Aug. 7th-Aug. 15th 2017
My favorite photo....always have to start with my favorite.....
Not sure if this is all fog, it was earlier in morning just as I woke, but there was also smoke from the BC fires....I think I remember Waterton burning by this time also..
I had been to Cypress Hills once and remember a very close, crowded campground, very busy beaches etc. Ruth and I have learned over the years to start our holidays on a Monday or Tuesday to avoid the crowds, especially in tourist spots.
This photo was taken the moment we arrived in Cypress Hills...just the way I like it!
We had reserved our spot, turned out to be a good choice as it had a view and a breeze off the water.
Our trip to Cypress Hills was very stressful. As is the season this year, it is hot! 32 C as we were travelling along Highway 1 to Medicine Hat. Stopped for gas and then groceries. I noticed when I got back in van and pulled out on street, temp gauge was at the Max!
Mon. Aug 7, is a holiday so my first thought of where to take the van for servicing was severely limited....There was not hoses leaking, no steam, so I had a little glimmer that maybe running it would help cool it off????? Which we almost had to do to spot a full service garage that may be able to help.....
As luck would have it we got caught in a traffic detour due to a horrific crash on the TC. Detour led us on a narrow, no shoulders (for us to pull off if neccessary)!!!! grid road around the accident area and then finally back to the highway...good 30 min. or so.
The advantage was the traffic was slower and still no burst hoses! How stressed I was.
Then miracles happen, just as I got back to the highway the temp. gauge went down to almost normal.....
So we continued, slower, not sure if that was necessary but it helped with my stress....not sure about Ruth's....
We made it successfully to Cypress Hills, although knowing in the back of my head they only have gas station there, no full service garages.....I pushed it back further in my head knowing we have AMA if necessary. I didn't even check fluids, wanted it to cool off properly...
So we settled into our little spot....not crowded, had some supper and went for a walk in the cool....They have a wonderful boardwalk along the lake between the campground and the townsite.
And Ruth's version, Dont know which one I like better so they both get the go....
I love the cool evg. walks
A beautiful cool walk and a great sleep with the windows open a well deserved rest after that day!
Recognized how lucky we were to have made it with no breakdown....
Good Willow ;-))))
Walk around shoreline was always very enjoyable. Ruth walked it early morning and often again during the day with me....
We had some cloud and few showers but to be honest, I prefer that to heat! Lasted only couple of days.
Cypress Hills is unique in that it is a High Plateau 1466M providing a view to the southwest prairies and Montana's Sweet Grass Hills. It provides view of Medicine Hat. It is cooler and provides for a moist forest on top of the plateau. It has a distinctive climate with a mix of forest, wetlands and grasslands. Beautiful....
Ruth and I took a day trip on top of plateau, there are narrow gravel roads leading right into Saskatchewan.
Horseshoe Canyon viewpoint
Beginning of our hike on plateau..began at Horseshoe Canyon Viewpoint. Another very hot day so I'm afraid I fizzled half way down trail.....
This was my delight on the hike. We cam across a field of thistles just out of the trees in the hot sun. There was a mass of yellow butterfly's hovering over field. Not sure what they are called? I did not for a minute think photos would turn out, it was far enough away to half to use the zoom and often then it is difficult to focus....but it worked...!!!!!
This was the whole field just to show the magnification.
We traveled further west of the hike to Head of the Mountain (highest elevation)
How unique this area was, the grasslands stretch for miles, thick, dry, tall grasses. I was thinking if a fire raged through here, how quick it would all be gone and unstoppable.
Sweet Grass Hills of Montana, so hard the whole trip to get a clear photo because of the smoke...
Majority of the trees here were evergreens, no aspen areas until down near the lakes.
Another end to a good day....
Cypress Hills is bigger than I thought, we had to leave it for another day to explore eastward towards Saskatchewan. Again another narrow gravel roads along the plateau "prairie" landscape.
We came to Reesor Viewpoint for a fantastic view of the landscape. Down a twisty road is Reesor Lake and to the east Saskatchewan..
A view all the way to Sask. I can see Phip!
A visitor flew in to see what was going on....I remember hearing his wings first, turning to watch the water landing...No time of course to get out the camera.....
Reesor Lake a very popular fishing spot and campground at the end...I wish we had explored it more....
Looks like a spot for lunch over there. An old man and his grandson joined us to do some fishing together......
I love this photo of Ruth's, it shows his wet feathers on his chest.
And she got a in flight photo!!!!!!
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| lunchtime
Our last few days we spent exploring the area, Driving back into town one afternoon I asked Ruth to take photos from the car, something I don't like doing normally, but there are times!
She got some realy good reflections, something she is good at.!
  
How beautiful these photos are, Good eye Ruth.
A last look at the boardwalk on a beautiful sunny evg.
     
Our plan this year was to not rush and really explore t he prairies, we always head either west or south but always the mountains.....This year due to the free park passes we figured the crowds would be tooooo great in the mountain parks.....Well it seemed busy where we went also.....
Some of the provincial parks or even the little towns have little campgrounds....that are very nice....We thought we might stay at Bow Island, AB....there is a large golf course in town and a little campground right next to it.....
Heading out from Bow Island we decided on a day trip to Red Rock Coolee just east.
We had seen the advertisement at Cypress Hills, looked very interesting..
 Right out in the middle of nowhere! these concretions appear as if just dropped....      
Obviously the weather is hard on them, perhaps moisture gets into cracks and then freezes and breaks the rock very cleanly....Nature is amazing again.
               
After two days at Bow Island....we headed across the prairies to Writing on Stone Provincial Park....
First some photos of the prairies in southern Alberta and another View of Montana's Sweet Grass Mountains....
 
In both these photos the Sweet Grass Hills are there, just obscured by the smoke of the day.
Photo of the van, they are just tucked in the background....
 
What a difference a day or two make....Ruth got a great photo on the way out.
All throughout our visit, somedays the sky was quite blue, others not...
 Entrance to Writing on Stone is spectacular! Right in our own province shows the diversity in a days drive.    We found the campground located down in the bowl was very smokey couple of days... I think no breeze gets down there easily...    Beach area just to the south of our site. This park was busy, no sites left the whole time we were there, no mid week lul......   and then Nature's artwork at sunset...     One of my favorite shots this trip.....  The cliffs were very pretty in any light.....the morning doves we saw at Dinosaur Park were here also....nesting against the cliffs,  See our eagle mascot high on the cliffs, overlooking and protecting the park......      Here is our morning dove...He was swooping in and around the cliffs so I was lucky to get a shot, this is extreme Zoom. The best I could get.... He and the mascot were one.....Probably not the only one that thinks thats the best view....  In the evg. you could sit and watch the deer come down the hill for water and green grazing....    |
