t find a parking place, so we parked on the street. On our way to the info center, we saw a public restroom, so we decided to go there instead. There was a high school beside the restroom.
Our next stop was the train station. Dad took many pictures, but because it was very windy, we didn’t stay for long. We quickly drove to Lake Minnewanka, where we attempted to have lunch at the picnic table beside the lake. I (poor me!) sat on some unidentified liquid (probably last night’s thunderstorm) and went back to the car to change into another pair of pants. When Mom and I got out of the car, we saw Dad and Judy carrying our lunch. They said that it was too cold, so we had lunch in the car instead. We ate chicken sandwiches and the roasted chicken.
After lunch, Dad drove to Two Jack Lake, where we saw a seagull. On the way to Johnson Lake, we saw some big horn sheep along the road eating grass. The babies look cute, but the adult sheep looked dirty. Then we went to Johnson Lake, where Dad took a few pictures.
We left Banff, and drove for an hour or so to Calgary. I fell asleep when we got to downtown, and woke up in Best Western Village Park Inn. Mom cooked us a dinner of instant noodles with canned tuna and chicken breast. After the tasty meal, Judy stayed in the room while Mom, Dad, and I went out. We walked around, and saw a few restaurants. At the door of a restaurant, Mom asked us (in Taiwanese) what the restaurant was selling, and a Canadian answered her, “fish and chips.” It really astonished me; how did he understand what Mom was saying? Or was it just coincidence? We decided that we will eat the cheapest thing for dinner tomorrow: pizza, exactly what we had for dinner two years ago when we stayed here.
Banff and Yoho National Parks
7/7/11
This morning, our breakfast was poached egg (we did not have enough oil to fry eggs) sandwiches with chicken breast and hot chocolate. The whole grain bread was nutty and delicious. After the meal we drove to Spiral Tunnels, where we saw a long train going through the tunnels. Two years ago we met a couple from Montreal.
We went to Nature Bridge in Yoho National Park next. It was a river with black rocks of odd shapes. We left soon and drove to Emerald Lake. The water was sparkly as it shimmered in the sun, so beautiful that the four of us took a walk around the lake. We stopped to take a look through the telescope to look at the fossil quarries called Burgess Shale.
After we left Emerald Lake, we drove through a switchback and arrived at Takakkaw Falls. Takakkaw means “it is magnificent”, and it certainly was. There was a lot of water this year, which made the waterfall look very powerful and energetic. It splashed us with cold water, which cooled all of us down effectively.
Our next stop was Marble Canyon. The temperature was very high, so I did not enjoy walking along the otherwise wonderful site. There was no shade where we could escape the sun’s fiery blaze; all the trees were burnt down eight years ago, and they haven’t started growing yet. The only place I liked being at was a bridge where cold wind gusted with the flowing water. We soon went to Paint Pots, where we had to walk across a log on the flooded trail. It was a challenge for us; our balance was not good. We saw a brown hare which hid beneath some twigs as soon as it saw us. Dad took many pictures of the cute animal. The mud was a strange orange color, and soon a sign told us that people once mined for ochre here. Our exhausted legs started protesting, so we drove back to our hotel soon after.
After dinner, Dad started to light a fire again. This time, he followed the instructions, and we were successful. The fire proved to be necessary when black out at eight o’clock. The night was very cold, but the fire provided more than enough warmth for Judy and I (Mom and Dad had to suffer the cold because they didn’t want to sleep in the living room). However, the cheerful crackling of the fire kept me from falling asleep. As the fire was dying and the crackling grew softer, I thought I could fall asleep, but the couple staying upstairs arrived. At first they greeted they room with a loud, “Hi, we’re home!” After about ten minutes, they started fighting. The floorboard creaked tremendously and the ceiling light started shaking as well. It was a miracle that the ceiling did not fall down. I kept hearing, “David!” and “Stay away from me!” and “You’re hurting me, David!” Finally, at about midnight (three hours after I went to bed), the police came and the couple quieted for about five minutes. After the police left they continued fighting.
The only good news was that the electricity came (finally!) after midnight, and the couple quiet down a bit for me to fall into slumber.
This morning, our breakfast was poached egg (we did not have enough oil to fry eggs) sandwiches with chicken breast and hot chocolate. The whole grain bread was nutty and delicious. After the meal we drove to Spiral Tunnels, where we saw a long train going through the tunnels. Two years ago we met a couple from Montreal.
