https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/10550 https://cdn.ipernity.com/p/101/C3/7B/293827.buddy.jpg https://www.ipernity.com/tag/293827/keyword/10550 Sat, 06 Jun 2026 18:47:14 +0000 Sat, 06 Jun 2026 18:47:14 +0000 https://www.ipernity.com https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/52313652 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-17,doc-52313652 Thu, 17 Oct 2019 17:06:10 +0000 2019-09-05T10:47:58-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/52313652"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/36/52/52313652.d04333b2.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, I have just added the last 12 photos taken on 5 September 2019. My day, yesterday, was spent way north-east of the city and I was so tired when I got home, early evening, that I haven't even started going through all the photos I took. No mountains, for sure, and no mushrooms : )<br /> <br /> I never drive this part of Kananaskis myself, so I was glad to get a drive-by shot or two through the windshield, of the beautiful Kananaskis valley.<br /> <br /> On 5 September 2019, friend Pam and I had a great day out in Kananaskis. It had been just over two months since I drove myself out there, but Pam had been only two days before. There were a few different places that she wanted to stop, and she was hoping to see a bear - preferably a Grizzly, but we were out of luck for that. However, we were lucky enough to see two Black Bears, which was such a treat.<br /> <br /> Our day started off really well, leaving the city at 7:00 am. Driving along a backroad SW of the city, a small, rather cute, old barn was our first find. It was set back from the road a little and easily missed, so I'm glad I spotted it.<br /> <br /> Further on, we came across a White-tailed Deer feeding in a field, and it looked so beautiful in the early morning sun. Normally, I don't get out this early and I know I miss that special light.<br /> <br /> After quite a bit of driving, we were taken by surprise by our first Black Bear sighting of the day. Definitely not in a place that we would have expected. The animal was a long way off, part way up a big hill, and would have been very easy to miss. Luckily, a vehicle had stopped at the side of the road and we saw someone with a tripod - always a hopeful sign. Scouring the hillside, I spotted a black shape amongst the grass and small bushes. Bear! After taking our photos, I made sure I walked over to the other people and thanked them for spotting and stopping.<br /> <br /> Once we got into the mountains, we found ourselves facing dense fog/cloud, which seemed to go on forever. It felt like our outing might just have to end soon after it had begun. Fortunately, though, it did eventually clear when we reached the Ptarmigan Cirque area, and we found ourselves in sunshine. Looking back in the direction from which we had just come, the low cloud made for a beautiful scene. One little White-crowned Sparrow sat in a tree at the edge of the parking lot and gave us a chance to take photos. It seemed unusually tolerant of us.<br /> <br /> Further north, we stopped at the Pika location and were able to get a few somewhat distant shots. We didn't stay here for very long, as we had other places to visit. A further half-hour drive brought us to a beautiful lake with an incredibly beautiful setting - Wedge Pond. For quite a few years, I have never been sure where this pond was and whether I had ever been there before. It certainly didn't feel familiar. As well as the spectacular scenery, I also photographed a rather beautiful Moth that had landed on a thistle. The bright yellow splash of colour from three or four Goat's-beard wildflowers gave another photo opportunity - they are attractive flowers, but it's too bad they are a highly invasive weed. <br /> <br /> Leaving Wedge Pond, we continued northwards and were so delighted to see our second Black Bear of the day. This was a very challenging bear to photograph, as it walked off into the trees and soon disappeared completely. Photos tended to be missing either a head, or a rear end, or capturing barely anything at all. <br /> <br /> Coming back south, about an hour later, we stopped at Buller Pond, where we saw a few mushrooms, including a small scattering of beautiful Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushrooms. I love the scenery at Buller Pond and at Peninsular, giving a fine view of the Opal Range with its incredible erosion patterns.<br /> <br /> A small group of Bighorn Sheep made a nice ending to our day in Kananaskis. No matter how many I see, they are always welcome. Very recently, I seem to have seen them almost everywhere I have been.<br /> <br /> A most enjoyable day - thanks so much, Pam, for the invite and exciting day. Sorry we didn't manage to find a Grizzly Bear for you, but two Black Bears were still a real treat..</div> Another drive-by shot in Kananaskis <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/52313652"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/36/52/52313652.d04333b2.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, I have just added the last 12 photos taken on 5 September 2019. My day, yesterday, was spent way north-east of the city and I was so tired when I got home, early evening, that I haven't even started going through all the photos I took. No mountains, for sure, and no mushrooms : )<br /> <br /> I never drive this part of Kananaskis myself, so I was glad to get a drive-by shot or two through the windshield, of the beautiful Kananaskis valley.<br /> <br /> On 5 September 2019, friend Pam and I had a great day out in Kananaskis. It had been just over two months since I drove myself out there, but Pam had been only two days before. There were a few different places that she wanted to stop, and she was hoping to see a bear - preferably a Grizzly, but we were out of luck for that. However, we were lucky enough to see two Black Bears, which was such a treat.<br /> <br /> Our day started off really well, leaving the city at 7:00 am. Driving along a backroad SW of the city, a small, rather cute, old barn was our first find. It was set back from the road a little and easily missed, so I'm glad I spotted it.<br /> <br /> Further on, we came across a White-tailed Deer feeding in a field, and it looked so beautiful in the early morning sun. Normally, I don't get out this early and I know I miss that special light.<br /> <br /> After quite a bit of driving, we were taken by surprise by our first Black Bear sighting of the day. Definitely not in a place that we would have expected. The animal was a long way off, part way up a big hill, and would have been very easy to miss. Luckily, a vehicle had stopped at the side of the road and we saw someone with a tripod - always a hopeful sign. Scouring the hillside, I spotted a black shape amongst the grass and small bushes. Bear! After taking our photos, I made sure I walked over to the other people and thanked them for spotting and stopping.<br /> <br /> Once we got into the mountains, we found ourselves facing dense fog/cloud, which seemed to go on forever. It felt like our outing might just have to end soon after it had begun. Fortunately, though, it did eventually clear when we reached the Ptarmigan Cirque area, and we found ourselves in sunshine. Looking back in the direction from which we had just come, the low cloud made for a beautiful scene. One little White-crowned Sparrow sat in a tree at the edge of the parking lot and gave us a chance to take photos. It seemed unusually tolerant of us.<br /> <br /> Further north, we stopped at the Pika location and were able to get a few somewhat distant shots. We didn't stay here for very long, as we had other places to visit. A further half-hour drive brought us to a beautiful lake with an incredibly beautiful setting - Wedge Pond. For quite a few years, I have never been sure where this pond was and whether I had ever been there before. It certainly didn't feel familiar. As well as the spectacular scenery, I also photographed a rather beautiful Moth that had landed on a thistle. The bright yellow splash of colour from three or four Goat's-beard wildflowers gave another photo opportunity - they are attractive flowers, but it's too bad they are a highly invasive weed. <br /> <br /> Leaving Wedge Pond, we continued northwards and were so delighted to see our second Black Bear of the day. This was a very challenging bear to photograph, as it walked off into the trees and soon disappeared completely. Photos tended to be missing either a head, or a rear end, or capturing barely anything at all. <br /> <br /> Coming back south, about an hour later, we stopped at Buller Pond, where we saw a few mushrooms, including a small scattering of beautiful Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushrooms. I love the scenery at Buller Pond and at Peninsular, giving a fine view of the Opal Range with its incredible erosion patterns.<br /> <br /> A small group of Bighorn Sheep made a nice ending to our day in Kananaskis. No matter how many I see, they are always welcome. Very recently, I seem to have seen them almost everywhere I have been.<br /> <br /> A most enjoyable day - thanks so much, Pam, for the invite and exciting day. Sorry we didn't manage to find a Grizzly Bear for you, but two Black Bears were still a real treat..</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51425832 tag:ipernity.com,2019-10-15,doc-51425832 Tue, 15 Oct 2019 15:45:54 +0000 2019-09-05T10:41:29-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51425832"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/58/32/51425832.ad162ef7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Another eight images posted this morning, from a day out in Kananaskis with friend, Pam, on 5 September 2019. I never drive this part of Kananaskis myself, so I was glad to get a drive-by shot or two through the windshield of the beautiful Kananaskis valley.<br /> <br /> On 5 September 2019, friend Pam and I had a great day out in Kananaskis. It had been just over two months since I drove myself out there, but Pam had been only two days before. There were a few different places that she wanted to stop, and she was hoping to see a bear - preferably a Grizzly, but we were out of luck for that. However, we were lucky enough to see two Black Bears, which was such a treat.<br /> <br /> Our day started off really well, leaving the city at 7:00 am. Driving along a backroad SW of the city, a small, rather cute, old barn was our first find. It was set back from the road a little and easily missed, so I'm glad I spotted it.<br /> <br /> Further on, we came across a White-tailed Deer feeding in a field, and it looked so beautiful in the early morning sun. Normally, I don't get out this early and I know I miss that special light.<br /> <br /> After quite a bit of driving, we were taken by surprise by our first Black Bear sighting of the day. Definitely not in a place that we would have expected. The animal was a long way off, part way up a big hill, and would have been very easy to miss. Luckily, a vehicle had stopped at the side of the road and we saw someone with a tripod - always a hopeful sign. Scouring the hillside, I spotted a black shape amongst the grass and small bushes. Bear! After taking our photos, I made sure I walked over to the other people and thanked them for spotting and stopping.<br /> <br /> Once we got into the mountains, we found ourselves facing dense fog, which seemed to go on forever. It felt like our outing might just have to end soon after it had begun. Fortunately, though, it did eventually clear when we reached the Ptarmigan Cirque area, and we found ourselves in sunshine. Looking back in the direction from which we had just come, the low cloud made for a beautiful scene. One little White-crowned Sparrow sat in a tree at the edge of the parking lot and gave us a chance to take photos. It seemed unusually tolerant of us.<br /> <br /> Further north, we stopped at the Pika location and were able to get a few somewhat distant shots. We didn't stay here for very long, as we had other places to visit. A further half-hour drive brought us to a beautiful lake with an incredibly beautiful setting - Wedge Pond. For quite a few years, I have never been sure where this pond was and whether I had ever been there before. It certainly didn't feel familiar. As well as the spectacular scenery, I also photographed a rather beautiful Moth that had landed on a thistle. The bright yellow splash of colour from three or four Goat's-beard wildflowers gave another photo opportunity - they are attractive flowers, but it's too bad they are a highly invasive weed. <br /> <br /> Leaving Wedge Pond, we continued northwards and were so delighted to see our second Black Bear of the day. This was a very challenging bear to photograph, as it walked off into the trees and soon disappeared completely. Photos tended to be missing either a head, or a rear end, or capturing barely anything at all. <br /> <br /> Coming back south, about an hour later, we stopped at Buller Pond, where we saw a few mushrooms, including a small scattering of beautiful Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushrooms. I love the scenery at Buller Pond and at Peninsular, giving a fine view of the Opal Range with its incredible erosion patterns.