Spirit Island

This past week we took a trip up near Jasper Alberta. During the trip we went on a boat tour out on Maligne lake, to visit Spirit Island. It is such a beautiful place. I took this photo from the same vantage point as the photo that hung in Central Station New York. The ever so famous photo that most know of Spirit Island. Off in the distance you can see a glacier, and of course the lake is surrounded by mountains on all sides. The boat tour was amazing, and the color of the water is an incredible deep turquoise shade.

Calgary Tower

This is the symbol of where I live. You cannot visit Calgary without visiting the Calgary Tower. It was completed in 1968, and officially opened to the public in June of that year. It gives a fabulous view of the city of Calgary, and is pretty much the most famous landmark we have here. Well, just about anyway, the Pengrowth Saddledome might be a close tie. The view is partially blocked on the north side by the other skyscrapers that have been erected since it was built. But nonetheless, the view from the top is incredible. On a clear day, you can even see the Rocky Mountains and foothills to the west of us. During the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, The tower lit a flame on top that could be seen for miles around. So this makes the Calgary Tower, the largest olympic torch in the world. On Canada Day, July 1st, of this year, they relit the torch in honor of our country.

I took this second photo of the area in which I live. You can even see my house from the top of the tower. Come to think of it, you can even see my bedroom window from there. Think you can find it? :o)

Upper Falls of Johnston's Canyon

These are the Upper Falls at Johnston's Canyon. They are probably fifty or sixty feet high. Don't quote me on that, as I am just estimating in my head. They are absolutely beautiful to look at. There are two places to view them from. There is a platform above to look at them straight across to the top, looking down. This photo was taken from the lower platform looking around the cliff at them.

The hike was long, and our muscles and joints ached from the continuous climb. We rose approximately 120 metres in elevation over the course of two or so hours. We saw about three and a half miles of Johnston's creek meandering it's way down through the canyon. In about four places the creek broke up into actual water falls, and in the end the journey was worth it, and we were rewarded with this awesome sight.

Lower Falls of Johnston's Canyon

This is a photo of the lower falls at Johnston's Canyon. It took us about an hour to get to this section of falls. I love the way the rocks are falling together like playing cards.

Horseshoe Canyon

Horseshoe Canyon is located just outside of Drumheller, Alberta. It got it's name because although you cannot tell from these angles, it is shaped like a giant horseshoe. These are photos of Horseshoe Canyon, I had taken last summer.

It's not a typical canyon, as it doesn't have the usual jagged rock and steep drops. Rather it was eroded over time to form these ripples in the rock face. This is because the rock in the area varies in density, and hardness, so it erodes in these strange patterns. If you hike down into the canyon, the layers you see are fascinating. I'm told the prominent dark layer you see is actually fossilized peat.

Again, I have another photo I would love to share, but I can't find it at the moment. It is a photo of the canyon taken from the air. We took a helicopter ride over the canyon, and the canyon scenery from the air is a whole different ballgame.