This trip was much more laid back. The town was very quiet, not a lot of people around, as it is only the middle of May. We of course needed to get some fuel for the truck before we did anything else. We went to three different service stations looking for diesel and where Ray felt that $148.9 for diesel was the going rate. He was none to pleased about it, because it was only one cent more for gasoline. Not like on the coast, where it would have been 5-8 cents cheaper. I reminded him that we are not supposed to be caring about the price of fuel on this trip. He grumbled some more, and was still grumbling (somewhat louder) when we drove back towards the campground and saw a tiny "no named" station selling diesel for $131.9!!!! When we were driving passed this station originally, it didn't indicate they were selling diesel, it was on the return trip seeing the opposite side of the sign that said "diesel". Oh well.......high fuel,,,,,we don't care!!!
Our campsite backs onto the Kicking Horse River. Usually at this time of year it is the colour of glacier water, but with the Spring run off it is quite grey looking. The sound is so soothing though, so we didn't mind taking a glass of wine and sitting watching the rapids flowing past. At the end of yesterday's blog I asked "what is with that broom"? And you are probably wondering what the heck I was going on about. Well across the river from the campsite is the CP Rail line. A very long train had stopped directly across from us. The train sat there for a good 15 or 20 minutes. The two engineers got off the train and wondered around. I was checking them out with the binoculars because I was trying to figure out what they were doing. Well I noticed a broom planted in the ground on the side of the tracks. I looked up and down the tracks and could count 4 of these brooms which were sitting a couple of feet away from the switching arms. I said to Ray and our neighbour "what is with the brooms"?
This photo was taken on my phone is and not all that clear, but you can certainly see that it is a broom. This is what I think the brooms are for. Coal is transported through Golden as well as other towns and even though the coal is sprayed down to keep it from flying all over. The brooms are used to sweep the fallen coal off of the switching arms. But if this is true, then why have I never noticed brooms anywhere else? If anyone else has a better idea, please let me know.
Me enjoying the 29 degree weather watching the muddy Kicking Horse River.
Oh, check out this cute pair of mushrooms. They were all wrinkled!
When we left Golden we were going to drive through Banff to Calgary and then down to Medicine Hat. But I talked Ray into going south to Fort Macleod first because I wanted to see where the buffalos were forced to jump over the ridge. We had never been this route and I thought it would be "interesting". The drive from Golden to Canmore was so beautiful! I just never get tired of looking at the mountains, especially the Rockies. There was still quite a bit of snow on the tops of them, which made them even more beautiful to look at. The closer we got to Calgary the farther away the mountains got. It made me sad because I won't see them for awhile. Oh well, suck it up Lori, you are going on this fantastic trip and will see all sorts of different things! We skirted south of Calgary on Highway 22 and then connected up with Highway 2 heading south. The drive was beautiful and the weather has been better then great!
I did not know that Fort MacLeod was founded as a North West Mounted Police (NWMP) barracks. There is even a NWMP field of honour cemetery. The fort is now a museum (no I didn't go into it, too musty for me) which tells the early days of the NWMP in the 1870's. Another tidbit that I didn't know is, Joni Mitchell was born here in 1943. The population is about 3100 people. It has a very cute business section with well maintained historic buildings. The town is supported by farming (grains, oilseeds) and ranching (dairy/beef cows and even some goats). I hope they don't eat the goats!
I was not sure how to write this part of the blog as I felt so disturbed and was overcome with sadness when we visited this site. I will use some of the information from the Fort MacLeod's Visitor Guide to describe the important parts:
Head Smashed-in Buffalo Jump is about 18 kms from town, up in the "hills". Driving towards it, you don't see the visitor centre at all, it blends in so well with the grasslands and rocks of the hillside. It is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization) world heritage site as one of the oldest, largest and best preserved buffalo jump sites in all of North America. I never knew that there was even one site! That is why I needed to come and see it.
View from the front of the interpretative centre
View from the lookout point
The cliff to Ray's left is where the buffalo were led to their death...called the "kill site"
This custom was practiced for nearly 6000 years. The natives of the day would kill hundreds of buffalos by forcing them to run off the side of the 36 foot high cliff into the ground below. The ones that didn't die instantly where then slaughtered. The Blackfoot natives using young buffalo pelts would make the call of a baby buffalo in distress, while a couple of others wore the pelts of wolves scaring the herds causing them to panic and run.
"According to legend, the name "Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump" comes from a young boy who stood under the cliff during one of the hunts to get an up close view of the buffalos falling over the ledge. The hunt that day was particularly large and the young boy was crushed under the pile of dead buffalos".
Now you can see why I was overwhelmed.
Sitting outside thinking of anything but buffalos jumping.
That is it for tonight.......I need to go and meditate.
Hopefully tomorrow I will have a funnier story!!
Lori and Ray
That is so sad. And yes, I clearly remember our rafting the Kicking Horse!
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