After a busy and eventful first half of 2016, Abhishek and I were ready for a vacation by August. We embarked on our favorite kind of vacation - a mega road trip! In this road trip we paid homage to some of the oldest and most famous National Parks - Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks in the US, and Banff and Waterton National Parks in Canada. With our bags hastily stuffed, and a couple of audio books, we were ready to hit the road, and leave the hustle and bustle of the bay area behind!
Day 0: Heading out of the bay area
Origin: Mountain View, CA
Destination: Fernly, NV
Distance: 300 miles
Destination: Fernly, NV
Distance: 300 miles
We set off around 3-4pm in the afternoon. While we were quite ready to leave the bay area behind and get started on our vacation, the bay area wasn't that willing to let us go!
The difference between setting off on a road trip in the movies, and real life :)
The difference between setting off on a road trip in the movies, and real life :)
Abhishek has a funny comment about traffic: Only the people causing it complain about it :D Thankfully, we arrived at our destination for the night - Fernly, a small town beyond Reno, at a reasonable hour, made plans for the upcoming day and hit the sack.
Day 1: Driving to Grand Teton
Origin: Fernly, NV
Destination: Victor, ID
Distance: 770 miles
Destination: Victor, ID
Distance: 770 miles
Day 1 saw us driving through the bleak desert landscape of Nevada, crossing through the Vegas wannabe - Reno. It always strikes me as strange that they chose to build these large, glittering casinos in the middle of the desert. After a few hours of driving, the landspace started getting a little interesting with a hill or two appearing now and then. Around late afternoon we came to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The salt flats is a remnant of Lake Bonneville and is spread out over 40 sq. km. The flats are famous for speed racing, and some cars around us seem to hit 100 miles/hr. The flats, like fresh snow, were a deep, almost hurtful sparkling white, and it was surreal driving on the them.
We made our way up the Teton range later that evening. Dusk had fallen as we drove through the Teton foothills with tall dense trees hugging the side of the road. Plus a storm was setting in - But, we had miles to go before we could sleep, had miles to go before we could sleep! There were signs warning us of wild life crossings every few miles along the way, and we did see a few pairs of eyes glinting at us through the trees. We nervously checked our fuel tank first and the miles remaining next. We'd seen a bear just beside our car on a trip last year to Mammoth Lakes. Talking about that trip while keeping our eyes peeled, we arrived at our destination for the night.
Day 2: Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming encompasses the Teton Mountain range. The Snake river cuts through the length of the oval shaped park, continuously sculpting and transforming the landscape. The Teton park road and US-199 make a meandering loop around the park with many picturesque pullouts. Some pictures of the lovely drive around the park:
Grand Teton is home to some of the oldest rocks found in US National Parks - aging almost 2.7 billion years, which are on the surface of the mountains - not buried deep below! Maybe we would stumble on some dinosaur bones?? That would make the whole trip soo much more exciting :D
Human civilization in the Grand Teton dates back to more than 11,000 years ago. There were posters around the park which illustrated the scene in front of us as it might have been when the Tetons were home to the Shoshone. The illustrations showed tall, broad shouldered men with elaborate headgear riding on fine horses bringing home their kill of the day, primarily deer and rabbits. They showed women dressed in long gowns bathing children in the Snake River, cooking dinner on open flames and mending tents. Somehow that scene seemed more majestic and alive as compared to folks in SUV's looking through DSLRs and binoculars!
There first white settlers arrived in the Tetons at the close of the 19th century, and the Mormon row was their home. There were a few images near Mormon row, and of course my vivid imagination can fill in when media content is unavailable/lacking. The men worked the land together and women shared household work. At Mormon row you can still see some of these old, now dilapidated, houses. Today of course, no one lives there. It's incredible to think of the hard life of yesteryears, and how cut off people were from one another. You can only marvel at their strength and resilience - the harsh weather, no food available other than what they grew, no sophisticated medical supplies, and they probably saw hardly anyone other than the few families that lived there.
There first white settlers arrived in the Tetons at the close of the 19th century, and the Mormon row was their home. There were a few images near Mormon row, and of course my vivid imagination can fill in when media content is unavailable/lacking. The men worked the land together and women shared household work. At Mormon row you can still see some of these old, now dilapidated, houses. Today of course, no one lives there. It's incredible to think of the hard life of yesteryears, and how cut off people were from one another. You can only marvel at their strength and resilience - the harsh weather, no food available other than what they grew, no sophisticated medical supplies, and they probably saw hardly anyone other than the few families that lived there.
