Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve

On 28 September 2016, I was with friends down on a lower plateau of Plateau Mountain, in sunshine and bare ground. A week later, on 5 October 2016, we weren't even sure whether to go again, as the forecast was not good, snow and -6C. In the end, seven of us reckoned we would go and see if we could get to the top of Plateau Mountain (special permission was obtained). Conditions worsened en route and, while we were driving up the rough gravel mountainside road, trees were beginning to have a light covering of snow. On our way up to the plateau top, everything disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the billowing low cloud. Once at the top, I couldn't really see anything through my viewfinder, other than an occasional shape - just heavy grey. It really was a case of point and shoot and hope that I was capturing something. Most of the time, you could see nothing - such poor visibility. Amazingly, a few of my photos were not too bad after they had been brightened. The mountain itself is located in the Savannah Creek Gas Field and there were two producing gas wells located on the summit of the mountain which were accessed by a road which is gated to prohibit public vehicle access. More recently, the plant we walked to was closed down. We walked over ground that was treacherous to walk on, even more so when mostly covered by snow. There are areas of patterned ground where larger pieces of rock are arranged in polygonal patterns with finer materials in the centre. These patterns were formed during the ice age when the mountain rose above the surrounding ice. Every rock and plant stem was covered in chunky ice crystals. This walk was only fairly short, but long enough, given the conditions. Long enough to take a few photos and find a few animal tracks (small, thank goodness, not Grizzly or Cougar!). For a few minutes or moments, there would be a slight opening in the low cloud and we caught sight of a tiny patch of blue sky - then the whole world around us would disappear yet again into the cloud. No sign of any of the spectacular mountains and foothills that surround Plateau Mountain. I have lots of views in my Plateau Mountain album, taken in good weather during several past visits. Thanks so much, Sandy, for planning this trip and for the ride! The weather certainly gave us a different kind of outing, which was great. Still can't believe that I've been lucky enough to visit this area twice in eight days! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

Happy Thanksgiving, to everyone who celebrates this weekend! Stay warm and enjoy the snow, lol! Video shared from the weather network on 9 October 2016. www.theweathernetwork.com/videos/Gallery/calgary-snowfall... This photo was taken during a brief moment when I could actually see people in the distance. Most of the time, they would have vanished completely into thick cloud. There was one moment when we were all spaced out and I couldn't see anyone or anything - not a good feeling to have when walking on the top of a mountain. On 28 September 2016, I was with friends down on a lower plateau of Plateau Mountain, in sunshine and bare ground. A week later, on 5 October 2016, we weren't even sure whether to go again, as the forecast was not good, snow and -6C. In the end, seven of us reckoned we would go and see if we could get to the top of Plateau Mountain (special permission was obtained). Conditions worsened en route and, while we were driving up the rough gravel mountainside road, trees were beginning to have a light covering of snow. On our way up to the plateau top, everything disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the swirling low cloud. Once at the top, I couldn't really see anything through my viewfinder, other than an occasional shape - just grey. It really was a case of point and shoot and hope that I was capturing something. Most of the time, you could see nothing - such poor visibility. Amazingly, a few of my photos were not too bad after they had been brightened. Impossible to tell from my photo, but we were standing at a height of approximately 8251 ft. The mountain itself is located in the Savannah Creek Gas Field and there were two producing gas wells located on the summit of the mountain which were accessed by a road which is gated to prohibit public vehicle access. More recently, the plant we walked to was closed down. We walked over ground that was treacherous to walk on, even more so when mostly covered by snow. There are areas of patterned ground where larger pieces of rock are arranged in polygonal patterns with finer materials in the centre. These patterns were formed during the ice age when the mountain rose above the surrounding ice. Every rock and plant stem was covered in chunky ice crystals. This walk was only fairly short, but long enough, given the conditions. Long enough to take a few photos and find a few animal tracks (small, thank goodness, not Grizzly or Cougar!). For a few minutes or moments, there would be a slight opening in the low cloud and we caught sight of a tiny patch of blue sky - then the whole world around us would disappear yet again into the cloud. No sign of any of the spectacular mountains that surround Plateau Mountain. I have lots of views in my Plateau Mountain album, taken in good weather during several past visits. Thanks so much, Sandy, for planning this trip and for the ride! The weather certainly gave us a different kind of outing, which was great. Still can't believe that I've been lucky enough to visit this area twice in eight days! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

