Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE CHINOOK WIND
A Chinook occurs when moisture-laden winds from the Pacifi c Ocean
strike the Rocky Mountains and are forced to precipitate their mois-
ture as rain or snow. This leaves the winds cold and dry. However, as
the air descends the eastern slopes, it remains dry but is condensed
by the increase in atmospheric pressure and warms up. This warm,
dry wind brings mild conditions that can melt 30cm of snow in a few
hours. It is essentially because of the Chinook that Alberta's native
grasses survive the winter and that cattle can graze on the prairies
year-round. The warm, dry breath of the Chinook is a fabled part of
Alberta history. It is the stuff of legend, with stories of farmers rushing
home at the sight of the telltale Chinook arch (an arch-shaped cloud
formed when the air pushes the cloud cover to the west), with their
horses' front legs in snow and hind legs in mud!
that climbs Turtle Mountain to exam-
ine fi ssures and cracks near the summit
that still pose a threat.
Waterton Lakes National
Park
Waterton Lakes National Park forms
one half of the world's fi rst International
Peace Park, the other half being Glacier
National Park, in Montana (U.S.A.).
Waterton boasts some of the best scen-
ery in the province and is well worth
a side trip. Characterized by a chain of
deep glacial lakes and mountains with
irregularly shaped summits, this area
where the peaks meet the prairies of-
fers wonderful hiking, cross-country
skiing, camping and wildlife-watching
opportunities. The unique geology of
the area consists of 1.5-billion-year-old
sedimentary rock from the Rockies that
was dumped on the 60-million-year-old
5
Wild animals refresh themselves in Waterton
Lakes National Park.
© Travel Alberta
shale of the prairie during the last ice
age. Hardly any transition zone exists
between these two regions, which are
home to abundant and varied wildlife;
species from a prairie habitat mix with
those of sub-alpine and alpine regions
(some 800 varieties of plants and 250
species of birds). One thing to remem-
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