WESTWARD TO THE MAJESTIC CANADIAN ROCKIES

welcome to chateau hutter for another travel adventure let us see where our journey will take us our journey starts at the lake of the woods in western ontario and continues westward 150 miles to winnipeg metropolis of manitoba then westward 800 miles through saskatchewan into alberta and lake louise in the canadian rockies there are more freshwater lakes in canada than in any other country on earth more than three thousand lakes are to be found between port arthur and winnipeg and the lake of the woods is the largest most of the lake is in ontario but part of it extends west into manitoba many sportsmen from the middle west come to this lake area for its wonderful fishing and hunting most of the land in this area is covered with rock however many beautiful wildflowers like the marsh marigold are plentiful we are impressed as we visit winnipeg and see it's a huge legislative building surrounded by lovely gardens outstanding stores are also impressive the origin of the name winnipeg is reputed to have come from the indian cree name given to the lake 45 miles north wind meaning muddy and nippy water the moving of buildings seems to be more streamlined here than in any city i have ever visited winnipeg is the capital of productive manitoba where mile after mile of golden grain is to be seen as we speed westward over a good paved highway canada is too far north to grow corn is grain so the small grains oats barley and especially wheat are of prime importance canadian wheat is shipped all over the world as in the united states the combine is rapidly taking over the task of harvesting grain however it is still possible to see many thrashing crews at work while the growing season is shorter in canada especially in the outposts of agriculture the daylight hours are longer so that crops grow fast and yields of 50 bushels of wheat are common 400 miles north of edmonton alberta as we head westward we pass a field with an unusual and beautiful crop sunflowers which are being raised for their seed which has a ready market continuing westward across saskatchewan we enter alberta and approach the rockies it is the fall of the year and soon the snow and cold of winter will be on hand it is always thrilling to come upon a flock of sheep as we drive along a highway in western america these sheep have spent the summer high in the cool mountain ranges where grass is available for grazing with the approach of october it is time for the shepherds to bring their flocks down from the mountains to winter feeding areas where a portion of the flock will be called and shipped to market surprisingly enough the sheep generally seem to be used to modern traffic and do not pay too much attention to motor vehicles to pass a flock like this all you have to do is to proceed at about five miles an hour and the sheep will make way for you just about when you are sure you're going to bump one usually one or two shepherds on horseback assisted by a dog or two can handle and drive hundreds of sheep without much difficulty the fall of the year in alberta is not much different from the fall of the year in montana usually the weather is warm in the day and chilly at night but don't be too surprised if you wake up some morning and go outside your hotel and find that there was a snow storm during the night across the mountains on the pacific ocean the climate is much warmer here at vancouver we watch the ship from the orient being unloaded those who watch with us are still wearing their summer clothing vancouver is canada's only major port on the west coast it is a busy port and we see ships from everywhere returning eastward we are greeted by some of the tame wildlife as we enter yoho national park shortly after leaving golden these hungry ground squirrels are a feature in just about every national park in the west to a lesser extent the same may be said about the black bears the literature and the signs in the canadian national parks like those in the united states warn the visitor that bears are wild animals and unpredictable however in canada like in the united states tourists pay little attention to signs with the result that many are injured every year if you insist on ignoring the signs and must feed the bears thus contributing to their delinquency stay in your car open the window a little and throw the food on the road in this way only the finish on your car is likely to be scratched likewise it is wiser and much safer to photograph them from inside of your car even though the camera angle may not be all you desire this also applies to moose i should practice what i preach and when this mother moose turned and charged me i wish i had for there are a few more dangerous animals and a female moose with young watch for the charge entering bamf national park we pass a mount eisenhower named for our president our destination is lake louise one of the most beautiful lakes we have ever seen our hearts beat faster each time we make a pilgrimage to this beautiful place the lake like all beautiful creations has many moods it may be obscured in a blinding snow storm or fog and a short time later the sun will come out and light it up in exquisite pastel shades you sit and contemplate the beautiful peaceful scene before you when suddenly there is an angry roar and you are startled to see a portion of the glacier at the back of the lake plunge hundreds of feet carrying an avalanche along with it there are many precious jewel-like lakes in these most beautiful of north american mountains but of all of them lake louise is the rarest gem its beauty is enhanced by its lovely setting and the fact that it is as accessible as a city park for here in the wilds of the canadian rockies you may enjoy this scenic wonder from the comfortable lounge of the huge chateau which is no more primitive than the waldorf astoria you are not just limited to looking at this wonder without touching for you can ride many trails on a fine riding horse but better yet you can hike along an easy shore path and climb up to the foot of the glacier by easy stages hesitating now and then to whistle back at a whistling marmot near the end of the trail you will find a charming little tea house where you may enjoy refreshments probably the most beautiful mountain highway in america leads north from lake louise and banff national park to jasper national park along this road one gets more intimate contact with these awe-inspiring peaks and glaciers these jagged pinnacles ice formation clouds lakes and forests give one the feeling that he's seen the ultimate in alpine beauty after leaving lake louise the motorist is more or less on his own until he reaches jasper 149 miles distant there are no concessions or hot dog stands along the way there are however benches and tables alongside smaller but more spectacular lakes than louise we stop at one of these lakes to enjoy lunch and breathe in the crisp mountaineer the problems of the world are forgotten in this haven of peace we were not there very long before we had some cute feathered visitors looking for a free handout we could not help but thinking how other creatures have adopted the customs of humans the business-like way they went about receiving their foreign aid convinced us that they were old hands at the game of handout or should i say beak out they provided us with lively entertainment so we feel we were well compensated for the crackers they ate continuing northward we get closer and closer to these slowly moving rivers of ice called glaciers it seems that north america is slowly becoming warmer and these glaciers retreat a little each year the river of ice turns into a rushing torrent of water adding greatly to the beauty of the alpine landscape we are north of the continental divide and these waters will flow neither to the atlantic nor to the pacific but north to the arctic ocean as we enter at jasper national park we reach the columbia ice field the center of the greatest known accumulation of ice in the rocky mountains it covers an area of nearly 130 square miles the columbia ice field is the source of three great rivers the 765 mile long athabasca a tributary of the mackenzie river which flows into the arctic ocean the saskatchewan which eventually reaches hudson bay and the columbia which flows into the pacific the present glaciers are the remnants of the continental ice cap which once covered a large part of the northern half of this continent these glaciers are receding at the rate of over 100 feet per year and will disappear in a few centuries if this rate is maintained and so we come to the end of another travel adventure