Tuesday, July 6, 2010 Lake Minnewanka

Slept really late and still have the headache but only slightly. Catch up on e-mails, take more meds, feel better and decide to go to Lake Minnewanka (also called Lake of the Spirits) which is supposed to be a beautiful area to picnic and hike and just admire the scenery. Saying that some place in the BC/AB Rockies is beautiful is like saying that water is wet. Of course it is. Everything here is beautiful. The BC license plates say ‘Beautiful British Columbia.’ Stop rubbing it in. And of course, Lake Minnewanka IS beautiful. And serene. (2 pics) Me and a few picnickers and a few people in boats on the lake, and a boat load of mountain goats. They’re everywhere. When I arrive, there are a few milling around the boat landing and the picnic tables. I look up and see a group (herd? gaggle? pride? – I don’t know what you call a group of goats) coming across the causeway (the lake also serves as a reservoir and the level is controlled) single file. (pic) They’re in molt (pic) and look pretty mangy, and the males are a little nervous and keep themselves between the girls and the babies and the humans. I watch them for a long time as they check all the picnic tables for leftovers. They’re very industrious. An amusing and entertaining bunch. There are also chipmunks everywhere - few pics (can’t have too many chipmunk pics) - and I watch them for a while. Man they’re quick! And cute. The trailhead to the Stewart Canyon Trail (~4km RT) is just above the lake and has very little elevation gain so I figure this is a good trail for someone with a headache and set off. Soooooooooooo beautiful. Trail follows the stream that flows out of Stewart Canyon into Minnewanka Lake - in the steeper parts there's white water and in the flat areas the clear water flows along slowly and you can see every pebble on the bottom. Some trail pics included with the first depicting a goat that preceded me on the trail for a long while. He kept looking back as though he was thinking, "Why is she following me?" The video is of the water gently flowing down the canyon. The Stewart Canyon Trail intersects the Aylmer Trail which is more rigorous, and since my headache is practically gone, I decide I should try it but then I see the warning sign that there have been grizzly sightings on Aylmer and only groups of 4 or more are allowed on the trail.. Next time.