A group of Glacier Lilies

These lilies were different than many of the others that I saw having bright red anthers.

Western Anemone

These robust-stemmed white flowers were dotted all along the trail to Chester Lake and beyond. These particular pictures were shot between Chester Lake and the Elephant Rocks. I could not find a picture that matched it in "Plants of the Rocky Mountains", but the Sunshine Meadow's Blog identifies them as Western Anemone.

I was impressed at how they were designed to withstand cold (being very hairy) and how their flowers likely reflected the light onto the developing ovaries, allowing faster development of seeds. In spite of being thick stemmed, the petals are nearly translucent, sometimes a pale blue near the stem, and have an almost ethereal or ghostly feel to them.

Fog Rising

The morning of the Chester Lake hike the fog was thick earlier in the morning to the point that I could hardly see the building across the street (for those of you used to measuring visibility to guess whether the blizzard is bad enough to shut school down.)

At this point, about an hour later the fog had burned off, but the clouds near the mountain were still low.

Valley of Three Lakes

 

This was the first of the 3 lakes that we encountered after Chester Lake and the most charming in terms of colour and setting. (Actually we never found the the second lake (probably under snow) and we didn't go as far as the third.

Glacier Lily

 

Chester Lake Hike

 

I've been trying to mostly just work on my thesis and get it out of my hair before I go crazy. But it seemed reasonable to take one day off to do some real hiking seeing as I'm surrounded by world class outdoor trails. We had originally planned to do Taylor Creek, but it was closed for paving (we think either the road or the parking lot, rather than the trail itself.) This worked out great. The weather forcast was totally wrong, but we lucked out and missed getting rained on by about 30 minutes or so, inspite of a day where the sky couldn't decide whether to let the sun out or not.

Amusingly, of the 270 pictures I shot, there are only 2 pretty lame ones of chester lake itself. This is just before you reach the lake.

It was a wonderful hike, although the part of the trail past Chester Lake was much nicer than Chester Lake itself.

Lucky Shot

 

I cannot take any credit for this picture, it was a fluke that I noticed the flower at all tucked into an awkward knoll. I just pointed the camera blindly and shot a few time trying to check the light flooded review to see if I'd gotten the flower in focus. This was a lucky shot.

This is my third orchid of the summer the graceful Venus'-Ladyslipper, Calypso bulbosa.

I found it on the downward hike from Chester Lake I think as I stumbled over a loose rock.

Pink Wintergreen

 

Pyrola asarifolia.... pretty :D

Shooting Stars on Larch Island

 

Here are a couple more cool flowers. They are called shooting stars - apt name if you ask me.

Its supposed to hit 30 C today - so I may be forced to seek refuge in the library or a coffee shop. Otherwise, I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere on a particularly never ending project, not as fast as would be good, but at least in a measurable sort of way. YEAH!

Lets hope today and tomorrow are super productive - so I can take off some time Sunday to obtain more pictures for my blog.

Sparrow's-Egg Lady's-Slipper

 

This is the second and even more charming of the orchids we saw - (cypripedium passerinum)

Yeah for new flora!

2 Orchids in One Day

 

These seem almost common to someone who is used to being amazed just to find a single Orchid. (When I say two ochids - I mean 2 species, there were at least 100 plants like this where we were walking.)

It is a round-leaved Orchid (Amerorchis rotundifolia) according to "Plants of the Rocky Mountains"

Like Flies on a Honeysuckle

 

This is a long time favourite plant of mine. I didn't even know the bugs were there when I took the picture. The "Plants of the Rocky Mountains" guide identifies it as Lonicera dioica or Twining Honeysuckle.

Summertime Arrives in the West

 

We are looking at some descent hot temperatures here now, although not with the humidity that it the East I don't think. Here is one last (or maybe) picture from yesterday evening.

Sunset............

 

I don't really have anything more to say... just posting pics now.

Still a bit of Forester in me too

 

I do love trees, especially silhouetted against this amazing back drop.

