Pincher Creek, Alberta

Why should you relax on a vacation, when you can go... Another time change yesterday, when we crossed into Alberta, so now we are 3 hours behind. So we were up early again this morning, with our genealogist hats on. It took us longer to find the cemetary, than it did to find the gravestones of my Great Granddad, Henry E. Hyde; Great Grandmom Emily; and Great Step Grandmom Jean. They are pictured with the Rocky Mountains in the background.

After a drive down Hyde St., we headed off towards Fort MacLeod.

Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump was really interesting and enjoyable. I remember learning in school about how the natives tricked whole herds of buffalos into stampeding over the cliffs, which I imagine was a whole bunch easier than killing them other ways before they had guns. I am not sure PETA would agree with their methods.

Then back past Pincher Creek towards the Rockies. A short drive through the town of Cowley, looking for the Hyde house, but that was unsuccessful. We checked out Frank Slide, which I didn't remember, but was the worst rockslide in Canadian history, back in '03..1903 that is. The whole moutain side (Turtle Mountain) fell down on the mining village, but it turned out the mine was the place to be, as the miners all survived. We also stopped in at the Leitch Collieries, but that wasn't too exciting.

And seeing as we were right there, we scooted through the Crows Nest Pass to British Columbia, and got a picture of that sign.

Back to Pincher Creek again, but there was still time left in the day,so we drove south, to the Waterton National Park. Lovely drive, lovely vistas, and we got to see some buffalo that weren't going to have to jump off a cliff.