Kananaskis before the snowstorm
Heading for the mountains on a hazy morning
Cattle drive in the mountains of Kananaskis, Alber…
A mountain meadow, Kananaskis, Alberta
Bighorn Sheep, mom and youngster
A view from Quarry Lake, Canmore
When the storm moved in
Bighorn Sheep on the slope
Town of Canmore, Alberta
A drive through Kananaskis
Storm arriving at Quarry Lake, near Canmore
Learning from Mom
Start of the storm
The beauty of erosion
Dazzling sunlight on distant peaks
When the land turns white
Sedge
Columbian Ground Squirrel / Urocitellus columbianu…
Beginning to look like fall
Thirsty Bighorn Sheep
American Pika - such a cutie
Our majestic mountains
Heading into the mountains
Forgetmenot Pond, Elbow Falls Trail
Kananaskis, through the windshield
Pika - tiny fluffball
A usual pose of an American Pika
Fall colour in Kananaskis
An unexpected find - Shaggy Manes / Inky caps
Old log cabin/barn seen through the trees
Orange False Dandelion
Shaggy Mane / Inky Cap
Kananaskis on a mixed-weather day
Ah, those glorious Larches in their fall colours
Lichen on the rocks at Rock Glacier
Road through Kananaskis
Farm in the foothills
Pika, on a windy day
On the way down
Scenery along Highway 40, Kananaskis
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel in a Pika's cave
A favourite road
Painted Lady
Waiting for the herd to descend
Wide angle on the Bighorn Sheep ridge
Keeping watch over the herd
Small and fast .... and adorable
The beauty of our mountains
Clouds over the mountains
Star-flowered Solomon's Seal / Maianthemum stellat…
Arnica sp.
A splash of much-needed colour
Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis
Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis
(Yellow?) Morel mushroom
Elbow Falls, Kananaskis
Tall Lungwort
Elbow Falls, Kananaskis
White-crowned Sparrow / Zonotrichia leucophrys
American Dipper / Cinclus mexicanus
Shooting stars / Dodecatheon sp. (and Dandelions)
Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis
Kananaskis - a winter wonderland
Arethusa Cirque trail, Kananaskis
Chocolate chip lichen / Solorina crocea
See also...
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Things are not always what they seem
"Powerful fall storm to bring heavy rain and snow to the Prairies"! It looks like tomorrow morning will be a winter 'wonderland' or winter nightmare, depending on one's opinion. It is possible Calgary could get up to 10 cm of the white stuff, starting this evening or overnight, and especially tomorrow (with a temperature of 2C). The mountains will be looking a lot different from when I saw them the day before yesterday. More like this photo, though in fact this photo is deceptive. I put my camera on black and white scene and the result makes it look like everywhere is snow-covered. This what it should look like tomorrow.
I knew that the day before yesterday was going to be my last chance to see some fall photos, so I drove all day long through Kananaskis country. Of course, the mountains look beautiful in any season, but there is something extra special on a sunny fall day. People come from all over the place to see the Larch trees in their fall colour.
"Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 20 to 45 m (66 to 148 ft) tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada. Although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles in the autumn." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larch
If I remember correctly, this was the first time I had driven alone quite this far, reaching the northern end of Spray Lakes Reservoir. Unfortunately, when I got there, the sun was in the wrong position and there was a haze over the mountains. I wasn't sure how far I would go, as I had intended topping up with gas at Highwood House, along Highway 40. I had also planned on buying a sandwich and a coffee there. However, it was all closed. As it was, I still managed to do the drive I wanted and still have gas in my car.
My drive started by going to Turner Valley and taking the back road to join the main Highway 40. Last fall, the views were amazing and the sky full of spectacular clouds along this route. This time, there was a hazy view and the sky was a washed-out, pale blue with not a cloud in sight.
Part way along Highway 40, I encountered a cattle drive, which was great to see. Only a small herd with one cowboy, who looked as if he was enjoying his work. He was accompanied by his herding dog, of course.
When I came to the area where the little Pikas (Rock Rabbits) live, I didn't even stop, as I really wanted to reach Spray Lakes Reservoir, in Spray Valley Park. I had left home later than I wanted, 9:45 am, and wanted to make sure I was not driving home in the dark. As it was, I reached home about 7:15 pm, with just a little daylight to spare.
The road to Spray Lakes, from the main Highway 40, is a dreadfully dusty, gravel road. This was a Friday, so I wasn't expecting many people in Kananaskis, but there were lots of cars, which made it difficult to drive this length of road. I was almost constantly in a thick cloud of dust with little or no visibility. The distance for the road from the Spray Lakes road turn-off from near Kananaskis Lakes to the northern tip of the huge Reservoir is 48 km, so just under 100 km return on this dusty road. The dust seeps inside the car, even with all windows closed. I also called in just long enough to take a handful of photos at Peninsular and Buller Pond, which are both along this Smith-Dorrien/Spray Lakes Trail.
The return journey home (giving a total trip distance of 422 km), back the same way I had come, was uneventful, which is usually a good thing when doing such a drive. The gas station near home was a must, so now I have a full tank and I can see out the windows - just in case the better weather later next week lets me do one more long drive.
I knew that the day before yesterday was going to be my last chance to see some fall photos, so I drove all day long through Kananaskis country. Of course, the mountains look beautiful in any season, but there is something extra special on a sunny fall day. People come from all over the place to see the Larch trees in their fall colour.
"Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 20 to 45 m (66 to 148 ft) tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada. Although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles in the autumn." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larch
If I remember correctly, this was the first time I had driven alone quite this far, reaching the northern end of Spray Lakes Reservoir. Unfortunately, when I got there, the sun was in the wrong position and there was a haze over the mountains. I wasn't sure how far I would go, as I had intended topping up with gas at Highwood House, along Highway 40. I had also planned on buying a sandwich and a coffee there. However, it was all closed. As it was, I still managed to do the drive I wanted and still have gas in my car.
My drive started by going to Turner Valley and taking the back road to join the main Highway 40. Last fall, the views were amazing and the sky full of spectacular clouds along this route. This time, there was a hazy view and the sky was a washed-out, pale blue with not a cloud in sight.
Part way along Highway 40, I encountered a cattle drive, which was great to see. Only a small herd with one cowboy, who looked as if he was enjoying his work. He was accompanied by his herding dog, of course.
When I came to the area where the little Pikas (Rock Rabbits) live, I didn't even stop, as I really wanted to reach Spray Lakes Reservoir, in Spray Valley Park. I had left home later than I wanted, 9:45 am, and wanted to make sure I was not driving home in the dark. As it was, I reached home about 7:15 pm, with just a little daylight to spare.
The road to Spray Lakes, from the main Highway 40, is a dreadfully dusty, gravel road. This was a Friday, so I wasn't expecting many people in Kananaskis, but there were lots of cars, which made it difficult to drive this length of road. I was almost constantly in a thick cloud of dust with little or no visibility. The distance for the road from the Spray Lakes road turn-off from near Kananaskis Lakes to the northern tip of the huge Reservoir is 48 km, so just under 100 km return on this dusty road. The dust seeps inside the car, even with all windows closed. I also called in just long enough to take a handful of photos at Peninsular and Buller Pond, which are both along this Smith-Dorrien/Spray Lakes Trail.
The return journey home (giving a total trip distance of 422 km), back the same way I had come, was uneventful, which is usually a good thing when doing such a drive. The gas station near home was a must, so now I have a full tank and I can see out the windows - just in case the better weather later next week lets me do one more long drive.
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