For the last day of our mountain weekend, we hiked up to Marble Canyon, a brief climb up stairs and pathways, on ice and mud, surrounded by running water and birdsong. I could feel the energy of growth surging under my feet, and a softness in the wind, chill when it rose off the ice or out of the canyon. It was deeply peaceful and yet bursting with energy. We heard a boom like a cannon – we guessed it was a great chunk of ice breaking off a canyon wall. Later we spotted little icebergs floating down.
All through the trip we watched water levels. Spring in the mountains began a week ago, with a sudden jump in temperature. Water levels were low when we arrived; after three days of heat, they were rising. The Bow was growing, starting its journey from Bow Glacier to Hudson’s Bay. Tokum Creek at Marble Canyon doesn’t have as far to go – it’ll roar down to the Columbia River and then on to Portland, Oregon.
We watched orange and black butterflies, what my older daughter claimed were mutant mosquitoes, and a couple of deer across the river from the Fenlands trail. As we left Banff National Park we saw a great tower of smoke, from a planned burn. Helicopters buzzed by, carrying water to control the fire.
And I found a new story. There’s something about wild places that trigger ideas for me. That’s what I brought home.
Maureen
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