On 28 September 2016, I was with friends down on a lower plateau of Plateau Mountain, in sunshine and bare ground. A week later, on 5 October 2016, we weren't even sure whether to go again, as the forecast was not good, snow and -6C. In the end, seven of us reckoned we would go and see if we could get to the top of Plateau Mountain (special permission was obtained). Conditions worsened en route and, while we were driving up the rough gravel mountainside road, trees were beginning to have a light covering of snow. On our way up to the plateau top, everything disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the billowing low cloud. Once at the top, I couldn't really see anything through my viewfinder, other than an occasional shape - just grey. It really was a case of point and shoot and hope that I was capturing something. Most of the time, you could see nothing - such poor visibility. Amazingly, a few of my photos were not too bad after they had been brightened. The mountain itself is located in the Savannah Creek Gas Field and there were two producing gas wells located on the summit of the mountain which were accessed by a road which is gated to prohibit public vehicle access. More recently, the plant we walked to was closed down. We walked over ground that was treacherous to walk on, even more so when mostly covered by snow. There are areas of patterned ground where larger pieces of rock are arranged in polygonal patterns with finer materials in the centre. These patterns were formed during the ice age when the mountain rose above the surrounding ice. Every rock and plant stem was covered in chunky ice crystals. This walk was only fairly short, but long enough, given the conditions. Long enough to take a few photos and find a few animal tracks (small, thank goodness, not Grizzly or Cougar!). For a few minutes or moments, there would be a slight opening in the low cloud and we caught sight of a tiny patch of blue sky - then the whole world around us would disappear yet again into the cloud. No sign of any of the spectacular mountains that surround Plateau Mountain. I have lots of views in my Plateau Mountain album, taken in good weather during several past visits. Thanks so much, Sandy, for planning this trip and for the ride! The weather certainly gave us a different kind of outing, which was great. Still can't believe that I've been lucky enough to visit this area twice in eight days! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

This photo was taken during a brief moment when I could actually see some of my friends in the distance. Most of the time, they would have vanished completely into thick cloud. There was one moment when we were all spaced out and I couldn't see anyone or anything - not a good feeling to have when walking on the top of a mountain. On 28 September 2016, I was with friends down on a lower plateau of Plateau Mountain, in sunshine and bare ground. A week later, on 5 October 2016, we weren't even sure whether to go again, as the forecast was not good, snow and -6C. In the end, seven of us reckoned we would go and see if we could get to the top of Plateau Mountain (special permission was obtained). Conditions worsened en route and, while we were driving up the rough gravel mountainside road, trees were beginning to have a light covering of snow. On our way up to the plateau top, everything disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the swirling low cloud. Once at the top, I couldn't really see anything through my viewfinder, other than an occasional shape - just grey. It really was a case of point and shoot and hope that I was capturing something. Most of the time, you could see nothing - such poor visibility. Amazingly, a few of my photos were not too bad after they had been brightened. Impossible to tell from my photo, but we were standing at a height of approximately 8251 ft. The mountain itself is located in the Savannah Creek Gas Field and there were two producing gas wells located on the summit of the mountain which were accessed by a road which is gated to prohibit public vehicle access. More recently, the plant we walked to was closed down. We walked over ground that was treacherous to walk on, even more so when mostly covered by snow. There are areas of patterned ground where larger pieces of rock are arranged in polygonal patterns with finer materials in the centre. These patterns were formed during the ice age when the mountain rose above the surrounding ice. Every rock and plant stem was covered in chunky ice crystals. This walk was only fairly short, but long enough, given the conditions. Long enough to take a few photos and find a few animal tracks (small, thank goodness, not Grizzly or Cougar!). For a few minutes or moments, there would be a slight opening in the low cloud and we caught sight of a tiny patch of blue sky - then the whole world around us would disappear yet again into the cloud. No sign of any of the spectacular mountains that surround Plateau Mountain. I have lots of views in my Plateau Mountain album, taken in good weather during several past visits. Thanks so much, Sandy, for planning this trip and for the ride! The weather certainly gave us a different kind of outing, which was great. Still can't believe that I've been lucky enough to visit this area twice in eight days! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

