After filling out an awful lot of paperwork (the company hired the lady lawyer who successfully sues adventure companies to write their contract – smart for them, ominous for us!), we grabbed helmets and waited to be assigned horses. George was given “Steel” to ride, a light gray gelding with a white mane. I piped up and asked a handler for “a big one”. The kid chuckled and asked if I had ridden before; I had (thanks, Mom and Dad!). I was given “Big Mac”, a grey and white dappled gelding who stood 20 hands high. He was one big horse! All of the riding companies use geldings (fixed males) because their temperament is easy going. Once everyone in the group was aboard their steeds, we set out. The trail was nice; we passed some hikers on the way out and back. We did get to cross a stream, which was fun. I was directly ahead of George in the line, so he got to watch me try to work with Big Mac. Oh, where to begin? Big Mac probably is used to getting his way because he is huge and because he rarely gets a rider that would try to control him. So, lucky me, I got to deal with his booger behavior. Big Mac attempted to scrape me off under overhanging branches and against trees close to the trail, which wouldn’t have been a big deal, except they were living pines, full of needles, and I managed to get tangled up in each and every one. He also did not like walking in the trail, but would walk the edge of the trail, eight to twelve inches higher and six inches wide. Imagine a hippo doing ballet through buttercups… He also tripped from time to time. He also had to wear a mask over his face so that he could not eat while on the ride. Perhaps he is a piggy or perhaps he is a bully and refuses to go if he is in the middle of a snack. George and I called the face mask a “snack pack”. My favorite thing he did though had everyone in the line laughing. Big Mac found a sturdy pine tree sapling that was a few inches higher than the bottom of his belly. He backed us off the trail and got the top of the tree under his stomach. He then proceeded to move back and forth and around and around, letting the tree scratch his stomach, his man parts, his butt, everywhere! This went on for multiple minutes until he got sick of me kicking his sides and moved on. I patted him on his neck, and stroked his mane as we walked, talking to him. He really was a neat horse, hiccups and all. George enjoyed an uneventful ride. I can’t just sit there on a horse, so it worked out for me too. When we got back to the corral, there was a sign that read "If you enjoyed your ride, kiss your horse and tip your guide!" Cute, and we did! Seeing a park on horseback is really a unique experience. As a rider, you are higher up, giving you a unique perspective. Animals, like deer, that would normally hear hikers coming and hide, hear the horses coming and don’t run away. The gentle rocking motion of the horse’s gait is cathartic. If there is a ride to be had in a park, we always try to fit one in.
After our ride, we made a beeline for the border. We crossed at “Chief Mountain”. The border agent was a hoot; he was rather cheeky. No problems, and we are now in Canada! George and I call it Ca-nan-dee-yuh and Ca-nay-dee-yuh, just being goofy, trying to make it more exotic.
The Waterton side of Waterton-Glacier International Peace
Park is very different from what we were expecting. There is the traditional
park lodge, the boat shuttles (like the American side), the campground with
standard amenities. What puzzled us was the small seaside village plopped next
to the campground on the shores of the lake. You can eat in any of 10+
different fancy restaurants, get massages at the spa, shop the boutiques, go to
the grocery store and rent rickshaw bicycles to ride on the miles and miles of
paths. It was so… foreign. We are simply not used to any commercial anything
being present in a park. George said he felt like we were at a resort,
completely accurate in my opinion. So, while we puzzled the new configuration
out, we had ice cream, got groceries and shopped the boutiques.
Stopped at the Visitor’s Center to plans our hikes for the
next two days. Another problem. The hike I had planned, Crypt Lake, is still
snowed in. Canada’s trail map has all of the trails rated using the ski
mountain system of green-blue-black diamond so you know how difficult they are.
Crypt Lake is a black diamond. George says he is going to start supervising my
planning more carefully. The Visitor’s Center workers recommended we try two
blue-level hikes, Bear’s Hump and Wall Lake, both of which are currently open. We also checked out the historic Prince of Wales hotel and yes, they sold "Will & Kate" memorabilia in the gift shop. And no, George would not buy me any of it!
Dinner at the campsite has me suspecting I am starting to get sick of hot dogs. After dinner, we playing 4 rounds of Pass the Pigs and then I dragged George to the evening Ranger talk in the amphitheater, “Things that Don’t Go Bump in the Night”. We learned about bats and owls and the Dark Sky project. The Ranger also talked about nocturnal animals’ eye shine. We learned how these critters can see in the dark and that every animal reflects a different color of eye shine. Deer reflect red, insects were red, coyotes were blue and fish reflect white. Very interesting and I am trying to figure out how to incorporate it into a lesson. Eye shine in the library… this may take me a while.
Last night was not the first rain we’ve had on the trip, but
it was the first thunderstorm and the worst thunderstorm I can remember. George
claims the booms shook the Joey! A huge roar or thunder (trust us, it was not a
clap) woke us and the downpour started. The Joey did not leak and no rain came
in our windows (no wind, thankfully). The storm just went on and on and right
in the middle of it, one of us had to go to the bathroom. Guess who.
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