We visited Jasper last weekend. We hadn't been there in over a year because last summer, when we were supposed to visit, a fire tore through the area, leaving destruction in it's wake. Our friend there, lost his house and he gave us two areas to visit that would "blow our minds". One of those areas was Highway 93A which runs parallel to the Icefield Parkway. The scene above was taken on that road. Our minds were blown.
The scene below was alongside the road up to Maligne Canyon. We stopped at the lookout just before Maligne Canyon and if the stone wall hadn't been there, neither of us would have recognized the place. It was shocking and awful, but already Mother Nature is healing. Grass is growing and there are more deer than I have ever seen there, probably because there is no place to hide now.
The town was spared for the most part, although some people lost their houses and a few businesses were destroyed. We tried to find the lot where our friend's house used to sit but without landmarks, we had no idea. Despite the destruction, spring is coming to the mountains. The area north of town, Pyramid Lake and Pyramid Mountain were untouched by the fire. You can see Pyramid Moutain in the background of the photo above.
It was nice to get away from town and from Jack. He's been awful these past few weeks, argumentative, whiny, and generally unpleasant to be around. Last night's bath was the first nice bath he's had in weeks with no tears, no arguing, and even some laughing.
Jack's grandma contacted me this week because she had bought tickets for an event this coming Saturday, for him and her. It was part of her Christmas gift to him. She could no longer go, because decided to go to Canmore to hang with her friends. She asked me if I could take him. I declined. She also missed his birthday this month. Trashy way to treat your only grandchild in my opinion. But opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and nobody thinks theirs stinks.
I finally finished our taxes and I owed money this year. Not really a surprise with working and receiving money from my RRSPs and pensions, but I didn't know how to send the government the money I owed them because that has never happened to me in my life. Finally sorted it out.
Yesterday I transplanted two spruce seedlings into the ground beyond our fence. There is a walkway back there and the county cut down five trees a few years ago and never replaced them. To be fair, the trees were dying. I made an executive decision last summer to go ahead and plant some spruce there, dug up from other wild places along the walkways. I'm still waiting to see if any of the acorns I planted survived the winter (also in the wild space behind our house). Fingers crossed.
Work continues on the retaining wall next to the fence. I've learned that I would never want to bury a body. It's a lot of work to dig up that much dirt. I am hopeful that the retaining wall gives us another year with the fence.
Life goes on. I'm not diabetic yet, prediabetes still, but my blood pressure is rising. I have mild arthritis in my sternoclavicular joint. The diseases of age, I just didn't realize I was that old though:)
I laughed at that aphorism - "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and nobody thinks theirs stinks." Thanks for sharing those incredible images of the devastation over at Jasper.
ReplyDeleteEven though it was devastating to see, there was still lots of beautiful things to see.
DeleteThe "good" thing about forest fires is that trees and ferns and mosses and whatever else will come back, some even stronger or din ifferent varieties depending on what adaptation needs to take place. We have to put acorns in pots first and hide these in the basement or some such place to prevent the squirrels digging them up.
ReplyDeleteThe forest will regrow, although it will probably be a different mix than it was. Things grow slowly in the mountains and I don't imagine I'll see a lot of growth in my life time.
DeleteOregon had some large terrible fires, it changed their methods of forest management, to try to hold down fire jumping from fire to fire. The impetus for that change, the B&B fire, is still looking grisley to this day.
ReplyDeleteThat was supposed to be fire jumping from crown to crown. Proofread, then hit publish!
DeleteWe talked to a Parks guy while we were there, he said the science of forest management continues to grow and change. Things will be learned from this fire and I imagine things will change.
DeleteThose images, just wow. Alberta's premier was so gross during the fires last summer- and they voted her in, a shame. I am glad you got away - do you think his mood has anything to do with more time with Gracie recently or? Her mom is selfish as usual. Smh.
ReplyDeleteDanielle Smith wanted the federal government to allow the town of Jasper to grow larger. She didn't get what she wanted, but she slowed everything down.
