Mount Edith Cavell: At the Tarn 2


till the end of time / earl grant

Mount Edith Cavell

I had a very difficult time with this post. Worked on it for nearly 2 weeks.
I had too many good photos – nearly 80 – or more.
Which ones to pick? Post? 
I finally selected these. 
Hope you enjoy them.

Mount Edith Cavell: At the Tarn 1


only time / enya

Mount Edith Cavell

I confess it wasn’t an easy hike for me.
Had to rest periodically due to pain in my legs.
But it was wonderful to eventually get up here and see this. 

We took MANY photos up here. Can only show a few.

The Tarn with Angel Glacier above

Angel spreads her wings

Coming: Mount Edith Cavell: At the Tarn 2

Mount Edith Cavell: Signs of the times – Part 1


Big Yellow Taxi / Joni Mitchell

I rant. Therefore I am.
– Dennis Miller

Mount Edith Cavell: Signs of the times.

     Canadians love Socialism. We can’t wait to hand over all our personal responsibilities (Freedoms) to the Government and be taxed to the eyebrows. 3 of the 5 political parties that ran in our last Federal Election were outright Socialist in philosophy: The incompetent and forever stupid Liberals; the insane and laughable NDP; and the complete lunatic Lefties: the Green Party. Absolutely terrifying that this bunch overwhelms any sane Political ideals here. 
     The damage of Socialism is long, pervasive and impossible to get rid of. 
     Example: Bilingualism – as Law in Canada. Most signage, packaging, anything! has to be done in both English and French. This has cost us – and continues to do so – untold Millions (zillions?) of Dollars. This single titanic feat of political stupidity alone has cost Canadians an unfathomable fortune in wasted money. Yet almost NOBODY outside of Ontario and Quebec speak French – or need to do so. In my job as a Greeter at Home Depot I believe I’ve only encountered about 2 people in the last 6 years that needed assistance because they only spoke French. (We couldn’t find any interpreters). But this Law persists – to appease the unappeasable Province of Quebec. This was inflicted upon us by that great French Canadian Socialist Pierre Trudeau – who like his son Justin (who now rules Canada) has professed an admiration for Communism. Yeah. 

     In a country where democracy is corrupted by the reality that 2 Provinces – Ontario and Quebec (out of 10) – can swing any Federal Election vote, we find the need to speak French  by any Politician who isn’t bilingual (like from Western Canada) immediately handcuffs him. 

Thinking about coming here?

WHY am this bringing this up?
Because the signs at Mount Edith Cavell reflects this mentality.
Apart from the fact that all signage has to be bilingual – in English and French –
there’s a question of whether these signs are need to exist at all?


But apparently,
in 2012, there was an “icefall” from the Angel Glacier into
the Tarn (glacier pond) which resulted in some flooding here. 
No one was hurt and it was pretty well a freak event,
but now we have signs everywhere.

 Signs … signs … everywhere a sign.

Fortunately … nobody was paying attention. 

Play videos in HD – controls at bottom. 


Next

Mount Edith Cavell: Signs of the times – Part 2

Jasper Journey – Part 2: Mount Edith Cavell


The Adventures of Superman

Mount Edith Cavell

I used to leap tall mountains in a single bound.
Now there’s a little too much snow on my peak.
The truth is that the pain in my legs is sometimes unbearable
when I try to go hiking.
Diabetes 2.
So my hiking days may soon come to an end.
But I ain’t quite done yet.

Beautiful up here!

A pure mountain stream!
But …

A flood? On a mountain?

Seems there’s a mountain pond up ahead – formed by a glacier. A tarn.
And falling rocks and ice could create a flash flood
and drown you.

And I was worried about bears.

 We fearlessly head up the trail.

I’ll be right along.

If I rest periodically I can make it. 

It’s just a matter of time. 

There does seem to be something blue up ahead … ?

Well … I’ll be tarned! 
There is indeed a large pond.

Time for a drink.


Next: Jasper Journey – Mount Edith Cavell: Part 3

Jasper Journey – Mount Edith Cavell … Part 1


Jules Massenet “Thaïs” Meditation / Michael Rabin

Mount Edith Cavell

We head out for some hiking at Mount Edith Cavell.
There she is.

Majestic!

A lot of people have the same idea.


Who was Edith Cavell?

“But this I would say, standing as I do in view of God and eternity,
I realize that patriotism is not enough.
I must have no hatred or bitterness towards any one.”
– Edith Cavell

Edith Louisa Cavell (/ˈkævəl/; 4 December 1865 – 12 October 1915) was a British nurse. She is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from both sides without discrimination and in helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during the First World War, for which she was arrested. She was accused of treason, found guilty by a court-martial and sentenced to death. Despite international pressure for mercy, she was shot by a German firing squad. Her execution received worldwide condemnation and extensive press coverage.

The night before her execution, she said, “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” These words were later inscribed on a memorial to her near Trafalgar Square. Her strong Anglican beliefs propelled her to help all those who needed it, both German and Allied soldiers. She was quoted as saying, “I can’t stop while there are lives to be saved.” The Church of England commemorates her in its Calendar of Saints on 12 October.

Cavell, who was 49 at the time of her execution, was already notable as a pioneer of modern nursing in Belgium.