Nine days ago, on 28 September 2016, I was with friends down on a lower plateau, in sunshine and bare ground. The day before yesterday, we weren't even sure whether to go again, as the forecast was not good, snow and -6C. In the end, seven of us reckoned we would go and see if we could get to the top of Plateau Mountain (special permission was obtained). Conditions worsened en route and, while we were driving up the rough gravel mountainside road, trees were beginning to have a light covering of snow. On our way up to the plateau top, everything disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the swirling low cloud. Once at the top, I couldn't really see anything through my viewfinder, other than an occasional shape - just grey. It really was a case of point and shoot and hope that I was capturing something. Most of the time, you could see nothing - such poor visibility. Amazingly, a few of my photos were not too bad after they had been brightened. The mountain itself is located in the Savannah Creek Gas Field and there were two producing gas wells located on the summit of the mountain which were accessed by a road which is gated to prohibit public vehicle access. More recently, the plant we walked to was closed down. We walked over ground that was treacherous to walk on, even more so when mostly covered by snow. There are areas of patterned ground where larger pieces of rock are arranged in polygonal patterns with finer materials in the centre. These patterns were formed during the ice age when the mountain rose above the surrounding ice. Every rock and plant stem was covered in chunky ice crystals, as was this pipe that was part of the gas plant. This walk was only fairly short, but long enough, given the conditions. Long enough to take a few photos and find a few animal tracks (small, thank goodness, not Grizzly or Cougar!). For a few minutes or moments, there would be a slight opening in the low cloud and we caught sight of a tiny patch of blue sky - then the whole world around us would disappear yet again into the cloud. No sign of any of the spectacular mountains that surround Plateau Mountain. I have lots of views in my Plateau Mountain album, taken in good weather during several past visits. Thanks so much, Sandy, for planning this trip and for the ride! The weather certainly gave us a different kind of outing, which was great. Still can't believe that I've been lucky enough to visit this area twice in eight days! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

Nine days ago, on 28 September 2016, I was with friends down on a lower plateau, in sunshine and bare ground. The day before yesterday, we weren't even sure whether to go again, as the forecast was not good, snow and -6C. In the end, seven of us reckoned we would go and see if we could get to the top of Plateau Mountain (special permission was obtained). Conditions worsened en route and, while we were driving up the rough gravel mountainside road, trees were beginning to have a light covering of snow. On our way up to the plateau top, everything disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the swirling low cloud. Once at the top, I couldn't really see anything through my viewfinder, other than an occasional shape - just grey. It really was a case of point and shoot and hope that I was capturing something. Most of the time, you could see nothing - such poor visibility. Amazingly, a few of my photos were not too bad after they had been brightened. Impossible to tell from my photo, but we were standing at a height of approximately 8251 ft. The mountain itself is located in the Savannah Creek Gas Field and there were two producing gas wells located on the summit of the mountain which were accessed by a road which is gated to prohibit public vehicle access. More recently, the plant we walked to was closed down. We walked over ground that was treacherous to walk on, even more so when mostly covered by snow. There are areas of patterned ground where larger pieces of rock are arranged in polygonal patterns with finer materials in the centre. These patterns were formed during the ice age when the mountain rose above the surrounding ice. Every rock and plant stem was covered in chunky ice crystals. This walk was only fairly short, but long enough, given the conditions. Long enough to take a few photos and find a few animal tracks (small, thank goodness, not Grizzly or Cougar!). For a few minutes or moments, there would be a slight opening in the low cloud and we caught sight of a tiny patch of blue sky - then the whole world around us would disappear yet again into the cloud. No sign of any of the spectacular mountains that surround Plateau Mountain. I have lots of views in my Plateau Mountain album, taken in good weather during several past visits. Thanks so much, Sandy, for planning this trip and for the ride! The weather certainly gave us a different kind of outing, which was great. Still can't believe that I've been lucky enough to visit this area twice in eight days! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

