This is my own version of Castles in the Air...
This peak was named in 1858 in response to its fortress-like appearance.
In a post WWII visit by the U.S. president, it was renamed Mount Eisenhower, but public pressure forced its name back to Castle Mountain in 1983. An isolated pinnacle at the southeastern end is now called Eisenhower Tower.
Castle Mountain is located along the eastern ridge of the Bow River Valley in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada approximately half way between the towns of Banff and Lake Louise.
While traveling east from British Columbia, the first sight we see of the Bow Valley is of the mountain's massive western-facing ramparts as we begin to descend from the summit of Storm Mountain Pass.
It is truly one of the great wonders our world has on display.
Many thanks to Val for offering me the inspiration for this post!
I hope one day to visit Canada; it looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteDale,
ReplyDeleteit's gorgeous. My father once told me he found the drive from Alberta to BC through the Rockies to be one of the most beautiful sceneries he had ever come across; he had travelled all the continents, so it was high praise indeed. I've only ever flown above them, but one day, I'll check them out from below.
Cheers,
AM
Hey, Dale, that's breathtaking!!!! It looks like the ramparts on on old medieval castle built into a mountain. You must give thanks every day that you live with such awe inspiring scenery around you. I think I would be on a permanent spiritual high...I miss my own castles in the air...
ReplyDeleteWow! I can't imagine seeing something like that in my own neighborhood. We have mountains here but nothing like that. Simply gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteXXOO
Zoe
What a beautiful post, Dale. As someone has said before, if it is not the old buildings then it's the stunning countryside.
ReplyDeleteThe mountain in your pic is very much a castle indeed!
The film on my blog is in fact a slideshow of images I found here
At the bottom right of the page you can click on the blue words to go to the next page.
What you'll see is a huge machine on rails rolling down an inclined plane. It half submerges (like a floating drydock) to receive a barge. It then rolls uphill (120metres/400ft) to lift the barge over the dam.
At the top of the dam it reverses direction and lowers itself into the water of the lake at the top. It then releases the barge that can continue its journey from there on.
Thank you, Natters!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have always wanted to visit the UK...
Anne-Marie, you're only a 4 hour flight from here! An excellent idea for a 2007 summer holday...
Val, this post was definitely inspired by your "Castles" post! I couldn't get it out of my mind...
Zoe your mountains are similar to the Laurentians where I grew up and they have a unique beauty, too!
Koos are you sure you're not part mechanical engineer...or maybe I am! Things like that really interest me. (My dad is an engineer, so maybe I come by it honestly).
Thanks to all for helping me appreciate my backyard even more!
Hi Dale,
ReplyDeleteThat is a very beautiful mountain! A mountain shouldn't have to be named after a president when the public doesn't want it.
Hi Dale!!
ReplyDeleteHope you are doing good. Thanks for stopping by friend!
Love,
Jo
Hi Dale, yes, I see the castle too!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see them in real life at some time. Most impressive. This is another one of those things we would never see if you didn't select them for us.
Thanks for that!
i can see aragorn...the derelicté chic fellowship..
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that to have a mountain named after you? Talk about a memorial that will ALWAYS be there! *L*
ReplyDeleteI love your pub pictures, by the way (I'm a little behind on leaving comments for everyone....!)
Of course, I LOVE mountain photos. I will be aquring a scanner soon...just wait...I'll share too.
ReplyDelete--Dan L.
Thanks for telling me about your castle mountain, Dale. You have your won fairytales right there in front of you...stunning..
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I love going south into Belgium so much is that at least there are real hills there, if not mountains. Holland is so very flat and having grown up in the hills and lived on my mountain in SA, I do rather miss a bit of light 'relief' ;-)
From where we live, we arrive in the Bow Valley from the southwest through Kootenay National Park - equally as beautiful as from the west through Yoho National Park...
ReplyDeleteThe bottom photo is similar to the view we see as we descend into the valley from Storm Mountain.
Dale,
ReplyDeleteI think you may be onto something for next summer... I would love to come out.
Cheers,
AM
Hi Dale,
ReplyDeletesuch nice pictures from the castels in the air. It looks like in the "Alpen". I love the mountains. Please go on and show us more pictues.
All the best
Stefan
Chick - the mountain was renamed in honour of our allies in WWII, but the name didn't stick - I always liked the original name myself.
ReplyDeleteHi Koos - I checked out the Russian photos of the barge on the plane... a great way to get over the dam. I'll have to tell our local salmon that idea during their fall run to the spawning grounds... ;)
Johanna - thanks for visiting and I'm looking forward to see The Who on my own turf this fall!
Gypsy - yes many a derelicte chic has been found in these fine mountains of mine! Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir just to name a few and of course all those others from my imagination - Angus, Pete, Jim, John, Jimi, Bon, Keith, Mick, Johnny... lol I've a head full!
Mary Beth - I've not had a mountain named after me, but there are a couple of mountain biking trails in the area named for me. "Knee Hill" where I crashed and gashed my knee on the rocks and "Carnage Hill" where my friend and I attempted to navigate a steep cow path - her husband was ahead and, when he looked back to see how we were doing, he could only see carnage...bikes and bodies strewn all over!
Hello Dan - I'm looking forward to your fabulous photos! Thanks for visiting.
Val - light relief LOL! I love plays on words like that - so much fun. Ours are a little more than "light" relief... ;)
Anne-Marie - that would be wonderful if you could come for a visit! I'd make sure to take my holidays then, too, and we could do so many fun things here in my "backyard"! Let's ponder it!
Stefan - I understand our mountains are quite similar to your Alps. My brother was over there a few years ago and he says they are quite like our mountains, but different at the same time. Where your Alps have cow and goat pastures, ours have grizzly bears, cougars and mountain sheep!
:) Dale