<br /> <br /> A small group of Bighorn Sheep made a nice ending to our day in Kananaskis. No matter how many I see, they are always welcome. Very recently, I seem to have seen them almost everywhere I have been.<br /> <br /> A most enjoyable day - thanks so much, Pam, for the invite and exciting day. Sorry we didn't manage to find a Grizzly Bear for you, but two Black Bears were still a real treat..</div> Spectacular Kananaskis valley <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/51425832"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/58/32/51425832.ad162ef7.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Another eight images posted this morning, from a day out in Kananaskis with friend, Pam, on 5 September 2019. I never drive this part of Kananaskis myself, so I was glad to get a drive-by shot or two through the windshield of the beautiful Kananaskis valley.<br /> <br /> On 5 September 2019, friend Pam and I had a great day out in Kananaskis. It had been just over two months since I drove myself out there, but Pam had been only two days before. There were a few different places that she wanted to stop, and she was hoping to see a bear - preferably a Grizzly, but we were out of luck for that. However, we were lucky enough to see two Black Bears, which was such a treat.<br /> <br /> Our day started off really well, leaving the city at 7:00 am. Driving along a backroad SW of the city, a small, rather cute, old barn was our first find. It was set back from the road a little and easily missed, so I'm glad I spotted it.<br /> <br /> Further on, we came across a White-tailed Deer feeding in a field, and it looked so beautiful in the early morning sun. Normally, I don't get out this early and I know I miss that special light.<br /> <br /> After quite a bit of driving, we were taken by surprise by our first Black Bear sighting of the day. Definitely not in a place that we would have expected. The animal was a long way off, part way up a big hill, and would have been very easy to miss. Luckily, a vehicle had stopped at the side of the road and we saw someone with a tripod - always a hopeful sign. Scouring the hillside, I spotted a black shape amongst the grass and small bushes. Bear! After taking our photos, I made sure I walked over to the other people and thanked them for spotting and stopping.<br /> <br /> Once we got into the mountains, we found ourselves facing dense fog, which seemed to go on forever. It felt like our outing might just have to end soon after it had begun. Fortunately, though, it did eventually clear when we reached the Ptarmigan Cirque area, and we found ourselves in sunshine. Looking back in the direction from which we had just come, the low cloud made for a beautiful scene. One little White-crowned Sparrow sat in a tree at the edge of the parking lot and gave us a chance to take photos. It seemed unusually tolerant of us.<br /> <br /> Further north, we stopped at the Pika location and were able to get a few somewhat distant shots. We didn't stay here for very long, as we had other places to visit. A further half-hour drive brought us to a beautiful lake with an incredibly beautiful setting - Wedge Pond. For quite a few years, I have never been sure where this pond was and whether I had ever been there before. It certainly didn't feel familiar. As well as the spectacular scenery, I also photographed a rather beautiful Moth that had landed on a thistle. The bright yellow splash of colour from three or four Goat's-beard wildflowers gave another photo opportunity - they are attractive flowers, but it's too bad they are a highly invasive weed. <br /> <br /> Leaving Wedge Pond, we continued northwards and were so delighted to see our second Black Bear of the day. This was a very challenging bear to photograph, as it walked off into the trees and soon disappeared completely. Photos tended to be missing either a head, or a rear end, or capturing barely anything at all. <br /> <br /> Coming back south, about an hour later, we stopped at Buller Pond, where we saw a few mushrooms, including a small scattering of beautiful Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushrooms. I love the scenery at Buller Pond and at Peninsular, giving a fine view of the Opal Range with its incredible erosion patterns.<br /> <br /> A small group of Bighorn Sheep made a nice ending to our day in Kananaskis. No matter how many I see, they are always welcome. Very recently, I seem to have seen them almost everywhere I have been.<br /> <br /> A most enjoyable day - thanks so much, Pam, for the invite and exciting day. Sorry we didn't manage to find a Grizzly Bear for you, but two Black Bears were still a real treat..</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50785282 tag:ipernity.com,2019-09-27,doc-50785282 Fri, 27 Sep 2019 17:25:07 +0000 2019-09-24T12:13:10-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50785282"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/52/82/50785282.d374c5c2.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Well, the weather forecast for Kananaskis for 24 September 2019 was not exactly accurate - sun, with cloud in the afternoon. They kind of forgot to mention the strong wind, light rain .... and SNOW! For a few minutes, it was one kind of weather, then a few more minutes of a different kind, repeated throughout the afternoon.<br /> <br /> Our temperatures are falling - forecast for rain/light snow today, then three days of snow with temps down to around -1C. What a way to celebrate the first few days of fall. The expected snow will probably remove quite a few of the golden leaves, so I wanted anther chance to see and photograph them while I had the chance. <br /> <br /> The sky was blue when I set out that morning and I felt quite hopeful. When I go to Kananaskis, I always go south from the city. I had no idea where I would be going, but I knew that it wouldn't be as far as I would have liked. As it turned out, I had a few surprises along the way, so it was a real mixed day of photo opportunities - my favourite kind of day.<br /> <br /> After stopping to take a few scenic shots on the way to the main highway through Kananaskis, I eventually reached the area where the American Pikas live. I really lucked out almost straight away, as the only few photos I took were when one Pika showed itself, and that was within maybe ten minutes. By this time, the wind was strong and it was snowing, and it was cold! Time to get out of there, as the scree slope is treacherous enough on a calm, clear day. <br /> <br /> Driving further north, I was delighted to see a convoy of maybe eight or ten beautiful old cars heading in my direction. Couldn't resist, so I followed them when they turned off into a small picnic area. I asked if I could take a few quick photos and they were happy enough for me to do that. One car owner did comment about blurry photos because of the falling snow, but surprisingly my photos came out sharp enough. <br /> <br /> Further on, I made a quick stop at another pull-off and was happy to notice a few mushrooms. When I turned around to head for home, I was even happier. I pulled over to take a photo of one of the mountain peaks. One tiny white speck in the distance, just off the road, caught my eye. When I went to check it out, I found myself staring at a little group of Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushrooms. The largest one had already started the process of curling up the rim of its cap and dripping a black ink. So much rain this year has resulted in such an amazing fungi season.<br /> <br /> Much closer to home, I decided to take a side road that has such beautiful hill and mountain views. An old wooden barn was a welcome surprise - I don't remember seeing this one before.<br /> <br /> So, a lovely day out, driving 320 km, with such a mixture of weather and sightings. So glad I did decide to go - as usual, a very last minute decision, but basically, I just need to grab my cameras and go : )</div> A favourite view in Kananaskis <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/50785282"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/52/82/50785282.d374c5c2.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Well, the weather forecast for Kananaskis for 24 September 2019 was not exactly accurate - sun, with cloud in the afternoon. They kind of forgot to mention the strong wind, light rain .... and SNOW! For a few minutes, it was one kind of weather, then a few more minutes of a different kind, repeated throughout the afternoon.<br /> <br /> Our temperatures are falling - forecast for rain/light snow today, then three days of snow with temps down to around -1C. What a way to celebrate the first few days of fall. The expected snow will probably remove quite a few of the golden leaves, so I wanted anther chance to see and photograph them while I had the chance. <br /> <br /> The sky was blue when I set out that morning and I felt quite hopeful. When I go to Kananaskis, I always go south from the city. I had no idea where I would be going, but I knew that it wouldn't be as far as I would have liked. As it turned out, I had a few surprises along the way, so it was a real mixed day of photo opportunities - my favourite kind of day.<br /> <br /> After stopping to take a few scenic shots on the way to the main highway through Kananaskis, I eventually reached the area where the American Pikas live. I really lucked out almost straight away, as the only few photos I took were when one Pika showed itself, and that was within maybe ten minutes. By this time, the wind was strong and it was snowing, and it was cold! Time to get out of there, as the scree slope is treacherous enough on a calm, clear day. <br /> <br /> Driving further north, I was delighted to see a convoy of maybe eight or ten beautiful old cars heading in my direction. Couldn't resist, so I followed them when they turned off into a small picnic area. I asked if I could take a few quick photos and they were happy enough for me to do that. One car owner did comment about blurry photos because of the falling snow, but surprisingly my photos came out sharp enough. <br /> <br /> Further on, I made a quick stop at another pull-off and was happy to notice a few mushrooms. When I turned around to head for home, I was even happier. I pulled over to take a photo of one of the mountain peaks. One tiny white speck in the distance, just off the road, caught my eye. When I went to check it out, I found myself staring at a little group of Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushrooms. The largest one had already started the process of curling up the rim of its cap and dripping a black ink. So much rain this year has resulted in such an amazing fungi season.<br /> <br /> Much closer to home, I decided to take a side road that has such beautiful hill and mountain views. An old wooden barn was a welcome surprise - I don't remember seeing this one before.<br /> <br /> So, a lovely day out, driving 320 km, with such a mixture of weather and sightings. So glad I did decide to go - as usual, a very last minute decision, but basically, I just need to grab my cameras and go : )</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49907644 tag:ipernity.com,2019-08-07,doc-49907644 Wed, 07 Aug 2019 16:32:36 +0000 2019-08-05T12:27:22-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49907644"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/76/44/49907644.bd6227e9.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Hoodoos take millions of years to form and stand 5 to 7 metres tall. Each hoodoo is a sandstone pillar resting on a thick base of shale that is capped by a large stone. Hoodoos are very fragile and can erode completely if their capstone is dislodged (in other words, no climbing allowed). This protected Hoodoos site is a guaranteed spot to see Hoodoos but smaller versions of these sandstone giants can be found all over the Badlands. <br /> <br /> The name "Hoodoo" comes from the word "voodoo" and was given to these geological formations by the Europeans. In the Blackfoot and Cree traditions, however, the Hoodoos are believed to be petrified giants who come alive at night to hurl rocks at intruders." From traveldrumheller.com<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.traveldrumheller.com/index.php/directory/7-Drumheller-Hoodoos" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.traveldrumheller.com/index.php/directory/7-Drumheller...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_</a>(geology)<br /> <br /> Wow, what a day I had the day before yesterday, 5 August 2019! For a few decades, I had longed to get out east of the city again, to the Badlands of Alberta. I had been a few times in more recent years, either on botany trips to Horseshoe Canyon, or a couple of times for the Christmas Bird Count. However, we always carpooled and we never went to the places I really, really wanted to go to. Finally, in 2014, I took my daughter out there, taking the main highway into Drumheller. She has an amazing sense of direction and is great at navigating, so I knew I wouldn't get lost.<br /> <br /> This time, though, I wanted to avoid Drumheller itself, so I took a back way to the few places and things I wanted to see and photograph. Each year, I try and make a new, long drive that I have never done before. Trust me, a real challenge to someone with a driving phobia!! Now, there are a handful of places that I make myself get back to each summer, to make sure I don't lose the courage to make the drive by myself.