Exactly one week ago, on 28 September 2016, I was with friends down on a lower plateau, in sunshine and bare ground. Yesterday, we weren't even sure whether to go again, as the forecast was not good, snow and -6C. In the end, seven of us reckoned we would go and see if we could get to the top of Plateau Mountain (special permission was obtained). Conditions worsened en route and, while we were driving up the rough gravel mountainside road, trees were beginning to have a light covering of snow. On our way up to the plateau top, everything disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the swirling low cloud. Actually, I couldn't really see anything through my viewfinder, other than an occasional shape - just grey. It really was a case of point and shoot and hope that I was capturing something. Most of the time, you could see nothing - such poor visibility. Amazingly, a few of my photos were not too bad after they had been brightened. The mountain itself is located in the Savannah Creek Gas Field and there were two producing gas wells located on the summit of the mountain which were accessed by a road which is gated to prohibit public vehicle access. More recently, the plant we walked to was closed down. We walked over ground that was treacherous to walk on, even more so when mostly covered by snow. There are areas of patterned ground where larger pieces of rock are arranged in polygonal patterns with finer materials in the centre. These patterns were formed during the ice age when the mountain rose above the surrounding ice. Every rock and plant stem was covered in chunky ice crystals. This walk was only fairly short, but long enough, given the conditions. Long enough to take a few photos and find a few animal tracks (small, thank goodness, not Grizzly or Cougar!). For a few minutes or moments, there would be a slight opening in the low cloud and we caught sight of a tiny patch of blue sky - then the whole world around us would disappear yet again into the cloud. The bit of mountainside that you can see in this photo was all we saw of the surrounding, spectacular mountains! I have lots of views in my Plateau Mountain album, taken in good weather during several past visits. Thanks so much, Sandy, for planning this trip and for the ride! The weather certainly gave us a different kind of outing, which was great. Still can't believe that I've been lucky enough to visit this area twice in eight days! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

Exactly one week ago, on 28 September 2016, I was with friends down on a lower plateau, in sunshine and bare ground. Yesterday, we weren't even sure whether to go again, as the forecast was not good, snow and -6C. In the end, seven of us reckoned we would go and see if we could get to the top of Plateau Mountain. Conditions worsened en route and, while we were driving up the rough gravel mountainside road, trees were beginning to have a light covering of snow. On our way up to the plateau top, everything disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the swirling low cloud. Actually, I couldn't really see anything through my viewfinder, other than an occasional shape - just grey. It really was a case of point and shoot and hope that I was capturing something. Most of the time, you could see nothing - such poor visibility. Amazingly, a few of my photos were not too bad after they had been brightened. The mountain itself is located in the Savannah Creek Gas Field and there were two producing gas wells located on the summit of the mountain which were accessed by a road which is gated to prohibit public vehicle access. More recently, the plant we walked to was closed down. We walked over ground that was treacherous to walk on, even more so when mostly covered by snow. There are areas of patterned ground where larger pieces of rock are arranged in polygonal patterns with finer materials in the centre. These patterns were formed during the ice age when the mountain rose above the surrounding ice. Every rock and plant stem was covered in chunky ice crystals. This walk was only fairly short, but long enough, given the conditions. Long enough to take a few photos and find a few animal tracks (small, thank goodness, not Grizzly or Cougar!). For a few minutes or moments, there would be a slight opening in the low cloud and we caught sight of a tiny patch of blue sky - then the whole world around us would disappear yet again into the thick, grey cloud. I have lots of views in my Plateau Mountain album, taken in good weather during several past visits. Thanks so much, Sandy, for planning this trip and for the ride! The weather certainly gave us a different kind of outing, which was great. Still can't believe that I've been lucky enough to visit this area twice in eight days! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

