Grotto Canyon
We had heard from several people at the
Banff Centre that there was a place nearby that we "must" visit - that there were ancient petroglyphs, and a giant "Mother of all Hoodoos" to be found the winding extent of Grotto Canyon. So one day we (Brenda, Rob, Rachel, and Russel) drove out along to the opening of the canyon, hidden behind a quarry, and hiked for several hours... finding what you will see below.
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A field of wildflowers near the opening of
Grotto Canyon, by the highway into Banff.
Photo by Rob Tow.
Brenda Laurel grins near the opening of Grotto
Canyon. Photo by Rob Tow.
A small but very pleasant waterfall graced
Grotto Canyon about one third of the way
to the Mother of All Hoodoos. Photo by Rob Tow.
A remnant of snowpack by falling water, lingering
into the sunny days of June, is a sign of
the harsh winter climate of the Canadian
Rockies. Photo by Rachel Strickland.
An overview of ancient red ocher petroglyphs
under a transparent mineral patina on a wall
in Grotto Canyon. Closeups of the petroglyphs
are in the pictures below. Photo by Rob Tow.
A human figure overlooking a herd of elk.
Photo by Rob Tow.
A detail from the same petroglyph, showing
the human figure at higher resolution. Photo
by Rob Tow.
Several human figures, each with a stylized
triangular body and a curious head-dress
that may be feathers or possibly two pony-tailed
braids. Photo by Rob Tow.
The same human figures at higher resolution.
Photo by Rob Tow.
A petroglyph of an elk. Photo by Rob Tow.
Brenda and Rachel pause for an affectionate
moment on the hike to the Mother of all Hoodoos. Photo by Rob Tow.
The second and final destination of the hike
up Grotto Canyon - The Mother of all Hoodoos. This was a weathered earth formation like the Hoodoos by the Bow river that we incorporated into the Hoodoos World, but on a far larger scale - it actually had trees growing on its crown! Half way up its slope we discovered a cave mouth - we hiked up the scree to enter it, and discovered evidences of menstrual blood rituals. Once we exited the cave and returned to the valley floor, we looked about with a more sensitive gaze, and discovered considerable signs of ritual activity - stone circles and hearths with paths running between them, with weeks old ashes. As we hiked back along the canyon, we pondered the meaning of this puzzling evidence. Photo by Rob Tow.
A cairn in front of the The Mother of all Hoodoos marks the place. Photo by Rachel Strickland.
A closer view of the cairn. Photo by Rachel
Strickland.
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Brenda Laurel grins near the opening of Grotto
Canyon. Photo by Rob Tow. 
A small but very pleasant waterfall graced
Grotto Canyon about one third of the way
to the Mother of All Hoodoos. Photo by Rob Tow.
A remnant of snowpack by falling water, lingering
into the sunny days of June, is a sign of
the harsh winter climate of the Canadian
Rockies. Photo by Rachel Strickland. 
An overview of ancient red ocher petroglyphs
under a transparent mineral patina on a wall
in Grotto Canyon. Closeups of the petroglyphs
are in the pictures below. Photo by Rob Tow.
A human figure overlooking a herd of elk.
Photo by Rob Tow. 
A detail from the same petroglyph, showing
the human figure at higher resolution. Photo
by Rob Tow. 
Several human figures, each with a stylized
triangular body and a curious head-dress
that may be feathers or possibly two pony-tailed
braids. Photo by Rob Tow. 
The same human figures at higher resolution.
Photo by Rob Tow. 
A petroglyph of an elk. Photo by Rob Tow.
Brenda and Rachel pause for an affectionate
moment on the hike to the Mother of all Hoodoos. Photo by Rob Tow.
The second and final destination of the hike
up Grotto Canyon - The Mother of all Hoodoos. This was a weathered earth formation like the Hoodoos by the Bow river that we incorporated into the Hoodoos World, but on a far larger scale - it actually had trees growing on its crown! Half way up its slope we discovered a cave mouth - we hiked up the scree to enter it, and discovered evidences of menstrual blood rituals. Once we exited the cave and returned to the valley floor, we looked about with a more sensitive gaze, and discovered considerable signs of ritual activity - stone circles and hearths with paths running between them, with weeks old ashes. As we hiked back along the canyon, we pondered the meaning of this puzzling evidence. Photo by Rob Tow.
A cairn in front of the The Mother of all Hoodoos marks the place. Photo by Rachel Strickland.
A closer view of the cairn. Photo by Rachel
Strickland.