Day 349 - Waterton!!!

Today we finally made it to Waterton! We have been talking about going for over a month now. We were going to go for our 3rd 1st anniversary, but they I had a few rough rounds of chemo & the idea got pushed aside. As things were going better this round, we decided to head south. 


It was a beautiful day when we left. We stopped in Black Diamond to deliver some books for Mom & then we were off! We stopped at all the usual places. Our first stop was the Buffalo Paddock. When I used to work in Waterton, we would drive out to the Paddock at night & scare ourselves silly. We would drive around until we could see the light reflecting in the buffalo's eyes & then we would all scream like little girls & drive out of the paddock, chills running up & down our spines the whole time!


Our next stop was Red Rock Canyon. We sped up just a little as we went over Butterfly Hill & stopped to take a few photos of Galwey - the first mountain I ever climbed & the only mountain I've ever climbed twice! The road to Red Rock was VERY potholed - I hope they are fixing it soon! They have paved a path from the park gate to the townsite for bikers & hikers. It is very nice, but I think the road needs more attention!


I was surprised to see flowers at Red Rock. There were a few Harebells along the trail & various other wildflowers that I don't know the names of. I took my camera along the stroll & snapped happily away. There was a family down in the canyon climbing along the rocks & water. That brought back many memories, as a good friend of mine, Breian, & I used to do the exact same thing on hot summer days!


After our visit to Red Rock Canyon, we drove up to Cameron Lake. The weather was a bit inclement while we were there, but it was still beautiful. Jaco was amazed that America & BC were so close! While we were there, we met an enthusiastic guy named Mike from Virginia. He was snap-happy & eagerly took our photo, so we would take his. We saw a little bunny rabbit while we were wandering around & observed him nibbling away on remnants of green foliage.


Next up was Cameron Falls. We hopped out for a few photos & then headed over to Welch's Chocolate Shop. Carol was there, of course, so we stopped in for a visit. We had a cup of hot chocolate while we chatted away about her summer & all the happenings. I worked 5 summers for Carol when I was in high school & she is a very special person to me. (And I can scoop ice cream with the best of them!)


We were going to go for dinner in Waterton, but decided we wanted to head back to Pincher Creek & meet up with Ilo, who was back in town for Thanksgiving weekend. We bid adieu to Waterton for 2010  & headed to Pincher. 


I phoned Karen, who teaches in Pincher, but she wasn't home. We ended up meeting Ilo for tea at Luigi's & had a great chat. She's always a blast to visit with & what a nice surprise that we were able to meet up, as she is normally in Kimberley! She's off to Honduras sometime this winter, so if you want a dive buddy or know of any great places... Let me know & I'll put you in touch!


I do love Waterton. Maybe because it was my first experience of the mountains growing up, perhaps it is because I spent so many summers there, maybe it's just because it's a special place... I don't know exactly what it is, but part of me is there. It's a little like a best kept secret - many Canadians haven't been there & most Americans don't even know it's there! It's smaller than Banff & Jasper & WAY less crowded... Maybe its the dramatic way the mountains meet the prairies, maybe it's the different 'smell' of the trees that refresh your lungs with every breath... Whatever it is, I'll be going back time & time again...


xxxxMJV&O