Finally, no trip to a national park is complete without some hiking and connecting with nature. We did the beautiful Inspiration point hike. We reached the trailhead by taking a 10 minute cruise across Jenny Lake. Inspiration point gave us a wonderful view over the sprawling Teton valley (picture on the top right is atop Signal Mountain).
We finished the hike later that evening, and with that our day in Grand Teton drew to a close. It's a beautiful park, with rugged mountains, sprawling valleys and large, pristine lakes. It was also not as crowded as some of the more popular national parks. As we were leaving the park, Abhishek and I were saying we'll definitely return here sometime.
Day 3: Yellowstone National Park
The next day we went to the grand mama of 'em all: the oldest national park in the world - Yellowstone! Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park preserves the Yellowstone plateau. The plateau sits at 8,000 ft above sea level and is enveloped on all four sides by the Rocky Mountain Range. The park is home to hundreds of species of birds and animals and has the largest concentration of geothermal features in the world. And if that is not enough, it's sprawling valley has canyons, rivers and lakes and mountain ranges. Of all the national parks I've visited so far (around 18), this park is probably my favorite. The diversity in landscapes, geology and wildlife is just incredible. One of the few ecosystems to have been maintained nearly intact over time, at Yellowstone you can really see landscapes and life on a grand canvas as nature intended it!
The park road traverses the breadth of the park and is shaped like a figure 8, spanning 142 miles. The geothermal features of the park are predominantly in the lower loop, while the canyon, valley and waterfalls are the highlights in the upper loop.
The Yellowstone caldera is the largest volcanic system in North America and sits above a gigantic, singly connected magma chamber. The Gypsy Guide (a fabulous travel app for Yellowstone) told us that many things come together to create the unique hydro geothermal features of the park. Firstly there are plentiful water sources at Yellowstone which is brought about by the park being surrounded by high mountains; the earth's crust at Yellowstone is relatively thin and is constantly shifting, allowing geysers to break through the surface; and finally there is a gigantic pool of superheated, boiling magma just beneath the surface which superheats the water as it flows down, which then erupts in spectacular formations.
The boiling earth below creates some unique geological, hydro thermal features which can be grouped into roughly 5 categories:
The boiling earth below creates some unique geological, hydro thermal features which can be grouped into roughly 5 categories:
Geysers
Yellowstone is most famous for it's geysers and has one of the highest concentrations of geysers in the world, the most famous one being Old Faithful. Named in 1870 by the Washburn expedition, Old Faithful is one of the most predictable geysers in the world, and it's eruptions can be predicated to within 10 minutes. At the time we visited Yellowstone, Old Faithful was erupting every 1.5 hours.
The working of a geyser is very similar to a pressure cooker. There is an intricate set of valves underneath the earth through which water seeps down. As this water comes into contact with the hot magma chamber beneath it starts boiling. However it is not able to expand due to the pressure of the cooler water above. This causes the water to become super-heated and convert to steam, which then explodes above the earth's surface.
The pictures of these geysers don't do them justice. They're such an incredible natural phenomenon, and really have to be witnessed in person. The surface appears so calm initially, with nothing much happening, when suddenly you hear a gurgling sound and jet stream of water blasts above the surface shooting out almost 200 meters and pumping thousands of gallons of water in the air. It stops as suddenly as it starts, with an eruption lasting 1-2 minutes. A truly incredible experience!
Yellowstone is most famous for it's geysers and has one of the highest concentrations of geysers in the world, the most famous one being Old Faithful. Named in 1870 by the Washburn expedition, Old Faithful is one of the most predictable geysers in the world, and it's eruptions can be predicated to within 10 minutes. At the time we visited Yellowstone, Old Faithful was erupting every 1.5 hours.
The working of a geyser is very similar to a pressure cooker. There is an intricate set of valves underneath the earth through which water seeps down. As this water comes into contact with the hot magma chamber beneath it starts boiling. However it is not able to expand due to the pressure of the cooler water above. This causes the water to become super-heated and convert to steam, which then explodes above the earth's surface.
