Kootenay River in Kootenay National Park

July 7, 2007.

We are staying in the Tunnel Mountain National Park Campground in Banff, Alberta. Tunnel Mountain Campground offers full hookups, no hookups, and electricity only. We are in one of the $29.70 electricity only sites. I do not know what FHU or no hookups cost but they are all in the same area. All sites are paved.

Kootenay National Park on PH 93 in the Canadian Rockies

Scenes like this will take your breath away.

Kootenay River in Kootenay National Park along PH93 in the Canadian Rockies

Now we are following the Kootenay River to its headwaters high on the Continental Divide.

Kootenay River in Kootenay National Park along PH93

The milky color of the Kootenay River is from tiny bits of rock called glacial flour. This is pure glacier run off and the water is saturated with small particles of rock that have been ground to pieces by the glaciers.

Canadian Rockies, PH93 & Kootenay National Park

In addition to the deep green of the conifer forest small white flowers are lining the highway.

Canadian Rockies, PH93 & Kootenay National Park

We keep getting higher and higher as we continue to follow the Kootenay River. Note that we are getting much closer to the snow.

PH 93 Kootenay National Park and Canadian Rockies

The white flowers are so thick along here that they appear to be snow.

Canadian Rockies PH93 Kootenay National Park

The valley is beginning to narrow and we are getting closer to the mountain.

Example of the geology of the Canadian Rocky Mountains along PH93 in Kootenay National Park

Remember that this is limestone and shales that have been thrusted up when two of the earths plates collided.

This is very near the headwaters of the Kootenay River in the Canadian Rockies on PH93 in Kootenay National Park

In this picture you can easily see the layers of sedimentary rock rising from the Kootenay River.

We are still relentlessly climbing to the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies on PH93 through Kootenay National Park

We are nearing the pass over the Continental Divide.