After picking up my sister and niece from the Edmonton International Airport, we drove about four hours to Jasper National Park which is in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

It’s been a great first day. We saw an elk within minutes of entering the park. We saw a total of three black bears; two of them just babies. The mountains are gargantuan. However, many of the trees are sick or infested. There are signs telling people not to bring wood with bark into Alberta to help stop the spread of forest pests and Dutch elm disease. At first glance, the brown or reddish patches look like autumn colors, but the trees are actually sick or dead. Some might have been burnt too.

One of the baby bears we saw was just happily wandering and grazing until a man with a fancy camera started running towards him/her. He followed the little bear, and the poor little fella got so scared, it ran away. I just wish people would obey all park rules.