Three of today's finds

Spent another wonderful day out in the mountains today, 11 September 2013. A day to remember for another reason, too, and my thoughts turned towards all those who lost their lives or suffered medical or emotional trauma in New York City 12 years ago. In this photo, friend Sandy is holding just three of the many finds that she and fellow Bryologist, Peter Whitehead, found yesterday. On the left is a Bryum sp., at the top is Ptilidium pulcherrimum, & Hamatocaulis vernicosus is on the right. They have permits to collect samples for scientific use, some of which often end up in the Herbarium. Our day started off at Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park, where we walked through the forest just as far as the Lower Falls. Some of the trail is a catwalk, actually quite pleasant to walk on. The canyon is spectacular and beautiful, and quite impressive. When we got back to the car, we decided to keep driving further to Bow Lake - again : ) We enjoyed a very slow walk near the lake. Unfortunately, the sun was in just the wrong position and there was enough movement on the water surface to prevent any reflections of the surrounding mountains. It always feels SO good to be out of the city!