<br /> <br /> Maps had been made, a few 'drives' taken along a few bits of road on Google Earth, so I was well-prepared. Still, I felt sick to the stomach at the thought of doing the last half of the drive. If I happened to take one wrong road, would I ever get out of the Badlands?<br /> <br /> When I checked the weather forecast, I noticed that rain was expected on some upcoming days, but not for that day, so I knew I needed to go. It was still quite hazy all day, getting up to 30C. When I was almost ready to leave home, I suddenly realized that it was a public holiday! Never a good time to visit anywhere, with so many people everywhere. Normally, I would have stayed home. Left home at 8:45 am and got back home at 7:15 pm, after driving 402 km, using roughly three-quarters of a tank of gas. In this time, I was able to see my favourite hoodoos (with so many cars parked along the road and endless people climbing all over the hoodoos), a little almost-ghost town, and one of my absolute favourite old grain elevators. My route also took me past the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Dalum - I had seen photos of this church before and I had always wanted to photograph a church like this. One other stop had been on my mental list, but, even though I would have had time to get there, my big concern was running out of gas on the way home.<br /> <br /> There was only one unpleasant thing that happened and it still keeps coming to mind. Along one of the paved roads on the way to the Badlands, I had noticed a very scruffy looking hawk standing on the road. I turned around and drove back to see if I could check if it was OK. Just when I was going to pull over so that I could slowly walk back, I looked in the rear view mirror and there was a car coming behind me. Not sure if the driver tried to position his wheels so that they were either side of the hawk, or not. Anyway, the bird tried to fly and got caught up by the car, which ripped and mangled it. I could see it being tossed and caught back. I walked back to see if I could tell if it was still alive. I couldn't tell, but it was a real mess. Much as I would have liked to move it to the ditch, I couldn't. Trying to convince myself that, because it had looked so scruffy to start with, and stayed on the road, maybe it had been sick. I have seen plenty of dead wildlife of all kinds, but never before have I had to witness something actually being killed. Still haunts me. <br /> <br /> Yesterday, 6 August 2019, my daughter and I had planned to spend the day together but decided to cancel, as the forecast was for rain and it's no fun taking photos in the rain. Such a shame, as I had been looking forward to being out with her. Her free days are so few and far between. Sure enough, 4:30 pm and we had torrential rain, wind and thunder - SO glad we weren't out in this! Today, it is very overcast - happy I decided to do my long drive two days ago.</div> Hoodoos everywhere <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49907644"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/76/44/49907644.bd6227e9.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">"Hoodoos take millions of years to form and stand 5 to 7 metres tall. Each hoodoo is a sandstone pillar resting on a thick base of shale that is capped by a large stone. Hoodoos are very fragile and can erode completely if their capstone is dislodged (in other words, no climbing allowed). This protected Hoodoos site is a guaranteed spot to see Hoodoos but smaller versions of these sandstone giants can be found all over the Badlands. <br /> <br /> The name "Hoodoo" comes from the word "voodoo" and was given to these geological formations by the Europeans. In the Blackfoot and Cree traditions, however, the Hoodoos are believed to be petrified giants who come alive at night to hurl rocks at intruders." From traveldrumheller.com<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.traveldrumheller.com/index.php/directory/7-Drumheller-Hoodoos" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.traveldrumheller.com/index.php/directory/7-Drumheller...</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_</a>(geology)<br /> <br /> Wow, what a day I had the day before yesterday, 5 August 2019! For a few decades, I had longed to get out east of the city again, to the Badlands of Alberta. I had been a few times in more recent years, either on botany trips to Horseshoe Canyon, or a couple of times for the Christmas Bird Count. However, we always carpooled and we never went to the places I really, really wanted to go to. Finally, in 2014, I took my daughter out there, taking the main highway into Drumheller. She has an amazing sense of direction and is great at navigating, so I knew I wouldn't get lost.<br /> <br /> This time, though, I wanted to avoid Drumheller itself, so I took a back way to the few places and things I wanted to see and photograph. Each year, I try and make a new, long drive that I have never done before. Trust me, a real challenge to someone with a driving phobia!! Now, there are a handful of places that I make myself get back to each summer, to make sure I don't lose the courage to make the drive by myself.<br /> <br /> Maps had been made, a few 'drives' taken along a few bits of road on Google Earth, so I was well-prepared. Still, I felt sick to the stomach at the thought of doing the last half of the drive. If I happened to take one wrong road, would I ever get out of the Badlands?<br /> <br /> When I checked the weather forecast, I noticed that rain was expected on some upcoming days, but not for that day, so I knew I needed to go. It was still quite hazy all day, getting up to 30C. When I was almost ready to leave home, I suddenly realized that it was a public holiday! Never a good time to visit anywhere, with so many people everywhere. Normally, I would have stayed home. Left home at 8:45 am and got back home at 7:15 pm, after driving 402 km, using roughly three-quarters of a tank of gas. In this time, I was able to see my favourite hoodoos (with so many cars parked along the road and endless people climbing all over the hoodoos), a little almost-ghost town, and one of my absolute favourite old grain elevators. My route also took me past the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Dalum - I had seen photos of this church before and I had always wanted to photograph a church like this. One other stop had been on my mental list, but, even though I would have had time to get there, my big concern was running out of gas on the way home.<br /> <br /> There was only one unpleasant thing that happened and it still keeps coming to mind. Along one of the paved roads on the way to the Badlands, I had noticed a very scruffy looking hawk standing on the road. I turned around and drove back to see if I could check if it was OK. Just when I was going to pull over so that I could slowly walk back, I looked in the rear view mirror and there was a car coming behind me. Not sure if the driver tried to position his wheels so that they were either side of the hawk, or not. Anyway, the bird tried to fly and got caught up by the car, which ripped and mangled it. I could see it being tossed and caught back. I walked back to see if I could tell if it was still alive. I couldn't tell, but it was a real mess. Much as I would have liked to move it to the ditch, I couldn't. Trying to convince myself that, because it had looked so scruffy to start with, and stayed on the road, maybe it had been sick. I have seen plenty of dead wildlife of all kinds, but never before have I had to witness something actually being killed. Still haunts me. <br /> <br /> Yesterday, 6 August 2019, my daughter and I had planned to spend the day together but decided to cancel, as the forecast was for rain and it's no fun taking photos in the rain. Such a shame, as I had been looking forward to being out with her. Her free days are so few and far between. Sure enough, 4:30 pm and we had torrential rain, wind and thunder - SO glad we weren't out in this! Today, it is very overcast - happy I decided to do my long drive two days ago.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49533856 tag:ipernity.com,2019-07-03,doc-49533856 Wed, 03 Jul 2019 15:55:17 +0000 2019-06-30T13:54:16-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49533856"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/38/56/49533856.b4b6bb48.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Three mornings ago, on 30 June 2019, I woke up earlier than usual. Once I was on my computer, I checked the weather forecast and saw raindrop icons in the forecast for the next week, but the 30th was for sun. I knew what I had to do! Luckily, I had a tank full of gas, so I grabbed both cameras and a snack or two, and headed out the door. I must be the only person who hadn't been to Kananaskis recently and taken photos of the tiny Pikas (Rock Rabbits), and that was my destination. <br /> <br /> Last weekend was a long weekend for Canada Day, and my plan had been to keep off the roads, as I was sure they would be busy, making it more difficult to stop whenever I wanted, to take a photo or two. However, when I saw the weather forecast, it changed my mind. Sunshine, blue sky with clouds, made it a perfect day to be out - I'm sure you agreed, Bonnie : )<br /> <br /> A day in Kananaskis is always great, but sometimes 'great' turns out to be fantastic! Can't believe how lucky I was, not just in the mountains, but on the journey there and, at the end of the day, calling in at my 'usual' area closer to home.<br /> <br /> I suspect the Pika is most people's favourite - around 6 inches long and almost impossible to see against the mountainside of broken rocks that are the same colour as the Pika's fur. Starting to believe that maybe I was going to be out of luck, the first one appeared, racing in and out and over and between the endless, sharp rocks. Take your eyes off the animal and you stand a good chance of not being able to find it again. Then a second one appeared, a baby. It perched itself on top of a rock and simply stayed there for a few minutes. Several of my photos show the eyes closing slightly. However, eventually it did move, and off it went. When it appeared not too far away, I caught sight of it and thought at first it was a mouse, ha. So tiny!<br /> <br /> While I was searching for a Pika, a herd of Bighorn Sheep had come down the massive mountain side and, as they usually do, gathered right in the middle of the road to lick salt left by vehicles. After quite a time, there was an almighty BOOM that startled me and a handful of others. We hadn't noticed a Park's truck arrive, armed with 'bangers' to make the Sheep move from the road. Once the Park's person had left, the Sheep returned to the road. There were several young ones along with the females.<br /> <br /> It will take me ages to go through my photos, especially having to combine two cameras, but lots of images can wait till winter. More important, to me, is to continue editing and posting the remaining Texas photos, if/when I get time to do so. I suspect that, too, might end up being a winter project.</div> Pika - tiny fluffball <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/49533856"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/38/56/49533856.b4b6bb48.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Three mornings ago, on 30 June 2019, I woke up earlier than usual. Once I was on my computer, I checked the weather forecast and saw raindrop icons in the forecast for the next week, but the 30th was for sun. I knew what I had to do! Luckily, I had a tank full of gas, so I grabbed both cameras and a snack or two, and headed out the door. I must be the only person who hadn't been to Kananaskis recently and taken photos of the tiny Pikas (Rock Rabbits), and that was my destination. <br /> <br /> Last weekend was a long weekend for Canada Day, and my plan had been to keep off the roads, as I was sure they would be busy, making it more difficult to stop whenever I wanted, to take a photo or two. However, when I saw the weather forecast, it changed my mind. Sunshine, blue sky with clouds, made it a perfect day to be out - I'm sure you agreed, Bonnie : )<br /> <br /> A day in Kananaskis is always great, but sometimes 'great' turns out to be fantastic! Can't believe how lucky I was, not just in the mountains, but on the journey there and, at the end of the day, calling in at my 'usual' area closer to home.<br /> <br /> I suspect the Pika is most people's favourite - around 6 inches long and almost impossible to see against the mountainside of broken rocks that are the same colour as the Pika's fur. Starting to believe that maybe I was going to be out of luck, the first one appeared, racing in and out and over and between the endless, sharp rocks. Take your eyes off the animal and you stand a good chance of not being able to find it again. Then a second one appeared, a baby. It perched itself on top of a rock and simply stayed there for a few minutes. Several of my photos show the eyes closing slightly. However, eventually it did move, and off it went. When it appeared not too far away, I caught sight of it and thought at first it was a mouse, ha. So tiny!