Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: folds

Well, the weather forecast for Kananaskis for 24 September 2019 was not exactly accurate - sun, with cloud in the afternoon. They kind of forgot to mention the strong wind, light rain .... and SNOW! For a few minutes, it was one kind of weather, then a few more minutes of a different kind, repeated throughout the afternoon. Our temperatures are falling - forecast for rain/light snow today, then three days of snow with temps down to around -1C. What a way to celebrate the first few days of fall. The expected snow will probably remove quite a few of the golden leaves, so I wanted anther chance to see and photograph them while I had the chance. The sky was blue when I set out that morning and I felt quite hopeful. When I go to Kananaskis, I always go south from the city. I had no idea where I would be going, but I knew that it wouldn't be as far as I would have liked. As it turned out, I had a few surprises along the way, so it was a real mixed day of photo opportunities - my favourite kind of day. After stopping to take a few scenic shots on the way to the main highway through Kananaskis, I eventually reached the area where the American Pikas live. I really lucked out almost straight away, as the only few photos I took were when one Pika showed itself, and that was within maybe ten minutes. By this time, the wind was strong and it was snowing, and it was cold! Time to get out of there, as the scree slope is treacherous enough on a calm, clear day. Driving further north, I was delighted to see a convoy of maybe eight or ten beautiful old cars heading in my direction. Couldn't resist, so I followed them when they turned off into a small picnic area. I asked if I could take a few quick photos and they were happy enough for me to do that. One car owner did comment about blurry photos because of the falling snow, but surprisingly my photos came out sharp enough. Further on, I made a quick stop at another pull-off and was happy to notice a few mushrooms. When I turned around to head for home, I was even happier. I pulled over to take a photo of one of the mountain peaks. One tiny white speck in the distance, just off the road, caught my eye. When I went to check it out, I found myself staring at a little group of Shaggy Mane/Inky Cap mushrooms. The largest one had already started the process of curling up the rim of its cap and dripping a black ink. So much rain this year has resulted in such an amazing fungi season. Much closer to home, I decided to take a side road that has such beautiful hill and mountain views. An old wooden barn was a welcome surprise - I don't remember seeing this one before. So, a lovely day out, driving 320 km, with such a mixture of weather and sightings. So glad I did decide to go - as usual, a very last minute decision, but basically, I just need to grab my cameras and go : )

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! "Storm Mountain is part of the Misty Range of the Canadian Rockies. It is identifiable as the tall peak between Mount Arethusa and Mist Mountain at the far south end of the Misty Range." From Wikipedia. Yesterday morning, 30 June 2019, I woke up earlier than usual. Once I was on my computer, I checked the weather forecast and saw raindrop icons in the forecast for the next week, but yesterday was for sun. I knew what I had to do! Luckily, I had a tank full of gas, so I grabbed both cameras and a snack or two, and headed out the door. I must be the only person who hadn't been to Kananaskis recently and taken photos of the tiny Pikas (Rock Rabbits), and that was my destination. This is a long weekend for Canada Day, and my plan had been to keep off the roads, as I was sure they would be busy, making it more difficult to stop whenever I wanted, to take a photo or two. However, when I saw the weather forecast, it changed my mind. Sunshine, blue sky with clouds, made it a perfect day to be out - I'm sure you agreed, Bonnie : ) A day in Kananaskis is always great, but sometimes 'great' turns out to be fantastic! Can't believe how lucky I was, not just in the mountains, but on the journey there and, at the end of the day, calling in at my 'usual' area closer to home. I suspect the Pika is most people's favourite - around 6 inches long and almost impossible to see against the mountainside of broken rocks that are the same colour as the Pika's fur. Starting to believe that maybe I was going to be out of luck, the first one appeared, racing in and out and over and between the endless, sharp rocks. Take your eyes off the animal and you stand a good chance of not being able to find it again. Then a second one appeared, a baby - which I think is the one on this photo. It perched itself on top of this rock and simply stayed there for a few minutes. Several of my photos show the eyes closing slightly. However, eventually it did move, and off it went. When it appeared not too far away, I caught sight of it and thought at first it was a mouse, ha. So tiny! While I was searching for a Pika, a herd of Bighorn Sheep had come down the massive mountain side and, as they usually do, gathered right in the middle of the road to lick salt left by vehicles. After quite a time, there was an almighty BOOM that startled me and a handful of others. We hadn't noticed a Park's truck arrive, armed with 'bangers' to make the Sheep move from the road. Once the Park's person had left, the Sheep returned to the road. There were several young ones along with the females. It will take me ages to go through my photos, especially having to combine two cameras, but lots of images can wait till winter. More important, to me, is to continue editing and posting the remaining Texas photos.

This morning, 3 October 2018, I woke up to blue sky and glorious sunshine - and a temperature of -6C and many inches of snow! Calgary was hit with a huge snowfall yesterday, which continued overnight. It caused chaos in the city and endless accidents. Fortunately, I only had to drive close to home - for an appointment to get my snow tires put on, ha. "Wednesday, October 3, 2018, 8:30 AM -The snow is gradually easing across Alberta, but Tuesday's significant and record breaking WALLOP has certainly left its mark on the region. Calgary ground to a halt after nearly 40 cm of snow hammered the city, prompting appeals to neighbouring cities -- and as far away as Edmonton -- for additional snow removal equipment. This unusually cold pattern however, is set to last through the first half of October, meaning these massive mounds of snow aren't likely to go anywhere .... Police say there were over 250 collisions reported in the city of Calgary alone between 11 pm on Monday and 3:30 pm on Tuesday. " From the Weather Network. This photo is from 25 September 2018, when the weather forecast finally looked a little more promising. We have had so many gloomy, rainy days and when I woke up that morning and saw that the sun was shining, I knew I had better get out to the mountains before the fall colours disappeared. It was almost 11:00 am before I left home, so I was limited time-wise, but still managed to get to my destination. I had taken my computer to be fixed the previous day, to clear a virus and malware after being hacked, so I had more time to get out with my camera. I thought this might just be my last chance to see fall colours and, if I was lucky, a little Pika. Luck was on my side and I saw both. How lucky we are to live so close to such magnificent scenery!

I knew that this trip was probably going to be my last chance to see some fall photos, so, on 29 September 2017, I drove all day long through Kananaskis country. The next two days were a weekend, and I thought there would be a lot more people in the mountains. