Silver tops still wandering

This photograph shows all three of the descriptors of my title for this post! And my most precious ones too! We ventured out in our ‘ride’ for the day into Kootenay National Park and stopped along the way at a place called Marble Creek Canyon. The views were truly breathtaking.

The canyon has taken over 6000 years to carve its’ path through the rock. Makes me a little dizzy in my head looking down from the bridge with the beautifully coloured waters rushing underneath. Also it was only a wooden bridge, I am sure it was very safe, but no need to linger too long eh not?

I tried to capture the clarity of the water. There is a pool in the foreground here which is barely discernable. Crystal clear water. We named it Eevees’ pool, as daughter mine quite correctly identified, that had the mad spaniel been with us she would have gone for a lay down right there! Though she may not have stayed too long as the waters are from glacial melt.

A natural pool, not for dipping in, except maybe a toe. Fast flowing and would be barely five degrees.

There are long thin charred remnants of trees destroyed in a big forest fire visible through the recovering forest floor. Judging by the growth of the new trees the fire was about 10 to 15 years ago. Further into the drive we saw whole mountain sides dessimated for mile upon mile by a much more recent fire. But as ever, Mother Nature is irrepressible and the forset floor is recovering.

We followed the rivulet for a short hike, and ventured onto more bridges!

Saw things…

Then we set off to our destination. Radium Hot Springs. A place where hot thermal water has breached the earth and flows into warm springs, now directed into a bathing pool. The area was well known to the indiginous peoples who took to the waters and considered the area to be a place of spiritual and physical healing. They certainly got that right.

The water tempreure was 39 degrees! So we lolled around in it for a good thirty minutes. It was wonderful.

Homeward bound. A stop along the way to try and catch the setting sun on Stanley Glacier. This picture also shows the forest floor recovering from the more recent fire. What is impossible to capture in a picture is the sheer magnitude of the place. The fire damaged trees look like spidley little weeds when in actual fact they reach up into the skies 30 to 40 feet.

The Rockies showing off their incredible beauty and awe inspiring grandness. What a day. Memories made.