My Mother was also an British nurse – during World War II – and also a devout Anglican – who later became the President of the Red Cross in New Brunswick for several years. Interesting parallels


Next: Jasper Journey – Mount Edith Cavell … Part 2

Jasper Journey – Heading Back Down …


wolf / first aid kit

Columbia Icefield

Saw one of these on the way back. 
Don’t know what they’re called, but it’s a hole 
in the glacier where water goes down. 

Google Maps image

A few people have gone missing up here over the years. 
They just found a body of a guy that had missing for 20 years.
But if you ever fell in one of these holes
I doubt they would ever find you.

Inuksuk

The word inuksuk means “that which acts in the capacity of a human.
A manmade stone landmark or cairn built for use by the Inuit, Iñupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America.

These structures are found in northern Canada, Greenland, and Alaska (United States).
The inuksuk may historically have been used for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for travel routes, fishing places, camps, hunting grounds, places of veneration,
drift fences used in hunting, or to mark a food cache.

Jasper Journey – Flag Afield


misty / ray stevens

Columbia Icefield

Seems somebody brought a Canadian Flag up to the Icefields one day.
It was a big hit, so …

myfavoritewesterns.com

… they brought up more flags.

net photo
net photo
net photo
net photo
net photo
net photo
net photo

I figure there’s about 20 different flags up here now. 
And probably more coming.

Why not?

Jasper Journey – ICEFIELD – The Fountain of Cold


tender offerings / first aid kit

The Columbia Icefield

Glacier Stream!

Perhaps the purest water on the planet.
A tradition to drink.
But who could resist?

Snare some water from the fountain … 

A toast …
The cold blood of the Glacier.
Whereby any cup would be a Grail.

HOOOOLY …. !!!
It’s SSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOO …… !!!

Pure.
Cold. 
At Heaven’s Gate.

Jasper Journey – ICEFIELD 2


bj thomas

The Columbia Icefield

If you’re skating on thin ice, you might as well dance.
– Anita Shreve

Sally forth!COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 6COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 7
Watch your step. It’s slippery.
Well … it’s ice!

COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice
Rose helps a lady.
COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 3
Ice. On ice.

But we came prepared.
Ray bought some of these. 

COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 4
Mini crampons.
COLUMBIA ICEFIELD on the ice 5
Just so …

Also …
Our raingear from Niagara Falls.
Keep your powder dry.
I’ve found that wet cameras often don’t shoot well. 

There’s some people up here.

Lots of people.

And misty mountains.

Gateway to the Heavens.

When nobody was looking Rose claimed everything in the name of Canada. 

Glorious and Free.

Next: Icefield 3

Jasper Journey – ICEFIELD 1


magical mystery tour / beatles

The Columbia Icefield

Many are cold, but few are frozen.

You can only see a small part of the Icefield from below.
It’s HUGE.

The Tour doesn’t go up on top.
We go to the Athabasca Glacier.

Climb aboard!

But first: Melody? Melanie? gives us a prep talk. 

Sign behind her says: 
WARNING
This tour involves steep inclines, rough roads,

movements and sudden stops.

Hold on.

Off we go!

We rumble along at about 10 mph.
For 10 or 15 minutes …

Arrival!

Disembark!

COLUMBIA ICEFIELD out we tumble

Out we tumble …

Next: On the ICE …

Jasper Journey – ICEFIELDS – Saddle Up


when i grow up / first aid kit

The Columbia Icefield

So … when you get to the Icefield you’ll see this place: 

Except it was rainy. Drizzly rain. 
The Centre is full of people from every place on the planet. 
It has a restaurant/cafeteria; a gift shop; a viewing deck; historical displays; toilets … lots of stuff.
This is also where you buy tickets for the Icefield Tour. They cost over 100 bucks each.
Then you head out back …

… and jump on one of these things. 
They’re called buses.

This is Shawn … or Shane?. Our driver.
You can see the drizzly rain. 

Below; MAP: Where we’re going ...

On the bus … 

10 minute bus ride?
Ice Explorer Depot ahead.

We made it.

The Ice Explorer. 
Not your average bus.

VROOOOOM !

Let’s ride !

Next … To the Ice!

Jasper Journey – Icefield of Yesteryore


Climb Ev’ry Mountain / Peggy Wood
from The Sound of Music / Rogers and Hammerstein

The Columbia Icefield

The Icefields as they are today.
Coast Publishing Co (Publisher) . Athabasca Glacier and Columbia Icefield Chalet, Banff – Jasper highway, Canadian Rockies. Vancouver: Coast Publishing Co., Vancouver, B.C, cca. 1920.
Harmon Byron (Photographer) . Columbia Icefields. Banff: Photographed and Copyrighted by Byron Harmon, Banff, Canada, [before 1942].
Six-Hundred Lovat Scouts trained during the Second World War on the Athabasca Glacier in 1944. Yellowhead-Museum and Archives.

Finally we arrive at our modern Icefield conveyance:
The ICE EXPLORER!

Next … To the ICE !

Jasper Journey – Heading for the Icefields …


Rainy Day People / Gordon Lightfoot

Heading for the Icefields

Rainy.
But we’ve got an appointment at the Icefields.

Mountains are like oceans. 
Even in bad weather
they are beautiful
and mysterious.

At Last!!!
Icefields in sight!