Giant Cedars Park contains some of the province's oldest living western-red cedar trees, most of which are several hundred years old. A wooden boardwalk weaves through the park in a slow, sinuous motion, providing visitors many opportunities to soak up the ambiance of the place, take pictures, and experience the sensation of what life might have been like before we humans ever arrived.  Massive Devil's Club plants vie for attention with the unbelievably tall western red cedar trees that tower over the entire park. Along the forest floor, ferns, mosses, tiny hidden water rivulets, and other flora fill the air with the intoxicating scent of dark, rich earth.



The photos above are just the beginning of what turned out to be an amazing journey back in time.  The trees are hundreds of years old, but there is such an intense sensation of having traveled millions of years back in time that if you closed your eyes, you would almost certainly hear the calls and footsteps of the dinosaurs as they moved through the thick, lush vegetation.

NOTE:  To see these and other photos of our visit to Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail, please visit the "Vacation 2011" album in our Gallery.





Our visit to Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail was both amazing and cathartic, and we give it a full five pine cones.  The past, present, and even the future are contained in this old-growth forest; if you take the time to fully experience and absorb all that it has to offer, we feel safe in saying you will leave the park a changed person.


Old-growth forests - and the fragile life they support - are being threatened by human encroachment more and more every year. Places like Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail are becoming harder to find as the demand for resort locations (and the pestilential golf courses that come with them) increases. Our hope is that sharing our experiences in places such as Giant Cedars will create an impact strong enough to make people want to fight to protect these dwindling wonders.

Stay tuned for Day 4, when we revisit some hoodoos and a creek we Albertans call a river, and have some unexpected experiences along the way...

If you don't mind getting off the beaten path every once in awhile, you can experience the kind of pure, unadulterated magic we did on Day 2. It began with a walk past our campsite by a little female spruce grouse...




... and it ended with a return visit to a waterfall high in the Purcell Range that we haven't been to in almost 15 years.  NOTE:  To see more photos, please visit our photo gallery, and look for the "Vacation 2011" album.


Lower Bugaboo Falls is nestled high in the Purcell Range, and accessed by a very rough forestry road. However, due to the many potholes (a.k.a. sinkholes) and boulders and sharp rocks of various sizes and shapes jutting up from the road bed, low-clearance vehicles are not recommended. Tire punctures and undercarriage damage can occur very easily if you're not watching where you're going, and unless another visitor happens by, there's no way to get help. Cell phones don't work up there.

Jutting 9, 250 feet up from the center of Bugaboo Glacier is a granite spire called the Hound's Tooth that hiking and climbing enthusiasts come from all over the world to explore.  However, porcupines have developed a taste for anti-freeze, wiring, and rubber, and they're notorious for chewing through lines and tires while the vehicle owners are sleeping or away, so, for those staying overnight, there's lots of chicken-wire fencing available for wrapping around your vehicle.


For non-hikers who just want to enjoy the scenery from ground level, tall larches and evergreens are blanketed by fireweed and other flora that creates a riot of color so bright and intense, you'll gasp with delight. In the fall, the larch needles turn yellow, creating a vista so stunning there are just no words to describe the view.

Getting to the falls and the spire took a longer time than usual, as we were in a car with low clearance and we had to travel slowly and carefully. But the view was well worth the effort to get there. We would have loved to have stayed to watch the sun set on the glacier and turn it pink with alpen-glow, but because of the rough road, we had to head back while we still had daylight. It wouldn't do to get in trouble on that road after dark, when the likelihood of someone actually coming by was zero.

As we made our way slowly and carefully back to civilization, we saw a pretty little female spruce grouse walking along the side of the road. She didn't seem to be in any hurry, but knowing how stupid some people can be, we wanted to ensure that she wouldn't get hurt. So, we pulled the car over so that Holly could work her magic and get the bird off the road. Before she went into the brush, though, the grouse allowed us to take her picture.


Between the heat and the intense driving we'd had to do, by the time we got back to the campsite, we were exhausted. But we had an awesome day in a spectacular location, and we promised each other that we would not allow another 15 years go by before returning to Bugaboo Falls.

Stay tuned for our adventures of Day 3, where we explore new vistas, and revisit a place that changed both of our lives in ways we're still dealing with today...