We went to Nature Bridge in Yoho National Park next. It was a river with black rocks of odd shapes. We left soon and drove to Emerald Lake. The water was sparkly as it shimmered in the sun, so beautiful that the four of us took a walk around the lake. We stopped to take a look through the telescope to look at the fossil quarries called Burgess Shale.
After we left Emerald Lake, we drove through a switchback and arrived at Takakkaw Falls. Takakkaw means “it is magnificent”, and it certainly was. There was a lot of water this year, which made the waterfall look very powerful and energetic. It splashed us with cold water, which cooled all of us down effectively.
Our next stop was Marble Canyon. The temperature was very high, so I did not enjoy walking along the otherwise wonderful site. There was no shade where we could escape the sun’s fiery blaze; all the trees were burnt down eight years ago, and they haven’t started growing yet. The only place I liked being at was a bridge where cold wind gusted with the flowing water. We soon went to Paint Pots, where we had to walk across a log on the flooded trail. It was a challenge for us; our balance was not good. We saw a brown hare which hid beneath some twigs as soon as it saw us. Dad took many pictures of the cute animal. The mud was a strange orange color, and soon a sign told us that people once mined for ochre here. Our exhausted legs started protesting, so we drove back to our hotel soon after.
After dinner, Dad started to light a fire again. This time, he followed the instructions, and we were successful. The fire proved to be necessary when black out at eight o’clock. The night was very cold, but the fire provided more than enough warmth for Judy and I (Mom and Dad had to suffer the cold because they didn’t want to sleep in the living room). However, the cheerful crackling of the fire kept me from falling asleep. As the fire was dying and the crackling grew softer, I thought I could fall asleep, but the couple staying upstairs arrived. At first they greeted they room with a loud, “Hi, we’re home!” After about ten minutes, they started fighting. The floorboard creaked tremendously and the ceiling light started shaking as well. It was a miracle that the ceiling did not fall down. I kept hearing, “David!” and “Stay away from me!” and “You’re hurting me, David!” Finally, at about midnight (three hours after I went to bed), the police came and the couple quieted for about five minutes. After the police left they continued fighting.
The only good news was that the electricity came (finally!) after midnight, and the couple quiet down a bit for me to fall into slumber.
Banff National Park - Day 2
7/6/2011
We ate oatmeal for breakfast. Judy and Mom ate apple and cinnamon flavored, Dad ate regular, while I the best, maple and brown sugar. I think oatmeal is good for us; it has a lot of fiber.
We went to Moraine Lake first. We went there two years ago. I was disappointed; I really wanted to see the odd-looking flowers we saw last time, but we didn’t see any flower of any kind at all today. However, the lake was still beautiful, the air fresh, the sky clear, so I was in a good mood. The only thing that wasn’t perfect was that there was a huge dog; I’m afraid of that kind of animal. There were a few plastic boats beside the lake, and the mountains surrounding had patches of white on them.
All of us were feeling famished, so we went to Lake Louise Village to find food. The bakery was quite expensive, therefore the subs and sandwiches in the supermarket felt like a great option. However, as we sat down on a picnic table beside a flowing, energetic river and started eating our lunch, we realized that all of them except for Mom’s chicken salad sandwich were too salty.
On the road, we stopped at a curve of the Bow River. Mom, Dad, and I climbed up to the overlook to enjoy the view. It looked prettier in the pictures Dad took than with a naked eye. I suppose cameras are essential. The railroad curved with the river, setting off the panorama beautifully. It’s a pity Judy did not see it; she did not sleep well last night (she accused my snoring), and was dozing in the car.
Our next stop was Castle Camp, a monument that was dedicated to the people that lost their lives building the Canada Pacific Railroad. We also drove to Castle Cliffs and Castle Mountain (they were at the same place). After taking a few pictures, we drove to Johnston Canyon.
Dad woke Judy up when we arrived at Johnston Canyon. She wasn’t feeling well, so she and Mom rested on a bench while Dad and I hiked to the Lower Falls. At first, when we thought that Mom and Judy were still walking, we sat on a large piece of boulder (it was limestone, I think). It felt very smooth and cool and comfortable, but after a long while, we started walking again. We went to Lower Falls, where the powerful wind sprayed us with tiny water droplets and cooled us down. Our clothes look sparkly as if there were tiny crystals hidden beneath the fabric.
