The Most Beautiful Road in the World

Day 22: Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Icefields Parkway

I will confess to being extremely skeptical of the beauty along the legendary Icefields Parkway, and I was blown away. The Canadians know it's a hefty claim to make and they recognize that. Upon entering the road, the ranger hands you a map, bearing the question in bold: “The Most Beautiful Road? Really?” But sure enough, every single recommended viewpoint or attraction or trailhead was utterly incredible. At 230 kilometers in length, the Parkway snakes around pristine lakes, under enormous crags, alongside roaring waterfalls, and beside enormous icefields.Upon my insistence, we stopped to gawk at Mts. Hardisty, Kerkeslin, and Edith Cavell, some of the most prominent peaks in that stretch. The Athabasca Falls (Stoney for “the place where the bulrushes grow”) were incredible, as large waterfalls usually are. Hearing the roar of the falls and feeling the spray of mist on our faces made me nostalgic for Niagara Falls. It was amazing seeing how far the falls had receded, and the surprising amount of life that flourishes in the turbulent waterfall. Even more unbelievable was that while it is natural for fish to flourish in the river after a waterfall, it is essentially impossible for fish to thrive in the river preceding one, especially one such as these falls. Yet there is one type of fish that manages this daunting task; how the species ever came to be in that portion of the river is a mystery to this day.At Horseshoe Lake, scores of locals were thronging the cliffs along either side, waiting to jump into the glorious water.
The Icefield Centre along the Parkway was mainly built in 1996, and it showed. The exhibits were extremely informative and quite interactive—those that worked were, anyway—but the language regarding the disastrous effect of global warming on the recession of the icefields (the Columbia Icefield in particular)--was vague, indecisive, and out-and-out misleading. As the daughter of an earth scientist, I know these statements are wrong, but I digress.

The Columbia Icefield itself is awe-inspiring, if upsetting. Its sheer size, even after the toll humans have taken on it, demands its own climate. That portion of the road is quite chilly, the New Englander will concede.

I learned way more about glaciers than I thought possible that day.

For instance, different parts of the glacier move at different speeds. The ice on the top of the glacier will get to the bottom much sooner than the ice at the bottom because of the massive amount of friction it creates against the rock.

With ice core samples from the Icefield, scientists can ascertain how much pollen was in the air x number of years ago, and from it conjecture about the vegetation, the level of the glacier, and the surrounding plant life.

One cool side fact was that apparently previous ice core samples have shown layers of peat (essentially plant matter) and layers of ice, interspersed with layers of ash. These layers of ash came from volcanic eruptions—one from Mount Mazama, the volcano that created Crater Lake, and one from Mt. St. Helens—and we had just visited both of those places! The dispersal of volcanic ash in the atmosphere is incredible, yet worrying. Just think what this means for the world every time we endure another Icelandic volcanic eruption.

Up to Jasper

Day 21: Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

The day began, once again, with a Lisa-pigging-out session.

We purchased the combined gondola and buffet tickets, thereby giving me free reign to clean out the dining hall with my monstrous appetite. Three coffees, three iced teas, a whopping plate of vegetables, an overflowing plate of pasta and rice, two generous slices of cake, and a cup of fruit. It got to the point where the kitchen and cleaning staff knew me by sight. There was one man in particular, who appeared out of nowhere, no less than three times to answer random musings I had directed at no one in particular. Hilarious. Add to that the fact that the music blaring was all songs from my iPod, so I knew all the words. Of course I could not resist belting out “Kryptonite” in the line, a shout-out to my unrequited love Jason Varitek, but luckily another man joined me in song. He even upped the ante by whistling whilst cleaning. Impressive.

The gondola ride at Lake Louise was pretty incredible. The actual Lake Louise was so far off in the distance, and yet such a striking blue-green. It was amazing to realize we have canoed across that thing. Once atop the peak, we ran into two giant Chinese tour groups, so of course Auntie had to chat them up. We discovered they were all from the Beijing area and their white translator was a Mormon missionary.

The road between Jasper and Banff National Parks is known as the Icefields Parkway, supposedly one of the most beautiful roads in the world. On the drive up, we were pressed for time so we only stopped at a handful of places: Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, and Waterfowl Lakes and Mts. Chephren and Howse.

Our campground in Jasper was nothing special, just somewhere to spend the night. It was out about 14 kilometers from the main road, south of the town of Jasper, which, for whatever reason, describes itself as both “Stunning” and “Formidable” on its welcome sign. Ominous sign?

Like Banff, Jasper is a little town nestled underneath these sky-scraping mountains. Jasper, however, is significantly less touristy. Interesting and revealing side fact: Workers at their one grocery store are unfamiliar with tofu. The scandal!

Incoming: Grizzlies!

