Frank Slide, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta

One of the greatest things about Alberta, is that there is an official long weekend almost every month! Some Long Weekends are more popular than others - like the May Long Weekend...and the August Long Weekend... and the February Long ... ok - really, we love them all!!

 

BUT, the good thing about the August Long Weekend is that it's always hot and sunny! (At least where WE go - I'm just saying that part for all my friends who spent last August Long in the rain...sorry).

 

We decided to go camping in Hungry Horse, Montana, with some long-time friends.

 

The BEST route from Calgary to Hungry Horse is through the Crowsnest Pass and Fernie, BC. However, for some reason, Google Maps goes a different way... OUR trip (through the Crowsnest took about 4 1/2-5 hours.. our friends followed Google, and their trip took them NINE HOURS!! (They went over the Going to the Sun Highway...
Google THAT! 
http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/goingtothesunroad.htm and http://visitmt.com/listing/categories_NET/MoreInfo.aspx?idrrecordid=9646)

 

Anyway - we went the right way - through the Crowsnest Pass.

The most obvious point of interest going through the Crowsnest is Frank's Slide. Even if you don't know WHAT it is when you are going through, you still definitely know that Something important happened there.

 

http://www.history.alberta.ca/frankslide tells us what happened:

"On April 29, 1903, at 4:10 a.m., 82 million tonnes (30 million cubic metres) of limestone crashed from the summit of Turtle Mountain and buried a portion of the sleeping community of Frank in the valley below."

 

Sadly and tragically, an estimated 90 people (of the 600 inhabitants) were killed. It's an estimate, because most bodies could not be recovered. (The rocks are between 50-150 deep/15-45 meters deep).

The area that broke off was approximately 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) wide, 425 meters (1,400 feet) high, and 150 meters (500 feet) deep - approximately 82 million metric tonnes (9o million tons) of rock. The article says that, to put that into perspective, this means that if you took the fallen rocks and put built a wall 1 meter wide & 6 meters high, it would reach from Victoria, BC to Halifax, Nova Scotia (from sea-to-shining-sea), which, according to Google Maps (and we've already discussed its choice of routes) is approximately 6,145 kms/3,818 miles.

 

Roar from the slide could be heard as far away as Cochrane AB (200 km/120 miles away). People closer to Frank (or on the other side of town) reported that the sound of the slide lasted about 100 seconds, and based on how far the rocks extend, the article says that "scientists estimate that the rocks were moving at speeds up to 120 km/hr (70 mi/hr)"!!

When you see it, and consider how it's even possible (the deadliest landslide in Canadian history) for that many rocks to travel that far, or to even fall to begin with.

Well, there was a LOT going on with that mountain (which, as I mentioned, is called Turtle Mountain).

 

Apparently, it's called Turtle Mountain because, before the Slide, it was shaped LIKE a turtle, and not because it's moving slowly. (By the way, there's another mountain nearby that is also shaped like a turtle, and I'll probably include that picture...but it's not THIS Turtle Mountain.)

 

But, speaking of moving slowly... the Alberta Geological Survey has started monitoring the Mountain's structure and (in)stability, in order to provide the residents living below of any future "catastrophic avalanches" as well as to " understand the mechanics of slowly moving rock masses."
(http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/geohazards/turtle_mountain/index.html

 

I guess, looking back, it's obvious that the Mountain, in 1903, was completely unstable. Many MANY things contributed to the Disaster, among which are (in summary):

• "The previously horizontal layers of sedimentary rock had been folded during the mountain building process until almost vertical" - you've seen it when in the mountains, right? the layers of rocks - I'm going to include a few pictures of mountains near Jasper (Alberta) that have been folded, too, but, only to about a 45 degree angle.
  
• The Turtle Mountain Thrust Fault runs through the mountain. THROUGH! (A "thrust fault line" is a type of break in the earth's crust, in which (by my understanding) lower rock layers are pushed up and over higher rock layers...which often means that older rock layers are then layered above younger rock layers...)
• There's no way for me to explain this one, except by exact quote from the http://www.history.alberta.ca/frankslide website: "The erosion by water and ice of sandstone and shale layers on the lower half of the mountain beneath the older layers of limestone on the upper half of the mountain created a significant overhang. Large surface cracks along the summit of the mountain allowed water to enter deep within Turtle Mountain . Water continued to eat away at the limestone and the freezing and thawing action of water and ice worked to widen the cracks, creating even more instability." (I'm sorry - all of my attempts to summarize, were just the same exact words in different orders...if this doesn't make sense - email me, and I'll try to explain.)
• and finally, on top of ALL of the above - vertical sedimentary rock, a fault line, erosion... they decided, in 1900, that it'd be the perfect location to mine coal.