We arrived at our hotel, Hidden Ridge, next. Our room was half in the ground, but it was quite comfortable. There was a living room, a full kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. In the living room was a sofa bed without pillows, so I had to call the front desk to request some. Soon a person brought two for us. Then the four of us drove to a Chinese restaurant called Silver Dragon. We ordered a soup (三鮮豆腐湯), fried rice, beef(芥藍牛肉), and chicken(木須雞). They were very expensive and salty.
After dinner, we walked to Saveway and drove to Vermilion Lakes. To my disappointment, the water was not red, as the name suggested. Soon, we drove back to our hotel. When Mom was in the bath, Dad decided to try to light a fire. We spent the rest of the night trying to light a fire in the fireplace. We succeeded in making the whole room smell smoky, but we failed at building the flames.
We ate oatmeal for breakfast. Judy and Mom ate apple and cinnamon flavored, Dad ate regular, while I the best, maple and brown sugar. I think oatmeal is good for us; it has a lot of fiber.
We went to Moraine Lake first. We went there two years ago. I was disappointed; I really wanted to see the odd-looking flowers we saw last time, but we didn’t see any flower of any kind at all today. However, the lake was still beautiful, the air fresh, the sky clear, so I was in a good mood. The only thing that wasn’t perfect was that there was a huge dog; I’m afraid of that kind of animal. There were a few plastic boats beside the lake, and the mountains surrounding had patches of white on them.
All of us were feeling famished, so we went to Lake Louise Village to find food. The bakery was quite expensive, therefore the subs and sandwiches in the supermarket felt like a great option. However, as we sat down on a picnic table beside a flowing, energetic river and started eating our lunch, we realized that all of them except for Mom’s chicken salad sandwich were too salty.
On the road, we stopped at a curve of the Bow River. Mom, Dad, and I climbed up to the overlook to enjoy the view. It looked prettier in the pictures Dad took than with a naked eye. I suppose cameras are essential. The railroad curved with the river, setting off the panorama beautifully. It’s a pity Judy did not see it; she did not sleep well last night (she accused my snoring), and was dozing in the car.
Our next stop was Castle Camp, a monument that was dedicated to the people that lost their lives building the Canada Pacific Railroad. We also drove to Castle Cliffs and Castle Mountain (they were at the same place). After taking a few pictures, we drove to Johnston Canyon.
Dad woke Judy up when we arrived at Johnston Canyon. She wasn’t feeling well, so she and Mom rested on a bench while Dad and I hiked to the Lower Falls. At first, when we thought that Mom and Judy were still walking, we sat on a large piece of boulder (it was limestone, I think). It felt very smooth and cool and comfortable, but after a long while, we started walking again. We went to Lower Falls, where the powerful wind sprayed us with tiny water droplets and cooled us down. Our clothes look sparkly as if there were tiny crystals hidden beneath the fabric.
We arrived at our hotel, Hidden Ridge, next. Our room was half in the ground, but it was quite comfortable. There was a living room, a full kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. In the living room was a sofa bed without pillows, so I had to call the front desk to request some. Soon a person brought two for us. Then the four of us drove to a Chinese restaurant called Silver Dragon. We ordered a soup (三鮮豆腐湯), fried rice, beef(芥藍牛肉), and chicken(木須雞). They were very expensive and salty.
After dinner, we walked to Saveway and drove to Vermilion Lakes. To my disappointment, the water was not red, as the name suggested. Soon, we drove back to our hotel. When Mom was in the bath, Dad decided to try to light a fire. We spent the rest of the night trying to light a fire in the fireplace. We succeeded in making the whole room smell smoky, but we failed at building the flames.
Way from Jasper to Louise Lake
7/5/11
This morning we had a scrumptious breakfast. Mom cooked sunny-side-ups, fried the toast in the pan, and I made several cups of savory hot chocolate with a little bit of milk. We each ate a sandwich and drank two cups of hot chocolate for breakfast. It was a very tasty meal, which I enjoyed thoroughly.
After breakfast we tidied up and packed our luggage, for we were going to check out. I reviewed the whole structure of our cabin again, lit a few matches that were placed on the beautiful mantel, went to the restroom a few times, and then left for Jasper National Park, where we went to Sunwapta Falls first. We had to trudge through the muddy trails with pebbles of different sizes etched in it. However, the scene was worth it.
