Tag Archives: Rocky Mountains

Oki from Crowsnest Pass

Posted on August 4, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Oki is the Niitsítapi word that approximates hello. It recognizes the humanness of each other in greeting and is like Ubuntu used in several African languages.

Yesterday, we headed back to the Crowsnest Pass and revisited the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre. We were there Thursday, but soggy weather and low clouds prevented a hike through the slide area and good picture-taking of Turtle Mountain. The weather was better and we joined a group tour led by a geologist, Dr. Wilhelm, who brought the hike to life. We hiked for almost 2.5 hours instead of the hour the hike normally takes

This is Turtle Mountain’s north face where the 1903 slide occurred. The resulting slide is the deadliest rock slide in Canadian history with over 82 million tonnes of rock burying part of the town of Frank and killing over 100 people. The mountain is still unstable and the question is not if there will be another slide but when.

We saw this rock during the 1.5 km walk through the slide area. It is about the size of the cab of semi-truck. Most of the rock in the area is limestone, but there is also granite, feldspar, and quartz.

We had a great view to the west through the pass part way through the walk. This is Mount Tecumseh.

This picture is Crowsnest Mountain as you look west through the pass.

This is the Back to God Chapel and seats about 12 people.

This is the Burmis Tree and is the most photographed tree in Alberta. It is at the east entrance to the Crowsnest Pass. It is a Limber Pine which died in about 1978 and it was 300 to 700 years old when it died. The town of Burmis, like the tree, is dead. It was a coal town and, when the coal expired, so did the town.

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Posted in Nature in All Its Glory, Photography and tagged crowsnest pass, nature, photography, Rocky Mountains, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Waterfalls! Waterfalls!

Posted on August 3, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

I disconnected yesterday as the Internet was unavailable. It was a dreary day, but we toured parts of the Crowsnest Pass. One stop was Lundbreck Falls. It is a stop you can easily miss, even though it is just off the main highway and visible from the secondary road. I liked it because I was able to get up, close and, personal. My fear of heights did not intervene too much.

This is a spectacular sight, but within 50 metres there is a pool at the base of the rock cliff where fly casting is possible.

Kathy took this shot from above the falls. I did not go on the overview platform.

Waterton has many waterfalls. Cameron Falls is on the outskirts of the town site and I was able to see it from below and climbed a bit to see it from above.

The red in the rock is from iron oxide deposits. The view below is from a stairway that goes up the hill along the falls.

Some waterfalls in Waterton are less accessible. Kathy took these pictures on the walk around Cameron Lake. The mountain, on the Montana side of the lake, is Mount Custer. It is named for a surveyor, Henry Custer, who worked in the area.

The source of the waterfalls is the snow pack on the mountain.

We hiked into Blakiston Falls which are bridal veil falls as they resemble a bride’s veil. I saw the falls from a distance and Kathy, the mountain goat she is, was able to get closer. This was my view and I was sitting on the ground.

Kathy took this picture from the platform almost directly above the falls.

Platform at bridal falls

The terror drains energy

View through others eyes.

Have a great August 3 wherever you are.

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Posted in Haiku, Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged cameron falls, haiku, Mindful Practice, mount custer, nature, photography, poetry, Rocky Mountains, waterton lakes national park. Bookmark the permalink.

Another Day in Paradise

Posted on August 1, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

It was a less eventful day today with no bear sightings. We saw some deer late in the day, but they were in a hurry to get somewhere so did stop for pictures. What I have are some pictures of the natural beauty of Waterton Lakes National Park.

As we drove south from Pincher Creek, this is the view of the mountains before a person drives into them. The sign says, “Where prairie meets the mountains” and they do.

This was a similar view, without the bales, later the same day just before sunset.

And, if you give it a few minutes, this is what it looks like.

Sun embraces mountains

The sky in peaceful fury

Signals the day’s end.

This is the view from the beach at the town site of Mount Vimy. Can you imagine waking up to this every day? It would be pretty intense, but 88 people do everyday. According to Stats Can that is the official year round population of Waterton.

This is a view from the boat of the approach to the American side of Waterton Lake.