DeleteGracie's mom is very self centered sadly.
I imagine that when we go up to North Carolina this summer we will have much the same reaction as you had in Jasper, seeing the devastation there from Hurricane Helene's rains.
ReplyDeleteIt's awful seeing the devastation, but people live through it. The townsite was all cleaned up but looked empty. It was weird.
DeleteAll assholes stink and when I'm being one, I'm aware of it. It doesn't sound like Jack's other gma is...or is she really that selfish? It's sickening to deliberately disappoint a child. :( I'm glad you got away but the photos are devastating and depressing. My dad worked in the Forest Service for a while and fought fires in Washington. There was nothing they feared more than crown fires.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I don't think Jack remembers that he was supposed to go with his grandma to the show. I hope he didn't remember.
DeleteIt was depressing at first, seeing so much of the landscape burned, but it uncovers things too. You can the topography of the land so clearly now, and that's beautiful.
Heartbreaking photos of Jasper.
ReplyDeleteIt was heartbreaking, but the forest will regrow.
DeleteI'm so glad you took a break. That's so important. The pictures remind us of our 2011 fire. We lost all of the trees on our land except one. The conifers never came back, except for the few little ones we planted afterwards. They've mostly been devastated too by animals and the 2022 fire. We still love the land and its views, though.
ReplyDeleteIt's so hard to see what's left after a fire. There was a fire at Marble Canyon in 2003 and twelve years later I visited. It was amazing to see the regrowth.
DeleteIt is shocking to see what fires and volcano eruptions do to a forest. I saw the moonscape after Mt. St. Helens erupted. Nothing recognizable. Everything flattened and covered with grey ash. Our beautiful earth is as vulnerable as we are.
ReplyDeleteSending love always.
The earth is a lot more resilient than us though. She will survive, us, not so sure.
DeleteThe destruction is horrendous and I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to lose everything, and so quickly. When you mentioned Jack's other grandma's gift I had the same thoughts as you. Selfish, selfish, selfish!
ReplyDeleteI try so hard not to be judgemental, but it's hard not to be.
DeleteThis is the second fire up near Jasper. There was a fire around Medicine Lake in 2015, and now this one in 2024. The destruction is quite devastating at first, but then you see things trying to grow.
I am surprised by Jack's grandmother's decision to go off with her friends. Years ago I learned when you make a commitment, you keep it -- no matter what else might come along. That's been my policy all my life and it's never done me wrong.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way. When I say I'm going to do something, I do it, or I try my best, especially with children.
DeleteI’ve never seen a forest fire or the aftermath, i understand the ground revives amazingly quickly
ReplyDeleteThe ground can revive itself, and some pine cones will only open under the intense heat of a fire. But the trees are also at a higher elevation which means they take longer to grow. Apparently the last fire to go through Maligne Canyon was in 1890, so I'm guessing it will take quite awhile to regrow to what it was, longer than my lifetime.
DeleteThere is a state park near us where they do controlled burns. The first time I came across an area that had just been burned, I was shocked. But like you said, nature starts to fill the vacuum right away. And so many of the trees survive, and live on.
ReplyDeleteNone of these trees survived, and many were almost dead anyway, due to the moutain pine beetle. Fire seems to be Mother Nature's way of making a clean sweep and starting over.
DeleteSome native Australian plants need fire to germinate and the greening after a fire has gone through is quite beautiful to see. Sadly fire does destroy wildlife and things mankind have built.
ReplyDeleteJack sounds as if life is getting a bit overwhelming again. Good to see you had a wee break from him.
Jack was better again last week, less screen time and more time outdoors does wonders for him. For me too:)
DeleteThe Earth does reclaim itself, much like people, I think. Devastating things happen, and then something grows in its place.
ReplyDeleteTruth, and thank you for reminding me.
DeleteThe problem with your wild fires are that your trees aren't developed to have any fire protection features at all, and that with your cold climate, everything takes so much longer to regrow. But it will.
ReplyDelete