Page 10 - Talk of Tequesta - August '20

Page 10, The Talk Of Tequesta

Travel

Canadian Rockies: Splendor Beyond Belief

By Don Kiselewski, MCC, D.S., Palm Beach Gardens Travel Leaders

I’m often asked what I
believe is the most beautiful
spot on the North American
continent … my consistent
reply has always been the
Canadian Rockies. The
Canadian portion of the
Rocky Mountain range
is, arguably, the most
spectacular. The Rockies
themselves actually stretch
down to the Sangre de
Cristo Range in north-central New Mexico … considered
the southern boundary, northwest to the Yukon Territory’s
Arctic Rockies. In all, the Rockies form a nearly
continuous range on the western edge of the North
American continent that is more than 3,000 miles long.
Ranging from 70 to more than 300 miles in width, the
Rockies cover more than 300,000 square miles. Only the
Andes Mountains of South America are longer.
Many of the major rivers of North America originate
in the Rockies, and the peaks and ridges of the Rockies
divide the continent. The waters in the rivers of the
Missouri, Yellowstone, Platte and Arkansas find their
way eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. The Pacific receives Banff Springs Hotel
the westward flow from the Snake, Colorado, Columbia,
Frazer and Yukon rivers.
Geographically, the Rockies are divided into four
sections … Southern, Middle, Northern and Arctic
ranges. The Southern portion starts in New Mexico and
continues northwesterly into Wyoming. Included in this
range is Mount Elbert, the highest peak in the Rockies,
which reaches 14,433 feet. This is but one of the fifty-five
peaks in Colorado that soar above 14,000 feet including
Long Peak and Pikes Peak, two of the most well-known
mountains in America. The Middle Rockies cover a major
portion of Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Most
dramatic in this portion of the Rockies is the majestic
Teton Range.
The phrase “you ain’t seen anything yet” could never
be truer than when you continue north from Montana
into Canada for the next 1,000 miles. It is here where the
Front Range – or Canadian Rockies – have taken form
and stand alone in their magnificent splendor. West of
the Front Range lies the Rocky Mountain Trench, which
extends some 900 miles northwest to the headwaters of
the Yukon River. Bordering the trench on the west are the
Purcell and Selkirk mountain ranges.
About 130 miles north of the U.S./Canada border, on
the eastern side of the Canadian Rockies is an important
stop on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. It started out as
just another whistle stop on the Trans-Canada rail route,
however, today, it is the nucleus of the “Jewel of the
Rockies” – Banff National Park. Founded over a century
ago, it is the third oldest national park in the world. It was
established as a national park to preserve the hot springs
that are just outside of the present day town of Banff.
These springs were first noted during the construction of
the transcontinental railroad in the 1880s.
When the railroad was built, there weren’t any hotel
chains plopping down dozens of lodgings for the travelers.
The railroad found itself in the hotel-building business
along with tracks and trestles, and as a result built some
of the most outstanding structures in Canada. These hotels
remain today as landmarks.
Towering above the surrounding pine trees is one such
structure … the Banff Springs Hotel. With granite spires
and more than 600 rooms, it was built in 1888 with the
original purpose of serving the needs of the visitors to the
nearby hot springs. The upper floors were divided into
smaller quarters for the servants who personally attended
the needs of the visitors. Built in a Scottish baronial-style
castle, the hotel comes with kilted pipers and even a
ninth-floor ghost. Location also contributed to the success
of the hotel. The Spray River joins the turbulent waters
of the Bow River that have just passed over Bow Falls,
where they turn and continue through the valley created
between Tunnel Mountain and Mt. Rundel. It is perhaps
one of the most fantastic views of nature on Earth.
An event that will indelibly mark the memory of
visitors to the Canadian Rockies is arising at daybreak to

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