We also ran into a British couple who quizzed us on beavers, plants and trails. It was really cool chatting with them.

Mountains and more mountains

 

If I knew anything, I'd be able to tell you the name of this peak.... but I don't and anything I knew this morning has been replaced by open channel hydraulics vocabulary.

Sunset a la Mountain

 

Tonight's walk was one of those nights where I can't even count the number of times that I wished that I had my camera. Events included a 2 wapati, a white-tailed deer, brilliant sunset lit mountain sides and the sky and a pretty gravel island and a bird that was too far away to identify. I didn't need the camera for the well over 50 bunnies observed.

At least I had the sense to run back outside with my camera in hopes of catching a bit of the sunset.

The Final Leg of the Trip

 

A leisurely drive across AB, only marred by the part where I drove through Calgary - becoming turned around once or twice. Not my favourite city to drive in owing to the number of people who done know how to merge or signal. I was lucky to get a chance to see my brother and share a fantastic dinner with family.

Now... all I have to do is finish this ever hanging around my neck task so that I can actually enjoy being here. Although, so far I've done a nice bit of walking every day and eaten lots of veggies.

Happy Canada Day

 

Finally, by total fluke, I ended up in Moosejaw in time to watch the Canada Day Firework Display. It was kind of nice to celebrate Canada day this way. It made it feel official, that and having seen a nice bit of the country.

I also had a hard time finding my motel room in Moosejaw and say way too much of the city when I really really wanted to be in bed. In the end, I gave up and stayed somewhere else. But I had a wonderful night's sleep in a very comfy bed, before getting up the next morning for the next phase of the journey.

Damaged Section of Maple Creek Trans Canada

 

Saskatchewan Skies - Stormy Weather

 

As I continued my travels, approaching Swift Current and Maple Creek, the skies became increasingly threatening (I think block clouds, lightening and things that appeared to be trying to turn into funnel clouds as sketchy). By the time I got to Swift Current, I decided staying was a bad proposition, given the clear skies ahead and the dangerous looking skies to the south. I made a very brief - coffee/facility/gas stop. Cursing at the slowness of the pump as the lightening and threatening clouds loomed closer (not sure if you are likely to die if you are fueling your car and get hit by lightening, but I can't imagine I want to find out. My other fear is that significant rain could cause long detours if flooding problems reoccured in the area.

I passed the section - that has be shown many times on TV and the internet that was washed out by flooding on June 18th. They've done a remarkable job of patching it up, and the very short stretch of 2 lane was not a problem at all.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/06/18/sk-flooding-1006.html

http://www.cbc.ca/sask/gallery/index.html?dataPath=/photogallery/regions/saskatchewan/gallery_3554/xml/gallery_3554.xml

It turns out that that storm system did cause some havoc and hail, so probably a good idea to keep going.

Saskatchewan Skies - Fairweather

 

I have been sold on the idea of Saskatchewan (and the prairies in general) as the land of living Skies. The sky changd so often and definitely, even for a tundra dweller, impressed me with the gianganticness. This was just a neat cloud formation.

Random Rainbow

 

This is taken only a little after the last picture - this was the last time I'd stop for photos for a long ways. Roadwise, the second day was a million times easier, having left the rolling parts behind - the last bit of Ontario was longer than I expected, but easier terrain that Lake Superior Park or Marathon through to Thunder Bay.

I enjoyed the drive, having gotten into the grove of it and enjoyed some relatively new scenary going by - if less exciting that I remember from my bus trip in 1997. I have to say Lake Superior Park is still the most beautiful part of the road (save for maybe a few of the bits overlooking Lake Superior) Still, the traffic was better and the road not too bad.

As I reached the Manitoba border, I stopped for road report, map and to use the facilities. The people were friendly, but certain that 100 km of westbound road in Saskatchewan had been washed out by flooding a week earlier. Frankly, the worst section through the prairies was the 20 odd km stretch just east of Winnipeg where they had quite intentionally torn up the westbound lanes (which the folks there forgot to highlight), but still it was 80 km though that section and we were driving on new pavement.

Once I hit the prairies the technical part of driving became infinitely less challanging, but the view was hardly boring, especially since I haven't really been awake in the prairies - as the bus rolls through both ways in the dead of night (at least the one that I was on). The prairies are also wider than I expected. The trip continued without much to say except that the skies were lovely and I met a sweet couple of folks in Moosejaw at the A & W - mmmmm fast food - and the only fast food I ate all trip. I'd had to pitch my cream cheese at the Saskatchewan border - as it had become questionable.

The Border Station at Saskatchen wins the award for friendliest folk. They were excited about my lisencse plate and gave me some good ideas about driving conditions and possible places to camp and how long it would take to get to various places. It was also actually hot at that stop - bright sunny and 30 C. I helped them (sort of) with a cross word puzzle and felt as thought I was celebrating Canada Day.

So, onwards I went.

Sunrise in Phase 2

 

I was treated to a beautiful sunrise my second day (managing to be on the road before dawn) It was hard not to give in to the tempation to stop and take pictures. I'd definitely say that was a theme, especially the first day when I knew a lot of special places to stop.

TransCanada Mission Run

Harmony Beach – Roadtrip twitter feed

I’m not sure what it says about our society that I’ve been thinking in tweets (or at least Facebook status updates all day. I’m about 700 km in and its been mostly beautiful.

At about 240 km, I stopped for gas and seriously considered an antennectomy for my car – until I realized that the source of the incredibly horrible hum was not in the proximity of my antenna… The current suspect is my new and not so improved wiper blade with its initially impressive locking mechanism – what I think is the likely culprit.

At 550 km, I found myself once again in Mississauga – although perhaps not the one that I know so well.

At 600 km, I declared “Julliet” my new favourite song, started my second coffee and Thesselled- on (much better than the ever notorious Thesselling-off incident.

The Esso near the far side of The Soo marked my halfway point, assuming I make it all the way, but my choice of a all service gas station prevented stretching which is why I’m rapidly trying to type all my thoughts for the day (not so much luck) while enjoy an incredible view of Lake Superious or a sunny day. The water the colour of emeralds and the hills and even gemmier green. There should be a picture of a beach pea flower and hopefully one of the view (colours not enhanced by my green tinted sunglasses.

I’ve got a long ways to go… so I’d better pack this sucker back up and keep driving. Wishing I’d had the sense to google where I hope to stay tonight and print off a map… I think I have suffiecent mappage in my car though… and a number if a real problem arises…

So offward,

The ugliest parts of the drive are done for today.. the rest is a treat as long as my body can handle sitting in this seat.

I made it! I’m unreasonably proud of my accomplishments. I didn’t even need to drink a tonne of coffee. I twitched a bit and I’m definitely sick of my car. I think the hardest part was being disciplined about stops. Normally I do the trek in 2 days, so I can stop and do a little hike here or check out this pull off or that. Today… all stops were for the purposes of filling tanks, stomachs, coffee mugs – getting rid of wastes – (aka using the facilities – let me say, as beautiful as everything was today – the most beautiful sight was the bathroom at the Halfway Motel… I even put some money in the bathroom donation jar, since the remaining 30-40 km to White River were going to be uncomfortable at best or end in a mad dash to find the toilet paper tucked in some bag in the truck, and then another into the woods .

M. says to write “apparently I speak cat “– or my meowing attracted the attentions of a vocal gray tabby hoping that I’d feed him a third time.

Hmmm… all my thoughts have mostly leaked out of my head. Mostly, I’ve just been driving. I remembered at some point after Harmony beach that I was long overdue to switch the CD. At 1000 km, I noted where I was, but I can’t remember now. It might have been White River.. I think it was Crocker Lake – which is the east end of a 17 km long section of forest that burned along the Trans Canada.