Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: impressive

Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton

13 Jun 2018 205
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. 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. "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. During its construction the extreme weather conditions and poor access created many problems for contractors Douglas Oland and James Scott, from Cardston, Alberta. 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. 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. 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. 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. www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul4.aspx 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. 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.

Prince of Wales hotel, Waterton

15 Jul 2016 224
Another day of black skies and pouring rain today, 15 July 2016. We are certainly making up for the very mild winter and summer-like spring! Hope nowhere gets flooded again today. Looking at this photo and feeling how peaceful it was there, is in such stark contrast to the images I saw on TV last night (14 July 2016), of the horror of the attack in Nice, France, where 84 people were killed by one (?) insane individual. My heart and thoughts are with all the people who witnessed this atrocious act and especially with those who were directly involved, losing loved ones. This photo of the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park was taken on 9 July 2016, when we stopped near the edge of the lake and took a photo or two of the hotel. A couple of hours later, after driving the loop through the Buffalo Paddock, stopping to photograph wildflowers and watch the small herd of Buffalo/Bison, we called in at the Hotel, just when the skies turned grey and torrential rain arrived. A perfect place to wait out the storm - so glad we weren't out on a hike! "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. During its construction the extreme weather conditions and poor access created many problems for contractors Douglas Oland and James Scott, from Cardston, Alberta. 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. 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. 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. 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. www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul4.aspx Five 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. Thanks to Debbie, 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. Andrew, I am SO happy and relieved that you were finally able to find a bear (and her cub) on the last day - 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 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 : )

Clouds over a prairie farm

25 Apr 2015 193
I had a great day on 11 April 2015, when a group of maybe 13 or 14 of us decided to meet in High River at 9:00 am, about half an hour's drive SE from the southern edge of Calgary. The first thing we did was go to see the heronry (or rookery) there. Quite a few years ago, I did get to see it on a couple of birding trips. Now, you have to view it from a main road and look to the far side of a huge field. You can see several large nests built high in maybe three trees that were touching each other and some of them had a Heron standing in the nest. You really need a scope in order to see them. "Most herons likely change nests each year, and often change colonies year to year as well. Adult herons are known to return to nest in the same colony they were born in. The pair works together to fix up existing nests or build new ones, and continues improving and maintaining their nest through the season. Nests can be 1m in diameter and 0.5 m deep. They are a large collection of twigs and often contain a small cup at the center lined with soft materials such as moss, lichens, or leaves to hold the eggs and young chicks. The male goes to gather sticks which he brings to the female to weave into the nest. Nest building may be completed within a day or take several weeks. Sometimes the pair selects an existing nest or starts a new one from scratch." stanleyparkecology.ca/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2015/0... After the heronry, we visited a couple of Great Horned Owl locations - Mom with three owlets were in one of the nests, and the owl in one of my photos posted today was seen from outside looking in at the far end of a very dark barn. At Frank Lake, we took some time viewing the lake from the bird blind/hide. Not a whole lot of birds have returned to Calgary and surroundings yet, plus the wind was so strong yesterday that the lake water was really choppy. From the lake, we returned to High River around noon and enjoyed a coffee and a chat at Tim Horton's. Afterwards, I couldn't resist the temptation to drive a few backroads on my way home, just around the Blackie area, eventually arriving back home about 5:00 pm. Photographed a handful of old barns, as there was quite a build-up of storm clouds. So many of my barn photos have such uninspiring skies, but at least the sky is blue in this photo. Not only was it very difficult to hold my camera steady the whole day, but it was also difficult to open the car door in such strong winds. This whole area often tends to be very windy. Despite the wind, it was a great day, and hopefully we can all get together like this again.

Torch Ginger

09 Oct 2014 253
This is quite a large, spectacular flower, growing in the Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. Photo was taken on my last visit, on 6 October 2014. "Now cultivated throughout the tropics, torch ginger is thought to be native to Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Thailand (via Flora of China), though other sites suggest a native distribution restricted to a few islands in Indonesia. Whatever its origin, widescale planting of Etlingera elatior has made torch ginger the hallmark species of this genus of approximately 70 species. That's a very loose approximation, because researcher Dr. Axel Dalberg Poulsen reports that Borneo alone contains 29 species...." Information taken, with thanks, from the UBC Botany Photo of the Day website for May 31, 2007.

Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton

08 Sep 2014 2 1 257
NOOOO! IT'S SNOWING (1:15 p.m., 8 September 2014)!!!! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas .... Not good news at all for all the different species of Warbler that are passing through at the moment. Maybe a high mortality rate? Friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, called in at the unique Prince of Wales Hotel so that I could take a few shots of it and the incredible view over the lake that is lined on either side with layers of "blue" mountain slopes and peaks. Strong winds were blowing, making it difficult to keep ones balance. Earlier that day, 27 August 2014, I took this photo showing how beautiful the hotel looks from a distance. "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. During its construction the extreme weather conditions and poor access created many problems for contractors Douglas Oland and James Scott, from Cardston, Alberta. 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. 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. 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. 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. www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul4.aspx This morning, 8 September 2014, the temperature is 3°C (37°F) and apparently feels like -1°C (28°F). Mixed precipitation today and the next two days, and then things are supposed to improve! I got up very early to go on a bird walk, but when I saw the overcast sky and large puddles outside, I changed my mind. Will go later in the week, when the sun should be shining.

Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton

01 Sep 2014 211
Friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, called in at the unique Prince of Wales Hotel so that I could take a few shots of it and the incredible view over the lake that is lined on either side with layers of "blue" mountain slopes and peaks. Strong winds were blowing, making it difficult to keep ones balance. "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. During its construction the extreme weather conditions and poor access created many problems for contractors Douglas Oland and James Scott, from Cardston, Alberta. 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. 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. 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. 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. www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul4.aspx

Just playing ....

22 Jul 2014 1 267
The view from this particular spot is so beautiful - perhaps my favourite view in Bow Valley Provincial Park. We stood for a while and soaked it all in. The mountain ridge in the centre is Mt. Yamnuska, a popular place for rock climbers. Not sure whether I like this effect or not, but thought I'd use a different setting on my camera for a few of the shots. Depending on the subject, this setting can be quite effective, but I'm not sure about this one, ha. Maybe it looks a little like HDR, of which I am not really a fan. Two days ago, 20 July 2014, I plucked up courage to do this drive that I’d never done before. I had been that route once before that I can think of, when I carpooled with others. A good part of the drive was in familiar territory, but I’d never driven the last part of the journey myself. I had met my daughter at 9:00 a.m. and we were both eager to see a display of birds of prey that had been brought up from the Coaldale Birds of Prey Centre. We came across Dee (rockymtnchick) and her partner, there to see the owls. Great to see you both! This year, there were fewer birds, but it was great to see any at all. This year, there was a Burrowing Owl, a Barn Owl, the beautiful Great Horned Owl in the above photo, and a Golden Eagle. Another real treat that was an amusing one, was seeing a baby Barn Owl that was just 45 days old! This little ball of fluff was acting as a great ambassador, letting young kids get a close view and ask questions, and fall in love with it – and to hopefully, in the future, do everything they can as adults to protect our precious wildlife. The enjoyment of seeing these birds up close reminds one that the reason these birds are not free to live in the wild, is because of some kind of interaction with humans – such as permanent injuries from being hit by a vehicle, pesticide use, or even worse, being shot by a human! This is what happened to “Spirit”, the magnificent Golden Eagle, shot and blinded by someone. This exhibit was our first destination in the park, though on the drive from Calgary, we had stopped at the small McDougall Church at Morley (one of the photos posted yesterday). After seeing and photographing the birds of prey, we then drove to Middle Lake that’s in a different part of the park. We walked the very short distance to the edge of the lake, but didn’t walk around it. From there, we drove to Many Springs Trail where this photo was taken, and did a very slow walk around the lake, stopping to look at different flowers and photograph a few butterflies. Though slow, it was still further than I should have walked. Certain wildflowers were already finished, including various Orchid species, but there were still plenty of other species to see and enjoy. Even the weather cooperated, though the forecast had been for isolated showers. Not too hot, nice clouds in the sky and lovely to have my daughter’s company for the day. Thanks so much to the people down at the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre (near Lethbridge, down towards the Canada/US border) for bringing your gorgeous birds of prey for us to see! I have been south to the Centre three times I think, and always long to go back again, but it's not somewhere I can drive to, so this was a much-appreciated treat!

Majestic Castle Mountain

15 Jul 2014 2 1 240
I so rarely get to see this incredible mountain, so I'm always thrilled when I do see it. Taken on 15 May 2014, the second day of a two-day trip in the Canadian Rockies with friends, Cathy and Terry. We had seen the mountain on the first day, but didn't stop. On our return journey to Calgary the following day, we stopped and walked down to the river, where we were able to get a different view of this mountain. "Castle Mountain is a mountain located within Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, approximately half-way between Banff and Lake Louise. It is the easternmost mountain of the Main Ranges in the Bow Valley and sits astride the Castle Mountain Fault, which has thrust older sedimentary and metamorphic rocks forming the upper part of the mountain over the younger rocks forming its base. The mountain's castellated, or castle-like, appearance is a result of erosive processes acting at different rates on the peak's alternating layers of softer shale and harder limestone, dolomite and quartzite. The mountain was named in 1858 by James Hector for its castle-like appearance. From 1946 to 1979 it was known as Mount Eisenhower in honour of the World War II general Dwight D. Eisenhower. Public pressure caused its original name to be restored, but a pinnacle on the southeastern side of the mountain was named Eisenhower Tower. Located nearby are the remains of Silver City, a 19th century mining settlement, and the Castle Mountain Internment Camp in which persons deemed enemy aliens and suspected enemy sympathizers were confined during World War I." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Mountain