Along the road we often stopped to take pictures of the opal-colored river. Though the view was beautiful, it would be stunning if there weren’t so many particles in the river that made the water look milky. The clouds resemble cotton candy, and the sky is such a lovely shade of blue that it’s a pity the water did not look clear.
After the waterfalls, we drove to Banff National Park. It was linked to Jasper National Park with no visible borderline. Suddenly, Mom told Dad to halt; Tangle Falls was at our right, across the road. What made it so magnificent was that the water caught the sun and sparkled, yet we could see the dark, shiny stones behind it. Some of the rocks jutted out, creating a chaotic look. It was absolutely a feast for our eyes.
We stopped at Columbia Icefield next for its clean restroom, but we also took a few pictures of the glacier. Though it is still quite thick, I think it is receding, which is a pity. The ice covered with rich brown dirt looks delicious; it resembles ice cream cake dusted with chocolate powder.
Dad stopped at Parker Ridge next. Though the guide says that the trail is short, we focused on the words steep and 2.5 kilometers (one way), and decided that it was beyond our hiking ability. The mountain with patches of green and white and brown look magnificent, reminding me of mint ice cream with chocolate chips. However, due to our lack of hiking abilities, we quickly drove on, and saw the Weeping Wall next. It was a black wall with water flowing on it, but unlike Tangle Falls, the wall was flat and curving gently, instead of rocks jutting out here and there. Though it does not look chaotic, it looks grander than Tangle Falls because it is larger. There is a cloud that makes the Weeping Wall look as if it were piping hot.
We continued taking pictures of the Athabasca River now and then. Suddenly, we saw a black bear beside a clear brook. Many people were surrounding the animal, and we weren’t excluded. We took many pictures of the mammal. The way to Mistaya Canyon was so exciting that in no time we arrived. There were flat pieces of rocks (probably limestone) lying here and there above the river, creating a disorderly yet picturesque sight. With tall firs beside it and a rainbow between the rocks that were beside the river, it was very impressive. Some people who didn’t fear death sat at the edge. I like the rainbow best of all. It fades and grows bright mysteriously, depending on the water and the sunshine.
The four of us went to Bow Summit to see Peyto Lake next. The walk is only 10 minutes long, but it is so steep that I was out of breath by the time I got to the summit. There were many people there. The pastel-blue color of the lake looks waxy, and because it is did not catch the light, it looks quite unreal. It is not as beautiful as I remembered.
We went to Num-ti-jah Lodge next. As usual, we went there for its restroom and bought a few things in the gift shop, but the view there is also brilliant. The lake looks so clear and serene, and the reflection of the mountain and the sparkly water took my breath away. In order to enjoy the view even more, Judy and I skipped pebbles into the water.
We arrived at our hotel, Paradise Bungalow. Our cabin was slightly cramped, with two bedrooms and a kitchen and bathroom in between. We cooked instant noodles with a can of tuna and some lettuce. It was delicious. After dinner we went to Louise Lake. It was, like two years ago, green. However, the lake in the picture looks blue; nothing is real.
This morning we had a scrumptious breakfast. Mom cooked sunny-side-ups, fried the toast in the pan, and I made several cups of savory hot chocolate with a little bit of milk. We each ate a sandwich and drank two cups of hot chocolate for breakfast. It was a very tasty meal, which I enjoyed thoroughly.
After breakfast we tidied up and packed our luggage, for we were going to check out. I reviewed the whole structure of our cabin again, lit a few matches that were placed on the beautiful mantel, went to the restroom a few times, and then left for Jasper National Park, where we went to Sunwapta Falls first. We had to trudge through the muddy trails with pebbles of different sizes etched in it. However, the scene was worth it.
Along the road we often stopped to take pictures of the opal-colored river. Though the view was beautiful, it would be stunning if there weren’t so many particles in the river that made the water look milky. The clouds resemble cotton candy, and the sky is such a lovely shade of blue that it’s a pity the water did not look clear.
After the waterfalls, we drove to Banff National Park. It was linked to Jasper National Park with no visible borderline. Suddenly, Mom told Dad to halt; Tangle Falls was at our right, across the road. What made it so magnificent was that the water caught the sun and sparkled, yet we could see the dark, shiny stones behind it. Some of the rocks jutted out, creating a chaotic look. It was absolutely a feast for our eyes.
