The Perks of Unplugging
A chance to spend time with books and bison
Before I get too distracted with the tools (image editing, text adding, redacting), I should remind myself just how blissful it was recently to not have access to much in the way of technology.
We borrowed a friend’s camper (name redacted above… how clever is that?) and headed off for a few days to a) escape from work and the distractions of home and b) see how my new hip would hold up on some easy trails. Not that we don’t have lots of trails around here (we do) but a change, as they say, is as good as a holiday. And, even better, I guess, is a change of scenery AND a holiday.
Waterton National Park
Not as well known as its nearby cousin Banff National Park, Waterton is located in the southwestern corner of Alberta and continues south over the US border into Montana where it fuses with Glacier National Park. In 1932 the two parks combined to become an international peace park, now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. [The full list of 1223 World Heritage Sites would make a heck of a bucket list and can be found here.]
Despite all the warm, fuzzy, cross-border vibes, the fact that Waterton has managed to fly under the radar means it’s waaaaay less crowded than Banff which is located a little farther up the spine of the Rocky Mountains. This meant we were able to camp at the last minute in the townsite campground (you’re much better off to get organized and make your reservation in advance - we did snag the last available spot). For those who are able to hike in with their gear (the new hip meant I was a bit limited in that regard), there are various unserviced and back country places to camp - visit the website for full details and to explore all your camping options.
In a previous post I reminisced about being a kid and riding my horse in Banff and running across a mother black bear and her cubs. Going to Waterton reminded me of another favourite activity from back in the day - driving through the buffalo paddocks at the foot of Cascade Mountain in search of the resident bison herd). The paddock is gone but happily, bison have been reintroduced to Banff National Park as part of a complicated, long-term project intended to see bison return to a place where they were once ubiquitous. (For more information about the bison project, visit the Parks Canada website.)
I was a little surprised (and delighted) to see that there’s a buffalo paddock in Waterton. Just like when I was a kid, we bumped around a long loop of a dirt road and were rewarded with a great view of the bison grazing and rolling around having dust baths.
It was strange seeing the massive beasts hanging out - I feel quite differently today about wild animals in captivity, no matter how generous the paddock size, than I did when I was eight. Seeing the captive bison made me think of their brethren roaming as they were meant to roam. From the sound of it, the wild herd is reproducing well and so far at least, the human/animal encounters have been minimal as the herd was dropped off well away from populated areas. While part of me would love to make a trek to find them, another part of me feels it’s just as well there are places that are hard to get to and may, therefore, stand a chance of escaping the ravages of our too-often heavy-handed human touch.
Which brings me to a book I had taken along to read during our trip. Yes, paper pages and printed words - this is what is available when cell service is spotty or non existent.
Searching for Happy Valley by Jane Marshall explores (among other things) the question of whether we should venture into wild, distant places to better understand the ancient connections between cultures and geography.
Her travels (and musings) focus on three special valleys - one each in Morocco, Nepal and - yes Alberta. It was pure coincidence that I started the section on the Southern Alberta section as we were moving through the very landscape she explores with such passion and sensitivity.
Next week I’ll be interviewing Jane Marshall at the local library here in Canmore - if you happen to be in our neck of the woods, stop by!!
That’s it for now! But before I sign off, a hearty thank you to those of you who read this Substack - your subscriptions, comments, and responses to the emails are much appreciated! If you have not yet subscribed, go ahead and click that blue button…
Ah. What a great adventure! Hope the hip held out. Bears and Bison (and all animals at that scale) never cease to make an impression. The drawing your dear pa did is really beautiful.
That bison is beautiful! What great detail!