More Alberta Photos

I’m home now – here are some more photos from out west… More to come later.

Real Prairie Railroading – CP Train heads into the mountains

Leitch Coal Mine ruins

Inside the ruins

Small mountain town of Brocket, Alberta

Frank Slide – an enormous landslide in 1903 that killed several people in the mining town of Frank, when the entire top and side of the mountain came crashing down onto a sleeping town before dawn. The slide covered the road and the railway, as well as most of the town.

Crowsnest Pass

I’m in southern Alberta, visiting a buddy of mine who recently moved out here to take a job as a Church Pastor. I love this part of Canada – it is very rugged, clean and pure. They don’t call this part of the world “Big Sky Country” for nothing. The town where I am staying (Pincher Creek, Alberta – about 2 hours south of Calgary, and about 40 minutes north of the Canada/US Border with Montana) is right on the transition between the Canadian Prairies and the Rocky Mountains. (Click on the photos to make ‘em bigger)

On the road heading west towards the mountains. There was a bit of a snowstorm happening over the mountains – the wispy clouds are actually columns of falling snow.

Mountains and snow, heading towards Cowley

Pincher Creek is one of the windiest places on earth due to prevailing wind currents and the proximity of the mountains. To harness this natural resource, there are hundreds of wind turbines that dot the landscape. In front of the hill with the turbines is a typical mountain train – CP runs a set of helper engines in the middle of their trains in order to handle the steep mountain grades.

They shot Brokeback Mountain all over the area, including scenes here in Cowley, Alberta (just west of Pincher Creek). Ang Lee was from Tainan (the city in Taiwan where I worked and lived) – it seemed interesting that our paths should cross again.

Masonic Lodge

More mountains and snow

The road to Crowsnet Pass

 

Yet another trucker mighty glad to leave the hell that is driving through the Canadian Rockies behind him.

 

More later….

Niagara Falls 2004

I found some older photos, taken on a June 22nd 2004 trip to Niagara Falls, while meeting a friend at the Canada/USA.  All photos were taken from the Canadian side of the falls.

Bored young Girl clings to the railing.

Seagull flies over the mist.

Old man watches the waterfall.

Same old man watches some more.

“Maid of the Mist” cruises at the foot of the falls, looking out to the American side of the falls.

Wall Cloud

June 15th 2004 – This system triggered a rare Tornado Warning for the City of Toronto and the Region of Peel. This storm was an eyelash away from forming a Tornado.

Greyhounds in Flight

I accompanied my mother on a lure coursing trip with her dog, Houston. There, we witnessed some Greyhounds and Whippets running the lure course (which consists of a plastic garbage bag connected to a long string which, through a series of pulleys driven into the ground, leads the dogs through a winding course in a large field). I’m not sure who had more fun, the dogs running the course or the owners watching!!