Day 20: Monday, July 26, 2010
Banff National Park and Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
So our campground is surrounded by an electric fence. And I promptly touched the fence by accident whilst pretending to electrocute myself for Matthew. Call me Grace.
We were down at the sinks, washing our dishes this morning, when a man called over to his son, "Hey Junior! (I don't remember his name) Look, it's a bear!" So we immediately waddled over to the fence to take a peek and saw a grizzly bear mom and her two cubs in the meadow.
Warning: Lisa geeking out.

Now, a grizzly bear differs from a black bear in a few fundamental ways. Most obviously, a grizzly has a large and prominent hump behind the shoulders, a muscle build-up from all the digging for berries and squirrels they do. Black bears have no such hump, so their hind quarters are higher up than their front. Grizzlies also have much longer claws, and a more dish-panned face than black bears, which, by the way, are not only black, but reddish, brown, and blond. Black bears are also much more accustomed to people, and have no qualms with hanging around by the side of the road, while grizzlies want their peace and quiet. Additionally, grizzlies reproduce much less frequently than black bears, which is a factor in the endangered status of grizzly bears. I will stop here. Feel free to ask me more questions about bears, though.


The mother was hunting a Colombian Ground Squirrel, which she snatched right up from its hole, when suddenly one of her cubs ran in front and grabbed the squirrel from her mother, instigating an epic chase. Adorable.

Minutes after we started watching, the Bear Squad ("Save a bear, Don't stop and stare") pulled up. After quite a crowd had gathered, we saw a man suddenly pop out of the undergrowth way too close to the bear, and the Rangers immediately set about identifying who in the world could be so brainless.

What a treat, all the same.

After my experience on the Bow River, the river that cuts through much of Banff National Park, I was hooked on canoeing. Give me a hollowed out log and a branch and I would be across the lake or trying my hardest to get there. I think Auntie sensed my growing obsession, because as soon as we pulled up to Lake Louise, a deathly tourist trap if I ever saw one, she suggested we grab a canoe and hit the lake.Now, Lake Louise is special for many reasons. Named for the daughter of the Queen of England, she consists of purely glacial water, mostly from the glaciers on Mt. Victoria, which looms behind her. She is surrounded by many other stately peaks, like Mt. Fairview, The Beehive, and Mt. Lefroy. Lake Louise, like many of the lakes in the area, contains a sediment called rock flour, which absorbs all the colors except blue, which it reflects out in a stark, pure way, thereby giving Louise her gorgeous coloring.

This is where I brag. The three of us paddled out basically to the other side and back in one hour. It was so humbling, seeing these transcendent peaks up close, watching as the hordes of people receded to pinpricks in the distance, the deep blue radiating from the frigid water.
But as wonderful as Lake Louise was, I prefer Lake Morraine, another underrated jewel in Canada's crown. The water was even more vivid, so bright it almost hurt to behold, and her placement in the Valley of Ten Peaks offers great hiking challenges. I for one am determined to return to climb Mt. Babel, named after that Biblical tower.
Matthew quite enjoyed the chipmunks and squirrels, who posed patiently for photos, then waited expectantly for food morsels. Clever little critters.

Let's Talk About Banff

Day 18: Saturday, July 24, 2010
Kamloops, BC to Banff, Alberta

Well, the first thing that I need to start off with is a confession: Until July 24th, 2010, I had never ever eaten anything from a Dairy Queen. That all changed when I caved and had a Skor and cappuccino blizzard. Yum.

We drove all day and pulled into Lake Louise Campgrounds at 11:54 PM. There were a surprising number of trucks and big rigs I had to battle to make it through to Alberta that fast.

Day 19: Sunday, July 25, 2010
Banff, Alberta, CanadaOur late night drive had hidden from us the grandeur of the surrounding landscape. The morning drive into humble little Banff, a Scottish name by origin, can you tell, revealed a lovely town nestled right under huge, sweeping mountains covered with green pines. The city of Banff is adorable, if touristy. The street names are all animal names, like Wolf or Elk or Lynx.
The day was perfect and I insisted we go canoeing on the Bow River and it was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. You are completely surrounded by nature at her finest, tranquil and serene, the water flowing by you, the mountains looming nearby, the sweat from your paddling coating your body. It was so rewarding. Every bend revealed a more majestic vista, and we (okay, I) were (was) reluctant to turn back. Unfortunately, every time I stopped to snap a picture, the canoe would veer suddenly to one direction or the other, as I was perched in the back, as the gubernator is wont to do.
We spent the day enjoying Banff National Park--an underrated gem, not just for Canada, but for the world, in my humble opinion.

An old friend in Kamloops, Canada

Friday morning, July 23, Young-il and I left the campsite before 6 am so that he could catch his flight back to Oakland. Then I went back, broke camp with the kids, and we headed east for Kamloops in central BC. First, however, we had to stop by a local farm and buy a couple of boxes of fresh blueberries. Mmm! Kamloops is half-way between Vancouver and Banff and is where an old friend of mine from Fuller days pastors a church.

