Walking in a winter wonderland
White-tailed Ptarmigan
White-tailed Ptarmigan camouflage
A patch of blue
A white world
Time to rest
Dazzling sunlight on distant peaks
When the land turns white
Twice the beauty
On the way to Canmore - seven Swans a-swimming :)
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
Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis
Forgetmenot Pond
Start of the storm
Learning from Mom
Storm arriving at Quarry Lake, near Canmore
A drive through Kananaskis
Town of Canmore, Alberta
Bighorn Sheep on the slope
When the storm moved in
A view from Quarry Lake, Canmore
Bighorn Sheep, mom and youngster
A mountain meadow, Kananaskis, Alberta
Cattle drive in the mountains of Kananaskis, Alber…
Heading for the mountains on a hazy morning
Kananaskis before the snowstorm
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
Strawberries and cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Colour among the mosses and lichens
Upper Kananaskis Lake
It's those white birds again
It's Pika time - again
Winter in Kananaskis
White beauty
A sweet encounter
Pika pose
Almost-disappearing act
Before the snow
Master of camouflage
Jagged little peaks
Before winter officially arrives
The sparkle of winter
White-tailed Ptarmigan in the sun
Almost a disappearing act
Resting on a bed of snow
White beauty
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The beauty of erosion
I knew that this trip was probably going to be my last or last but one 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.
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 only 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 had a full tank just in case I managed to make a last drive out of the city.
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.
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 only 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 had a full tank just in case I managed to make a last drive out of the city.
Fred Fouarge has particularly liked this photo
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