I'm watching you

Shakespeare is a guard dog in..where else...a bookstore.  You can tell he takes his work seriously by the look in his eyes.  Or maybe he didn't like his picture taken with a flash.  Shakespeare works by intimidation because he's too large to move fast.

A rainbow?? Really??

Lydia surveys the Athabasca Glacier...in the rain

This rainbow appeared after our fifth day of rain ended.

REVELSTOKE, BC, CAN - - Last night's rainbow proved to be a good omen.  We spent today wandering around Revelstoke.  First, to the Saturday Farmer's Market where we picked up some chocolate chip banana bread; then to a t-shirt shop which had some good looking designs so we each added a shirt to our collections.  Finally, when the Indian restaurant we had figured for lunch wasn't open we then opted to visit the Village Idiot for some grub. 

Rainy daze catch-up

Camp condo keeps us dry in Jasper

End of the trail in Edith Cavell meadows

The rain clouds hang on the mountains of the Icefields Parkway

REVELSTOKE, BC, CAN - - The sun is shining, it's 70 degrees...why are we inside blogging??  To catch up while our things continue to dry out.  Four days rain in Jasper and another day of rain on our way to Revelstoke provided plenty of soggy adventures.
     Our camping condo consisted of our 10x10 easy-up and a 12x24 tarp.  We were the envy of Whistler campground.  That is until we had to take down things and stow them wet.  The EzUp can be covered by large garbage bags; the tarp is now stuffed into the wood bin while we figure a way and find a big enough space to lay it out.
    Our luck held at Edith Cavell...as we got ready for a hike it started raining.  Four miles later (2-up/2-down) it was still raining and we were quite soaked.  I might be smiling in the middle photo, but the wind is howling and it is raining steadily.
     On the day we left, it was still raining.  The clouds hung heavily on the mountains lining the Icefields Parkway, sometimes seeming to blend into the glaciers

Icefields Parkway clouds

JASPER, AB, CAN - - We've been in Jasper for two cloudy and rainy days.  It wasn't much better on the way up the Icefields Parkway.  One of our favorite stops along the way is the Num-ti-ja Lodge.  When you're surrounded by mountains, glaciers and a large lake, it doesn't get much better.  The light was crappy for color photos, but in black and white the mountain and clouds look imposing. 

Roll another one, just like the other one

LAKE LOUISE, AB, CAN - -  Cattle ranching is big in the part of Alberta we drove through on our way here to  LL.   There's a lot of 'roll your own' in the hay fields prior to the onset of winter.  Hay bales 'don't do it' in this neck of the woods.  Hence , fields covered with large rolls of winter fodder.  Visions of the 'big blunts' of yesteryear.                                 

It's raining

One last Montana shot....Home on the range; and the mountains and the clouds

Lake Louise in all her splendor with Victoria Glacier as a back drop.

LAKE LOUISE, AB, CN.  We're hanging out in the upstairs lounge of the International Hostel in LL.  If you're not staying here (which we aren't) you use the food approach to get the wi-fi password.  Go into the Bill Peyto restaurant, order sweep potato fries and coffee and $12 later you have the password.  On the history side, Peyto was a famous 'mountain man' in this area.
     We're four days into our wandering around which will get us home sometime in Oct.  The Icefields Parkway, 120 miles of Canadian Rockies scenery, is next before we get to Jasper.  Between the ritual of getting campsites (see Lydia's blog) and finding wi-fi, we're having plenty of adventure.

Back to wandering

CANMORE, ALBERTA, CAN - - We left West Glacier on Tuesday morning and are now wandering our way to Banff, Jasper and points west in Canada until we reach the area around Vancouver, BC.  Three summers in Glacier NP have passed into memories.  Now it's time for new adventures.  The first of which is finding places with wi-fi.  In Canada these are scarce.  Fortunately, we've been to this bagel shop in Canmore before...and it's still here and busier than ever.  So, posts over the next two weeks or so may be sporadic at best.        

Wow! Look at that funny creature sitting on the rock

WEST GLACIER, MT - - Standoff!   This inquisitive Hoary marmot checked out Lydia and got so close she couldn't take his picture with the telephoto lens she was using.  Fortunately, her loyal sherpa was nearby to document the moment.

Nose-y critters and high lights

Hoary marmot nibbling his way around

These evergreens smell sooo goood

Maybe just one nibble

Hidden Lake with Gun Sight Pass in the (center) background

Beams of sunlight try to break through the clouds above Logan Pass

WEST GLACIER, MT - - We fueled up with an early breakfast at Logan Pass - - coffee and huckleberry bear claws - - before our short hike to Hidden Lake Overlook.  There were plenty of clouds before the sun finally broke through.  While the view of Hidden Lake was impressive, the antics of several local residents was what made the hike very worthwhile.  The Hoary marmots came with in feet of us; the Colombian ground squirrels did the same and so did a male mountain goat. It seemed everyone was out the enjoy the sun and the wild flowers.

Big Mountain

Where are we??

Fireweed with Glacier NP on the horizon

Whitefish, Whitefish Lake and the high $$ houses on Big Mountain

Huckleberry bear claw breakfast of champions

WEST GLACIER, MT - - Today's grocery stock-up trip to Whitefish also took us the the Huckleberry Art Festival.  We added a side trip to Big Mountain, as the locals call it or Whitefish Mountain Resort if you want the business name.
     Our chair lift trip to the top (super seniors 70-plus half price) was a lot quicker/easier than the nearly 4-mile hike up.  We watched mountain bikers tackle some newly opened trails and then wandered around to find a vantage point where we could see the lake.
     Earlier, the walk through the art festival produced plenty of ideas on items we would like but don't have room for.  Fortunately, there was plenty of room for the huckleberry bear claws.

Slightly boring

WEST GLACIER, MT - - It's been pretty quiet lately.  Almost boring, in fact.  Almost.  We had a couple of days at work where Mother Nature decided to liven things up by dumping heavy rain on us along with shrouding the upper mountain in fog.  Going To The Sun road is 'enough fun' in bright sunshine. Throw in the fog and the road becomes a test of guts, skill and the ability to see where the road goes even when you can't really see.
     Other than that, we've done some wandering around but the photo opportunities of interesting items just didn't seem to be there.  We're off again right now so maybe something will turn up.