Kananaskis wilderness paradise

After a windy but extremely mild night, we strengthen ourselves for the day and the short hike up to the Bears Hump. The 20-minute hike up to the viewpoint high above Waterton begins right at the Visitors Center. The grueling 300m high ascent is rewarded with a grandiose view over the landscape shaped by lakes and mountains. Unfortunately the last clouds only clear when we got back down.

Now we're always driving northwards. After another major purchase, we turn into Forestry Trunk Road in Coleman. The unpaved forest road leads along the east side of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. After the heavy storms last year, however, the route further north is interrupted. This forces us to take a little detour via Highway No. 22, which runs eastwards. Shortly after Longview, we turn back towards Kananaskis. The landscape becomes wilder and more mountainous, the rivers wilder and the slopes are covered with thick coniferous forest. Soon we will see the first bighorn sheep. Right on the other side of the street we discover a grizzly bear. Unfortunately, this runs away again. The road is blocked several times by Bighorn sheep, which are leaking salt on the road. When we wanted to take another picture of the great landscape, we discovered another grizzly by accident. He grazes peacefully not far from the street and makes a great photo subject. Suddenly we discover two fur balls in the tall grass. In fact, they are the two cubs of the she-bear. We watch the bear family for a while. The she-bear approaches the car within 10 meters. Maybe the highlight of my previous animal observations on this trip.

As the tank slowly runs out, we find a gas station before we turn into the wilderness of Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. At Lower Lake Campground we find a lonely place in the forest and settle down. We cook fajitas on the fire and once again surpass ourselves. Finally, we enjoy the campfire atmosphere again with a cold beer.