So, the situation is: The Mountain is still vertical, there is still erosion, AND there is still a town beneath it, in which people live...

We've been in the area, camping (possible topic of a future blog, because it's a beautiful site - a few miles to the West), at night, when everything is really still... and there isn't even wind to disrupt the silence... somewhere, at some time, a giant rock will roll down the nearby mountain, and I can tell you first-hand - IT CREEPS ME OUT!!!!!

 

Turtle Mountain continues to move, "they" say, by a few millimeters a year, toward the northeast, toward the valley below.

 

This time, though, there's technology... and precedence. There are over 80 sensors on Turtle Mountain now. Scientists .. "estimate" that there probably won't be another landslide like that one... any time soon... the mountain is moving "too slow" - "Turtle-like"...

 

Still... THE MOUNTAIN IS MOVING!! LISTEN!!! "Hopefully", say they, "there's no earthquake"...

I have driven through Frank Slide probably... (without exaggeration)...maybe 250 times... and every time, I feel compelled to take pictures (and yet, I am finding very few in my collection - must label better). I always want to stop. (We rarely do stop since we are usually on our way to somewhere else, but sometimes!)

You just can't believe the size of some of the rocks! With the size and distance, it's impossible to know just how small you are and how big they are, until you are standing right beside them. (One of these pictures - the one in snow (obviously not August Long Weekend - there's me perpetuating the idea that Canada is always covered in snow)- is me and a friend beside one that really didn't look that big from the road...and, thinking it was smaller, it seemed alot closer to the road...) You should absolutely get out of your car, once in awhile, and experience this site. (I'm sure it goes without saying, but you have to remember that it's a solemn place, to be respected, like a cemetery... )

 

There's also an Interpretation Center (to which, I'm embarrassed to say, I have not yet been.) The same website gives an overview of the Interpretation Center, too, as well as additional facts and features of the Disaster of Frank Slide.

 

Tomorrow - Fernie, British Columbia.

Visit Inglewood, in Calgary

Inglewood is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Calgary. It has everything! It has ambiance (in places), it has characters (in places)... it's got high-end and low-end... Harley Davidson shops and candle shops...art shops, clothing boutiques, cupcake stores, health food store for pets, bead shops... and restaurants galore!

 

This is the first place I lived when I moved to Calgary. I loved it so much, we rented a basement suite for years, because we couldn't afford to buy a house there, and didn't want to leave.

 

AND, it was kind of a bad neighborhood back then - with the potential to be trendy, if a little bit of clean up was done. And done it was!

 

Now it's a neighborhood for strolling, and window shopping, and spending all day visiting friends in a wine bar, and then going to look at retro fashion, or replenishing your herbs and spices collection.

 

Apparently, Inglewood was established in 1875, the very year the NorthWest Mounted Police (now the RCMP) were assigned to the area. In 1876, the post was renamed Fort Calgary, and became "the City of Calgary" in 1894.

The original "Fort Calgary" is now a historical site, open for tours, with an admission fee (currently $12 for adults and various fees for children and students.) http://www.fortcalgary.com/ (Is it obvious that Fort Calgary is attached to Inglewood? I guess I better clarify.)

Just on the other side of the bridge from Fort Calgary, and on the Inglewood side, is The Deane House, built in 1906. Captain Richard Deane, the superintendent of Fort Calgary, built it for his wife, Martha. (Unfortunately, she died before she arrived in Calgary.)

 

In 1978, the Deane House was made a historic resource, and is operated by the Fort Calgary Preservation Society.
 (http://www.fortcalgary.com/visiting/deane/). The Deane House hosts a Murder Mystery dinner, and has a menu for lunch and dinner, too. The layout of the house is probably like it was originally built (although I'm just guessing) - when we were last there (for a Mystery Dinner), we were escorted through a few smaller rooms, till we got to our own cozy room, which could easily have been one of the original dining rooms. It's a beautiful house.

 

On the opposite end of 9th Avenue (which is the main road through Inglewood), is the Blackfoot Truck Stop - the opposite end of and the opposite ambiance. The Truck Stop is a typical diner from sometime in the past (I want to say the 50's...maybe the 70's...) Do you remember that show, Alice? with Flo, in Mel's Diner? (1976-1985, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073955/).
That's this place. They even wear pink uniforms.

 

The best diner food EVER! burgers with any topping, French fries, meringue pies, milk shakes, corn beef hash, bacon and eggs with pancakes... and I don't think they have a "breakfast until 10am" rule. You can order whatever you want to order, whenever you want to order it.