<br /> <br /> While I was searching for a Pika, a herd of Bighorn Sheep had come down the massive mountain side and, as they usually do, gathered right in the middle of the road to lick salt left by vehicles. After quite a time, there was an almighty BOOM that startled me and a handful of others. We hadn't noticed a Park's truck arrive, armed with 'bangers' to make the Sheep move from the road. Once the Park's person had left, the Sheep returned to the road. There were several young ones along with the females.<br /> <br /> It will take me ages to go through my photos, especially having to combine two cameras, but lots of images can wait till winter. More important, to me, is to continue editing and posting the remaining Texas photos, if/when I get time to do so. I suspect that, too, might end up being a winter project.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47991202 tag:ipernity.com,2019-01-17,doc-47991202 Thu, 17 Jan 2019 04:47:36 +0000 2018-05-14T08:35:00-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47991202"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/12/02/47991202.6ef862a0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Just added 7 photos tonight, taken in May 2018, when four friends and I took a two-week holiday in Ontario and Quebec. The photos of the White-crowned Sparrow and the Evening Grosbeak are out of order, taken on Day 6 and Day 9, but I was missing posting a few bird photos. These two images were both taken in the garden of Anne B's property in Tadoussac, Quebec. <br /> <br /> The remaining five photos were taken on 14 May 2018, when we drove NE of Tadoussac along the coast, stopping at several places, including Les Bergeronnes and Pointe-à-la-Croix, to search for birds. At the latter location, there is a huge, metal cross that makes a beautiful landmark. <br /> <br /> While wandering over the beautiful coloured rocks (not seen in this photo) at Pointe-à-la-Croix, we were lucky enough to see 4 Lapland Longspurs, including the one seen in this highly zoomed photo. This was the first time I had ever seen this species.</div> Day 8, Lapland Longspur, Quebec <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47991202"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/12/02/47991202.6ef862a0.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="240" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Just added 7 photos tonight, taken in May 2018, when four friends and I took a two-week holiday in Ontario and Quebec. The photos of the White-crowned Sparrow and the Evening Grosbeak are out of order, taken on Day 6 and Day 9, but I was missing posting a few bird photos. These two images were both taken in the garden of Anne B's property in Tadoussac, Quebec. <br /> <br /> The remaining five photos were taken on 14 May 2018, when we drove NE of Tadoussac along the coast, stopping at several places, including Les Bergeronnes and Pointe-à-la-Croix, to search for birds. At the latter location, there is a huge, metal cross that makes a beautiful landmark. <br /> <br /> While wandering over the beautiful coloured rocks (not seen in this photo) at Pointe-à-la-Croix, we were lucky enough to see 4 Lapland Longspurs, including the one seen in this highly zoomed photo. This was the first time I had ever seen this species.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47423222 tag:ipernity.com,2018-10-03,doc-47423222 Wed, 03 Oct 2018 16:43:48 +0000 2018-09-25T13:38:53-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47423222"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/32/22/47423222.e372bf62.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 3 October 2018, I woke up to blue sky and glorious sunshine - and a temperature of -6C and many inches of snow! Calgary was hit with a huge snowfall yesterday, which continued overnight. It caused chaos in the city and endless accidents. Fortunately, I only had to drive close to home - for an appointment to get my snow tires put on, ha. <br /> <br /> "Wednesday, October 3, 2018, 8:30 AM -The snow is gradually easing across Alberta, but Tuesday's significant and record breaking WALLOP has certainly left its mark on the region. Calgary ground to a halt after nearly 40 cm of snow hammered the city, prompting appeals to neighbouring cities -- and as far away as Edmonton -- for additional snow removal equipment. This unusually cold pattern however, is set to last through the first half of October, meaning these massive mounds of snow aren't likely to go anywhere .... Police say there were over 250 collisions reported in the city of Calgary alone between 11 pm on Monday and 3:30 pm on Tuesday. " From the Weather Network.<br /> <br /> This photo is from 25 September 2018, when the weather forecast finally looked a little more promising. We have had so many gloomy, rainy days and when I woke up that morning and saw that the sun was shining, I knew I had better get out to the mountains before the fall colours disappeared. It was almost 11:00 am before I left home, so I was limited time-wise, but still managed to get to my destination. I had taken my computer to be fixed the previous day, to clear a virus and malware after being hacked, so I had more time to get out with my camera.<br /> <br /> I thought this might just be my last chance to see fall colours and, if I was lucky, a little Pika. Luck was on my side and I saw both. How lucky we are to live so close to such magnificent scenery!</div> Our majestic mountains <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47423222"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/32/22/47423222.e372bf62.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">This morning, 3 October 2018, I woke up to blue sky and glorious sunshine - and a temperature of -6C and many inches of snow! Calgary was hit with a huge snowfall yesterday, which continued overnight. It caused chaos in the city and endless accidents. Fortunately, I only had to drive close to home - for an appointment to get my snow tires put on, ha. <br /> <br /> "Wednesday, October 3, 2018, 8:30 AM -The snow is gradually easing across Alberta, but Tuesday's significant and record breaking WALLOP has certainly left its mark on the region. Calgary ground to a halt after nearly 40 cm of snow hammered the city, prompting appeals to neighbouring cities -- and as far away as Edmonton -- for additional snow removal equipment. This unusually cold pattern however, is set to last through the first half of October, meaning these massive mounds of snow aren't likely to go anywhere .... Police say there were over 250 collisions reported in the city of Calgary alone between 11 pm on Monday and 3:30 pm on Tuesday. " From the Weather Network.<br /> <br /> This photo is from 25 September 2018, when the weather forecast finally looked a little more promising. We have had so many gloomy, rainy days and when I woke up that morning and saw that the sun was shining, I knew I had better get out to the mountains before the fall colours disappeared. It was almost 11:00 am before I left home, so I was limited time-wise, but still managed to get to my destination. I had taken my computer to be fixed the previous day, to clear a virus and malware after being hacked, so I had more time to get out with my camera.<br /> <br /> I thought this might just be my last chance to see fall colours and, if I was lucky, a little Pika. Luck was on my side and I saw both. How lucky we are to live so close to such magnificent scenery!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47423202 tag:ipernity.com,2018-10-02,doc-47423202 Tue, 02 Oct 2018 16:33:47 +0000 2018-09-25T15:18:11-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47423202"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/32/02/47423202.55d8cd4f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Fall began just 10 days ago but "winter" arrived this morning, 2 October! Maybe five or six inches of the white stuff so far. I have an appointment this afternoon to go and get my snow tires put on - the snow beat me by just a few hours. Our temperature is -3C (windchill -7C) and we are under a Snowfall Warning.<br /> <br /> On 28 August 2018, I drove SW of the city to Highway 40 and through Kananaskis. Almost a month later, on 25 September 2018, I did part of the drive again on the spur of the moment, after waking up and seeing sunshine, which seems to happen so rarely these days. I thought this might just be my last chance to see fall colours and, if I was lucky, a little Pika. <br /> <br /> A good thing I did go, now that snow has arrived. Sometimes, one is out of luck, but I was able to get a few Pika photos, mainly more distant shots. It was a relief to find that there was no snow on the ground, as walking on a talus slope that is also covered in snow and ice is really treacherous. <br /> <br /> These little Pikas/Rock Rabbits are only 6-9 inches long and are usually seen far away, running back and forth over the massive scree (talus) mountain slope that they call home. Very occasionally, one happens to come a bit closer, usually for just a quick moment. <br /> <br /> "The American Pika is a generalist herbivore. It eats a large variety of green plants, including different kinds of grasses, sedges, thistles and fireweed. Although pikas can meet their water demands from the vegetation they eat, they do drink water if it is available in their environment. Pikas have two different ways of foraging: they directly consume food (feeding) or they cache food in haypiles to use for a food source in the winter (haying). The pika feeds throughout the year while haying is limited to the summer months. Since they do not hibernate, pikas have greater energy demands than other montane mammals. In addition, they also make 13 trips per hour to collect vegetation when haying, up to a little over 100 trips per day." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pika" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pika</a><br /> <br /> A couple of short YouTube videos in case anyone wants to hear and see these absolutely cute creatures:<br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc</a><br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg</a></div> American Pika - such a cutie <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47423202"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/32/02/47423202.55d8cd4f.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Fall began just 10 days ago but "winter" arrived this morning, 2 October! Maybe five or six inches of the white stuff so far. I have an appointment this afternoon to go and get my snow tires put on - the snow beat me by just a few hours. Our temperature is -3C (windchill -7C) and we are under a Snowfall Warning.<br /> <br /> On 28 August 2018, I drove SW of the city to Highway 40 and through Kananaskis. Almost a month later, on 25 September 2018, I did part of the drive again on the spur of the moment, after waking up and seeing sunshine, which seems to happen so rarely these days. I thought this might just be my last chance to see fall colours and, if I was lucky, a little Pika. <br /> <br /> A good thing I did go, now that snow has arrived. Sometimes, one is out of luck, but I was able to get a few Pika photos, mainly more distant shots. It was a relief to find that there was no snow on the ground, as walking on a talus slope that is also covered in snow and ice is really treacherous. <br /> <br /> These little Pikas/Rock Rabbits are only 6-9 inches long and are usually seen far away, running back and forth over the massive scree (talus) mountain slope that they call home. Very occasionally, one happens to come a bit closer, usually for just a quick moment. <br /> <br /> "The American Pika is a generalist herbivore. It eats a large variety of green plants, including different kinds of grasses, sedges, thistles and fireweed. Although pikas can meet their water demands from the vegetation they eat, they do drink water if it is available in their environment. Pikas have two different ways of foraging: they directly consume food (feeding) or they cache food in haypiles to use for a food source in the winter (haying). The pika feeds throughout the year while haying is limited to the summer months. Since they do not hibernate, pikas have greater energy demands than other montane mammals. In addition, they also make 13 trips per hour to collect vegetation when haying, up to a little over 100 trips per day." From Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pika" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pika</a><br /> <br /> A couple of short YouTube videos in case anyone wants to hear and see these absolutely cute creatures:<br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc</a><br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47341444 tag:ipernity.com,2018-09-18,doc-47341444 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 14:46:23 +0000 2018-07-09T10:06:41-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47341444"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/14/44/47341444.8417ef69.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">As so often happens, I managed to get just a few photos (five) from this outing posted on Flickr. Other trips came along and I always seem to get so behind. This morning, I have added another four shots from this fun day with friends.