This is one side of a huge syncline. That is, the rocks were bent into a huge downward sloping arc. There are a lot of these all over the world, but not so many that have both sides exposed as they are here. It's just too big to get both sides in the picture, and the photographer took this while the car was moving. There was no access to the other side.

This service center is at the intersection of the David Thompson Highway (Hwy 11) that follows the Saskatchewan River through the eastern mountains to the prairie and the town of Red Deer.

We'll make a brief visit in Jasper then have more pictures of these spectacular mountains on the return trip south. This time the photographer will be on the scenic side of the car.