Athabasca Falls

June 19, 2010

My Scenery

I got myself back on the road after the tram trip. Excited for the day I looked forward to the drive. Little by little I was beginning to realize that my lovely, beautiful, time speeder scenery was going to be drifting away and being replaced by endless fields of flatness and billboards. I mean just take a look at what my view was of me just simply driving.

You don’t have to get out of your car and take your time taking a picture to capture beauty here. It is just smacking you across the face with it.

(^^Pictures of mountains on my drive through Jasper National Park)

Athabasca Falls

I love water, in case I have not been clear on that. I adore it. I am more than happy to hike for three hours, like I did recently, with the promise of a waterfall or raging river. So, the Athabasca Falls was not only the most stunning, but the most breathtaking part of my trip. I couldn’t believe not only how accessible and close to the road it was, but also the grandeur of it. I was just astonished by its power and beauty.

As you walk up to the waterfall you immediately notice the mouth of it. The river’s glacial cloudy blue water turns to a complete white as it falls. It is astounding how the calm river runs its course and as soon as it hits that fall turns into a tempestuous river, creating a heart pounding noise that can be heard from feet, perhaps miles away. Access to the waterfall is created all around it from the top to the river below where it regains its serenity.

I honestly couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so exciting to be near it. It feels like it gives you an exhilaration boost by just being near it. All that energy that is created by the fall seems to engulf your body as well. I wanted so bad to just jump the fence and get my hand in the glacial freezing water, but there were plenty of signs warning us about the dangers of it. They really try to scare you since they actually describe what it is you experience as you fall through the fall.

After spending some time at the top of the waterfall I proceeded to go down a slightly steep staircase that was actually the previous location of the waterfall. One thing I didn’t know and kind of learned was that waterfalls and rocks are always battling it out. The water trying to make the rocks recede and the rocks fighting the water. Interestingly enough sometimes the rocks win and make the water find another channel in which to run its course. Which is what happened here. The rock won and made the Athabasca River find another route, leaving an empty channel on the rock. Now stairs have been made there which gives people closer access to the waterfall and the river below.

I went down these rocks and found myself at the peaceful end of the raging fall. It returned to its previous calmness and continued its course like if it hadn’t just experienced a turbulent fall. It was great to see up close and just observe.

One of the things I realized is that this is a place I would like to be thrown to when I die. I really prefer the idea of being cremated vs. being buried. As I stood there watching I knew this is where I would like my ashes to be thrown, here or somewhere just like it. There is something soothing about the fact that one can become a raging power, but at the same time carry calmness and peace. One doesn’t have to be one or the other, you can be both and luckily the calm and peaceful part is the longest. :D.

(^^ Rainbow :D )