We are a rock-loving and fossil-loving family. So when we were planning our trip out west in 2007, hubby requested that we visit the location of the world-famous Burgess Shale quarry.
The only way to gain access to the quarry is to go on a guided tour because it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Through tilting and folding of the rocks, over the past 500 million years, the fossils have ended up near the top of Mount Burgess in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. So if we wanted to see them we needed to sign up for the guided hike. The hike is rated as moderately difficult and is 20-km (12 miles) with an elevation gain of 760 metres (2888 feet) - yikes!
So sign up we did (and start excercising - which isn't easy to do when you live in relatively flat Southern Ontario).
See there I am - I made it to the Burgess Shale Fossil Quarry and lived to tell about it.
The lake way down below is Emerald Lake (see the pick axe at my feet that was used in the quarry and left there).
The day after our hike we went to Emerald Lake so we could look back to where we had hiked. I marked up the next photo so you could see the approximate last part of the route we took and the location of the fossil beds.
This same view of Mount Burgess was used on our old 10-dollar bills.
It was definitely the farthest we have travelled to see fossils, but well worth it!
The only way to gain access to the quarry is to go on a guided tour because it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Through tilting and folding of the rocks, over the past 500 million years, the fossils have ended up near the top of Mount Burgess in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. So if we wanted to see them we needed to sign up for the guided hike. The hike is rated as moderately difficult and is 20-km (12 miles) with an elevation gain of 760 metres (2888 feet) - yikes!
So sign up we did (and start excercising - which isn't easy to do when you live in relatively flat Southern Ontario).
The day after our hike we went to Emerald Lake so we could look back to where we had hiked. I marked up the next photo so you could see the approximate last part of the route we took and the location of the fossil beds.
This same view of Mount Burgess was used on our old 10-dollar bills.
It was definitely the farthest we have travelled to see fossils, but well worth it!
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