This is at Kootenai Lake which was at the end of our hike into Glacier National. The ramparts are spectacular.

Rise above it all

Magnificent natural ramparts

We feel safe below.

This is across Kootenai Lake. We waited but the moose did not show himself. He was there five minutes before we arrived.

At the end of the day, just before we left the town site, the moon appeared above Vimy.

Fair maiden appears

Light for evening’s journey

Keep us safe til morn.

Have a great August 1.

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Posted in Haiku, Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged haiku, nature, photography, poetry, Rocky Mountains, teacher as transformer, waterton lake, waterton lakes national, waterton lakes national park. Bookmark the permalink.

Waterton Lakes National Park Day 2

Posted on July 31, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

We are back from day 2 of our Waterton Lakes National Park adventures. Yesterday, I commented on International Peace Park that within reason animals are right there and pose for you. We were unable to post our one bear sighting. Despite poor vision, bears hear very well our sighting was from the boat. As we moved closer, the bear heard us and headed for cover. We only took pictures of his rear end from a distance. Today we had two bear sightings.

This was our first sighting. This bear was about 100 metres away on a hillside as we left town. It is a fair-sized and is brown, but is likely a black bear and not a grizzly. What we could see of the snout and head does not look quite right and it is missing the hump on the back. Here is another view.

Grizzly bear are generally solitary and do not like humans around them where black bear are more likely to approach areas with humans around.

This sign is at the Cameron Lake trail and refers to the area beyond as a ‘grizzly’s garden’ and care is needed beyond this point.

Here is a haiku for grizzly bear we did not see, but we know is out there.

Grizzly’s home and garden

Tread gently and carefully

Grizzly habitat.

Our good fortune was not done. We spotted another black bear on another hillside on our way back from Red Rock Canyon. This one is younger and smaller and is definitely a black bear. I would guess it was born a year ago this past spring.

You can see the snout and the ‘piggy eyes’ of the bear. They are members of the same family as the pig. The ears stick up more and the grizzly would have ears that are ‘teddy bear like’ and stick out from the side of a very large head.

Not all animals we met were as intimidating.

This sheep was about 2 metres from the car and just looked up to have its picture taken.

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Posted in Haiku, Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Poetry, Uncategorized and tagged haiku, nature, poetry, Rocky Mountains, waterton lakes national park. Bookmark the permalink.

International Peace Park

Posted on July 30, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Kathy and I wanted to travel down to Glacier National Park, Montana, but the logistics were challenging. We put this on the back burner this year and traveled to Waterton Lakes National Park in the southwest corner of Alberta. The two parks combine and form the first International Peace Park and are often called the Crown of the Continent, but there is no easy way to see both without a lot of traveling or so we thought. Luck intervened and we found our way down to Glacier National Park.

In national parks you can get up close and personal with the wildlife. They are still wild and skittish, but as long as you are careful they stay and. I took this picture just outside the ticket offices for the boat tours. She grazed, let several of us take pictures, and we were within a couple of metres (five or six feet) of her.

Oh my dear, it’s a deer.

We were able to travel to Glacier via an alternate mode of transportation: a boat. This is the US International, an 85-year-old boat, that makes four round trips on Waterton Lake to the south end. Part way through the trip, we crossed into the US and Kathy and I chose to stay for a couple of hours to do some hiking.

An icon of Waterton is the Prince of Wales Hotel. It was built in 1927 and overlooks the lake. It is open from mid-June until mid-September. We have missed it on other trips due to traveling in the off-season, but this year we are stopping for ‘high tea.’ This is a view from the boat.

When Kathy and I got to the US port of entry at Goat’s Haunt, we stayed and hiked into a small alpine lake called Kootenai. It is about an 8 km walk (5 miles) and took about 2.5 hours. This is the ranger station and border crossing. We showed passports and answered routine questions.

This is a view from the path along the way.

Nature’s cathedral

Light dances with shadows below

A benediction.

This was a small stream we passed over twice. The flow of water has worn the rock flat. Nature is rich with paradox.

Life’ rapid current

Smoothing and shining rough edges

Until next rough spot.

We are off for another day of adventure.

