Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: tree-line

This morning, 30 September 2017, is overcast and a bit windy, with a temperature of 13C and a chance for light rain. The beautiful yellow leaves are falling to the ground and it looks like a lot will be blown down in the rain forecast for tomorrow and the snow forecast for the next day. I knew that yesterday was going to be my last chance to see some fall photos, so I drove all day long through Kananaskis country. Of course, the mountains look beautiful in any season, but there is something extra special on a sunny fall day. Though it looks like I might have hiked for hours - which I can no longer do! - to be in such amazing surroundings, I had simply pulled over and taken this shot from my car. People come from all over the place to see the Larch trees in their fall colour. "Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 20 to 45 m (66 to 148 ft) tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada. Although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles in the autumn." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larch If I remember correctly, this was the first time I had driven alone quite this far, reaching the northern end of Spray Lakes Reservoir. Unfortunately, when I got there, the sun was in the wrong position and there was a haze over the mountains. I wasn't sure how far I would go, as I had intended topping up with gas at Highwood House, along Highway 40. I had also planned on buying a sandwich and a coffee there. However, it was all closed. As it was, I still managed to do the drive I wanted and still have gas in my car. My drive started by going to Turner Valley and taking the back road to join the main Highway 40. Last fall, the views were amazing and the sky full of spectacular clouds along this route. Yesterday, there was a hazy view and the sky was a washed-out, pale blue with not a cloud in sight. Part way along Highway 40, I encountered a cattle drive, which was great to see. Only a small herd with one cowboy, who looked as if he was enjoying his work. He was accompanied by his herding dog, of course. When I came to the area where the little Pikas (Rock Rabbits) live, I didn't even stop, as I really wanted to reach Spray Lakes Reservoir, in Spray Valley Park. I had left home later than I wanted, 9:45 am, and wanted to make sure I was not driving home in the dark. As it was, I reached home about 7:15 pm, with little daylight to spare. The road to Spray Lakes, from the main Highway 40, is a dreadfully dusty, gravel road. This was a Friday, so I wasn't expecting many people in Kananaskis, but there were lots of cars, which made it difficult to drive this length of road. I was almost constantly in a thick cloud of dust with little or no visibility. The distance for the road from the Spray Lakes road turn-off from near Kananaskis Lakes to the northern tip of the huge Reservoir is 48 km, so just under 100 km return on this dusty road. The dust seeps inside the car, even with all windows closed. I also called in just long enough to take a handful of photos at Peninsular and Buller Pond, which are both along this Smith-Dorrien/Spray Lakes Trail. The return journey home (giving a total trip distance of 422 km), back the same way I had come, was uneventful, which is usually a good thing when doing such a drive. The gas station near home was a must, so now I have a full tank and I can see out the windows - just in case the forecast snow for Monday doesn't materialize and I can make perhaps the last long drive of the year.

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

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

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

Landscape photography on an overcast day is never my favourite, but by the time I had finally reached this high point after a few hours of uphill hiking, I was determined I would not only take a photo but would post it no matter what, LOL! You can just see the western end of the first of four lakes. From this point on, the trail traversed a rocky mountain side - never my favourite to walk on - and I was just too exhausted to climb down to these lakes and then back up again before a few more hours of hiking down to the cars in the parking lot. The height gain from the beginning of the trail to the pass is 450 metres. LOL, just read the following words in Gillean Daffern's book, "Kananaskis: Country trail guide": ".... Shortly, the trail turns due north and you drag yourself up a hot, dry, shaley hillside to the pass". All was true (except, thankfully the "hot") and "drag" was a most appropriate word. I've also just read on some website a young guy's comment that this is a "short, easy hike". A good job I didn't read his comment before doing this hike : )