<br /> <br /> On 9 July 2018, I went for a trip to Kananaskis with friends Shirley and Pam. This was planned as a bear hunt - but not a single bear was to be seen : ) As usual, when it comes to wildlife, it's all about timing. You can be lucky or unlucky, and I guess this was not our lucky day, at least not as far as bears were concerned. <br /> <br /> We left the city at 7:00 am to give ourselves the best chance. Within just a matter of minutes, we came upon a Great Blue Heron and a couple of Black-crowned Night-Herons, which was wonderful. Couldn't get good photos of them, just shots for the record. Our day was certainly starting off well.<br /> <br /> We travelled to Kananaskis via Highway 1, but returned to the city along the south portion of Highway 40. When I go to Kananaskis on my own (only about three times so far), I only go south to Highway 40, never on Highway 1. I believe it takes about the same time to drive either way.<br /> <br /> No sign of a bear, anywhere, but of course, we were surrounded by spectacular scenery all day. We had great weather, with a high of about 27C. Unfortunately, there was some haze over the mountains. <br /> <br /> One of our stops was at Peninsular, at Lower Kananaskis Lake. Such a peaceful spot, with just a handful of people fishing and several people in canoes or kayaks. The main thing we saw there was a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel down on the rocks.<br /> <br /> Another place we wanted to get to was the area where the Pikas can be seen. For the first while, we began to think that we were going to be out of luck. Fortunately, one little Pika did eventually show itself and we were able to get a few photos. When I don't get photos that I'm quite happy with, it is a huge incentive to drive myself out there for another chance. While we were there, we did see a little Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (not the one in this photo), who was happily munching on Yellow Columbine flowers. Surprisingly, no Mountain Sheep were to be seen, here or anywhere else on this day.<br /> <br /> A final stopping place was on the way home along Highway 40. We had forgotten that this place is closed on Mondays. I remember last year, when I drove out there myself, I had been banking on buying a sandwich for my lunch and for getting gas for my car. However, we did see at least two tiny Hummingbirds there, nesting Barn Swallows, and several interesting moths that I had never seen before, including a beautiful One Eyed Sphinx Moth.<br /> <br /> So, all together, an interesting, fun day spent in good company. We are so very lucky to live within reach of such a breathtaking area!</div> Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47341444"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/14/44/47341444.8417ef69.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">As so often happens, I managed to get just a few photos (five) from this outing posted on Flickr. Other trips came along and I always seem to get so behind. This morning, I have added another four shots from this fun day with friends.<br /> <br /> On 9 July 2018, I went for a trip to Kananaskis with friends Shirley and Pam. This was planned as a bear hunt - but not a single bear was to be seen : ) As usual, when it comes to wildlife, it's all about timing. You can be lucky or unlucky, and I guess this was not our lucky day, at least not as far as bears were concerned. <br /> <br /> We left the city at 7:00 am to give ourselves the best chance. Within just a matter of minutes, we came upon a Great Blue Heron and a couple of Black-crowned Night-Herons, which was wonderful. Couldn't get good photos of them, just shots for the record. Our day was certainly starting off well.<br /> <br /> We travelled to Kananaskis via Highway 1, but returned to the city along the south portion of Highway 40. When I go to Kananaskis on my own (only about three times so far), I only go south to Highway 40, never on Highway 1. I believe it takes about the same time to drive either way.<br /> <br /> No sign of a bear, anywhere, but of course, we were surrounded by spectacular scenery all day. We had great weather, with a high of about 27C. Unfortunately, there was some haze over the mountains. <br /> <br /> One of our stops was at Peninsular, at Lower Kananaskis Lake. Such a peaceful spot, with just a handful of people fishing and several people in canoes or kayaks. The main thing we saw there was a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel down on the rocks.<br /> <br /> Another place we wanted to get to was the area where the Pikas can be seen. For the first while, we began to think that we were going to be out of luck. Fortunately, one little Pika did eventually show itself and we were able to get a few photos. When I don't get photos that I'm quite happy with, it is a huge incentive to drive myself out there for another chance. While we were there, we did see a little Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (not the one in this photo), who was happily munching on Yellow Columbine flowers. Surprisingly, no Mountain Sheep were to be seen, here or anywhere else on this day.<br /> <br /> A final stopping place was on the way home along Highway 40. We had forgotten that this place is closed on Mondays. I remember last year, when I drove out there myself, I had been banking on buying a sandwich for my lunch and for getting gas for my car. However, we did see at least two tiny Hummingbirds there, nesting Barn Swallows, and several interesting moths that I had never seen before, including a beautiful One Eyed Sphinx Moth.<br /> <br /> So, all together, an interesting, fun day spent in good company. We are so very lucky to live within reach of such a breathtaking area!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47021030 tag:ipernity.com,2018-07-18,doc-47021030 Wed, 18 Jul 2018 17:06:05 +0000 2018-06-23T14:10:24-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47021030"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/10/30/47021030.961937af.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of the lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Bow Lake on a cloudy day <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/47021030"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/10/30/47021030.961937af.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of the lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46991050 tag:ipernity.com,2018-07-10,doc-46991050 Tue, 10 Jul 2018 15:27:30 +0000 2018-07-09T11:05:41-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46991050"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/10/50/46991050.97cdb52d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Wow, thunder, lightning and rain right now - going to turn off my computer!<br /> <br /> Yesterday, 9 July 2018, I went for a trip to Kananaskis with friends Shirley and Pam. This was planned as a bear hunt - but not a single bear was to be seen : ) As usual, when it comes to wildlife, it's all about timing. You can be lucky or unlucky, and I guess yesterday was not our lucky day, at least not as far as bears were concerned. <br /> <br /> We left the city at 7:00 am to give ourselves the best chance. Within just a matter of minutes, we came upon a Great Blue Heron and a couple of Black-crowned Night-Herons, which was wonderful. Couldn't get good photos of them, just shots for the record. Our day was certainly starting off well.<br /> <br /> We travelled to Kananaskis via Highway 1, but returned to the city along the south portion of Highway 40. When I go to Kananaskis on my own (only about three times so far), I only go south to Highway 40, never on Highway 1. I believe it takes about the same time to drive either way.<br /> <br /> No sign of a bear, anywhere, but of course, we were surrounded by spectacular scenery all day. We had great weather, with a high of about 27C. Unfortunately, there was some haze over the mountains. <br /> <br /> One of our stops was at Peninsular, at Lower Kananaskis Lake. Such a peaceful spot, with just a handful of people fishing and several people in canoes or kayaks. The main thing we saw there was a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (not the one in this photo) down on the rocks.<br /> <br /> Another place we wanted to get to was the area where the Pikas can be seen. For the first while, we began to think that we were going to be out of luck. Fortunately, one little Pika did eventually show itself and we were able to get a few photos. When I don't get photos that I'm quite happy with, it is a huge incentive to drive myself out there for another chance. While we were there, we did see this little Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, who was happily munching on Yellow Columbine flowers. Surprisingly, no Mountain Sheep were to be seen, here or anywhere else on this day.<br /> <br /> A final stopping place was on the way home along Highway 40. We had forgotten that this place is closed on Mondays. I remember last year, when I drove out there myself, I had been banking on buying a sandwich for my lunch and for getting gas for my car. However, we did see at least two tiny Hummingbirds there, nesting Barn Swallows, and several interesting moths that I had never seen before, including a One Eyed Sphinx Moth (photo posted this morning). <br /> <br /> So, all together, an interesting, fun day spent in good company. We are so very lucky to live within reach of such a breathtaking area!</div> Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel munching on Yellow Columbine <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46991050"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/10/50/46991050.97cdb52d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Wow, thunder, lightning and rain right now - going to turn off my computer!<br /> <br /> Yesterday, 9 July 2018, I went for a trip to Kananaskis with friends Shirley and Pam. This was planned as a bear hunt - but not a single bear was to be seen : ) As usual, when it comes to wildlife, it's all about timing. You can be lucky or unlucky, and I guess yesterday was not our lucky day, at least not as far as bears were concerned. <br /> <br /> We left the city at 7:00 am to give ourselves the best chance. Within just a matter of minutes, we came upon a Great Blue Heron and a couple of Black-crowned Night-Herons, which was wonderful. Couldn't get good photos of them, just shots for the record. Our day was certainly starting off well.<br /> <br /> We travelled to Kananaskis via Highway 1, but returned to the city along the south portion of Highway 40. When I go to Kananaskis on my own (only about three times so far), I only go south to Highway 40, never on Highway 1. I believe it takes about the same time to drive either way.<br /> <br /> No sign of a bear, anywhere, but of course, we were surrounded by spectacular scenery all day. We had great weather, with a high of about 27C. Unfortunately, there was some haze over the mountains. <br /> <br /> One of our stops was at Peninsular, at Lower Kananaskis Lake. Such a peaceful spot, with just a handful of people fishing and several people in canoes or kayaks. The main thing we saw there was a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (not the one in this photo) down on the rocks.<br /> <br /> Another place we wanted to get to was the area where the Pikas can be seen. For the first while, we began to think that we were going to be out of luck. Fortunately, one little Pika did eventually show itself and we were able to get a few photos. When I don't get photos that I'm quite happy with, it is a huge incentive to drive myself out there for another chance. While we were there, we did see this little Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, who was happily munching on Yellow Columbine flowers. Surprisingly, no Mountain Sheep were to be seen, here or anywhere else on this day.<br /> <br /> A final stopping place was on the way home along Highway 40. We had forgotten that this place is closed on Mondays. I remember last year, when I drove out there myself, I had been banking on buying a sandwich for my lunch and for getting gas for my car. However, we did see at least two tiny Hummingbirds there, nesting Barn Swallows, and several interesting moths that I had never seen before, including a One Eyed Sphinx Moth (photo posted this morning). <br /> <br /> So, all together, an interesting, fun day spent in good company. We are so very lucky to live within reach of such a breathtaking area!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958772 tag:ipernity.com,2018-07-06,doc-46958772 Fri, 06 Jul 2018 16:27:27 +0000 2018-06-23T13:10:32-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958772"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/87/72/46958772.50491529.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Reflected peaks <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958772"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/87/72/46958772.50491529.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958610 tag:ipernity.com,2018-07-06,doc-46958610 Fri, 06 Jul 2018 16:25:09 +0000 2018-06-23T12:58:34-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958610"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/86/10/46958610.4756a049.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Disappearing <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958610"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/86/10/46958610.4756a049.