Canadian World Traveller Spring 2023 Issue

34
Sublimity of the Mountain Peaks
Waterton Lakes National Park
Article and photography by Jennifer Merrick
• Hike up Bear’s Hump, a short but steep trek
that’s worth every huff and puff for the views
of the town amongst the mountain peaks. It’s
one of over 50 hikes available on the park’s
200+ kms of trails.
NNational Parks exist in order that
every citizen of Canada may satisfy a
craving for Nature and Nature’s
beauty: that we may absorb the poise and
restfulness of the forests; that we may steep
our souls in the brilliance of the wildflowers
and the sublimity of the mountain peaks; that
we may develop in ourselves the joy and activity
we see in the wild animals…”
James B. Harkin, the first Commissioner of
Dominion Parks (now Parks Canada), was
referring to all of Canada’s national parks
when he wrote that in the 1930s, but I can’t
help feeling that he was thinking of Waterton
Lakes in particular. Located three hours south
of Calgary in the Rocky Mountains, this sublime
park borders Montana’s Glacier Park
National Park in the US. In fact, the two parks
and the two nations came together in 1932 to
form the Waterton-Glacier International
Peace Park. It was the first partnership of its
kind in the world and a symbol of peace and
goodwill between Canada and the US.
When we took a cruise from the Canadian
side to the US, it was impossible to tell the difference
as the same deep-blue mountain lake
met a forested treeline that stretched up to the
dramatic, snow-covered peaks. The only way
to know where one country ended, and the
other began was a signpost in a narrow clearing.
The foresight of both countries to protect this
beautiful landscape over a 100 years ago has
certainly paid off. It’s now home to over half
of Alberta’s plant species (including rare
orchids and wildflowers), 250 species of birds
and 60 species of mammals.
Waterton is also a community with many family-owned
businesses, restaurants and outfitters,
so whether it’s the ‘poise and restfulness’
or the ‘joy and activity’ you’re seeking in a
national park, here’s a sampling of things to
do:
• Indulge in afternoon tea at the historic
Prince of Wales Hotel.
• Observe celestial bodies with Dark Sky
Tours. As a designated dark sky preserve,
Waterton keeps artificial light at a minimum to
reveal the night sky in all its starry brilliance.
• Relax with a view on the balcony of
Bayshore Inn, a family-owned lodge right on
the shores of Waterton Lake.
• Enjoy meals that range from upscale Italian
at Red Rock Trattoria to family friendly woodfired
pizzas at Trappers Mountain Grill and
the casual Wieners of Waterton, whose gourmet
hot dogs have almost a cult following.
• Channel your inner cowboy/girl with a
horseback ride at Alpine Stables. This twohour
adventure takes you through changing
landscapes with gorgeous viewpoints.
• Bike the Chief Mountain Highway. Rent e-
bikes at Pat’s Waterton and pedal from the
prairies to the mountains.
Flying down the highway, the sublimity of the
mountain peaks we passed defied any
superlative, and I was grateful that our
national parks existed.
https://parks.canada.ca/
World Traveler Spring 2023