Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Day 19 Summer 2012 Road Trip

We didn’t have to be on the road until 10:00 am this morning, but we awoke at 7:00 am and decided to get up and get going. 

We had breakfast and got the car loaded and were on the road out of Calgary by 9:00 am.  We headed South on Alberta 2A and it is nice to see the speed limit is 110 km/hr.

1013 Alberta Hwy 2A South sign 1014 Alberta Hwy 2A South - speed limit sign

We are going in search of the Okotoks Erratic or otherwise known as The Big Rock.

For those who don’t know what an erratic is, basically it is a rock that is out of place, it is not the same type of rock that is found in the area.  These rocks have been transported by a glacier and deposited many many miles from their origin.  

A rock of this size would have fallen from the mountain side, onto the top of the glacier and the glacier and the rock kept on moving until the glacier had melted enough that it could no longer support the weight of the rock and this is where it landed, out here in this field.

1026 Alberta Hwy 7 West - The Okotoks Erratic

The Okotoks Erratic is the largest known erratic to exist in the world.  We have seen many erratics in our previous vacations and we have seen some big ones but this certainly is the biggest we have seen.  In the next photo, you can read a brief description and see the path of this erratic. 

This rock moved over 400 km from the Jasper AB area and landed here.

1025 Alberta Hwy 7 West - The Okotoks Erratic 1029 Alberta Hwy 7 West - The Okotoks Erratic 1030 Alberta Hwy 7 West - The Okotoks Erratic

After leaving the Okotoks Erratic, we continued Southward on Alberta 2A.

1040 Alberta Hwy 2 South 1042 Alberta Hwy 2 South

Driving through the town of Nanton Alberta, we saw a roadside museum of old airplanes.  We didn’t have time to stop, but captured these photos as we drove by slowly.

1048 Alberta Hwy 2 South - Nanton - Bomber Command Museum of Canada 1049 Alberta Hwy 2 South - Nanton - Bomber Command Museum of Canada 1052 Alberta Hwy 2 South - Nanton - Bomber Command Museum of Canada

We are now heading West on Alberta 785, our next stop is ahead.

1067 Alberta Hwy 785 West

We are going to visit “Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre

1078 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre

Before the Native Americans met the White Man, they basically had no weapons, or very crude weapons.  But by herding and luring the buffalo into a corridor that kept narrowing, they were able to stampede the herd to the point of no return and the buffalo went off the cliff, dying by crashing on the rocks below, where the natives could then butcher and process enough meat to survive the winter months.

1090 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre 1091 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre

The interpretive centre is comprised of 5 levels.  On each level you learn more and more about the significance of the buffalo jump and the process that was involved to lure the buffalos along and then stampede them over the cliff.

1103 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre 1114 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre 1128 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre

On the 5th floor of the building, you exit onto a pathway that takes you to the actual cliff edge where the buffalo would meet their demise after stampeding over the edge.

1140 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre 1143 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre 1144 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre

The view from up here is uninterrupted by anything manmade except for this teepee (and the road, and the fence, but you get the idea) and the view goes on and on forever.

1149 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre 1153 Alberta Hwy 785 West - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre

We left the Interpretive Centre and the GPS put us on to this 30 km gravel road to our destination of Pincher Creek AB.  We thought of going the long way on paved roads, but this road had been recently graded so we decided that we would take the chance that it wouldn’t get worse and pushed onwards.  We were in no hurry and the scenery was beautiful.  Average speed was 60 km/hr.

1158 Alberta - gravel roads between Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Pincher Creek 1159 Alberta - gravel roads between Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Pincher Creek - cattle

Storm clouds were building ahead of us.

1162 Alberta - gravel roads between Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Pincher Creek 1166 Alberta - gravel roads between Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Pincher Creek

We could see the Rocky Mountains ahead underneath the clouds.

1167 Alberta - gravel roads between Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Pincher Creek 1178 Alberta - gravel roads between Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Pincher Creek - canola field   mountains ahead

We drove through a large wind farm.  It is said that the winds are the strongest in this part of Alberta so it makes sense to put a wind farm here.

1183 Alberta - gravel roads between Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Pincher Creek - canola field   wind turbines   mountains ahead 1182 Alberta - gravel roads between Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Pincher Creek - canola field   wind turbines   mountains in background 1184 Alberta - gravel roads between Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre and Pincher Creek - wind turbines   mountains in background

The storm is really starting to intensify as the clouds are forced over the mountains.  It is off to the NorthWest of us enough that it shouldn’t bother us.

1194 Alberta Hwy 3 West sign (Crowsnest Hwy) 1195 Alberta Hwy 6 South sign 1197 Alberta Hwy 6 South - mountains

We arrive in Pincher Creek and go directly to our hotel.  It would be nice to get checked in and the luggage into the room before the rains start.  This cowboy has the same idea, get his horses into the barn before the storm.

1199 Alberta Hwy 6 South - black metal sillouette art at Pincher Creek Welcome sign

This is the view from our hotel window of the Rocky Mountains.

1206 Alberta Hwy 6 South Pincher Creek - view of mountains from our hotel window 1207 Alberta Hwy 6 South Pincher Creek - view of mountains from our hotel window

And the view of the Wal-Mart from our window.   We walked over and bought a few things and had dinner at McDonald’s.

1212 Alberta Hwy 6 South Pincher Creek - view of Wal-Mart from our hotel window

Karen took these photos of the sunset.  Actually Karen is taking about 90 percent of the photos, she is getting very good and developing an eye for good photo content.

1213 Alberta Hwy 6 South Pincher Creek - view of sunset over the mountains from our hotel window 1215Alberta Hwy 6 South Pincher Creek - view of sunset over the mountains from our hotel window

I am very happy with the internet in this hotel, I have a very fast connection and am able to upload several days worth of photos and videos that I was unable to do from the Calgary hotel.

To see all of the photos from today, you can find them all on our FLICKR site.

1 comment:

  1. We stopped at the Head's Smashed In several years ago. A really interesting spot. Lots of prairie history. I love the pictures of the Rocky's. Everyone should visit the Rocky Mountains at least once in their life. They are the most incredible sight. It always takes my breath away every time I see them. So massive and majestic. Keep those pictures coming!! Safe travels.

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