The pictures of these geysers don't do them justice. They're such an incredible natural phenomenon, and really have to be witnessed in person. The surface appears so calm initially, with nothing much happening, when suddenly you hear a gurgling sound and jet stream of water blasts above the surface shooting out almost 200 meters and pumping thousands of gallons of water in the air. It stops as suddenly as it starts, with an eruption lasting 1-2 minutes. A truly incredible experience!
Near Castle Geyser.
Hot Springs
The other feature that was spectacular were the Hot Springs. These are giant pools of brilliantly colored heated water. The colors are formed by bacteria in the water, and increase in brilliance towards the center of the pool. The most famous Hot Spring is the Giant Prismatic Spring.
The other feature that was spectacular were the Hot Springs. These are giant pools of brilliantly colored heated water. The colors are formed by bacteria in the water, and increase in brilliance towards the center of the pool. The most famous Hot Spring is the Giant Prismatic Spring.
Travertine terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs
At the north west corner of Yellowstone, sits a series of travertine terraces made by hot springs over thousands of years. Travertine is a form of limestone that is deposited by the hot springs as the superheated water cools at the surface. The terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs had a rich tan and cream color with streams flowing over them.
At the north west corner of Yellowstone, sits a series of travertine terraces made by hot springs over thousands of years. Travertine is a form of limestone that is deposited by the hot springs as the superheated water cools at the surface. The terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs had a rich tan and cream color with streams flowing over them.
Furmaroles and Mudpots
Furmaroles are steam vents where super heated water erupts simply as steam. They are the hottest areas of the park.
A mudpot is an acidic hot spring with very little water. Bacteria and the heat break down rocks and soil to form clay. The overall appearance is of boiling mud accompanied by a foul smell (given off by the bacteria as they break down the soil).
The Norris geyser basin stretching out behind us has a variety of geothermal features.
Furmaroles are steam vents where super heated water erupts simply as steam. They are the hottest areas of the park.
A mudpot is an acidic hot spring with very little water. Bacteria and the heat break down rocks and soil to form clay. The overall appearance is of boiling mud accompanied by a foul smell (given off by the bacteria as they break down the soil).
The Norris geyser basin stretching out behind us has a variety of geothermal features.
I'd bought a fitbit just a few days before this trip. In all this walking around to see these geothermal features, a fitbitted my way to 20,000 steps! :) I haven't hit that number again, maybe it's time for the next vacation ... :)
Day 4: Yellowstone Day 2
The next day we drove through the eastern side of the park. The day started with a grey, depressing view of a forest laid to waste by fire. However, Gypsy guide reassured us that despite the dreary appearance, everything in the forest loved forest fires and the cleaning effect it had. He said that forest fires cleared out old growth forests which tend to have tall, unruly trees as well as dead logs from the forest floor. This allows sunlight to reach the forest floor, which then helps new plants and shrubs to grow. Herbivores love to eat these fresh plants, and carnivores soon follow. Animals find it easier to maneuver with improved visibility and a cleaner forest floor.
It struck me as quite remarkable that the forest loves this spring cleaning, and proverbially rising from the ashes. Anything that destroys human property is viewed as a calamity. I've often wondered if we're still part of nature after we as a species developed consciousness. Our ways of life sometimes seem so alien to what animals do - deep family bonds, attachment to belongings, a need for purpose, legacy etc..
It struck me as quite remarkable that the forest loves this spring cleaning, and proverbially rising from the ashes. Anything that destroys human property is viewed as a calamity. I've often wondered if we're still part of nature after we as a species developed consciousness. Our ways of life sometimes seem so alien to what animals do - deep family bonds, attachment to belongings, a need for purpose, legacy etc..
