Rich Rich Colour!

Kootenay National Park, is home to the “Paint Pots” where ochre used to be mined or collected by the first people of the area.  The Ochre was mixed with various oils to be used as paint for faces & tipi’s & such.  I have been on other hikes in the area where you can still see the paintings on the rock walls that clearly must have used this same ochre.  Our art loving kids were so loving the colours and itching to use this paint to create as much as I was.  There was no way this could remain a “hands off” kinda day. 

 As we got closer to the Ochre beds we saw more and more people coming back down the trail some with dark orange “paint” on their hands and some with bare feet thickly caked with the dark orange muck.

I thought, perhaps it’s a cultural thing?
They are brave to be “hiking” with bare feet?

The answers to my wonderings would come later.
Ah, there’s where they were walking, I can see their foot prints….

The rich & varied colours of the ochre were made extra special by the crystal clear day we had, providing a gorgeous blue backdrop for the surrounding mountains.  The kids dove right in!  Let the stains begin!  OH my……..!  There seems to be something automatic about goopy hands and the urge to wipe them off on your clothes.  I wonder if we did this as cave men?  So if you ever choose to check out the wondrous Paint Pots please don’t wear your best clothes!

The pretty little flowers that were growing in the paint were irresistible! 

I thought it was just so appropriate that within the paint there seemed to be flowering plants that had what looked like paintbrushes!!  How convenient!  I would have loved to stop and give them a try.  I must bring a sketch book if I get back there again.

BTW, the ochre stains very, very well!