We stopped at Columbia Icefield next for its clean restroom, but we also took a few pictures of the glacier. Though it is still quite thick, I think it is receding, which is a pity. The ice covered with rich brown dirt looks delicious; it resembles ice cream cake dusted with chocolate powder.
Dad stopped at Parker Ridge next. Though the guide says that the trail is short, we focused on the words steep and 2.5 kilometers (one way), and decided that it was beyond our hiking ability. The mountain with patches of green and white and brown look magnificent, reminding me of mint ice cream with chocolate chips. However, due to our lack of hiking abilities, we quickly drove on, and saw the Weeping Wall next. It was a black wall with water flowing on it, but unlike Tangle Falls, the wall was flat and curving gently, instead of rocks jutting out here and there. Though it does not look chaotic, it looks grander than Tangle Falls because it is larger. There is a cloud that makes the Weeping Wall look as if it were piping hot.
We continued taking pictures of the Athabasca River now and then. Suddenly, we saw a black bear beside a clear brook. Many people were surrounding the animal, and we weren’t excluded. We took many pictures of the mammal. The way to Mistaya Canyon was so exciting that in no time we arrived. There were flat pieces of rocks (probably limestone) lying here and there above the river, creating a disorderly yet picturesque sight. With tall firs beside it and a rainbow between the rocks that were beside the river, it was very impressive. Some people who didn’t fear death sat at the edge. I like the rainbow best of all. It fades and grows bright mysteriously, depending on the water and the sunshine.
The four of us went to Bow Summit to see Peyto Lake next. The walk is only 10 minutes long, but it is so steep that I was out of breath by the time I got to the summit. There were many people there. The pastel-blue color of the lake looks waxy, and because it is did not catch the light, it looks quite unreal. It is not as beautiful as I remembered.
We went to Num-ti-jah Lodge next. As usual, we went there for its restroom and bought a few things in the gift shop, but the view there is also brilliant. The lake looks so clear and serene, and the reflection of the mountain and the sparkly water took my breath away. In order to enjoy the view even more, Judy and I skipped pebbles into the water.
We arrived at our hotel, Paradise Bungalow. Our cabin was slightly cramped, with two bedrooms and a kitchen and bathroom in between. We cooked instant noodles with a can of tuna and some lettuce. It was delicious. After dinner we went to Louise Lake. It was, like two years ago, green. However, the lake in the picture looks blue; nothing is real.
Jasper National Park
7/4/2011
This morning we each ate buttered toast with ham, two cups of hot chocolate, and a quarter of an egg for breakfast. Mom wasn’t feeling well, so she decided to stay at the hotel while the rest of us drove to Jasper National Park.
We drove up the mountain to Mount Edith Cavell first. Unlike last time, we hiked up to the borders of the woods instead of just going to the foot of Angel Glacier. The sign said that the alpine meadow wasn’t open today, but I had to tell Dad and Judy a dozen times before they believed me because they often ignore good advice. Therefore, we hiked all the way up to the edge of the woods through the cold morning air until they realized what I was talking about. I suppose the cold temperature slows down the brain. Anyways, we went down to Angel Glacier next. There was a pond at the foot of the glacier, and the surface was frozen. The brown dirt on the white ice made the whole mountain look like a delicious white cake with chocolate dust on top. It made my mouth water, but Judy said the talking about cakes made her feel even colder. Then we trudged back to the parking lot and drove to Athabasca Falls.
The winding road to the waterfall made Judy sick, but I enjoyed the scene. The thick evergreen forest surrounded the road, and every now and then an animal peeked out. We saw a deer. In a few minutes we arrived at Athabasca Falls, where we saw the beautiful waterfalls. There were sharp, sort of flat black stones sticking out here and there, and the stone particles made the water look grayish green. We could see the potholes carved by the powerful force of the flow. They were described as “the scars of the battle between the water and stone”.
By the time we left Athabasca Falls, it was about lunch time, so we came back to our cabin. Lunch was toast, leftover chicken soup with fragments of instant noodles, potato salad with eggs, and ham. I napped awhile, about thirty minutes, before we left again for Jasper National Park again.
