Rain

Last night we saw a few more Grizzleys.  It was a little dark out so the pictures didn't turn out very good.  Guess I need a better camera with better telephoto lens or lens that lets in more light.  Probably not going to happen.  Last night it started raining and we got about 3/4 of an inch and today will probably rain another 3/4 of an inch.  There was supposed to be 2 inch of snow at Highwood Pass.  That's on the way into Longview.

Lower Lake again

Mom and cub at sunset

Lower Lake Day Use

Last of the fireweed

We saw a single grizley last night but it was really dark so no picture.  It is kind of exciting but still a little dangerous if you get between mom and cub.  They usually stick pretty close to mom in the first year but as they get older in the second year they tend to wander a little bit more.  That's when problems could arise.
Heard the bear dogs this morning as there is mom and cub just a few hundred feet away between here and "A" loop.  Guess they will have to close that trail also.  Well the rain has slowed down a little bit so better get out there and clean a few sites.  Bye.

Griz watching

We were out doing our rounds and we saw this griz close to the showers.  She was minding her own business.  Just wanted to get down to the lake to eat berries.

The bear dogs chased her over that direction.  Weather is very nice today.  Had a lot of campers leave as it is Sunday and they probably have to go to work tomorrow.

Kinnikinnik or Bearberries

Bears love this kinnikinnik berries (also know as bearberries)

I think the native Americans use to smoke the leaves of this shrub.

The berries are also an orange color.

If we ate more than a few hand-fulls we would be sicker than dogs!!

The flowers are blooming out.

Evening in the mountains.

Lower Lake in the evening

Fall leaves

Bear dogs and their handlers

Christmas bells

Well we're at another Friday night for us.  (It is actually Thursday but our weekend starts on Friday and then we're back to work Sunday.  We'll soon be bringing in our hanging plants as it is getting quite cool at night.  In another week we will be having another long weekend.  I guess it is the last hurrah for summer.  If the weather is half nice it will probably be busy.  Glad we're not on the east coast of the US.  They will be battening down the hatches for Hurricane Irene.  Guess we can put up with a few cool nights.  Bye for now.

p.s.  Had a relaxing day today (Friday).  Got some sun, made a stew and baked a loaf of bread.

Bear Watching

Baby Griz

Mama Griz

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Mama and baby

We had a viewing of mama griz and baby yesterday.  They were busy eating berries by the side of the road.  Today Wendy saw a black bear but I had the camera so no picture.  Weather is very warm, I think about 80F.  A little windy but very nice.  Well that's all the excitement around here.  Bye

Smith Dorian Trail

Well my brother and his wife stopped in on their way to Vancouver.  Had a real nice visit.

After they left we headed into Canmore to do a little grocery shopping so we decided to take the short cut via Smith Dorian Trail.  It is a few miles shorter but it is all gravel.  I wouldn't recommend it for motor homes or travel trailers but it was scenic.  Here are a few pics of that trip.

Baby bull Moose

Mama Moose

Half moon at noon

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Reflections7

Reflections1

Reflections2

Reflections5

Canmore

This is quite the view of Canmore as we come down the side of the mountain.

Sonny's funeral ride

We don't know who Sonny was but he sure had a lot of friends.

Well that was our little trip.  Hope you enjoyed it.

Our little valley

Another of our valley

Bear Warning

This bush used to be covered in berries.

Bear scat  T.M.I

We had a grizzley mom and her cub walk through the park last night.  The cub was very young and was really cute.  To bad it was too dark to really get a good picture from a distance.  Nights are getting cooler as it is in the low 40's.  Almost time to head south.  Bye for now.

Lower Lake Excitement

Well today we're working at Lower Lake campground.  They've had bears down there for the past week and today they were chasing  them away from the sites towards the north.  Well one found an opening and went right through loops B and C and came right by the wood shed where I was standing checking paper work.  It didn't even slow down to say "hi" or give me time to take a picture.  Some nerve!  They probably are thinking the same thing as there are berries out in that meadow by the campsites and why shouldn't they be eating them.

The weather is kind of cloudy and drizzly so not really a great day for camping.  Nice day for a nap.  Good idea.  I think I will.  Bye

picnic time for Teddy Bears

Well we went out for a campfire and picnic down by the lake at the day use area on Sat..  Got a nice spot with a fire pit and picnic table and a nice view of the lake.  Just after we arrived it seemed like half of Calgary arrived also.  It is nice to see all the little kids laughing and excited to be down by the lake and freeze their little butskees off!!  :-)  I guess the bears have left for now but I'm sure they weill be back.

Today is a workday and I imagine we'll have about 45 sites to clean.(just so you know that it isn't all fun and games here).  It will get quieter here though.  Bye for now.

Scenic day off

Well we buzzed into Calgary yesterday to do a little shopping and visiting and basically just to get away.

It is really beautiful out here but we still need to get away.

We saw lots of hay being swathed and baled and everything was very green.  I'll bet Texas and Oklahoma would love to get some of this rain.

No activity around the teepees.

Heading back to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park/ K country.  I should have taken a picture while we were in Calgary.  It is amazing how busy it is in comparison to being out here in the mountains.  Today we are heading out to have a picnic somewhere.  Bye for now.

6 grizzlies

The bears are starting to move from the higher elevations down here to the valley.  We had 2 mama grizzlies and they each had 2 cubs in the same meadow just behind Lower Lake campground. We had to close down the walkin camping sites as the bears were too close to the sites.  On the regular sites the bears are still only a couple of hundred feet away.  I don't think I would want to be tenting that close to the bears.  What if they like the smell of bacon cooking more than the berries that they are eating?  We've been up at Boulton Creek for the last few days so missed out on the immediate action going on.  Haven't got any pictures today.

We're on our way to Calgary for our weekend so will get back to y'all later.

Work day

Well we did all the cleanup of sites so am glad Sunday is past.  Sometimes there are lots of sites to clean as everyone heads back to city at the same time.  Today was a bit of an easier day but it seemed just as long as they have a different system for checking people in down there at Lower Lake.  It is done now and we took a few pics while we were working.

Hauling away the ashes

Clouds on the mountain

Clouds and snow on mtn.

Still got snow

Not quite a mirror

Waiting for a camper

Well that's about it for today.

coyotes

We've got some coyotes around here that are getting pretty brave.  We may have to get the Conservation Officer to come by and shoot at it with rubber bullets to get it to stay away.  They're nice to see but I'm sure small dogs might look appetizing.

I do a little bit of work around here and delivering firewood is part of it.  Here is a picture of me doing just that.

Firewood, anyone?

Today we have a day off and can't decide whether to do nothing or maybe take a hike somewhere.  We'll let you know.  Bye for now.