Gypsy guide also told us about the Lodgepole pine, the dominant tree in the Yellowstone forest and it's remarkable defense mechanism against forest fires. In addition to the normal seeds, the lodgepole pine produces a special resin coated seed. The resin coating can only be broken with extraordinary heat, the likes of which is produced during a forest fire. When the fire subsides, the lodgepole seed is ready to germinate in the fertile soil and is the only one around. This gives the lodgepole trees a head start over all the other flora in the forest, and this is one of the reasons for the lodgepole trees being the dominant trees in the forest. Besides this characteristic, the lodgepole tree is otherwise quite ordinary - it has shallow roots and is prone to falling over in heavy winds, rain or snow. It gets it's strength by growing in tight knit clusters. The lodgepole trees are a shining example of "Survival of the Fittest" and "United we stand, divided we fall". Such a unique evolutionary pattern. This tree rather than becoming stronger on it's own has learnt to recover the fastest in a catastrophe. I was asking Abhishek if investing in gold/bonds/real estate can be likened to this philosophy since these are instruments that can best survive a crash in financial markets :D
We then proceeded onto Yellowstone canyon, and were greeted by this sight! Isn't it true that anything man builds pales in comparison to what is in nature?
When the first white visitors came to the area, they encountered Indian migratory Indian tribes who lived in this area, who called the plateau the "Rock of the Yellow River" which is where the name Yellowstone name comes from. That name is thought to have been given due to the yellow rock of the Yellowstone canyon.
When the first white visitors came to the area, they encountered Indian migratory Indian tribes who lived in this area, who called the plateau the "Rock of the Yellow River" which is where the name Yellowstone name comes from. That name is thought to have been given due to the yellow rock of the Yellowstone canyon.
We bought a photo frame from Yellowstone where this was the picture in the frame. We were looking through our photos and figuring out what to put in it, when I suggested this picture to Abhishek. When we were looking at the frame for the size, we realized oh no, we should put something that shows we went there!
We hiked down to the base of the Lower Yellowstone waterfall along a steep set of 400 steps. More pictures from the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone:
We hiked down to the base of the Lower Yellowstone waterfall along a steep set of 400 steps. More pictures from the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone:
This side of Yellowstone felt like a completely different park than what we saw yesterday. There were wide rivers, sweeping valleys and lots of animals soaking in the sun - like this guy below. Gypsy guide also told us the remarkable story of reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone.
We spent a wonderful day driving around the Lamar valley and along the Yellowstone river and lake. It was amazing to think this is how this landscape has been for thousands of years, untouched by human development. Nature here has been allowed to take it's own course, and it's wonderful that this area has been preserved for future generations to enjoy. However, setting aside this land as is was not easily achieved. When Yellowstone was set up as a national park the idea of preservation did not exist, rather industry and society wanted to exploit the land and it's resources as much as possible. Many animals at Yellowstone were hunted to the brink of extinction, and there was intense logging of the forests. It was with the persistence and foresight of a few remarkable men that this park and the National Park Service came into being. The Roosevelt Arch, which we saw as we were leaving Yellowstone, is a fitting tribute to the legislation that created Yellowstone in 1872. The top of the arch is inscribed with the quote "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People."
One of our close friends, Shivani, once told me - "National Parks are America's best kept secret". Secret or not, I am grateful for those men and women who fought for preserving this area. It's an incredible place, and I'm glad we had a chance to see it.
Later that evening we left Yellowstone and drove 300 miles to Missoula, MT our base for Glacier National Park. The drive was gorgeous, with curving roads rising and falling as we crossed hills and valleys. The few houses that dotted the hills intermittently and the road we were driving on were the only signs of civilization around. We also saw a few farms alongside the road, and seeing deer hopping over the fence into the farms was the perfect reminder of how this region was actually a small human settlement in a wild, natural valley. I'm more used to seeing small nature preserves in concrete jungles, while this was a small concrete settlement in the real jungle - and it was better for it!
Driving through such sparsely populated towns, I always try to imagine how our lives might be different. They probably don't check Yelp reviews for restaurants or get their grocery delivered by Amazon Fresh for starters, rather restaurant owners and grocers probably know their customers by name. Someone I went to school with at Purdue, who was from a small town in Indiana, once told me that most of his extended family still lives in and around the town he grew up in. He said that his family would find it a bit surprising if he lived far away. That concept is so strange to me. Just our little nuclear family of 4 have often been split up between different continents, my extended family lives in all continents expect Antartica :D Growing up in India, I think there was a sense of pride of going far beyond your comfort zone and achieving something (especially for my parent's generation). Though thinking about it now, it could have some basis in the fact that accessibility to facilities and conveniences, standards of living and education standards varied widely between cities and towns in India. In the US however living standards appear the same across big cities and small, which is truly an incredible feat. Perhaps because of this, people don't see the need to move elsewhere. The metrics of success, the idea of a good life vary so widely between places. You can only see the bubble you live in when you step outside it! For me, this is a fascinating and fulfilling part of travel - the wonder that comes from seeing a world different from mine, and then rethinking my beliefs and assumptions.