 

Between the Deane House and the Blackfoot Truck Stop are so many restaurants! I was going through the list (http://www.calgary-inglewood.com/Home-New) and on almost all of them, I could say, "Oh we've eaten there - it was really good!" The best thing to do is either 1) review the list online and pick, or just wander down 9th, and pick randomly. (I can't even narrow it down, but often, I end up at the Hose & Hound (the old Fire Station, serving pub food), Salt & Pepper (Mexican food), and Without Papers (pizza). I don't mean to exclude, though - there's so many that I love!)

 

Even though we don't live there anymore, I'm in the neighborhood all the time.

 

In fact, tomorrow, I have to go pick up Daisy & Coco's dogfood (they are on a raw food diet... I tried to make it myself, originally, and I've got to tell you - it was SO GROSS!! I'm still traumatized! SO DISGUSTING!! I'd MUCH rather buy it.

 

 

Besides - it's professionally made, so they (hopefully) have it all mastered as to the proportions of vegetables and fruit to meat..) I buy the food at this cute little health food store for pets - called Tail Blazers. (http://www.tailblazerspets.com/) There are (at least) three in Calgary, and I'm sure that the owners are just as wonderful at each place, but I love the person who owns the one in Inglewood, Milena. Not only does she know everything (at least everything I ask), but she's so nice and friendly, and never rushed.

 

My other favorite place is the Silk Road Spice Merchant. (http://www.silkroadspices.ca/) As they explain in their website, "we grind our own spices to ensure they are never sitting for months in a warehouse. All of our spice blends are hand-mixed and have been developed, tested, and perfected by us.

 

 We mix them using fresh ingredients, and we don’t bulk them up with cheap fillers like salt. You will be amazed at the difference in freshness and flavour compared to most commercial spice blends." And, it's true! I kept my old oregano just so I can do "scent" tests ~ comparing my old chain-grocery store brand with my Silk Road brand - you canNOT believe the difference!! (And, the price is about the same - but since you don't have to use as much, the value outweighs the price.)

 

Around the time I discovered the Silk Road Spice Market, my mother-in-law told us (thriftily and happily) that she still had some herbs and spices that she used from BEFORE Peter was born!! (I'm can't tell you how old he is, but I can tell you that is TOO OLD for herbs and spices!!) I went through her collection and replaced them all. (We had to warn her that 1) she was not allowed to use up her old stuff before she started her new herbs & spices - she had to throw out the old; and 2) she had to be cautious about how she used them - in that she didn't need to use the same amounts to get flavor).

 

I spent HOURS in a little store called "Pretty Little Things", and could've spent more time there, but after I bought my knee-length fuchsia velveteen coat with its polka dot sleeves, I realized I had to leave. If you have will-power though, you MUST go in.  (https://www.facebook.com/PrettyLittleThingsConsignment)

And, finally, my favorite go-to place is Zyn, the Wine Market. They know everything and they can find everything, and if they don't have it already, they can make a better recommendation! Also, they aren't snobby - but they do know their wines, and they are informative and friendly. (http://www.zyn.ca/)

 

I could go on and on and on - I've skipped so many good places... I'm sorry to those I skipped. http://www.calgary-inglewood.com/Home-New

 

On another topic - the Ice Magic Festival (http://www.banfflakelouise.com/Area-Events/Festivals/Winter/SnowDays/Ice-Magic-Festival) starts this Friday (January 18)! We're hoping to go - you may seem some blog about it in the future. In the meantime, Sunday, I think we're going to Michigan!

Calgary ZooLights

"They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway", but LED lighting is pretty bright, too, when there's more than 1.5 million lights. Of course, it's not Broadway, but the ZooLights display at the Calgary Zoo.

I'm interrupting our jaunt across 1/2 of the United States with something current- because we just went to ZooLights Calgary, and it's my first time! Yes, I've lived in Calgary for years and have never gone. To be fair, I don't think they've been around that long - from what I can find, maybe only since 2005? so, I'm only 7 years behind...

 

Actually, that's one of the benefits that I've found to writing a Sightseeing-themed blog. At first, I was just going to talk about places I was going already, but it's really encouraging me to do things I haven't done before, and in some cases, wouldn't have considered doing before.. (In fact, it's also making me SEE things that I "see" every day. Like the statue of King Kong climbing a building, right in Calgary. I've driven passed it so many times and never really "saw" it! Now, I'm making a special trip! Eventually.)

