Day 5 - Wolves and Waterfalls
One of the brochures that caught our eye was for a center in Golden, B.C. bordering Yoho Park (west of Banff) that offered an opportunity to see and learn about wolves. It was a couple hour journey through rugged mountains and turbulent river water; we actually crossed the Continental Divide (it was neat to see the river that paralleled the road to reverse its direction after crossing the divide!). Wolves are notoriously recluse animals, known for keeping clear of any human contact. So you might imagine our surprise when we actually caught sight of a single wolf as it made its way along some railroad tracks inside of Yoho Park! It was white/gray in coloration and clearly too large for a coyote, trotting along side the tracks with its tail trailing behind in a classic wolf-like gait. It all happened so fast that unfortunately the only image we have is that in our minds, and it will be with us for a long time!The center had several wolves in an enclosed pen. At first we were concerned that this was nothing more than a family that happened to have trapped some animals and were trying to make some money from them. But it was obvious from talking to the owners that they had a very deep appreciation of the animals and were working very hard to educate the public about these beautiful animals. It turned out to be a great visit and well worth the journey.
As we headed back we decided to make a side trip to Takakkaw Falls, a majestic waterfall towering some 1200 feet. The water seemed to simply emerge from the side of the mountain and cascade down its face, crashing in a thunderous roar that you could hear as soon as you emerged from the car. Niagara probably has more volume of water but the vertical drop at Takakkaw makes it a sight to behold!