Driving through such sparsely populated towns, I always try to imagine how our lives might be different. They probably don't check Yelp reviews for restaurants or get their grocery delivered by Amazon Fresh for starters, rather restaurant owners and grocers probably know their customers by name. Someone I went to school with at Purdue, who was from a small town in Indiana, once told me that most of his extended family still lives in and around the town he grew up in. He said that his family would find it a bit surprising if he lived far away. That concept is so strange to me. Just our little nuclear family of 4 have often been split up between different continents, my extended family lives in all continents expect Antartica :D Growing up in India, I think there was a sense of pride of going far beyond your comfort zone and achieving something (especially for my parent's generation). Though thinking about it now, it could have some basis in the fact that accessibility to facilities and conveniences, standards of living and education standards varied widely between cities and towns in India. In the US however living standards appear the same across big cities and small, which is truly an incredible feat. Perhaps because of this, people don't see the need to move elsewhere. The metrics of success, the idea of a good life vary so widely between places. You can only see the bubble you live in when you step outside it! For me, this is a fascinating and fulfilling part of travel - the wonder that comes from seeing a world different from mine, and then rethinking my beliefs and assumptions.
Day 5: Glacier National Park
We had halted the previous night at Missoula, MT at a modern, comfortable hotel called Ruby's Inn. The next morning while we were having breakfast at the inn, we sat down adjacent to a table where an elderly man was in conversation with his daughter. Abhishek and I were wolfing down the delicious breakfast, when he turned around and asked us where we were from. Turned out he was the owner of the hotel - Mr. Ruby himself! :) He talked fondly of how he and his now late wife (Ruby) had started the hotel with just a few rooms. Missoula, which is now a bustling town, then only had a single main road running through it, and they were the first hotel in town. He showed us a wall of pictures of his family over the years, and the hotel as it had evolved. It was really nice hearing him reminisce about the old times. In the end he told us, "Me and Ruby, we had a lot of fun!" :)
We checked out after breakfast and proceeded on to the Crown of the Continent - Glacier National Park!
We checked out after breakfast and proceeded on to the Crown of the Continent - Glacier National Park!
Glacier National Park is located in the northern part of Montana, with it's boundary on the US-Canada border. It borders the Waterton Lakes National Park on the Canadian side, and the Waterton-Glacier National Park is the first international peace park in the world. Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if such a park existed across India and Pakistan in Kashmir? :)
The two parks encompass sub-ranges of the Rocky mountains. The mountain ranges are taller with glaciers in their crests on the US side, while the Canadian side has smaller peaks and wide lakes. The area is quite beautiful, and George Grinnell sums it up nicely:
Far away in northwestern Montana, hidden from view by clustering mountain peaks, lies an unmapped corner—the Crown of the Continent. --George Bird Grinnell (1901)
The two parks encompass sub-ranges of the Rocky mountains. The mountain ranges are taller with glaciers in their crests on the US side, while the Canadian side has smaller peaks and wide lakes. The area is quite beautiful, and George Grinnell sums it up nicely:
Far away in northwestern Montana, hidden from view by clustering mountain peaks, lies an unmapped corner—the Crown of the Continent. --George Bird Grinnell (1901)
Going-to-the-sun road is the main park road in Glacier National Park, and cuts through the park across the mountains from east to west. The road is considered one of the best mountain drives in the world, and has it's own wikipedia page (a sure sign of importance ;))
The day was cloudy with a looming threat of rain. Initial disappointment with the weather forecast was quickly forgotten as we saw an almost magical land around us - clouds hugging the mountains and the forest a deep, drenched green. It felt as if we had been transported to a different place and time entirely. Gorgeous sights at every turn, spectacular hiking along the Avalanche Trail - a day of beautiful memories! I told Abhishek - Kahan Aa Gaye Hum :)
The day was cloudy with a looming threat of rain. Initial disappointment with the weather forecast was quickly forgotten as we saw an almost magical land around us - clouds hugging the mountains and the forest a deep, drenched green. It felt as if we had been transported to a different place and time entirely. Gorgeous sights at every turn, spectacular hiking along the Avalanche Trail - a day of beautiful memories! I told Abhishek - Kahan Aa Gaye Hum :)
We retired for the night at the Many Glacier hotel which sits on the shores of the Swiftcurrent Lake, with an expansive view the majestic glacier covered mountains.