The ZooLights start in the end November and end the beginning of January, open every day from 6pm to 9pm (closed only on Christmas Day.) On New Years Eve, it's also technically closed, because they have a "Zoo Years Eve" party. Tickets are only $10 for anyone 16 years old and up, and for children 3-15, only $7. (Everything says that the price of your ticket includes parking...but parking was free anyway...maybe it's because we didn't arrive until 7:30ish?) (Speaking of parking - you can only get in from the North Gate, so make sure you park on that side - north side of Memorial Drive.

 

We had 9 adults and 4 children in our group, and I expected an hour and a half to be more than enough time, but we actually had to rush through the last section. (I think it could go either way - depending on how the children handle it.)


Everyone was really cold (the temperature was -13 degrees Celsius/8.6 degrees Fahrenheit), until we discovered that the atrium was open, so we went in there for a few minutes. (In actual fact, I wasn't cold at all...I wondered why, until Peter pointed out that I was wearing: a regular pair of socks and a pair of thermal wool socks, thermal pants and also snow pants, a thermal shirt under a wool sweater, a wool hat and a knit headband, thermal gloves under down mittens, Sorel boots good for -40 (Celsius & Fahrenheit), and a down coat over the top of it all. (Also, I may have had a little something yummy in my hot chocolate...)

 

The staff was great - super friendly and had a lot of information. (In particular, we learned that the camels were outside (apparently, these particular camels are Bactrian camels, and thrive in the winter), and also, apparently, the snow leopard cubs (kittens?) were also outside still (hadn't gone inside for the night, yet), although I didn't get to see those.

 The kids loved the games - building igloos, hoola hooping, something with hay bales, an icy slide through lights. Kids are so funny, though - we were there for an hour and a half, and saw over 1.5 million lights, and they were mostly just really excited to takes chunks of ice and snow and shatter them on the ground.

 

Here's some general facts that I found interesting (in addition to the fact that there's more than 1.5 million lights):

• It takes "4.5 people" 3 months to set up, and other 3 months to take down.
• Since switching to LED lighting and other energy-saving lights, there's an 80% reduction in power
• Technically, there are 6 fire pits throughout - while we were there, there were 4 working, but they were strategically placed and not only enjoyable, but kind of a relief to those who were cold
• ZooLights are strung across approximately 90 acres
• Hot chocolate is available (there are booths scattered - if the one you go to is crowded, walk on - there's others that are less crowded)

I definitely will go again (not sure if it'll be this year or next year). Next time, I'll speed through the first section and go right to Candy Land.

 

Back on track (I think) on Wednesday,
with more on Nebraska
and Chimney Rock
(as previously discussed -
- November 28th.)

Drumheller (Alberta), "The Dinosaur Capital of the World"

We hiked around Horseshoe Canyon

The first time I went to Drumheller (Google map http://goo.gl/maps/dMnmo), I was accompanied by some friends of friends from Australia. 
      

We visited the Hoo Doos (which, by the way, are very close to the road - we somehow drove by them and out into the wilderness for about a ½ hour before we gave up and turned around...well, actually, the road completely ran out...when we got back to the main road, we realized the Hoo Doos were right there AND there’s a parking lot... )

 




 

The funniest thing about that trip, though, was that the Australians had never seen gophers before and were much more intrigued by them! And chased them around, calling "Come hee-ah little goofah".

 

 

I actually wondered about this "goofah" issue, so I Googled, and it turns out that they are, indeed, actually endemic to North America! Who knew! (For those of you who don't like them, I said "endemic" not "pandemic".)

 

Stop for a little walk across the 117 meter (384 feet) long

Rosedale Suspension Bridge, on the way to the Hoo Doos (or on the way back..)

It was originally built in 1931 to give miners access to the mines on the otherside (before 1931, they were going across the river in slings!) The bridge was apparently rebuilt it 1958 and the side fences were added on, for tourists....

 Plan to spend some time in Drumheller  town - you can make a scavenger hunt out of dinosaur sightings and cute little boutiques and galleries, restaurants and sidewalk cafes are scattered here and there.

Visiting the Royal Tyrrell Museum is a must - good for kids and adults! And, depending on the time of year and the age of your child, they can go on dinosaur hikes and look for bones, like a real excavation!

http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/

Many would claim I've saved the best for last by now bring up the apparently amazing (and crazy) golf course - The Dinosaur Trail Golf & Country Club. It’s one of Peter’s favorites, for scenery and difficulty. You golf up and down the plateaus - and if your ball goes over the edge, it’s lost. (I haven’t golfed it because, well, I’m terrible. Actually, that’s not true - I’m good for a beginner, who has a short attention span...) http://www.dinosaurtrailgolf.com/

It’s totally worth the trip. I’ve never had anyone ever say,
"I wish we hadn’t spent a day in Drumheller".

