Athabasca Falls

Athabasca Falls

It seemed we had not had enough adventures for one day, so we stopped at the Athabasca Falls.  They are truly spectacular, and here it is toward the end of the summer, so you can imagine what they must be like at the height of spring runoff.   The Athabasca River looks so tranquil above the falls.

And then you see the power of the water below.

The Park Service has made a wonderful path along an old riverbed so that you can see the lower falls and the river at the bottom.  The whole approach to making this area accessible to the public is a marvel in itself.

This is part of the McKenzie River System.  It flows into the Great Slave Lake, which then joins the Mackenzie River and eventually flows into the Bering Sea.   There are apparently several species of fish below the falls, but only one, the Bull Trout, that lives above the falls.  No one knows how it got there.

And then the river straightens out and peacefully meanders on its way.

We were lucky that we saw this area in the evening light.  And, John captured this beautiful rainbow.