[pct-l] Drifting south....

[Jim and/or Ginny Owen]

Our last update didn't quite get the message across about the plague of mosquitos we encountered 
between Jasper and Mt. Robson.  We did mention the photos that caught mosquitos in the foreground, 
but it occurred to us that we didn't mention the mosquito graveyards we left behind.  For example, 
one afternoon we stopped to eat dinner before moving on for another 4 or 5 miles.  We stopped to 
cook on a large rock slab and when we left, there were at least 300 mosquito corpses on that rock. 
We were wearing Supplex pants and the mosquitos loved to gather on the legs and try to 
bite through them - although they never succeed.  As they gathered, we'd wait until there were at 
least 3 or more before killing them - most times there were many more.  At one time Ginny killed 20 
with one slap.  Words cannot describe the satisfaction involved.  
 
In any case, we left Jasper and drifted south through the Canadian Rockies, along the Icefields Parkway, 
then across to Fort Macleod where we finally got one of the tires fixed - it had had a slow leak for 
several hundred miles.  We also visited the RCMP Museum and learned a little more about the differences 
between Canadian and US history - and enjoyed the musical equitation show.  
 
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a World Heritage site - and one of the finest collections of Plains Indian 
culture and history that we've seen.  It lived up to its reputation.  
 
Then we dropped south to Waterton-Glacier International Park and did some hiking and wildlife watching 
(bears, bison and a badger) before crossing the border back to the States.  Spent a little time in Glacier NP, 
then went to meet a new addition to the hiking family - Mark and Colleen Howser's 5-month old son, Dalton.  
 
Now we're "wandering" again - across the Going-to-the-Sun Road and north to Kintla Lake, then south to 
Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for some more hiking (in the Bechler River area) and wildlife photography. 
We found a couple of very nice backcountry hot springs and a lot of beautiful waterfalls - but no bears 
this time around.
 
And now back to the search for Indian rock art - and history.  We've visited the Medicine Wheel in northern 
Wyoming, the Castle Mountain and White Mountain petroglyph sites, and some of the unique Dinwoody style 
petroglyphs found only in the Wind River area.  Unfortunately, we missed the Sun River petroglyphs, but I suspect 
we'll be back to find those some time in the future - getting there involves some serious hiking.  
 
Last year when we headed east in early September, it was in the '90's.  This year we ran into snow in northern Glacier in
mid-August and again in Wyoming over Labor Day.  Feels like an early winter.  
 
Present plans are to drift east for the next several weeks, getting back to the East Coast in time for the 
Gathering - and to talk to the surgeon about a new knee.  After that, ¿Quien sabe?  But I'll bet on the plans 
involving more hiking after the surgery.  
 
Walk softly,
 
Jim & Ginny
 
http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/