See you Wednesday - on to Saskatchewan! (By the way - I’ve heard this name butchered on TV a bzillion times - it isn’t "Saska-CHEW-an" - it’s "Sas-KATCH-ewan".)



Who says it's too late in the season to camp?!!

I really meant to start "The Big Ball of String" tour today, but we decided (semi-spontaneously) to try one more camping weekend before it got too cold...someplace local - within an hour's drive or so.

 

Our first pick was Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park.

It's a pretty little park, right on the Bow River, and beside Carseland Dam and pelican nesting grounds. It's packed every long weekend and you have to get there Wednesday or Thursday to get a site. But, since this isn't a long weekend, we thought it'd probably be easier.

All packed and ready to go, at the very last minute, we checked for campfire bans. Not only was there a campfire ban for Wyndham-Carseland, but they also had a ban on portable propane firepits (even though these portable campfires are called "Ban Busters".

 

Well, it's the middle of September in Alberta, and, despite the fact that the forecast called for clear and sunny skies, that means that nights will be cold and we wanted a campfire, so at the last second, we were scrambling for a new location.

According to the website www.albertafirebans.com, the entire eastern side of Alberta was under fire ban, so the only option (for places to go within a 1 hour drive) was West, into the mountains...which means higher altitude, colder evenings.

 

On a random Google search (I love Google), I found six in the general area we wanted to go (now that there was a change of plans) - in the Bragg Creek area, and so phoned the Provincial Park service to confirm 1) if the campground was still open and 2) if there were fire bans. http://www.kananaskiscountrycampgrounds.com/

 

We found 3 that were open still, no fire bans (extreme high alert, but no ban) and narrowed it down by which had playgrounds. (Once again, our travel plans included children - we love it when this happens because it gives us a chance to do things like...bug collecting... and fort designing...)

We chose one by the river so Peter could go fishing and we were set to go!

Well - I have to tell you - I've lived in this area now for...well, a LONG time! and have never once been to Elbow Falls (which was just maybe 4 kms from our campsite). It's ridiculous that I've never been there - I've even been to the parking lot before, and the little park nearby, for a picnic, and never "hiked" to the Falls.

 

"Hiked". It's a paved walk (a very picturesque walk, but not at all complicated) with a series of stairs. Daisy & Coco (our mini dachshunds) have 3" legs, and they managed it. (Well, we had to carry them and lift them from time to time, but rarely.)

If you are in the area - GO!

 

In our campground, we put the trailers end to end on one site (so we would have the kids nearby when it was bedtime - the kids miraculously made their own bedtime around 8:30pm) and used the other site for parking and bocce ball.

 

Yummy food (Peter's extra delicious baby back ribs), especially wonderful friends, brilliant late night visits (just like when we were teenagers)... almost no injuries or accidents... and, hopefully, another brand new tradition!!

 

 

 

 

One funny story I debated whether or not I should include, and I hope I can tell it well...

 

One night, late (the other girls had recently gone to sleep and the boys were all sitting around the campfire), I decided to do a last minute check around the campsite - making sure there was nothing yummy laying around (bear country, high alert).

 

The site was pretty clear, but there were a few glasses on the table, and one had some liquid in it. I thought it was maybe juice and had a split second moment of wondering if I could just throw the juice on the fire (didn't want to put the fire out or cause excess smoke) and then decided it'd be ok, since there was only a little bit in the cup....(When I was telling this story to a friend, she already knew how this story went, by this point).

 

One of the guys was standing over the fire, looking down at it. Fortunately, he's about 6 feet tall, because when I tossed in the "juice", a pillar of white yellow flame (the exact diameter of the fire pit) shot straight out of the pit, about 5 feet into the air, with a "HHHWHOOOOOSH"!

It narrowly missed singing his eyebrows! He was a good sport (fortunately, because I don't know if my apology through my doubled-over-hysterical-laughter-causing-tears sounded sincere - I mean, I really was sincere! I was! but I was so shocked!!) (Also, it helped that there were no injuries... injury would've take out the humor aspect, for sure).

 

He said that 1) it was really interesting to see a fire ball from that angle, and 2) it smelled really good! (and that, it turns out, was because the "juice", was cherry bourbon...)

 

(DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME)..(or anywhere, for that matter...)

 

OK. Wednesday. The actual Big Ball of String Tour. Probably.