The remote, rustic hotel appears in a world of it's own. The real world seems to have passed it by, atleast in bathroom fitments. Instructions for the shower - seemed straight out of Titanic. I can almost hear the maid drawing Rose a bath :D
The hotel strives to give visitors the old world feel of the era the hotel was built in. Was a unique experience staying here. I highly recommend staying here, even if it's pretty much the only option on this side of the park :)
Day 6: Glacier and Waterton National Parks
The next day we were up bright and early to do the Grinnell Glacier hike, and even then we almost missed our boat ride since the camera got left behind in the car parked far away (nothing like some early morning panic to get your heart rate going!). We took two boat rides across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine to get to the trailhead, which sits on the shores of Lake Josephine. The hike climbs steadily over 3.5 miles to reach Grinnell Glacier, which sits at an elevation of 6500 ft above sea level. The hike is frequently rated among the best hikes in US National Parks, and certainly lived up to it's hype! The narrow trail hugs the mountain side as it climbs upwards, traversing thick forests and meadows of flowers. Spectacular views of deep turquoise lakes and the expansive glacier carved valley greeted us at every turn. We were hiking merrily along in tune with the clanging of our bear bells (small bells we'd tied to our backpacks to announce our arrival - I felt like the cattle in this situation), when suddenly we were at the top!
Boat ride across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. Grinnell Glacier, the destination of our hike, can be seen on the slight right off the center of the image.
Boat ride across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. Grinnell Glacier, the destination of our hike, can be seen on the slight right off the center of the image.
Images along the hike. Glacial lakes get their spectacular turquoise color from the glacial silt runoff that deposits on the surface of these lakes and refracts light.
And suddenly we were at the top!
Glacier National Park had 150 glaciers in the mid-19th century. On our boat ride to the base of the Grinnell Glacier Hike our tour guide told us that going by current climate trends all the 25 or so glaciers remaining may all disappear by 2020. This is probably one of the most direct evidence I've seen of climate change. Glad to have seen this park while it was still "Glacier" NP.
The hike down was even more spectacular than the hike up since we weren't huffing and puffing. Some pictures on the way down -
The hike down was even more spectacular than the hike up since we weren't huffing and puffing. Some pictures on the way down -
With our hearts full of gorgeous imagery from the hike, we bid adieu to Glacier National Park and head on our way. Our next destination was the Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada, which borders Glacier NP.
We had a pretty funny experience as we crossed the border. The Canadian border had a sign a little ways from the booth that said STOP here. This border crossing was quite slow with just a few cars waiting in line. None of the 2-3 cars in front of us seemed to notice the sign and drove straight upto the booth as soon as the previous car drove off. Abhishek, the careful person he is (he never fails to notice the tiniest spec I didn't wash off on dishes - I really should start getting him to do the dishes or hide his glasses!), noticed the sign and waited his turn. When we pulled up, the officer boomed out a loud "Congratulations!" to us. In the fraction of the few seconds he took to continue, all sorts of thoughts came into my head - including wondering if we had won some Canadian citizenship lottery (If only I was so fast at thinking about exams/useful stuff). He continued of - "You guys can read! Congratulations! All these people are driving in here as if they're driving into a barn. Thank you for STOPPING!".
An hour later we were in the beautiful Waterton lakes area. The mountains on this side of Glacier are much smaller with rounded peaks. The wide U-shaped glacially covered valley is filled with massive lakes. As we came upon this sight, I squeaked in wonder, telling Abhishek that this is likely the most beautiful sight I've ever seen!
