Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Waterton Lake

We are having torrential rain today, 13 July 2016, and I'm sure there will be more flooding, like yesterday. After having such a dry winter and spring, we are now paying the price with many days of thunderstorms and heavy rain. Yesterday, I was on a botany walk at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park, climbing the hillside and coming down through the forest. Thunder and lightning surrounded us and, though the rain was only very light during the walk, it poured when we were just about back at the cars. I don't like to think how much flooding there will be today. More days of similar weather are in our forecast. One of my favourite mountains in Waterton is the jagged row of pinnacles that can be seen slightly right of the centre of this image. These are the Citadel Peaks pinnacles, seen from near the Prince of Wales Hotel, high up on the cliff overlooking Upper Waterton Lake. On this day, 9 July 2016, we visited the hotel and ended up staying there longer than we had planned. It was a perfect place to escape the heavy rain until it had more or less stopped. I wanted to take a photo of the lake, but other people had a similar plan. What an amazingly beautiful setting for wedding photos, and the bride's bouquet of bright red flowers made the scene. It became obvious that the photographers were going to take their time and, as my friends and I wanted to continue our drive, I decided I would have to include the wedding group in my photo if I wanted to photograph the Citadel peaks pinnacles. Three days ago, late afternoon, (I think around 5:15 pm), on 10 July 2015, I arrived back home from my holiday of the year - 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, some of whom 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, but she was also there for us in July 2015) who cooked and prepared these meals for us! They were so much enjoyed and greatly appreciated! "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." www.wediscovercanadaandbeyond.ca/2010/11/red-rock-canyon-... 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, 9 July 2016. If it was the same female, then her second cub must have been really well hidden in the tangle of bushes and trees. 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 yesterday, 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 : )

This was a very quick, distant photo and poor quality, unfortunately. Friends Cathy, Terry, and I, watched this cinnamon Black Bear and a black Black Bear that was in the same bushes, for quite some time. These bushes were right at the edge of a pedestrian/bike pathway on one side, and the other side of the bushes was at the lake shore. This was just one quick moment that this bear could be seen properly - the rest of the time both bears were hidden or almost hidden by the berry-laden branches. This photo was taken on 27 August 2014, the second day of a three-day trip down south. The first two days were spent in Waterton Lakes National Park and on the third day, we did quite a long drive east of the park before heading back to Calgary. "The cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus cinnamomum) is a color phase of the American black bear, native to Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, Alberta, and British Columbia. The most striking difference between a cinnamon bear and any other black bear is its brown or red-brown fur, reminiscent of cinnamon, from which the name is derived. Cubs weigh approximately 230 grams (8 oz) at birth, with adults weighing between 92.1 and 270 kilograms (203 and 595 lb). The life span for this bear is a maximum of 30 years. Cinnamon bears are excellent climbers, good runners, and powerful swimmers. They are mostly nocturnal, though sometimes active during daylight hours. The cinnamon and brown bears of this country are simply color phases of the black bear, the blondes and brunettes of the family. The various colors are frequently intermixed in the same family; hence it is a common occurrence to see a black bear female with brown cubs, a brown and a black cub, or even all three colors. The bears hibernate during the winter months, usually from late October or November to March or April depending upon the weather conditions. Their scat resembles that of domestic dogs." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_bear "Black bears are efficient berry-eaters, consuming up to 30,000 berries a day in a good year. They gather berries quickly, using their sensitive, mobile lips and swallowing them whole. The berries enter a two-part stomach, which grinds the pulp off the seeds. The seeds pass through the digestive tract unbroken and able to germinate, making black bears important seed dispersers. Each summer, they spread the seeds of their favorite berries all over their home ranges." www.bear.org/website/bear-pages/black-bear/foraging-a-foo...

