Gondola up Sulphur Mountain

We went in the gondola cable car up Sulphur Mountain today. The peak is 698 metres above the town.




Going up, the snow was so heavy in places you could just see the very tops of trees.

When the path is open you can walk across to Sanson's Peak on the left, where there's a disused observatory.




We could see our flat from here. The main north to south road down the middle of the town is Banff Avenue, and we are at the end closest to the camera, on the right.



Coming down again, you could see a fire in the forest.

Banff Park Natural History Museum

Banff Park Museum is referred to as a museum of museums. All the exhibits, the wooden and glass cases, right down to the building itself are a preserved interpretation of a natural history exhibition that opened in 1895.


Most of the animals were collected between 1890 and 1930, when it was common practice for scientists to kill animals for identification and study. Their brochure reassures visitors that their attitudes towards local wildlife are now very different.



Some of the owls had hilarious expressions.





Some cool skulls and horns.









There's an old office showing how the animals would be stuffed for display.

Cave and Basin Part 2

We went back to the Cave and Basin. The cave was closed last time, so we got to go inside today.
The place has a pretty interesting history - preservation of the area led to the creation of Canada's first National Park, which developed into the whole National Park system across Canada.

At the end of the tunnel is a pool full of the hot stinky water people used to swim in.


Above the pool is the original entrance to the cave.


There's lots of little channels of water coming out of the walls and rock.



A friendly telephone.

Outside is the basin, another hot pool used for swimming in the past.


The water is really green, and steams and bubbles.

There was a film about three hikers who brought the springs and area to national attention.

The film was really well done, but pretty out of date. This shot above was 'Modern Banff'. A lady showed us her state-of-the-art motor home, with microwave.

Back outside.


The river by us has completely frozen over now.