Since 1983 when we first visited Glacier National Park on a three-week vacation, I've wanted to see the Canadian half of this International Peace Park - Waterton Lakes. Somehow or other, we never seemed to get north of the Many Glacier area. Two weekends ago, thanks to friends Linda and John, we finally crossed the border.

Waterton Lakes National Park, "Where the mountains meet the prairie," is somewhat of an undiscovered gem. Only a quarter tank of gas away from our home in Bigfork, MT, it's both very familiar and quite different.

The Waterton townsite and lake as seen from the top of Bear's Hump the mountain pictured on the left below.

Bear's Hump mountain - one of the best trails in Waterton for a panoramic view. The trail starts right behind the Visitor's Center, it's short but rated strenuous because it's steep.

Shortly after entering the park we were delighted to see a herd of elk off in the distance clearly visible through binoculars. We counted at least 75, but there could have been as many as 100 elk slowly wading into the lake at dinnertime. We've seen elk before - both in Yellowstone and in Glacier - but only a few at a time. This was a thrill.

Linda had made reservations for the four of us at the landmark Prince of Wales Hotel, perched on a bluff overlooking the Waterton Townsite. The Prince of Wales, a designated national historic site that opened in 1927, is one of the grand hotels built by the Great Northern Railroad.

The hotel is currently managed by Glacier Park Inc. The infamous Canadian winds are often fierce up there, but they were pretty calm during our stay. It's reported that the winds blew the building off its center twice during construction. The hotel is anchored well, now, and guests need not worry, even if they feel it sway during a heavy wind storm. The Prince of Wales has been known to stay open as late as October, later than the other GPI properties.

What takes your breath away as soon as you walk into the lobby are the floor to ceiling windows at the far end that practically bring Waterton Lake on down to the peaks of Glacier inside the hotel.

Looking down on the Prince of Wales Hotel from the top of Bear's Hump mountain.

This incredible view of the lake and surrounding mountains reminded me of our visit to Norway years ago.

The vista looking through the windows almost seems like a larger-than-life painting than the real thing.

Waterton Townsite is a tiny, charming village with interesting shops, some very good restaurants, and several hotels/motels and lodges. There are three campgrounds in Waterton, the largest of which, open mid-April to mid-October, is located within the townsite. Part of the town stays open year-round, although full services are only available from May to October. The town sits on the edge of Upper Waterton Lake and Emerald and Cameron Bays, and there is a walking path that runs along the shoreline.

We had a wonderful dinner at the Lamp Post Dining Room in the Kilmorey Lodge - excellent steaks, Chilean sea bass, risotto, and for those of us with a sweet-tooth, Death by Chocolate and Apple Brown Betty desserts. The Kilmorey is open year-around, as is the new Lodge at Waterton Lakes, and there's supposed to be excellent snowshoeing in the Crandell and Cameron Lakes areas of Waterton during the winter.

The next morning after a breakfast buffet at the Prince of Wales, we set off on a short but steep trail to what is considered one of the best views in the park - the Bear's Hump. This trail, which is rated either strenuous or moderately difficult, starts behind the visitor center.

The Prince of Wales Hotel sits perched on a bluff overlooking Waterton Lake. This landmark is visible around town and from the boat cruise on the lake, where this shot was taken.

Another view (slightly closer) of the lake and hotel from the Bear's Hump.

The climb begins immediately, gaining approximately 700 feet in its .8 mile length. It's well worth it, though, for the 360 degree view from the summit of the townsite, lake, peaks and prairie. You won't be alone at the top, but it's a great place to have lunch or a snack. It can be very windy, though so be careful and watch small children carefully - it's a long drop down.

Back on level ground, we just had time to catch the 2:00 pm boat cruise of Upper Waterton Lake, the deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies. The cruise takes you back across the boarder into Montana.

Through September 19th the boat stops at Goat Haunt in Glacier National Park. We were met by a Park Naturalist who presented a short, informative program on mammals with horns and antlers. During the cruise, a guide pointed out varioius landmarks, including the border crossing, the sawtooth Citadel Peaks, and the highest mountain in the two parks - Mt. Cleveland at 10,466 feet. Tickets for the boat are $15.00 U.S. or $20.00 Canadian. You can learn more about the cruise by visiting the company web site at
http://www.watertoncruise.com

After docking at Waterton, we hurried back to the Prince of Wales for their "English high tea," our only disappointment during our weekend in Waterton. The tea is held in the lobby near those impressive windows, so if you're not too concerned about the food and just want to sit and enjoy the view, try it. We were molified a little later, stopping at a few of the "downtown" shops before heading for home.

Soon the Chief Mountain border crossing will be closed for the season, and visitors to Waterton will have to cross at the Piegan/Carway border and detour by way of Cardston. (Note: Leave your Bear Spray at home. If caught, the bear spray will be confiscated and held until you return to the U.S.)

On our way back to the border, we saw the elk herd again, a fitting finale to our magical introduction to the Canadian Rockies. We'll be back in Waterton soon and I'll write another Day Tripper column describing our continuing adventures in this tiny jewel of a National Park.