Kootenay National Park from PH93

July 7, 2007.

We are staying in the Tunnel Mountain National Park Campground in Banff, Alberta. Tunnel Mountain Campground offers full hookups, no hookups, and electricity only. We are in one of the $29.70 electricity only sites. I do not know what FHU or no hookups cost but they are all in the same area. All sites are paved.

Red Bluff on PH93 east of Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Forest

Just past the road cut area is this reddish color hill of earth that I do not recognize. What is it doing here? Has it got something to do with the thermal activity less than a mile away? I don't guess I will ever know unless someone is kind enough to provide me with some information. Any takers?

It probably has something to do with iron since it is very near, if not part of, Iron Gates Canyon------ do you suppose this is part of the "iron gate" and the red color has to do with iron content?

Canadian Rockies, PH93 & Kootenay National Park

Some of that snow is actually deep glaciers that will not melt over the summer.

Kootenay National Park on PH 93 in the Canadian Rockies

Scenes like this will take your breath away.

Kootenay River in Kootenay National Park along PH93 in the Canadian Rockies

Now we are following the Kootenay River to its headwaters high on the Continental Divide.

Backbone of the Canadian Rockies in Kootenay National Park

We are going to have to find a pass through those mountains that form the backbone of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Canadian Rockies, PH93 & Kootenay National Park

In addition to the deep green of the conifer forest small white flowers are lining the highway.

Canadian Rockies, PH93 & Kootenay National Park

We keep getting higher and higher as we continue to follow the Kootenay River. Note that we are getting much closer to the snow.

PH 93 Kootenay National Park and Canadian Rockies

The white flowers are so thick along here that they appear to be snow.

Canadian Rockies PH93 Kootenay National Park

The valley is beginning to narrow and we are getting closer to the mountain.

Canadian Rockies PH93 Kootenay National Park

By this time I think we are starting to cross the mountain instead of just following the valley.

Canadian Rockies PH93 Kootenay National Park

Isn't this a magnificient view of the Canadian Rockies from PH93 in Kootenay National Park.

Avalanche chutes in the Canadian Rockies as seen from PH93 in Kootenay National Park

Those are avalanche chutes and we are getting closer to them.

Snow avalanches and rock slides cut swaths through green vegetation.

Many large rocks, some weighing several tons, roll and bounce all the way to the bottom.

You can clearly see where avalanches and rock slides have created these distinctive trails through the vegetation.

Example of the geology of the Canadian Rocky Mountains along PH93 in Kootenay National Park

Remember that this is limestone and shales that have been thrusted up when two of the earths plates collided.