It brought back visions of victorious heros returning to their homes by the sea after fighting pitched battles in Troy and the Lord of the Rings. It also brought a new wave of peace and serenity. Ok, I'll stop. I marveled in awe at the billions of years that have made this beautiful planet what it is today. I mused about how eternal everything around me was (which was helped by the fact that there were no other people here), and what a tiny spec I am. Someone once told me that everyone is forgotten after 200 years, and my amazing brain made the right synaptic connection to bring this thought back to me at the right time. And of course, how many wonders there are to see! #wanderlust
We had a pretty funny experience as we crossed the border. The Canadian border had a sign a little ways from the booth that said STOP here. This border crossing was quite slow with just a few cars waiting in line. None of the 2-3 cars in front of us seemed to notice the sign and drove straight upto the booth as soon as the previous car drove off. Abhishek, the careful person he is (he never fails to notice the tiniest spec I didn't wash off on dishes - I really should start getting him to do the dishes or hide his glasses!), noticed the sign and waited his turn. When we pulled up, the officer boomed out a loud "Congratulations!" to us. In the fraction of the few seconds he took to continue, all sorts of thoughts came into my head - including wondering if we had won some Canadian citizenship lottery (If only I was so fast at thinking about exams/useful stuff). He continued of - "You guys can read! Congratulations! All these people are driving in here as if they're driving into a barn. Thank you for STOPPING!".
An hour later we were in the beautiful Waterton lakes area. The mountains on this side of Glacier are much smaller with rounded peaks. The wide U-shaped glacially covered valley is filled with massive lakes. As we came upon this sight, I squeaked in wonder, telling Abhishek that this is likely the most beautiful sight I've ever seen!
It brought back visions of victorious heros returning to their homes by the sea after fighting pitched battles in Troy and the Lord of the Rings. It also brought a new wave of peace and serenity. Ok, I'll stop. I marveled in awe at the billions of years that have made this beautiful planet what it is today. I mused about how eternal everything around me was (which was helped by the fact that there were no other people here), and what a tiny spec I am. Someone once told me that everyone is forgotten after 200 years, and my amazing brain made the right synaptic connection to bring this thought back to me at the right time. And of course, how many wonders there are to see! #wanderlust
A few other pictures from the park are below. I'm so glad we hiked at a quick pace down the Grinnell Glacier hike (almost running down the last mile to catch the boat ride back). This gave us a few extra hours of day light which enabled us to see a few sights of this gorgeous park.
We halted for the night in Calgary. After a spicy Mexican dinner and a hot shower, we hit the sack.
I dreamed of lakes - large and small, turquoise and blue, that night.
I dreamed of lakes - large and small, turquoise and blue, that night.
Day 7: Banff National Park
The next day we started up our friend on the road - Gypsy Guide App and drove the 2 hours from Calgary to Banff. Banff has a pretty townsite nestled in the mountains, and we spent some time strolling around. The mountains here were smaller in height compared to Glacier NP.
We then proceeded to embark on the "Icefields Parkway" drive. The Icefields Parkway is a 165 mile drive that links Banff and Jasper National Parks. Zigzagging through the Rocky mountains the drive is considered among the best drives in the world. Infact this drive was the sole reason we'd extended our trip by a few days, and made the drive up to Jasper from Glacier NP. And boy was it worth it!
Our first stop on the drive was the famed Lake Louise. The lake was a deep turquoise color, similar to other glacially fed lakes we'd seen in Glacier National Park, and was ringed by mountains on three sides. Some pictures are below. The lake was pretty crowded when we visited. The lack of other people in these pictures is primarily the result of patience. We finally got 1 picture where no one ran across :)
I was telling Abhishek, this careful shot taking is the root cause of the whole wanderlust movement that has gripped our generation - no one ever shares pictures of a ton of people everywhere, which is actually the reality. Our little house felt far more spacious than the majestic Lake Louise. I think I also spotted someone selling chana!
Our first stop on the drive was the famed Lake Louise. The lake was a deep turquoise color, similar to other glacially fed lakes we'd seen in Glacier National Park, and was ringed by mountains on three sides. Some pictures are below. The lake was pretty crowded when we visited. The lack of other people in these pictures is primarily the result of patience. We finally got 1 picture where no one ran across :)
I was telling Abhishek, this careful shot taking is the root cause of the whole wanderlust movement that has gripped our generation - no one ever shares pictures of a ton of people everywhere, which is actually the reality. Our little house felt far more spacious than the majestic Lake Louise. I think I also spotted someone selling chana!
