Summer for me means time outdoors in the sun, surrounded by mountains, lakes and nature! A summer trip across the border to the Rocky Mountains in Alberta gave me much needed time with endless amounts of pristine nature. My trip included lots of hiking, mountain biking, paddle boarding, wildflowers and wildlife!
First stop – hiking at Sunshine Meadows in Banff National Park! Having skied here in the winter in the past, seeing it snow-free in the summer was something I was not prepared for. There were wildflowers all around! Western anemone, Indian paintbrush, fireweed and common yarrow were just some that I saw in the meadows, their colours standing out against the green grass.
The hike included three crystal clear mountain lakes: Rock Isle, Grizzly and Layrx Lake. The water was so clear, that even through the reflections of the blue sky, I was able to see some fish. Sunshine Meadows is also along the Alberta-BC border, which I passed over for a little during the hike before returning to Alberta!
There was lots of wildlife that I was able to spot. Columbia ground squirrels, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and foxes! With Banff National Park being known for bears, I didn’t have any encounters with any, though it definitely would have been a treat to see one from a distance!
The geomorphology of the Rocky Mountains is also astounding to witness! Towering mountains all around, with millions of years of history held within them. The hoodoos in Banff are especially unique. Hoodoos are really just unusually shaped rocked pillars. Thousands of years of rain, snowmelt and wind have eroded the softer rock away, eventually leaving the more resistant rock pillars exposed, which are seen towards the bottom of the photo below!
Written by Amy Carlson, NatureKids 2023 summer UBC Geography co-op student