This photo was taken during a long, mountainous hike up Plateau Mountain three days ago, on 28 September 2016. I have been lucky enough to visit this special area several times in the past, but wondered if I would ever be able to get back to one of my absolute favourite places. There are two gates across the road - the lower one always seems to be open, but the second, higher gate is always kept locked. This means a long hike up a gravel road to get to the first plateau area, and then a further hike to get to the very top (which we didn't do). This photo shows a view from the lower plateau looking towards the flat plateau top in the distance. In fact, the middle part of our hike was over ground that was very similar to the very top plateau, including some permafrost 'boils', one of which is seen in this photo. "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf Took me a while to make up my mind whether to go on this trip, as I wasn't sure if I'd be able to manage it - my body just can't do anything uphill, even just a very slight incline. Also, I had read someone's report recently - they had been there maybe five days before us and had said that, up till the day they went, a female Grizzly and her two cubs had been hanging out there for 10 days! They didn't see the bears, but noticed all the many places where the bears had pushed over rocks and ripped up the ground to look for plant roots, etc.. Seeing all these digging sights was still unnerving enough! We also saw several bear paw prints in the gravel along this road. My main concern was that I would have to fall back and let my friends continue. The thought of being by myself and seeing a family of Grizzlies had been enough to keep me awake part of the previous night and I even broke into a sweat worrying about it, lol. However, I have very thoughtful friends, and we stayed pretty much together. These friends were there to look for plants, mosses, lichens and liverworts - plus anything else of interest - so they don't walk at a fast pace and are always stopping to look at something. This suits my ability perfectly. We were, of course, too late for wildflowers, though there were a lot of False Dandelions in bloom. We also came across quite a few fungi, most of them the same kind of very small, brown fungus. We did see one or two other kinds that were worth photographing. Because of stopping so often, we ran out of time to continue hiking this road as far as the very top, flat plateau - I would have had to stay behind if they had gone further. The lower plateau is where most of my visits have taken place, but I think I have been right to the very top twice, maybe three times, before. Almost every visit other years had been in the month of July. Birds seen on this trip included a tiny Wren of some kind (Pacific?), a few small flocks of unidentified birds flying fast, and a falcon (Prairie falcon?). Thanks so much, Sandy, for organizing this wonderful trip and getting us out there! Not sure, but I think the last time I was out there was in August 2012. Major flood damage had kept the roads closed after that, so it was very exciting to know that someone else had discovered that the roads were now OK for travel. We were so lucky with the weather and only had a few raindrops. Rather chilly, but October is almost here, so it is hardly surprising. I think the temperature was between 2C and 4C, approximately. I was wearing thermal underwear, jeans, two fleece jackets and my thick winter jacket, and my winter boots! Many thanks, too, to Ken, for the ride from and back to Calgary - much appreciated! A long drive, but through such beautiful scenery.

This is a photo taken in 2012, not on our most recent trip, three days ago. On this particular day four years ago, I took a number of photos of the herd of Bighorn Sheep that live on Plateau Mountain. I posted one or two other photos closer to that time, so I will copy and paste my description from that day, 13 July 2012. "On 13th July, eight of us spent the day botanizing on Plateau Mountain, Kananaskis, way south west of Calgary. We record all plant species found, and any insects, birds, etc. that we notice, gradually adding new species to the existing list. I had been there a week previously with a different group (of Lichenologists, Bryologists, etc.). The upper gate was locked on Saturday and we didn't have a key, so we had to walk from the locked gate up the road all the way to the lower meadows. This time, though, we also explored a little bit further, climbing part way up a very rocky slope. One of the absolute highlights of the trip was when we were offered the chance to be driven to the very top to see the herd of around 150 Bighorn Sheep that call the mountain "home". The man who was in charge of checking the gas plant on top of the plateau was allowed access to drive all the way up there, so we were very lucky. (Note added on 1 October 2016: more recently, the gas plant has been shut down.) A week before, I had been up there for the first time, but we only passed by the sheep and didn't get out of our vehicles. Three of us chose to go, and what a thrill it was, to have dozens of these wild animals come rushing towards the vehicle - they love to lick the salt off the truck. Apparently, they won't come near if it's just a person standing there, but they do come running over when they see a vehicle to lick. We got out of the truck and we even had a sheep or two come over and nuzzle our hands. While there, someone (thanks, David!) spotted a Hoary Marmot enjoying the shade under part of the small gas plant. I was delighted to see one of these animals - got a very distant and crummy photo, but am posting it so that I can add it to my Wild Animals of Alberta set. We were so lucky to be driven all the way back down the mountain to our cars, too, picking up the other five of us on the way. It's a tough job searching for rare plants, but someone has to do it, lol!"