We went to Maligne Canyon first. It was a rough walk, but we saw some fossils etched in the sandstone on the ground. A ranger showed us where to look, and then Dad and Judy were crazy taking pictures. We also saw fast flowing water deep below us, which shows how much rock it cut through. Then we walked the trail that the ranger said wasn’t full of up-and-downs. Then Mom and I went to the restroom in the visitor center while Judy and Dad took pictures of fossils.
We went to Medicine Lake there. The mystery of the lake was that it had no visible outlet, but it fluctuates wildly, sometimes disappearing altogether during the fall and winter. It is due to the underground drainage system and the spring run-off. The lake reflected the beautiful blue of the sky today and the deep vivid green of the evergreen trees, making it look unpredictable and lovely. We walked around it awhile before going to Maligne Lake, where the water was very clear, revealing the rocks beneath. The ripples made the lake shimmer stunningly. We walked to the gift shop nearby, and along the way, we saw the river where the water of the lake flows out. The sign there said that Maligne Lake was the place where salmons breed, and we saw three salmons resting in the water. I wonder how they feel after successfully arriving. Peaceful? Sad about the companions that didn’t make it? I suppose I will never know.
We spent a lot of money at the gift shop buying tea and other souvenirs. It was our last stop. We drove to the supermarket next to buy dinner and tomorrow’s food. Then we went back to our cabin, baked the frozen pizza for dinner, cooked canned seafood chowder, and had dinner.
This morning we each ate buttered toast with ham, two cups of hot chocolate, and a quarter of an egg for breakfast. Mom wasn’t feeling well, so she decided to stay at the hotel while the rest of us drove to Jasper National Park.
We drove up the mountain to Mount Edith Cavell first. Unlike last time, we hiked up to the borders of the woods instead of just going to the foot of Angel Glacier. The sign said that the alpine meadow wasn’t open today, but I had to tell Dad and Judy a dozen times before they believed me because they often ignore good advice. Therefore, we hiked all the way up to the edge of the woods through the cold morning air until they realized what I was talking about. I suppose the cold temperature slows down the brain. Anyways, we went down to Angel Glacier next. There was a pond at the foot of the glacier, and the surface was frozen. The brown dirt on the white ice made the whole mountain look like a delicious white cake with chocolate dust on top. It made my mouth water, but Judy said the talking about cakes made her feel even colder. Then we trudged back to the parking lot and drove to Athabasca Falls.
The winding road to the waterfall made Judy sick, but I enjoyed the scene. The thick evergreen forest surrounded the road, and every now and then an animal peeked out. We saw a deer. In a few minutes we arrived at Athabasca Falls, where we saw the beautiful waterfalls. There were sharp, sort of flat black stones sticking out here and there, and the stone particles made the water look grayish green. We could see the potholes carved by the powerful force of the flow. They were described as “the scars of the battle between the water and stone”.
By the time we left Athabasca Falls, it was about lunch time, so we came back to our cabin. Lunch was toast, leftover chicken soup with fragments of instant noodles, potato salad with eggs, and ham. I napped awhile, about thirty minutes, before we left again for Jasper National Park again.
We went to Maligne Canyon first. It was a rough walk, but we saw some fossils etched in the sandstone on the ground. A ranger showed us where to look, and then Dad and Judy were crazy taking pictures. We also saw fast flowing water deep below us, which shows how much rock it cut through. Then we walked the trail that the ranger said wasn’t full of up-and-downs. Then Mom and I went to the restroom in the visitor center while Judy and Dad took pictures of fossils.
We went to Medicine Lake there. The mystery of the lake was that it had no visible outlet, but it fluctuates wildly, sometimes disappearing altogether during the fall and winter. It is due to the underground drainage system and the spring run-off. The lake reflected the beautiful blue of the sky today and the deep vivid green of the evergreen trees, making it look unpredictable and lovely. We walked around it awhile before going to Maligne Lake, where the water was very clear, revealing the rocks beneath. The ripples made the lake shimmer stunningly. We walked to the gift shop nearby, and along the way, we saw the river where the water of the lake flows out. The sign there said that Maligne Lake was the place where salmons breed, and we saw three salmons resting in the water. I wonder how they feel after successfully arriving. Peaceful? Sad about the companions that didn’t make it? I suppose I will never know.
We spent a lot of money at the gift shop buying tea and other souvenirs. It was our last stop. We drove to the supermarket next to buy dinner and tomorrow’s food. Then we went back to our cabin, baked the frozen pizza for dinner, cooked canned seafood chowder, and had dinner.
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