Day 7

To sum up today in one word....BRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

What an exciting day of lakes and glaciers! We started our journey fairly early to get to the Columbia Icefield. This glacier is about 1000 feet thick. The upper part of the glacier could fit 45 Central Parks or two Vancouvers. Talk about massive. Once we exited our Ice Mobile it was a balmy 2 Celsius or 36 F - and snowing...in JULY!!!! We all got a chance to fill our water bottles with glacier water and have a snowball fight with millions of years old ice. With temperatures that low, we could only stay up there for about 30 minutes, which was long enough as we became Ambassador Popsicles.

We also stopped by 3 Lakes, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake and Lake Louise. The students were amazed at how beautiful the water was. We learned that the water gets its bluish-green, torquoisey color for the limestone that is in the water and that this water is not good for drinking or bathing as it leaves a silt residue.

After taking in all the natural sites, we came back to our lodge we had a chance for about 30 minutes of shopping and then dinner at Bruno's.

After dinner, the students enjoyed a Q and A session with a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman. He showed up in the official dress uniform that they rarely wear anymore. He answered questions about the RCMP and the qualifications and job requirements, such having to transfer wherever they send them or they are forced to retired or quit. He took pictures with all the students and we have our fingers crossed that they came out as the sun was not being cooperative with the natural lighting in the building.

We are looking forward to our next 2 days at the Teepee Camp. Unfortunately this will be our last contact, blog, cell phone or otherwise, until we reach Calgary on Thursday.