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Posted in Haiku, Mindful Life, Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged Glacier National Park, glacier national park montana, international peace park, Mindful Practice, poetry, Rocky Mountains, sabbath, teacher as transformer, waterton lakes national park. Bookmark the permalink.

Sabbath in Waterton Lakes National Park

Posted on July 29, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Shimon who posts at The Human Picture left a comment on my post Sabbath’s Circle. I am grateful for his explanation of the roots of the word ‘sabbath’ which indicates sitting. It is always good to know what the roots of words are so when we use them we understand them more fully and, when I sit with something in quiet time, it finds its way into my practice.

Kathy and I will drive to Waterton Lakes National Park and I will enjoy my day of disconnecting in a place that is important to us. We spent part of our honeymoon there and it is a special place for us. I am looking forward to spending time in a special place full of God’s many gifts. We are not sure what we will do, but the next 3 days we will just let intuition guide us.

This is a view from about 50 km (30 miles) away from what we will be re-exploring.

I will have more to post when I return on Monday.

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Posted in Mindful Life, Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Reflective Moments, Uncategorized and tagged Mindful Practice, nature, outdoors, Rocky Mountains, sabbath, travel, vacation, waterton lakes national park. Bookmark the permalink.

Granite Fortress

Posted on July 11, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

This is the Rocky Mountains as I looked southwest at Pincher Creek, Alberta. They are spectacular, but as you move towards them and Waterton Lakes National Park they are more majestic. Several years ago, I drove back through Browning, Montana and crossed the border south of Cardston, Alberta. As I drove north, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the solid face of the granite rising out of the prairie floor. Seeing nature’s glory is humbling.

Rock reaches

Steel gray granite

Rises from prairie

Skyward bound.

I am insignificant

In this place.

Mountains,

Walled guardians

Impenetrable reminders of real gifts.

I am taking a short break, so have a great July 13, 2012.

Nature and Progress

Posted on July 2, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Kathy and I stopped as we passed through Brocket Alberta which is between Fort Macleod and Pincher Creek on the way to Spokane. I took these pictures with the camera on my PDA. Brocket is the home to the Pikani First Nation or the Peigan Nation.

Mountains,sky, clouds

A backdrop

Winged machines

March across the prairie

Product of human hand

Point us towards

A river

Seemingly without pattern, yet poetic

Finding its way, as planned

By unseen hands

Of A Creator.

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Posted in Mindful Life, Nature in All Its Glory, Photography, Poetry, Reflective Moments, Uncategorized and tagged Mindful Practice, mindfulness, nature, Rocky Mountains, spirituality, teacher as transformer. Bookmark the permalink.

Touching Mountains

Posted on June 30, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

We are traveling to Spokane this weekend so I can continue the doctoral journey. We go through Fernie British Columbia which is a small town in the mountains.

These were not my best pictures, but they resonated with me on another level.

Touch the evening sky

Two shades of grey become one

Slowly day joins night.

the last gold flecks dance

bidding farewell to daylight

night gently arrives.

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Posted in Mindful Life, Photography, Poetry, Reflective Moments and tagged leadership, mindfulness, nature, poetry, Rocky Mountains, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Haiku Haven

Posted on June 16, 2012 by ivonprefontaine

Each year, we learn about Haiku in our classroom. I was fortunate this year. We began the process during the fall when the Harvest Moon was in full glory. Driving to work in the morning, the Moon would be sitting above the horizon or in the evening it appeared as a rich, orange orb almost asking me to reach and touch it. I also drove through the Rockies just before the school year began and Mount Robson was in full majesty with a tiny wisp of cloud.

It had been several years since I heard a student say, “Poetry is stupid. My dad says it is a waste of time” or words to that effect. This year I heard it. I even had one parent tell me it was a waste of time. I calmly pointed out writing out poetry, in general, is the practice of choosing the right word and Haiku takes this one step further, at least I think it does. What I left unsaid, but is worthy of saying, poetry is always present, is part of being mindful, and being in the world.

Those mornings and evenings I observed the moon I found words pressing forward and asked to be shared. I wrote these on the whiteboard as an exercise of being mindful and present.

Majestically,

Touching endless sky above

Roots firmly grounded.