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958516 tag:ipernity.com,2018-07-05,doc-46958516 Thu, 05 Jul 2018 17:30:30 +0000 2018-06-23T13:02:22-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958516"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/16/46958516.f0165572.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Friends at Bow Lake <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46958516"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/85/16/46958516.f0165572.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">On 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46918222 tag:ipernity.com,2018-06-26,doc-46918222 Tue, 26 Jun 2018 14:35:30 +0000 2018-06-23T14:10:51-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46918222"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/82/22/46918222.b396a4f9.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="181" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">There was just one kayak on the lake when friends and I spent a bit of time at Bow Lake. I love it when this happens, as it gives a better idea of just what a massive slab of rock they are passing. <br /> <br /> Three days ago, on 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. A photo I posted yesterday shows a moment that the bear raised its head and stared in that photographer's direction. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Bow Lake <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46918222"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/82/22/46918222.b396a4f9.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="181" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">There was just one kayak on the lake when friends and I spent a bit of time at Bow Lake. I love it when this happens, as it gives a better idea of just what a massive slab of rock they are passing. <br /> <br /> Three days ago, on 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. A photo I posted yesterday shows a moment that the bear raised its head and stared in that photographer's direction. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46903792 tag:ipernity.com,2018-06-25,doc-46903792 Mon, 25 Jun 2018 16:23:10 +0000 2018-06-23T14:01:56-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46903792"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/37/92/46903792.c9996bed.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">The day before yesterday, 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. A photo I posted yesterday shows a moment that the bear raised its head and stared in that photographer's direction. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Bow Lake, Alberta <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46903792"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/37/92/46903792.c9996bed.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">The day before yesterday, 23 June 2018, I had the wonderful chance to return to two of my favourite places in the mountains - Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. This was thanks to the annual Bus Trip for Nature Calgary, with each year being to a different location in Alberta. These two Lakes are too far for me to drive (roughly two and a half hours), but mainly because they are way out of my driving comfort zone. I think I have only ever been to Peyto Lake twice before, the first time being something like 38 years ago, and the second time being in August 2013. Almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with Bow Lake, my absolute favourite place. I have been lucky enough to visit it a handful of times in recent years. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, we couldn't capture the beautiful, really deep turquoise colour that Peyto lake is so well known for. Too many low clouds and an overcast, damp day, but you can still see the beauty of this lake and its gorgeous surroundings. The forecast that I had seen for this whole area had been for snow-rain showers, with a high temperature of 12C and a low of 1C. Though the day started off with rain, we were lucky that we only had a few raindrops while we were out walking. It was really dreary weather, though, which was not good as far as photography was concerned.<br /> <br /> Our first stop was at Peyto Lake, where we walked the short distance to the wooden Lookout deck. From there, we hiked a loop through the forest, finding a few wildflowers and some beautiful Orange Peel Fungus. On the way back to the Lookout, you really need to be very careful to take a path that leads back to the correct parking lot! The last few people took the wrong path and ended up waiting for a bus that never came for them. So easily done. They were eventually found, but after a long delay. <br /> <br /> "Peyto Lake (pea-toe) is a glacier-fed lake located in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Ebenezer William Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake, and these suspended rock particles give the lake a bright, turquoise color. Because of its bright color, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists in the park. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefield Parkway. The lake is fed by the Peyto Creek, which drains water from the Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield), and flows into the Mistaya River."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wikimapia.org/655560/Peyto-lake</a><br /> <br /> From Peyto Lake, we drove to the nearby Bow Lake, which just takes my breath away. I had told a couple of friends how beautiful it is, but that the best kind of day to visit is a sunny day with absolutely calm lake water so that reflections are seen. Well, that was definitely not the kind of day we had, but one makes the best of what one gets. We spent time there, walking part way along the edge of the lake, looking for any bird and wildflower species, and simply soaking up the amazing beauty of our surroundings. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.travelalberta.com/ca/listings/bow-lake-1997/</a><br /> <br /> On the way back to Calgary, we were very lucky to notice a handful of cars that had pulled over on the side of the road. This always makes one wonder if a bear has been sighted. Sure enough, our bus driver slowed down and stopped for a short while to allow us to take a few photos. After a few minutes, I heard our organizer tell someone (or more than one person) to stop using flash, as it was stressing out the bear. Tell me, just WHY would anyone think it was OK to use flash on a wild animal that was just a few feet away from our bus!!! An animal that was busy feeding on dandelions and had been taking no notice of us. A photo I posted yesterday shows a moment that the bear raised its head and stared in that photographer's direction. So maddening when photographers don't have respect for wildlife and just don't think! I happened to be sitting on the 'wrong' side of the bus and had two or three rows of people who were sitting or standing up, all trying to get their shots in between the people in front of them. So, my photos are not good, but serve as a record of having had the privilege of seeing such a beautiful creature.<br /> <br /> A final, short stop on the way home was near Castle Mountain, which is a very impressive sight. It also has an interesting history, which I will add when I eventually post a photo taken there.<br /> <br /> Many thanks, Penny, for organizing our trip to such perfect places! I know a huge amount of work goes into making all the plans - thanks, too, to John for helping out with this. A very successful and most enjoyable outing. Shirley and Pam - I greatly appreciated your driving to meeting places here in the city!</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46842320 tag:ipernity.com,2018-06-13,doc-46842320 Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:04:47 +0000 2018-06-12T11:14:21-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46842320"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/23/20/46842320.fc8aed04.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="182" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Waterton Lakes National Park is where three friends (Anne B, Janet and Shirley) and I went the last two days, 11 and 12 June 2018. Part of Monday was spent travelling south to Waterton Lakes National Park, stopping at several places en route, including Lundbreck Falls. With no stops, it takes roughly three hours to get there. We stayed on Monday night at the Bear Mountain Motel in Waterton town. Tuesday morning, we drove around the Waterton area, hoping to maybe see more bears, and then made out way back north, reaching Calgary late afternoon/early evening. As it was, we were so lucky to see a gorgeous Cinnamon Black Bear, at first from a great distance and then unexpectedly close. Also spotted a Black Bear in among the blackened, burned trees that were near the edge of the road. It was very difficult to see and impossible to find an open spot through which to take photos - but it was our second bear.<br /> <br /> I had been hoping to someday get a chance to get down to Waterton, especially to see how it looked after the devastating Kenow wildfire that damaged or destroyed so much of the park in 2017. Most of the park is still closed, but the whole town site and Chief Mountain Parkway and area are open. To me, the park looked beautiful, with enough green areas to contrast with the dead trees on the mountain sides. Firefighters did such a brilliant job last year of saving the whole town, and a team of firefighters form Calgary had been given the task of doing all they could to save the historic Prince of Wales Hotel. There it still stands, untouched. One can see how close to the town and iconic Hotel the fire had come - right up to the very edge, where a sprinkler system had been set up before the fire got close. <br /> <br /> "Built in 1926-27 during one of Waterton’s windiest and snowiest winters, the Prince of Wales Hotel is the park's most recognized landmark. <br /> <br /> During its construction the extreme weather conditions and poor access created many problems for contractors Douglas Oland and James Scott, from Cardston, Alberta. <br /> <br /> On December 10 1926 hurricane-force winds (estimated at 145 km/hr) blew each of the hotel's wings about 7.5 cm off their foundation. The men managed to winch the sections back in line. Three months later winds reached speeds of over 129 km/hr, again pushing the building off its foundation. This time Oland feared structural damage if they tried to pull back the now fully-framed building so he decided to leave it slightly out of plume. <br /> <br /> The hotel is named after Edward, Prince of Wales who later became King Edward VIII, and, like its namesake, it has a colourful history. If its Douglas fir pillars could talk they would tell you a tale of American imagination and money, built with Canadian grit and patience.<br /> <br /> Today, many people recognize the Prince of Wales as a railway hotel, but few realize it was built by the Great Northern of United States ... and not the Canadian Pacific.<br /> <br /> In February 1993 the Historic Sites and Monuments Board approved the Prince of Wales' designation as a National Historic Site, recognizing its architectural style (rustic design tradition, with peaked roofs, gables, balconies and timber-frame interior that give it an appearance of a giant alpine chalet) and its contribution to tourism in the mountains. On July 23 1995 a commemorative plaque ceremony was held at the hotel." From Parks Canada.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul4.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul4.aspx</a><br /> <br /> Wild animals, plants and birds were seen. There were plenty of wildflowers, though I suspect we may have been just a little early for many species. I was so pleased to spot a small patch of what I thought might be Mariposa Lilies near the edge of the road that we were driving on. We stopped for me to check and, sure enough, my friends were able to see these unusual flowers for the first time. Chipmunk, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Columbian Ground Squirrels and deer were seen. Not a huge variety of birds, but we were only able to look in such a limited space. It was great, though, to see two distant Sandhill Cranes and a distant Common Loon on her nest. <br /> <br /> Apart from the most unpleasant, very strong wind all day both days, we were very lucky with the weather for our two days. No rain, thank goodness. The morning was chilly and so was the night. Yesterday, Tuesday, the temperature got up to 20C on our way home.</div> Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46842320"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/23/20/46842320.fc8aed04.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="182" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Waterton Lakes National Park is where three friends (Anne B, Janet and Shirley) and I went the last two days, 11 and 12 June 2018. Part of Monday was spent travelling south to Waterton Lakes National Park, stopping at several places en route, including Lundbreck Falls. With no stops, it takes roughly three hours to get there. We stayed on Monday night at the Bear Mountain Motel in Waterton town. Tuesday morning, we drove around the Waterton area, hoping to maybe see more bears, and then made out way back north, reaching Calgary late afternoon/early evening. As it was, we were so lucky to see a gorgeous Cinnamon Black Bear, at first from a great distance and then unexpectedly close. Also spotted a Black Bear in among the blackened, burned trees that were near the edge of the road. It was very difficult to see and impossible to find an open spot through which to take photos - but it was our second bear.