Cattle drive in the mountains of Kananaskis, Alberta

This was the first time I had ever seen a cattle drive in the mountains. The other times, it has been in the foothills, so this came as a great surprise. Just one cowboy and his herding dog and a small herd of cattle. I hopped out of the car when I saw them coming, took a shot or two before quickly getting back in, so as not to risk spooking any of them. Once they had safely passed, I was able to take a few more.

I knew that this trip was probably going to be my last chance to take some fall photos, so, on 29 September 2017, I drove all day long through Kananaskis country. The next two days were a weekend, and I thought there would be a lot more people in the mountains. 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. As it turned out, three days later, on 2 October, we had a nasty snowstorm. Some of the roads leading out of the city were closed, and it was definitely a day to stay at home if possible. That's exactly what I thankfully did, listening to the strong winds howling around my place, blowing the falling snow.

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. On this recent trip, there was a hazy view and in some directions the sky was a washed-out, pale blue with not a cloud in sight.

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 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 just in case I manage to make a last drive out of the city, once yesterday's snow has melted and before the next snow falls. Guess I need to get my snow tires put on soon, too.