Good morning, Campers!

One of the great things about going on our adventures is that there are times when we plan to go one place, but we end up in a different place altogether.  Yesterday is a prime example of this:  We'd planned to visit Kananaskis country, but the valley was obscured by a huge, dark rain cloud, so we ended up going to the Columbia Icefield, instead. When we stopped at Crowfoot Glacier to take some pictures, we met two of the park's wardens, who were making the rounds at various viewpoints throughout the park and talking to visitors about bears.  These beautiful animals are out of hibernation, now, and they're coming down from their alpine dens in search of food - which puts them at risk of being killed either by road vehicles or trains, and which puts people at risk of being attacked because they "just want one picture" of the animals.  We told the wardens about this blog and gave them the link, and we promised to talk about this to you, and we're making good on that promise.  I they get a chance, we hope they'll stop in and say hello.

Currently, it's estimated that there are only about 350 grizzly bears left in the entire province of Alberta - about 60 of which reside in Banff National Park.  The black bear population is doing somewhat better, with around 1000 bears, but those are  still dangerously low numbers.  Many of the bears are killed by trains and speeding vehicles on the highway, as well as by food stress.  The bears come down in search of food when they come out of hibernation, and if they're harassed by humans, they either attack, or they take off; if they take off, that means they don't get enough of the food they need from the lower-elevation shrubs.  The feeding window for bears is very short; if they don't get enough food in the few months between waking up and hibernating, not only do they starve, but the sows won't have cubs in the spring, either (this is called "delayed implantation").

There's also the very real issue (and danger) of habituation.  If the bears get habituated to humans, not only does this put humans at risk of a bear attack, but the bears also starve, because (a) they lose their food source (humans), and (b) there's not enough of their natural food in the area, as it is.  Bears live a very harsh life, so anything that takes away from their ability to survive is a very bad thing.  No matter how you look at it, the bears are the always the ones who pay the highest price, not humans.

So, if you're driving through national parks and you happen to see bears either on the road or beside the road, slow down.  If you have an opportunity to take a picture or two, do it from your vehicle, and maintain a safe distance.  Always remember that you are in THEIR home.

Please visit the link on the sidebar to learn more about these magnificent animals. And download the PDF manual, too, so you can learn even more - such as what to do if you should find yourself being attacked by a bear.

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The second half of our adventure included a stop at Panther Falls, as well as the Weeping Wall, both of which are almost in full flood right now, and both of which were absolutely spectacular.  We have pictures, and as soon as the last couple of shots on my current roll are finished, I'll get them developed and give you a slideshow.  

Our destination was the Athabasca Glacier on the Columbia Icefield.  I've often referred to it as the Columbia Glacier, but really, it's the Athabasca Glacier.  And it's melting at a rate of about two feet a year...

Once we were parked and geared up, we started the rigorous hike up the steep, rock-strewn slope where the glacier once lived.  On both sides of us, there was a huge lateral moraine about 400 to 500 feet high. These moraines, left behind by the receding glacier, are the rulers, you might say, of how high the ice was at its pinnacle.

Along the trail, there are markers indicating where the toe of the glacier was at specific years.  The first marker, placed in 1908, was fairly close to the highway. The last marker, which is only a few feet away from the glacier's toe, was placed in 1992.  The glacier's recession rate is mind-blowing...

Walking on the toe of the glacier is not allowed, due to dangerous instability of the ice.  As it's melting, a lake is forming - we watched the water pouring out from the left side of the glacier - and although it looks safe to walk on, the ice is shifting and cracking all the time.  While we were there, we could actually hear it groaning and creaking as it dragged along varying sizes of rock underneath it. It was the eeriest sound I've ever heard in my life;  when someone says a glacier is alive, they're not kidding.  It was "breathing" while we were standing right in front of it.

Enormous chunks of ice, broken off the toe years earlier, bore brown stripes in their mid-sections - markers of the passage of time, we think.  These huge monoliths were melting right before our eyes, and the clay surrounding them was dangerous.  I accidentally stepped in some of the clay, and my foot nearly got sucked right in.  There are many spots like that which look like they're just mud patches, but which are actually like quicksand.  People have actually fallen into those kinds of patches and died, so if you're smart - and we know you are - you'll pay attention to the warning signs.  And if you really want to get onto the glacier, you'll be smart and go with a group in the ice buggies, which are specifically designed for traveling on the glacier.

Well, that's it for now, Campers.  We'll talk more about this adventure later. I for one need a long, hot soak in a tub full of Epsom salts.  It was a hard, rigorous hike we did, yesterday, and this old body is sore.  Funny how we always seem to start out the season with the toughest hikes, instead of working our way up to them...