International Peace Park
Today we visited two National Parks in one boat trip. Waterton Lake National Park is the Canadian side of Glacier National Park. Waterton Lake inhabits both parks. By taking a boat excursion, we were able to see both side by side. There was an added bonus because Glacier has been on our list to visit for a long time. We knew that the boat tour went into the United States. We knew that Glacier was connected with Waterton Lake, but somehow we hadn’t connected the two! So we got a bonus National Park- however we were unable to get a patch yet - for either park. They have a special designation for the two parks, it is an International Peace Park. The designation was made in 1932 because both Alberta and Montana Rotaries lobbied for the designation. It has also become a UNESCO world heritage site. Pretty special!
Our friend Sandy had suggested meeting at Waterton and she recommended the boat tour. We are so glad she did. The boat operator had no problem letting her dogs join the trip. Only 20 passengers were allowed on the top deck, and we were 17-19. So we had amazing views on the way out!
In 2017, the Kenow Fire ripped through Waterton Lake National Park. It was devastating, encompassing 19,000 hectares in the National Park alone. We could see the damage with an enormous number of trees that were destroyed. It was interesting to see how the forest is recovering. New trees and other plants are emerging and wildlife has returned. We have been to many ranger talks about the fire cycle, but seeing it in action really made it real.
We were able to see Campbell peak in the distance. Campbell peak is on the Continental Divide. The interesting thing was that it is a triple divide. The water from the peak could flow into the Atlantic, Pacific or Arctic!
We landed at Goat Haunt - which despite the name, isn’t haunted. There was a ranger station and a ranger in duty. We had a half hour to explore. Amy had to get a stamp to prove we were there. We were both giddy for this extra park! Since Goat Haunt is in Glacier National Park, there was a US park ranger at the visitor center.
After the boat trip, we ate sandwiches on a bench near the lake. Sandy was nice to make the sandwiches but she was low on bread. Not a problem! We brought Greg’s homemade Community Loaves bread with us, so it was a collaboration. The weather was perfect, which was a relief because yesterday it was very windy and it rained overnight.
After lunch we went for a hike to Blakiston Falls. It was nice walk and unlike in US National Parks, the dogs were allowed to join us. The dogs didn’t like the grates on the steps down to the falls. That’s ok, Amy wasn’t a fan either! After the falls we checked out the Red Rock Canyon near the parking lot. It was very beautiful!
We had dinner at the Prince of Wales Hotel, which was built in the 1920s with amazing views of the lake. We decided to skip dessert and instead have homemade s’mores by the campfire. Once again, Greg made the chocolate, marshmallows and even the graham crackers.