<br /> <br /> I had been hoping to someday get a chance to get down to Waterton, especially to see how it looked after the devastating Kenow wildfire that damaged or destroyed so much of the park in 2017. Most of the park is still closed, but the whole town site and Chief Mountain Parkway and area are open. To me, the park looked beautiful, with enough green areas to contrast with the dead trees on the mountain sides. Firefighters did such a brilliant job last year of saving the whole town, and a team of firefighters form Calgary had been given the task of doing all they could to save the historic Prince of Wales Hotel. There it still stands, untouched. One can see how close to the town and iconic Hotel the fire had come - right up to the very edge, where a sprinkler system had been set up before the fire got close. <br /> <br /> "Built in 1926-27 during one of Waterton’s windiest and snowiest winters, the Prince of Wales Hotel is the park's most recognized landmark. <br /> <br /> During its construction the extreme weather conditions and poor access created many problems for contractors Douglas Oland and James Scott, from Cardston, Alberta. <br /> <br /> On December 10 1926 hurricane-force winds (estimated at 145 km/hr) blew each of the hotel's wings about 7.5 cm off their foundation. The men managed to winch the sections back in line. Three months later winds reached speeds of over 129 km/hr, again pushing the building off its foundation. This time Oland feared structural damage if they tried to pull back the now fully-framed building so he decided to leave it slightly out of plume. <br /> <br /> The hotel is named after Edward, Prince of Wales who later became King Edward VIII, and, like its namesake, it has a colourful history. If its Douglas fir pillars could talk they would tell you a tale of American imagination and money, built with Canadian grit and patience.<br /> <br /> Today, many people recognize the Prince of Wales as a railway hotel, but few realize it was built by the Great Northern of United States ... and not the Canadian Pacific.<br /> <br /> In February 1993 the Historic Sites and Monuments Board approved the Prince of Wales' designation as a National Historic Site, recognizing its architectural style (rustic design tradition, with peaked roofs, gables, balconies and timber-frame interior that give it an appearance of a giant alpine chalet) and its contribution to tourism in the mountains. On July 23 1995 a commemorative plaque ceremony was held at the hotel." From Parks Canada.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul4.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul4.aspx</a><br /> <br /> Wild animals, plants and birds were seen. There were plenty of wildflowers, though I suspect we may have been just a little early for many species. I was so pleased to spot a small patch of what I thought might be Mariposa Lilies near the edge of the road that we were driving on. We stopped for me to check and, sure enough, my friends were able to see these unusual flowers for the first time. Chipmunk, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Columbian Ground Squirrels and deer were seen. Not a huge variety of birds, but we were only able to look in such a limited space. It was great, though, to see two distant Sandhill Cranes and a distant Common Loon on her nest. <br /> <br /> Apart from the most unpleasant, very strong wind all day both days, we were very lucky with the weather for our two days. No rain, thank goodness. The morning was chilly and so was the night. Yesterday, Tuesday, the temperature got up to 20C on our way home.</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46521220 tag:ipernity.com,2018-04-14,doc-46521220 Sat, 14 Apr 2018 16:34:08 +0000 2016-07-08T18:59:16-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46521220"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/12/20/46521220.b3c9140a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Our snow is melting nicely, thank goodness, and the temperature at noon is PLUS 10C, but guess what is forecast to arrive on Monday and Tuesday - yes, more snow!<br /> <br /> I am so thankful that I have been fortunate enough to visit Waterton Lakes National Park several times, Last summer, 2017, a devastating wildfire destroyed or badly damaged most of the park. Luckily, the historic Prince of Wales Hotel was saved, as was the actual town of Waterton. It will be interesting to see/hear how much the whole park very slowly recovers from this devastation.<br /> <br /> This photo was taken on 8 July 2016, the first day of a two and a half day trip to Waterton National Park. It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few pleasantly slow walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of great company with (22) people I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed so well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our thanks go out to the lady (can't remember her name, sorry) who cooked and prepared these meals for us! They were so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated!<br /> <br /> "There was a time when an estimated 60 million buffalo roamed the plains of southern Alberta. Excessive overhunting and a steady loss of habitat has dwindled those numbers drastically, placing bison on Alberta's endangered list. Just a short drive north of Waterton Lakes National Park entrance gate on Highway 6 is the Waterton Bison Paddock, where a protected herd of rare Plains Bison is kept for viewing as a reminder of their legacy as well as in attempt to aid in increasing their population size and advance their species." <br /> <br /> "Waterton Lakes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also an International Peace Park, and a Biosphere Reserve. No other park in the world has these three designations. Waterton Biosphere Reserve as it is officially called, was designated in 1979 under what is called the internationally recognized "Man and the Biosphere program" of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), that sure is a mouthful. Biosphere Reserves are designed to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.wediscovercanadaandbeyond.ca/2010/11/red-rock-canyon-bison-paddock-in.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.wediscovercanadaandbeyond.ca/2010/11/red-rock-canyon-...</a><br /> <br /> Bison have a very keen sense of smell and can distinguish smells from 3 km away. The only way to see this herd is to drive the very short loop. No pedestrians or cyclists are allowed - the animals spook very easily. On our visit on the Saturday (9 July),we saw maybe 8 of these huge, powerful animals, and the wildflowers were just beautiful, especially the magenta-coloured Bergamot and the bright yellow Gaillardia (Blanket Flower). The scenery in and around the Paddock is breathtaking. <br /> <br /> Thank you SO much, Janet, for driving your friend and me to and from Calgary and around the park some of the time, too. To say that I appreciated it is a huge understatement!! Our thanks, too, to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly, as usual! A great time was had by all. And I am SO happy and relieved that you were finally able to find a bear (and her cub) - yes, we came across the same ones shortly after you saw them. Not sure if they were two of the three I had seen at more or less the same location the previous morning. If it was the same female, then her second cub must have been really well hidden in the tangle of bushes and trees yesterday. We didn't get a good view, though I did take a handful of photos, including when the cub looked towards us for a split second. I had never seen such a young cub before, so I was thrilled to bits. Can't forget to add my huge thanks for finding me a Lazuli Bunting, too, at some unearthly hour (well, 7:30 am). No idea how on earth you managed to spot such a small bird from so far away - just a tiny speck in the far, far distance. Also was delighted that you found two Nighthawks flying high overhead at the Nature Conservancy area. So, I guess you and I both returned to Calgary feeling really happy : )</div> A memory of Waterton from before the fire <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46521220"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/12/20/46521220.b3c9140a.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">Our snow is melting nicely, thank goodness, and the temperature at noon is PLUS 10C, but guess what is forecast to arrive on Monday and Tuesday - yes, more snow!<br /> <br /> I am so thankful that I have been fortunate enough to visit Waterton Lakes National Park several times, Last summer, 2017, a devastating wildfire destroyed or badly damaged most of the park. Luckily, the historic Prince of Wales Hotel was saved, as was the actual town of Waterton. It will be interesting to see/hear how much the whole park very slowly recovers from this devastation.<br /> <br /> This photo was taken on 8 July 2016, the first day of a two and a half day trip to Waterton National Park. It was wonderful to again be surrounded by such magnificent scenery, go on a few pleasantly slow walks/hikes with plenty of time to look for, and photograph, wildflowers, insects, and a few birds and animals. Lots of great company with (22) people I already knew and lots of new faces, too. The trip was organized by Nature Calgary. Everyone was free to go wherever they wanted each day, but for the two nights, we stayed at the very basic Canyon Church Camp, off the Red Rock Parkway. Dorm-style cabins (about which I will say nothing, lol!), but they do have showers and even flush toilets at the camp. We were fed so well - lots of variety and good food. We were given two breakfasts and two suppers, plus a packed lunch for the two days. Our thanks go out to the lady (can't remember her name, sorry) who cooked and prepared these meals for us! They were so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated!<br /> <br /> "There was a time when an estimated 60 million buffalo roamed the plains of southern Alberta. Excessive overhunting and a steady loss of habitat has dwindled those numbers drastically, placing bison on Alberta's endangered list. Just a short drive north of Waterton Lakes National Park entrance gate on Highway 6 is the Waterton Bison Paddock, where a protected herd of rare Plains Bison is kept for viewing as a reminder of their legacy as well as in attempt to aid in increasing their population size and advance their species." <br /> <br /> "Waterton Lakes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also an International Peace Park, and a Biosphere Reserve. No other park in the world has these three designations. Waterton Biosphere Reserve as it is officially called, was designated in 1979 under what is called the internationally recognized "Man and the Biosphere program" of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), that sure is a mouthful. Biosphere Reserves are designed to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature."<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.wediscovercanadaandbeyond.ca/2010/11/red-rock-canyon-bison-paddock-in.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.wediscovercanadaandbeyond.ca/2010/11/red-rock-canyon-...