Highwood Pass area

This photo was taken just off Highway 40 (seen in the distance on the left), across the road from the Ptarmigan Cirque trailhead. We walked part way up this trail, accompanied by the constant sound of little Red-breasted Nuthatches.

I was extremely lucky to have a friend invite me to go on a day's drive through Kananaskis today. The hope was to find one of the very elusive Ptarmigans that live in that area. We had tried up at Bow Summit back in February and our luck was no better today : ). Much as I would love to see one of these pure white birds with black, beady eyes, I love seeing ANYTHING! As we got further into the mountains, it started to snow, and the clouds dropped down over the mountain tops. The temperature was very pleasant, helped by a lack of wind, at least until towards the end of our day. Highwood Pass is the highest point in Canada accessible by a paved road (2206m).