You'd be amazed at where some mushrooms grow, ha. I was certainly taken by surprise yesterday, when I happened to find about four of these very small mushrooms growing on top of Plateau Mt., Alberta. This one may have been about three-quarters of an inch across. I liked the dome in the centre of the cap, and the way the surface had cracked. For me, this was one of the highlights of yesterday, when a small group of us were privileged to be able to drive past the locked top gate on the way up to Plateau Mt.. This gate is always kept locked and is only a service road for workers going to the gas plant right at the top of the plateau. This area - the Plateau Mt. Ecological Reserve - is only open for scientific study. Normally, one has to do a long walk up the road in order to reach the lower meadows, and it's much too far to continue walking right up to the plateau top.

Yesterday, a small group of us were privileged to be able to access the Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve. This mountain is on the southern end of Kananaskis (a long drive south of Calgary). There is a gate across the road up to Plateau Mt. that is kept locked, preventing access other than for workers checking the small gas plant at the top, and for certain people who have permission to go for scientific reasons. We walked from the south end to the north end (about 9 kms round trip, which was much further than many of us were expecting, lol!)), where we saw the plaque giving information about the Ice Cave that is somewhere in this area, gated so that no one can enter. This was a perfect place to stop for our picnic lunch, after which a few people walked on a little further. They found one of our target plants - Pedicularis flammea (flame coloured lousewort). I was thrilled to find a little cluster of them, without having to walk that extra distance! Will eventually post a photo of this tiny plant with its unusual flowers. Can you imagine finding one very tiny plant of a certain species on a mountain top like this? It always amazes me when it happens. It was a beautiful day (though it was not hot, thank goodness), sunny with great clouds filling the sky, and a strong and cooling wind. A good variety of plants, including small clusters of Roseroot, seen in this image. I thought it might be too early to see Roseroot in bloom, but was delighted to see that I was wrong. Thanks so much for the ride, Stephen - as always, greatly appreciated! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodiola_rosea It made me smile when I was reading the info on the above Wikipedia link. "Rhodiola rosea may be effective for improving mood and alleviating depression. Pilot studies on human subjects showed that it improves physical and mental performance, and may reduce fatigue." Well, just seeing these beautiful plants definitely made me feel happy, though it did nothing to help reduce my feeling of fatigue, lol.

Yesterday, a small group of us were privileged to be able to access the Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve. This mountain (SW of Calgary) is at the southern end of Kananaskis, located in the Livingstone Range of the Rocky Mountain Region. The plateau rises gradually from about 2,280 metres in the north to 2,519 metres at the summit near the south end of the plateau. There is a gate across the road up to Plateau Mt. that is kept locked, preventing access other than for workers checking the small gas plant at the top, and for certain people who have permission to go for scientific reasons. We walked from the south end to the north end (about 9 kms round trip, which was much further than many of us were expecting, lol!)). At the north end, we saw the plaque giving information about the Ice Cave that is somewhere in this area, gated so that no one can enter. This was a perfect place to stop for our picnic lunch, after which a few people walked on a little further. They found one of our target plants, the rare Pedicularis flammea (flame coloured lousewort). I was thrilled to find a little cluster of them (mainly leaves and just one flower in bloom and another with dead flowers), without having to walk that extra distance to see theirs! Will eventually post a photo of this tiny plant with its unusual flowers. By the way, I was down on all fours in water from the melting snow to get photos of it, ha. Can you imagine finding one very tiny plant of a certain species on a mountain top like this? It always amazes me when it happens. As you can see from my photo, it was a beautiful day (though it was not hot, thank goodness), sunny with great clouds filling the sky, and a strong and cooling wind. A good variety of plants - and great company, some very familiar faces and some new, which is always nice. Thanks so much for the ride, Stephen - as always, greatly appreciated! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf Note: 12:35 p.m. Hold your Clicks ....