This was a very quick, distant photo and poor quality, unfortunately. Friends Cathy, Terry, and I, watched this Cinnamon Black Bear and a black Black Bear that was in the same bushes, for quite some time. These bushes were right at the edge of a pedestrian/bike pathway on one side, and the other side of the bushes was at the lake shore. This was just one quick glance in our direction - the rest of the time they were hidden or almost hidden by the berry-laden branches. "The cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus cinnamomum) is a color phase of the American black bear, native to Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, Alberta, and British Columbia. The most striking difference between a cinnamon bear and any other black bear is its brown or red-brown fur, reminiscent of cinnamon, from which the name is derived. Cubs weigh approximately 230 grams (8 oz) at birth, with adults weighing between 92.1 and 270 kilograms (203 and 595 lb). The life span for this bear is a maximum of 30 years. Cinnamon bears are excellent climbers, good runners, and powerful swimmers. They are mostly nocturnal, though sometimes active during daylight hours. The cinnamon and brown bears of this country are simply color phases of the black bear, the blondes and brunettes of the family. The various colors are frequently intermixed in the same family; hence it is a common occurrence to see a black bear female with brown cubs, a brown and a black cub, or even all three colors. The bears hibernate during the winter months, usually from late October or November to March or April depending upon the weather conditions. Their scat resembles that of domestic dogs." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_bear

This photo was taken from in front of the unique Prince of Wales Hotel, high up above Waterton Lake. I've always loved this view with its layers of fading blue mountains. On the right hand side, you can see part of the town of Waterton, where friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, stayed for two nights on 26 and 27 August 2014. This park is about 276 km south of Calgary and roughly a three hour drive. During the time we were there, we explored all four drives in the area: the Akamina Pathway that leads to Cameron Lake; the Red Rock Parkway; the Chief Mountain Highway which takes you up to the US/Canada Customs; and the Bison Paddocks. This was a driving trip, not a hiking trip - which is just as well, as a young woman was attacked by a Cougar on one of the trails! For details about what we saw during this three-day trip, including Black Bears, Bison, Yellow-bellied Marmots, and one very scary storm that engulfed us (apparently it was a Mesocyclone), check this link for a previously posted photo. flic.kr/p/oHnHXv "In 1932, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was formed from Waterton and Glacier. It was dedicated to world peace by Sir Charles Arthur Mander on behalf of Rotary International. Although the park has a lot of diversity for its size, the main highlight is the Waterton lakes—the deepest in the Canadian Rockies—overlooked by the historic Prince of Wales Hotel National Historic Site. In 1979, Waterton and bordering Glacier National park in the US were designated as World Biosphere reserves, preserving mountains, prairie, lakes and freshwater wetlands ecosystems. Habitats represented in the parks' range include: prairie grasslands, aspen grove forests, alpine tundra/high meadows, lower subalpine forests, deciduous and coniferous forests. The park is part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, designated as World Heritage Site in 1995 for their distinctive climate, physiographic setting, mountain-prairie interface, and tri-ocean hydrographical divide. They are areas of significant scenic values with abundant and diverse flora and fauna" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterton_Lakes_National_Park This is the Labour Day weekend - I think almost everyone is busy as only nine photos from Contacts have appeared on my photostream today. Hope your weather is as sunny as it is here. Please drive safely if out on the roads.