It was good to see Harold again after 20+ years, get to know his wife, Charlene, better, and meet their three grown sons. Harold was a great support and and real friend to me when I went through a difficult period in my life; he has a real pastor's heart in caring for other people.

What an interesting time we had with them! We had bear meat for dinner--from a black bear that Harold had legally hunted and killed himself, cherries from their own cherry tree, grape juice from their own grapes, and lots of other homemade delicacies. In fact, most of their food they hunt, harvest, and preserve themselves. Charlene is also a musician--choral director, voice teacher, and pianist--and leads all of the music programs at the church, as well as a literacy program, among other things. Afterwards, Lisa and I commented to each other that we felt sorry for the boys. They are going to face major disappointment some day when they discover that women like their mother are one in a million.

We were sorry that we didn't get to attend a worship service with them and hear Harold preach but we did get to see the church building. After a warm send-off, we headed off for Banff: six hours to the east in neighboring Alberta.

Victoria, British Columbia

July 15, we met Young-il in Victoria, British Columbia. It was fun to see him after having been gone for a week. He flew up to join us in Victoria while we visited his parents who live there (Halmoni & Halaboji to Matthew: Grandma & Grandpa). Young-il visits them annually and, while I used to, Matthew and I haven't seen them for several years. It was good to see them again. They're now 85, still living in their own apartment, and still healthy.

I came away with a deeper respect for my parents-in-law, especially my mother-in-law. They are not sophisticated but are simple folks, yet there is much to learn from them. They give Young-il and me complete freedom and acceptance in the decisions we make and the things we do; there is never a word of criticism from them, just love and support. This is difficult for any parent to do but it is especially uncharacteristic of an Asian parent. Then they told us that every morning the first words they say to each other are, "I love you," rather than "Good morning," because one doesn't know if it will be a good morning or not but you do know that you love the other person. This is remarkable because people in Asian society don't say that to family members, especially people of their generation!

While in Victoria, I took Lisa and Matthew to a Butterfly Garden. Loved the warmth and humidity. Reminded me of Taiwan. Also went to the world famous Butchart Gardens. Saw a fireworks display there in the evening unlike any fireworks show I've ever seen before. This wasn't just fireworks; it was a light show/fireworks dance/fireworks exhibition set to music. The fireworks were set in various shapes and moved according to the music. Hard to explain but just awesome. Also saw the Parliament Building and other sights around time.

The highlight of our time there, aside from time with Young-il's parents was the last day when we went out on a boat to see orcas in the Sound between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Did we see orcas! We saw one after another, then a whole pod which was breaching not too far from our boat. Suddenly, 3 of the orcas in the pod broke off and headed our way. We watched in amazement as they swam directly under our boat and off into the distance. We were able to see their black and white markings as clearly as could be, that's how close they were to the surface as they swam beneath us. What a treat!

Victoria. Love the town. We finally said goodbye and left on July 22 on the ferry for Vancouver.

Cindy finally blogs

Cindy here. Finally! I've been writing a lovely blog in my head every day. Really. Just haven't had the internet access like we thought we would, especially the last week in Canada. But now we're in Helena, Montana and decided to stop at a library for a couple of hours on our way to Yellowstone just so that we could update our blog for our dear family and friends.

Wow, what to say. We're dumbfounded by the beauty of what we're seeing. I'm humbled that we should have the luxury of taking this amazing trip when there are so many poor in the world. As a Christian, I'm struck by the immense creativity and love of God in making a world so grand in scale and so breathtaking in detail. If I am thrilled to see the sheered mt. cliffs, glacial canyons, and volcanic lakes, how much more joy He must have had in watching the glaciers carve those cliffs and canyons and and the volcanoes create those lakes over the millions of years that it took. Talk about an artist enjoying his art!

Every part of our trip has been perfect thus far. We've had perfect weather: sunny, blue skies and warm temps, even in places known for rain. We had a little rain the other morning but not too bad. It cleared in time for us to break camp. We've been able to get a camp site every night except one; then we stayed in a motel. That's pretty amazing considering it's the peak tourist season in these major national parks. Driving has been easy with Lisa to help trade off. And our driving has been broken up by enough stops that it doesn't seem like we've done much driving at all. Drive 5-6 hours and spend a day at a destination. Lisa's been a huge help at setting up and breaking camp; I've really relied on her. Matthew has helped as much as a 10-year-old can, which is to say not as much as an 18-year-old would like. Everyone has gotten along very well.

The only problems we've had have been: insufficient internet access to update our blog and insufficient time to do these national parks justice. We feel like we're just sailing through them and wish we had more time so that we could actually do some hiking in them. But we have a schedule to keep . . . 99 days is just not enough time . . . sigh. . . .

But, all in all, I'm very thankful for how smoothly things have gone and that we're getting to do this. We are blessed.