We had quite spectacular clouds when we were on top of Plateau Mt. two days ago. Unfortunately, they looked less spectacular in my photos than in real life. Will be back on Flickr later this evening, as I have to dash out for an early start for another day in the mountains.

On 6 July 2012, a small group of us were privileged to be able to access the Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve. This mountain (SW of Calgary) is at the southern end of Kananaskis, located in the Livingstone Range of the Rocky Mountain Region. The plateau rises gradually from about 2,280 metres in the north to 2,519 metres at the summit near the south end of the plateau. This image was taken as we approached the northern end. There is a gate across the road up to Plateau Mt. that is kept locked, preventing access other than for workers checking the small gas plant at the top, and for certain people who have permission to go for scientific reasons. Very fortunately, we were able to get access, so were able to drive to the top of the plateau. We walked from the south end to the north end (about 9 kms round trip, which was much further than many of us were expecting, lol!)) At the north end, we saw the plaque giving information about the Ice Cave that is somewhere in this area, gated so that no one can enter. This was a perfect place to stop for our picnic lunch, after which a few people walked on a little further. They found one of our target plants, the rare Pedicularis flammea (flame coloured lousewort). I was thrilled to find a little cluster of them (mainly leaves and just one flower in bloom and another with dead flowers), without having to walk that extra distance to see theirs! By the way, I was down on all fours in water from the melting snow to get photos of it, ha. Can you imagine finding one very tiny plant of a certain species on a mountain top like this? It always amazes me when it happens. As you can see from my photo, it was a beautiful day (though it was not hot, thank goodness), sunny with great clouds filling the sky, and a strong and cooling wind. A good variety of plants - and great company, some very familiar faces and some new, which is always nice. Thanks so much for the ride, Stephen - as always, greatly appreciated! "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

On 6 July 2012, a small group of us were privileged to be able to access the Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve. This mountain (SW of Calgary) is at the southern end of Kananaskis, located in the Livingstone Range of the Rocky Mountain Region. The plateau rises gradually from about 2,280 metres in the north to 2,519 metres at the summit near the south end of the plateau. This image was taken when we took a look at the southern end. There is a gate across the road up to Plateau Mt. that is kept locked, preventing access other than for workers checking the small gas plant at the top (which is going to be closing down), and for certain people who have permission to go for scientific reasons. Very fortunately, we were able to get access, so were able to drive to the top of the plateau. We walked from the south end to the north end (about 9 kms round trip, which was much further than many of us were expecting, lol!)) At the north end, we saw the plaque giving information about the Ice Cave that is somewhere in this area, gated so that no one can enter. They found one of our target plants at the north end, the rare Pedicularis flammea (flame coloured lousewort). I was thrilled to find a little cluster of them (mainly leaves and just one flower in bloom and another with dead flowers), without having to walk that extra distance to see theirs! By the way, I was down on all fours in water from the melting snow to get photos of it, ha. Can you imagine finding one very tiny plant of a certain species on a mountain top like this? It always amazes me when it happens. As you can see from my photo, it was a beautiful day (though it was not hot, thank goodness), with a strong and cooling wind. A good variety of plants - and great company, some very familiar faces and some new, which is always nice. Thanks so much for the ride, Stephen - as always, greatly appreciated! (Location on my map is only very approximate!) "This nearly flat high-elevation plateau is recognized for several unique features. There is an internationally recognized ice cave with ice crystals, curls, sheets and pillars (ice crystals are so fragile that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can cause melting). The periglacial features (known as "patterned ground") in the reserve include active permafrost, sorted stone circles, polygons, steps and frost boils. The area also contains critical winter range for bighorn sheep." From www.albertaparks.ca/plateau-mountain.aspx There are no public roads in Plateau Mountain Ecological Reserve; the road to the mountain top is leased by Husky Oil; to prevent vandalism to natural gas production facilities and to lessen impact on the area's natural features, access is controlled by the locked gate; travel in the reserve is by foot only; there are no facilities on site and overnight camping and open fires are prohibited." www.albertaparks.ca/media/2741526/plateau_mtn_mgmt_plan.pdf