This beautiful Black Bear had been eating berries from the bushes that are around the edge of the lake at Waterton. A second bear (a dark Cinnamon Black Bear) was with it, but only this bear came close to where we were in our car. We could tell that it was moving through the bushes in our direction, but we got a huge surprise when it suddenly appeared on the beach this close to the parking lot. It tried to climb up on to the pier (which is when I took this shot), but then made its way past it (and us!) and along the trees at the edge of the lake. Earlier, it was interesting to see a third bear arrive right where the first two bears were feeding in the bushes (hidden from view almost the whole time). For some reason, it quickly left by walking over the beach and swimming to another part of the lake. I'd never seen a bear swimming, so, even though it was a distant view, it was interesting to see. The first day we were in Waterton, there was no bear sighting for us, which was a little disappointing. However, the second day was so much better. As well as the three bears at the lake, we had already seen our first bear of the day - a beautiful dark Cinnamon Black Bear that appeared at a picnic spot where we had just arrived and so were still sitting in the car, around 9:00 a.m.. It walked quickly past a shelter not far from our car, and disappeared into the forest, stopping briefly to stand up and scratch its back against one of the trees (I'd never seen this happen before, except on videos). Not even a glance in our direction. I spent 26, 27 and 28 August 2014 on this road trip with friends Cathy and Terry, spending the first two days in Waterton Lakes National Park and the third day driving east of Waterton in search of Burrowing Owls and Yellow-bellied Marmots. During our three days away, we saw so many things, I hardly know where to start. This always happens when I go anywhere with Cathy and Terry - every day is a very long, fun-filled day, full of exciting finds. Perhaps I will simply mention some of the things and then add more detail to each photo as I add them to my photostream. Of course, we couldn't have had a more beautiful area to explore! Waterton Lakes National Park has amazing scenery and wildlife. The weather forecast that I saw before we left Calgary said that we were in for three beautiful days of sunshine - too often, it can be rainy weather. So, luck was on our side, giving us warm, sunny days - until the BIG STORM hit, lol! I posted a photo the other day of the storm that was approaching very fast, around 5:00 p.m. just before we started our return trip to Calgary. It was like nothing I had ever seen before - a menacing shelf (?) cloud that was travelling fast and furious. Despite trying our best to get away from it, it eventually engulfed our car, surrounding us with more or less zero visibility, pounding hail, thunder and lightning, and very strong winds. There was nothing to do but stop the car and sit tight, hoping that the hail would not break the car windows and that this severe thunderstorm would not develop into a tornado! This storm was very scary, but at the same time, exciting (only because all turned out OK in the end!). Our road trip sure went out with a bang! So, a few of the things we saw - fantastic scenery, 4 Black Bears including this one, Bison, Deer, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, various bird species including the Burrowing Owls, a few wildflowers, several Yellow-bellied Marmots (a first for me!), a few different insect species, and a family of some species of Grouse (still not sure what kind). I even got the chance to see three or four new-to-me old, wooden grain elevators. Cathy and Terry, thanks so much for yet another wonderful trip with you! Can't thank you enough for inviting me along. You always do such a great job of finding so many interesting things for us to see and enjoy. Lots of fun!

I got back last night from an absolutely amazing week away with my friends from England, Linda and Tony. Believe it or not, this was only my second holiday in about 30 years! Some of you may just remember that when my Brother in England died almost two years ago, several of my long-time friends who lived in the same city all stepped forward and helped me deal with everything long distance, from my Brother's funeral to finding everything possible in the house a good home (sold or donated). All my parents' belongings were there, too, so it was a mammoth task to go through everything and put aside every single personal item or document, which were then shipped to me here. Just one of the priceless things was when Linda went through all my Father's old movies, picked out every inch of them that she thought I would want to have, and then took them to be copied to DVD. Of course, everything was done thoughtfully and lovingly - and it still has me shaking my head that anyone could spend so much time doing SO much for someone else. There are still a few things that Linda is seeing to! Anyway, to cut a very long story short, Linda told me many months ago that she and Tony were coming to Canada again and Linda really hoped I would join them for a week getting down to Yellowstone National Park and back. Because I hadn't been away in so long, I was extremely hesitant : ) However, I did go and had the most wonderfully enjoyable (and spectacular!) time going to not only Yellowstone, but also Grand Tetons, Glacier and Waterton! Can never thank Linda and Tony enough for this! I've known Linda since she was a baby (she's about four? years younger than I am, around my Brother's age), so we had a week's precious time to "catch up". I'd only ever met Tony once, when they came to Canada for a holiday six years ago. He deserves a medal for putting up with me for a whole week!! And now I have over 2,500 images (plenty of repeats, though) to go through, lol, so please bear with me, especially when it seems that all I have to post are these holiday shots! Gosh, I miss my friends' company already! Took this photo on 17 September 2012 from high above the lake - though it almost looks from my photo as though I was level with the water. The unique Prince of Wales Hotel was behind me, to my right. "In 1932, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was formed from Waterton and Glacier. It was dedicated to world peace by Sir Charles Arthur Mander on behalf of Rotary International. Although the park has a lot of diversity for its size, the main highlight is the Waterton lakes—the deepest in the Canadian Rockies—overlooked by the historic Prince of Wales Hotel National Historic Site. In 1979, Waterton and bordering Glacier National park in the US were designated as World Biosphere reserves, preserving mountains, prairie, lakes and freshwater wetlands ecosystems. Habitats represented in the parks' range include: prairie grasslands, aspen grove forests, alpine tundra/high meadows, lower subalpine forests, deciduous and coniferous forests. The park is part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, designated as World Heritage Site in 1995 for their distinctive climate, physiographic setting, mountain-prairie interface, and tri-ocean hydrographical divide. They are areas of significant scenic values with abundant and diverse flora and fauna" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterton_Lakes_National_Park