</a><br /> <br /> Bison have a very keen sense of smell and can distinguish smells from 3 km away. The only way to see this herd is to drive the very short loop. No pedestrians or cyclists are allowed - the animals spook very easily. On our visit on the Saturday (9 July),we saw maybe 8 of these huge, powerful animals, and the wildflowers were just beautiful, especially the magenta-coloured Bergamot and the bright yellow Gaillardia (Blanket Flower). The scenery in and around the Paddock is breathtaking. <br /> <br /> Thank you SO much, Janet, for driving your friend and me to and from Calgary and around the park some of the time, too. To say that I appreciated it is a huge understatement!! Our thanks, too, to Andrew for organizing this trip so brilliantly, as usual! A great time was had by all. And I am SO happy and relieved that you were finally able to find a bear (and her cub) - yes, we came across the same ones shortly after you saw them. Not sure if they were two of the three I had seen at more or less the same location the previous morning. If it was the same female, then her second cub must have been really well hidden in the tangle of bushes and trees yesterday. We didn't get a good view, though I did take a handful of photos, including when the cub looked towards us for a split second. I had never seen such a young cub before, so I was thrilled to bits. Can't forget to add my huge thanks for finding me a Lazuli Bunting, too, at some unearthly hour (well, 7:30 am). No idea how on earth you managed to spot such a small bird from so far away - just a tiny speck in the far, far distance. Also was delighted that you found two Nighthawks flying high overhead at the Nature Conservancy area. So, I guess you and I both returned to Calgary feeling really happy : )</div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46497296 tag:ipernity.com,2018-04-09,doc-46497296 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 14:58:37 +0000 2014-07-23T18:10:23-06:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46497296"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/72/96/46497296.355c1a6d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by the devastating tragedy in the province to our east, after a collision on Friday (6 April 2018) between a Saskatchewan junior hockey team’s bus and a tractor-trailer in rural Saskatchewan. That afternoon, the Broncos junior hockey team of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, were en route to a playoff game in Nipawin. Twenty-nine people were on board the team bus. Fifteen people were killed, including the coach, assistant coach, bus driver and a team announcer. Others remain in hospital. The tractor-trailer driver survived. There has been such a huge outpouring from people across Canada, and beyond. Such sadness, especially at so many young lives lost. <br /> <br /> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ <br /> <br /> There are a number of Wild European Rabbits in Calgary, and this is just one of them. It always feels strange to see what look like pet rabbits wandering loose in people's gardens and around a neighbourhood. This one was seen on 23 July 2014, when I went on a botany walk at the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area. It was busy eating the grass by this tombstone and then it took a good look at me before continuing to feed. Right next to this area is a Cemetery - funny, I do tend to see rabbits in cemeteries, either these Wild European Rabbits, which come in all sorts of colours, or the White-tailed Jackrabbits. <br /> <br /> The town of Canmore, near Banff, in Banff National Park, has had a problem with these Wild European Rabbits. They attract Coyotes and other wildlife into the town. I know they did do something about this problem, but I don't know what the situation in Canmore is like now. I seem to remember reading that a fair number of them were sent to British Columbia to a sanctuary there and the rest were "got rid of".<br /> <br /> Here is a link to a Calgary Herald newspaper article from 15th December 2010, about the problem with these Rabbits in the town of Canmore, near Banff: They were, of course, also eating the plants in people's gardens, which some home owners complained about.<br /> <br /> "Canmore Mayor Ron Casey is taking aim at the picturesque Alberta town's rascally rabbits. Casey, who said the animals are attracting predators such as cougars, has secured support for a $50,000 budget to deal with feral rabbits." <br /> <br /> Read more: <a href="http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Canmore+cull+bear+baiting+rabbits/3984286/story.html#ixzz1A0rDjxjv" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Canmore+cull+bear+baitin...</a></div> Wild European Rabbit <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46497296"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/72/96/46497296.355c1a6d.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by the devastating tragedy in the province to our east, after a collision on Friday (6 April 2018) between a Saskatchewan junior hockey team’s bus and a tractor-trailer in rural Saskatchewan. That afternoon, the Broncos junior hockey team of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, were en route to a playoff game in Nipawin. Twenty-nine people were on board the team bus. Fifteen people were killed, including the coach, assistant coach, bus driver and a team announcer. Others remain in hospital. The tractor-trailer driver survived. There has been such a huge outpouring from people across Canada, and beyond. Such sadness, especially at so many young lives lost. <br /> <br /> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ <br /> <br /> There are a number of Wild European Rabbits in Calgary, and this is just one of them. It always feels strange to see what look like pet rabbits wandering loose in people's gardens and around a neighbourhood. This one was seen on 23 July 2014, when I went on a botany walk at the Erlton/Roxboro Natural Area. It was busy eating the grass by this tombstone and then it took a good look at me before continuing to feed. Right next to this area is a Cemetery - funny, I do tend to see rabbits in cemeteries, either these Wild European Rabbits, which come in all sorts of colours, or the White-tailed Jackrabbits. <br /> <br /> The town of Canmore, near Banff, in Banff National Park, has had a problem with these Wild European Rabbits. They attract Coyotes and other wildlife into the town. I know they did do something about this problem, but I don't know what the situation in Canmore is like now. I seem to remember reading that a fair number of them were sent to British Columbia to a sanctuary there and the rest were "got rid of".<br /> <br /> Here is a link to a Calgary Herald newspaper article from 15th December 2010, about the problem with these Rabbits in the town of Canmore, near Banff: They were, of course, also eating the plants in people's gardens, which some home owners complained about.<br /> <br /> "Canmore Mayor Ron Casey is taking aim at the picturesque Alberta town's rascally rabbits. Casey, who said the animals are attracting predators such as cougars, has secured support for a $50,000 budget to deal with feral rabbits." <br /> <br /> Read more: <a href="http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Canmore+cull+bear+baiting+rabbits/3984286/story.html#ixzz1A0rDjxjv" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Canmore+cull+bear+baitin...</a></div> Anne Elliott https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46352606 tag:ipernity.com,2018-03-08,doc-46352606 Thu, 08 Mar 2018 19:02:43 +0000 2015-05-29T12:59:57-07:00 nobody@ipernity.com (Anne Elliott) <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46352606"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/06/46352606.4a0a5c09.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">International Women's Day today, 8 March 2018. Yay for Women!<br /> <br /> All three photos posted today were taken on 29 May 2015, on a trip way down in southern Alberta. A small group of us spent the day at the Whaleback, climbing the ridges, doing a species count. We had such a great day, finding all sorts of things of interest - plants, mosses, lichens - and in my case, insects, animals and birds, too : ) In fact, anything and everything, lol.<br /> <br /> The weather was good for walking, not too warm and, up till the last part, dry. We were so lucky that the rain stayed away for most of the day. When I went on this outing in May 2013, it rained all day, though I still managed to get plenty of photos. On 29 May 2015, it was overcast with low cloud, making scenic shots rather unpleasant.<br /> <br /> Just before taking the turn for the road leading to a place to park, we stopped at a spot down by the river and did a search there. I was thrilled to bits to find three or four Tent Caterpillars on a plant next to a large rock and thought what a way to start the day. After taking a few photos, I walked to the other side of the rock and noticed what almost looked like a circular patch of lichen growing on the rock surface. A closer look revealed a mass of dozens of these writhing caterpillars, with several others climbing up in single file to join the rest. Still makes me itch all over, just thinking about it, lol! <br /> <br /> Another highlight of the day for me was when I happened to notice a tiny spot of bright red deep inside a distant Early Yellow Locoweed flower. I zoomed in for a photo and thought it looked like it might be a Ladybug. Couldn't count the spots properly, so I very gently parted the petals to get a better look. Unfortunately, it crawled on to my hand and wouldn't return to a petal until after I had taken two or three shots, and then it immediately moved out of sight. I was so happy to find that it was a different kind of Ladybug, though I had seen one a few years ago - it was a Convergent Ladybug.<br /> <br /> Part way through the day, I stayed behind while the rest of the group climbed to a higher ridge, and I explored the lower ground. It was a place where I knew I wouldn't get lost - but I did have to wait till at least some of the others returned a few hours later, as others were needed to create an opening to climb though the barbed-wire fence again. I found plenty to photograph and it was quite a feeling to be so high up with such an amazing view all around, and to be alone up there. While I sat to eat lunch on a rocky outcrop with a couple of trees, a tiny Sparrow (of some kind) came to visit a couple of times and sing for me. Also, there were maybe half a dozen Brewer's Blackbirds that stayed around the area for much of the time, flying or perched on low bushes. A truly magical time.<br /> <br /> The rest of the group had a great time, too, and saw Parry's Townsendia flowers and lots of Balsamroot in bloom. Fortunately, I had seen the Townsendia before on a brutal hike to Picklejar Lakes several years ago. Two years before, I had also seen hillsides at the Whaleback covered in the bright yellow Balsamroot flowers. I did manage to find several plants huddled together lower down, so was happy to get a few photos of these bright and cheery flowers.<br /> <br /> Altogether, a wonderful day in an incredibly beautiful place with great company! Many thanks, Robin and Cedric, for giving me a ride there and back - appreciated it SO much!</div> Rolling hills from the Whaleback <p class="who"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/home/293827">Anne Elliott</a> has posted:</p><p class="preview"><a href="https://www.ipernity.com/doc/293827/46352606"><img src="https://cdn.ipernity.com/200/26/06/46352606.4a0a5c09.240.jpg?r2" width="240" height="180" alt=""/></a></p><div class="description">International Women's Day today, 8 March 2018. Yay for Women!<br /> <br /> All three photos posted today were taken on 29 May 2015, on a trip way down in southern Alberta. A small group of us spent the day at the Whaleback, climbing the ridges, doing a species count. We had such a great day, finding all sorts of things of interest - plants, mosses, lichens - and in my case, insects, animals and birds, too : ) In fact, anything and everything, lol.<br /> <br /> The weather was good for walking, not too warm and, up till the last part, dry. We were so lucky that the rain stayed away for most of the day. When I went on this outing in May 2013, it rained all day, though I still managed to get plenty of photos. On 29 May 2015, it was overcast with low cloud, making scenic shots rather unpleasant.<br /> <br /> Just before taking the turn for the road leading to a place to park, we stopped at a spot down by the river and did a search there. I was thrilled to bits to find three or four Tent Caterpillars on a plant next to a large rock and thought what a way to start the day. After taking a few photos, I walked to the other side of the rock and noticed what almost looked like a circular patch of lichen growing on the rock surface. A closer look revealed a mass of dozens of these writhing caterpillars, with several others climbing up in single file to join the rest. Still makes me itch all over, just thinking about it, lol! <br /> <br /> Another highlight of the day for me was when I happened to notice a tiny spot of bright red deep inside a distant Early Yellow Locoweed flower. I zoomed in for a photo and thought it looked like it might be a Ladybug. Couldn't count the spots properly, so I very gently parted the petals to get a better look. Unfortunately, it crawled on to my hand and wouldn't return to a petal until after I had taken two or three shots, and then it immediately moved out of sight. I was so happy to find that it was a different kind of Ladybug, though I had seen one a few years ago - it was a Convergent Ladybug.<br /> <br /> Part way through the day, I stayed behind while the rest of the group climbed to a higher ridge, and I explored the lower ground. It was a place where I knew I wouldn't get lost - but I did have to wait till at least some of the others returned a few hours later, as others were needed to create an opening to climb though the barbed-wire fence again. I found plenty to photograph and it was quite a feeling to be so high up with such an amazing view all around, and to be alone up there. While I sat to eat lunch on a rocky outcrop with a couple of trees, a tiny Sparrow (of some kind) came to visit a couple of times and sing for me. Also, there were maybe half a dozen Brewer's Blackbirds that stayed around the area for much of the time, flying or perched on low bushes. A truly magical time.<br /> <br /> The rest of the group had a great time, too, and saw Parry's Townsendia flowers and lots of Balsamroot in bloom. Fortunately, I had seen the Townsendia before on a brutal hike to Picklejar Lakes several years ago. Two years before, I had also seen hillsides at the Whaleback covered in the bright yellow Balsamroot flowers. I did manage to find several plants huddled together lower down, so was happy to get a few photos of these bright and cheery flowers.<br /> <br /> Altogether, a wonderful day in an incredibly beautiful place with great company! Many thanks, Robin and Cedric, for giving me a ride there and back - appreciated it SO much!</div> Anne Elliott