canada eh

Benjie just said that everything is slow in canada. specifically the internet.

we just got into banff tonight on our 2 day return trip to calgary. Im actually ready to get home. I have a bunch of PC stuff i need to get done and, although its been fun, this hasnt been the most relaxing of vacations. i guess that part of the problem is that i messed up my hamstring and havent been able to do to much. It tightened up on me on tuesday as i was walking back to our condo from a hike. i went on this early morning hike with monica and mom on wednesday-- that was bad.

but on thursday we went up into Kootaney (?) national park to see some stuff. we saw these mud pots that produced ochre, and we went on a 3k-ish hike through this burned out forest to this little canyon. there was a massive forest fire about 9 years ago so all the trees were dead, but there were flowers and lots of undergrowth so it was really neat to walk through.
we saw a bull moose and a family of mountain goats along the road. there were black tailed deer everywhere.

on the way back we soaked in these hot springs.

that was the last hiking i was able to do until today, when i scrambled up this scree slope along one of the highest waterfalls in canada

i was also able to hike along Lake Louise. google it and you'll recognize it immediately. photogenic spot.

going to Lake Louise really kind of pissed me off. the lake is fed by several glaciers, the lowest of which is almost gone, and some of the upper ones too. I had been to Lake Louise about 20 years ago and the vague memories I had of the place included a LOT more glaciers than what there are now. the far end of the lake, where the glacial streams come in, is turning into a delta because there isnt enough water anymore to carry away all the sediment. Maybe even in my lifetime, that brilliant sky blue lake will become a clay bog. Once the glaciers are gone, it will be a clay bog with a seasonal snow melt stream running through it over looked by a ritzy hotel.
In other words, I could see the effect of global warming right before my eyes. You can look at something 80+ years of photographs of that lake and see the same thing. and people still argue that global warming is some conspiracy/isnt true etc etc. the causes of global warming are debatable, but I find it interesting that the decline of Lake Louise has obviously begun since the industrial age. the simple fact of the matter is that denying global warming is asinine.

so are RVs, but I need to let that rant stew a little more

anyway, the canadian rockies are gorgeous. we drove up through the columbia river valley and thats pretty gorgeous too.