|
The Black bears have learned that some freight
trains carry grain and some of it gets spilt along the tracks so
they come out to look for it. Unfortunately, this leads to quite
a number of fatalities among the bear population each year but I
guess they can’t fence the whole track. Spring is a month
late this year over there and the bears are only just beginning
to wake from hibernation so not many to be seen.
Eventually we reach the true Rockies at last and pull into
Jasper, a very pleasant little town which still has a bit of the
frontier town atmosphere about it. There are quite a lot of elk
walking about. Not usually a problem but best to give them a
wide berth. More excursions, to Maligne Lake which was still
frozen over, and Johnston Canyon. Then on by coach to Banff
which is a bit larger but very touristy with loads of gift
shops.
On the way we took in Lake Louise, which is named after Queen
Victoria’s fourth child, and the Athabasca Glacier where we
were taken out onto the ice in a Snowcoach. It is melting at an
ever increasing rate and the staff at the visitor centre test it
each day to make sure it is safe for the tourists to walk on. |
|
|