As we made our way up towards Jasper, the Gypsy guide told us the history of the Canadian Rockies exploration, which began in the late 1700s. We listened in fascination to tales of daring explorers who were the first to scale sheer rock faces and summits, with rudimentary equipment and no hope of rescue in case things went south. It took a set of explorers more than 2 months to make it from Jasper to Banff, and we were going to do in in a day! It's incredible to imagine the passion that drove these people!
Well, just to clarify, I could certainly spend 2 months in this place, as long as I have a warm bed every night, and soak in all the prettiness. More lakes along the way:
Well, just to clarify, I could certainly spend 2 months in this place, as long as I have a warm bed every night, and soak in all the prettiness. More lakes along the way:
The famous Peyto lake below:
The Gypsy guide also told us about the history of the Canadian Transcontinental Railroad and it's role in providing the impetus to preserve Banff as well as making it more accessible to the populace.
The Canadian Transcontinental railroad was an ambitious project started in the late 19th century to link the eastern and western regions of Canada to bring about the integration of British Columbia into the Confederation of Canada. While the railroad was being built, railroad workers discovered the hot springs at Banff. In order to attract tourists an initial 673 sq. kilometers surrounding the hot springs was set aside and named "Rocky Mountain Park", and the Banff hotel was built soon after. This was the first national park in Canada. Today Banff national park stretches over 2500 sq. km. The Canadian National Park system now has 38 national parks encompassing over 300,000 sq. km!
Everything starts with baby steps. Never hesitate to take baby steps. That's how I started blogging about our travels - it's not made it as big as the Canadian NP system, but maybe something else will :)
More pictures along this spectacular, spectacular drive (did I already say spectacular?)
The Canadian Transcontinental railroad was an ambitious project started in the late 19th century to link the eastern and western regions of Canada to bring about the integration of British Columbia into the Confederation of Canada. While the railroad was being built, railroad workers discovered the hot springs at Banff. In order to attract tourists an initial 673 sq. kilometers surrounding the hot springs was set aside and named "Rocky Mountain Park", and the Banff hotel was built soon after. This was the first national park in Canada. Today Banff national park stretches over 2500 sq. km. The Canadian National Park system now has 38 national parks encompassing over 300,000 sq. km!
Everything starts with baby steps. Never hesitate to take baby steps. That's how I started blogging about our travels - it's not made it as big as the Canadian NP system, but maybe something else will :)
More pictures along this spectacular, spectacular drive (did I already say spectacular?)
We stopped at the Athabasca Glacier, which appears just along the road on the Icefields Parkway. It is one of the toes of the Columbia Icefields, and due to it's easy accessibility it is the most visited glacier in North America. This area was striking to me not because of the current size of the glacier, but rather where it was few years back. As soon as you pull of the road, and into the turn to the glacier, there is a placard that shows the year at which the glacier was at that point. The parking lot is built on the glacier location at 1844. Half the volume of the glacier is gone is in the last 125 years, and it's speeding up - currently receding at 5 m per year. If you don't go soon, you may not have the luxury of seeing it from the roadside!
We're standing on old glacial land.
We're standing on old glacial land.
At the Athabasca waterfalls:
And that was the last of the wonderful sights on our trip.
Another trip with many more wonderful memories comes to an end. Road trips are so relaxing, you slowly get into an experience, and you slowly leave it. Trips are also a wonderful way for me to let the thoughts at the forefront of my mind slowly drain away, leaving deeper thoughts and emotions surface. It helps me grow a little, and connect with each other more. Abhishek and I hardly talk about the topics we typically discuss at home. Many, different and sometimes unexpected topics come up, and we have the time to explore and discuss them. Also, helps us experience different ways of life, and come out (albeit briefly) of the bubble we live in :)
This trip we also tried out audio books, and we really enjoyed them. We finished Girl on the Train (highly recommended) and started on Nightingale. We had a relaxed, but uneventful drive home (we visited the Amazon bookstore which was interesting).
That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed my narration of our road trip. Thank you for reading. Watch this space for the next post on our little adventures!
This trip we also tried out audio books, and we really enjoyed them. We finished Girl on the Train (highly recommended) and started on Nightingale. We had a relaxed, but uneventful drive home (we visited the Amazon bookstore which was interesting).
That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed my narration of our road trip. Thank you for reading. Watch this space for the next post on our little adventures!