Castle Mountain

20 Jun 2014 1 294
This was just a quick shot through the window of a moving car, that came out better than I was expecting. I so rarely get to see this incredible mountain, so I'm always thrilled when I do see it. Taken on 14 May 2014, the first day of a wonderful two-day trip through the Canadian Rockies with friends, Cathy and Terry. On our return journey to Calgary the following day, we stopped and were able to get different views of this mountain. "Castle Mountain is a mountain located within Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, approximately half-way between Banff and Lake Louise. It is the easternmost mountain of the Main Ranges in the Bow Valley and sits astride the Castle Mountain Fault, which has thrust older sedimentary and metamorphic rocks forming the upper part of the mountain over the younger rocks forming its base. The mountain's castellated, or castle-like, appearance is a result of erosive processes acting at different rates on the peak's alternating layers of softer shale and harder limestone, dolomite and quartzite. The mountain was named in 1858 by James Hector for its castle-like appearance. From 1946 to 1979 it was known as Mount Eisenhower in honour of the World War II general Dwight D. Eisenhower. Public pressure caused its original name to be restored, but a pinnacle on the southeastern side of the mountain was named Eisenhower Tower. Located nearby are the remains of Silver City, a 19th century mining settlement, and the Castle Mountain Internment Camp in which persons deemed enemy aliens and suspected enemy sympathizers were confined during World War I." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Mountain

Majestic Castle Mountain

20 May 2014 2 1 320
This was just a quick shot through the window of a moving car, that came out better than I was expecting. I so rarely get to see this incredible mountain, so I'm always thrilled when I do see it. Taken on 14 May 2014, the first day of a two-day trip through the Canadian Rockies with friends, Cathy and Terry. On our return journey to Calgary the following day, we stopped and were able to get different views of this mountain. "Castle Mountain is a mountain located within Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, approximately half-way between Banff and Lake Louise. It is the easternmost mountain of the Main Ranges in the Bow Valley and sits astride the Castle Mountain Fault, which has thrust older sedimentary and metamorphic rocks forming the upper part of the mountain over the younger rocks forming its base. The mountain's castellated, or castle-like, appearance is a result of erosive processes acting at different rates on the peak's alternating layers of softer shale and harder limestone, dolomite and quartzite. The mountain was named in 1858 by James Hector for its castle-like appearance. From 1946 to 1979 it was known as Mount Eisenhower in honour of the World War II general Dwight D. Eisenhower. Public pressure caused its original name to be restored, but a pinnacle on the southeastern side of the mountain was named Eisenhower Tower. Located nearby are the remains of Silver City, a 19th century mining settlement, and the Castle Mountain Internment Camp in which persons deemed enemy aliens and suspected enemy sympathizers were confined during World War I." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Mountain

Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton

28 Oct 2012 206
Info about this spectacular building when I get back from a walk - have to clear the snow and ice off my car and hopefully the door locks won't have frozen shut again. The joys of winter : ) "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. During its construction the extreme weather conditions and poor access created many problems for contractors Douglas Oland and James Scott, from Cardston, Alberta. 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. 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. 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. 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. www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/natcul/natcul4.aspx

Woodland Caribou

01 Apr 2011 232
Can you imagine having to go about your daily life with huge antlers right in front of your eyes, lol? It must give these beautiful Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) at least a couple of "blind spots". Woodland caribou are classified as At Risk in the General Status of Alberta Wild Species report. Photographed at the Calgary Zoo in the Canadian Wilds section on 5th November 2007. "Woodland caribou inhabit the boreal forest of northern Alberta and mixed coniferous forests and alpine regions of west-central Alberta. Recent assessments estimate that Alberta's woodland caribou inhabit about 113,000 square kilometres (43, 630 square miles) of the northern and west central parts of the province. Unlike their counterparts in other deer species, both caribou males and females grow antlers. Mature bulls grow large racks, but those of cows are shorter and have fewer points. Summer coats are a rich dark brown on back, sides, legs and face, and creamy white at the neck." www.srd.alberta.ca/BioDiversityStewardship/WildSpecies/Ma...

Horseshoe Canyon

14 Jun 2010 258
This is where seven of us spent the day yesterday, botanizing the slopes and floor of the spectacular Horseshoe Canyon, near Drumheller, Alberta. To the north east of our city, there are endless miles of flat prairie. Then, suddenly, one comes across the amazing Badlands - our own mini Grand Canyon! This is one of the best-known sites in the Canadian Badlands, located 17 kilometres west of Drumheller on Highway 9. The buildings and trees on the far distant rim give an idea of the size of this portion of the canyon. Horseshoe Canyon is about 145 km (88 miles) from Calgary. It takes between 1½ hours and 2 hours to drive there from Calgary. "Horseshoe Canyon is an isolated pocket of badlands amidst the Alberta prairie. Apart from its aesthetic value, Horseshoe Canyon also represents three unique habitats or ecosystems: the prairie, the wooded coulee slopes and the badlands." www.natureconservancy.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=ab_ncc_... www.tyrrellmuseum.com/