I can't remember if it was last summer or the summer of 2010, that there was a botanizing day trip to Plateau Mountain, when a friend saw this plant and sent round a photo in an e-mail. Either I wasn't on that particular trip or else some of the group had decided to go a bit further, but ever since seeing that photo, I longed to see this very small flower for myself. Yesterday, it happened! Eight of us made a return trip to Plateau Mountain. The upper gate was locked and we didn't have a key, so we had to walk from the locked gate up the road all the way to the lower meadows. This time, though, we also explored a little bit further, climbing part way up a very rocky slope. Shortly before this slope, someone spotted this very small flower and then we noticed another two or three. I was so thrilled to finally be able to photograph (macro) this little beauty. Each flower has 5 to 9 white, pink or red petals which may or may not have dark veining or striping. The petals are 4 millimeters to one centimeter long. Another highlight of the trip was when we were offered the chance to be driven to the very top to see the herd of around 150 Bighorn Sheep that call the mountain "home". A week before, I had been up there for the first time, but we only passed by and didn't get out of our vehicles. Three of us chose to go, and what a thrill it was to have dozens of these wild animals come rushing towards the vehicle - they love to lick the salt off the truck. Apparently, they won't come near if it's just a person standing there, but they do come running over when they see a vehicle to lick. We got out of the truck and we even had a sheep or two come over and nuzzle our hands. While there, someone spotted a Hoary Marmot enjoying the shade under part of the small gas plant. I was delighted to see one of these animals - got a very distant and crummy photo, but might still upload it just to add it to my Wild Animals of Alberta set. We were so lucky to be driven all the way back to our cars, too, picking up the other five of us on the way. It's a tough job searching for rare plants and researching different locations , but someone has to do it, lol! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewisia_pygmaea

On 13th July, eight of us spent the day botanizing on Plateau Mountain, Kananaskis, way south west of Calgary. We record all plant species found, and any insects, birds, etc. that we notice, gradually adding new species to the existing list. I had been there a week previously with a different group (of Lichenologists, Bryologists, etc.). The upper gate was locked on Saturday and we didn't have a key, so we had to walk from the locked gate up the road all the way to the lower meadows. This time, though, we also explored a little bit further, climbing part way up a very rocky slope. One of the absolute highlights of the trip was when we were offered the chance to be driven to the very top to see the herd of around 150 Bighorn Sheep that call the mountain "home". A week before, I had been up there for the first time, but we only passed by the sheep and didn't get out of our vehicles. Three of us chose to go, and what a thrill it was, to have dozens of these wild animals come rushing towards the vehicle - they love to lick the salt off the truck. Apparently, they won't come near if it's just a person standing there, but they do come running over when they see a vehicle to lick. We got out of the truck and we even had a sheep or two come over and nuzzle our hands. While there, someone (thanks, David!) spotted a Hoary Marmot enjoying the shade under part of the small gas plant. I was delighted to see one of these animals - got a very distant and crummy photo, but am posting it so that I can add it to my Wild Animals of Alberta set. We were so lucky to be driven all the way back down the mountain to our cars, too, picking up the other five of us on the way. It's a tough job searching for rare plants, but someone has to do it, lol! jasperjournal.com/wildlife/wildlife-profile-hoary-marmots...