We often hear that the journey is as important as the destination. That adage proved itself truer than ever last week while driving from Calgary, Alberta to Fairmont Hot Springs, British Columbia and we killed the ignition for a spell at Marble Canyon. From the road, it’s as inauspicious as a regular rest stop, but walk a few feet down the path and it soon becomes clear there’s more to experience than a pit toilet.
Part of Kootenay National Park, Marble Canyon once lay under a kilometer (that’s 0.6 of a mile) of glacial ice. Thousands of years of melting and erosion have carved a narrow channel between the dramatic rock walls, a pipeline for the turquoise water of Tokkum Creek to barrel through and meet the Vermillion River at the bottom.
Not too far away, a new fossil find has paleontologists excited, and rightfully so. After the initial excavation, they estimated that 22 percent of the observed species were new to science, while others had only previously been seen in China’s multi-million-year-old Lagerstätte (how’s that for a cool word?).
On my walk, tree skeletons served as reminders of forest fires past, while new growth, shrubs and wildflowers peppered the landscape, reassurance of Earth’s regenerative powers. Giant slabs of petrified wood lined the path, their layers perfect and even, and the Canadian Rockies loomed. I couldn’t help but feel very, very small.
Have you ever found an unexpected gem like this in your travels?
Proving yet again the beauty of British Columbia. :)) A lovely post, Laura.
Aren’t we so lucky to live in (and in its vicinity), Jo-Anne? Thanks for stopping by.
Lovely! Really good photos. Sometimes getting lost we find gems, both urban and in nature. Looking for Muir Wood we happened upon Muir Beach. Driving from Vancouver to Seattle we found “East Vancouver” which reminds me of Ballard:)
Googled Muir Beach — it looks lovely! That’s a good find, indeed. And finding “East Van” made me chuckle. I love Commercial Drive, so hope that was part of your “stumble.”
I swear one day I’ll visit that part of the world; smashing pics you’ve posted there Laura. They remind me of southern Spain which captivated me a few years with its rock formations. I remember boring my poor kids to death with lectures about how each layer of rock represented so many thousands of years of Earth’s history and we should count ourselves lucky that Africa won’t crash into Europe for another 5 million years, etc, etc 🙂
Africa is going to crash into Europe?! I did not know that. Ah well, humanity in its entirety will be extinct loooooong before that.
It’s a really interesting subject. Here’s a wiki link to the Supercontinent. We’re just about past the midway stage, where the Earth’s landmasses are starting to come together to form one giant landmass again (for example, the Japanese earthquake 3 years ago moved the islands 8 metres closer to the Chinese mainland; that’s how we know it was a one-in-a-thousand-year earthquake, because that’s their average speed). Eventually all the landmasses will come together before splitting apart again. It’s thought to be nature’s longest cycle 🙂
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercontinent
Wow, Chris, thanks for that extra info. We sure do live on a crazy planet! Mind boggling, really.
Sure, way to rub all that Canadian glory in our faces! There’s a really good spot to explore the rocks that form the riverbed of the Yaak River in Montana right off the main road that goes by it. Another cool spot is Crystal Falls in Yellowstone. Everyone stops to see the brink of the Upper Falls, but if you walk along the rim of the canyon for hardly any distance at all Crystal Falls is right there (sans crowds). I remember crawling around the rocks with Matt back in the day. It’s amazing neither of us got killed. Another good one is Multnomah Falls. BAM! Right there wilderness just feet from the car, though I am prone to all day hikes that lead to dried up lakes…
Aw, rats, wish I knew that about Crystal Falls when I went in 2011. Thanks for the good tips, Jeri! And better luck next time with regard to finding a lake that still has water in it.
Gorgeous scenery–wow! that vivid turquoise creek. On a California road trip some years back as we headed to a cousin’s wedding, we decided to pull into Mt. Lassen Volcano National Park. Hardly anyone was there (mid-summer). Colorful mineral pools, stinky rotten egg smells (but that’s a good thing here), and geysers. Not to mention the scenic volcano itself. It was worth a stop to hike around in it.
That sounds amazing (and the photos I saw online look it, too), especially the part about “hardly anyone was there.” 🙂
I wonder why some mineral pools and hot springs get the sulfur smell and others don’t…
Apparently, the more Desulfovibrio Vulgaris bacteria that exist in a mineral pool, the stronger the sulfur smell. (don’t I sound smart? ha! looked it up because your question peaked my curiosity). The bacteria converts sulfides in the water into hydrogen sulfide which has that smell.
Yay, we’re both smarter now! Although I’m not sure I like this quote from the Wiki page: “Desulfovibrio vulgaris is ubiquitous in nature and has also been implicated in a variety of human bacterial infections, although it may only be an opportunistic pathogen.”
Gorgeous photos! Can I come? I miss you! Haven’t talked in a while!
Hey Jodi! Thanks! And you’re a welcome travel mate anytime!
I know you made an announcement recently, but I haven’t gone over to see what it was yet. Will “visit you” tomorrow. Miss you too! It has been busy over in Zeraland. 🙂
My favourite of your photos is the final one with the snow-capped mountain peeking through the trees in the background. Canada sure is bootiful. I did a bus trip up in the Rockies a few years back (not really my kind of travel, I usually prefer to hire a car and potter along) and we rocketed around in a big coach with our jaws dropping open as we came around each corner.
As a side note, one thing that really shocked me about the Canadian Rockies was the ubiquitousness (ubiquitosity?) of the Australian accent. Every time I went into a shop to buy a sandwich or a caramel apple, I was served by someone from home. haha It’s an invasion!!
I was the same, jaw-dropping-wise, Belinda. I didn’t do a blog post on Lake Louise because I figured it has been done a million times, but I was really blown away by it. The intensity of the blue reflection in/on the water was particularly intense when we were there, sun was out, jaw was dragging along the pavement.
Re: Aussies in the Rockies — yup, and in Whistler, too. There are lots of work visa programs geared toward drawing in seasonal labor. I think it’s a win-win for both nationalities!
Thanks for reading, Ms. B.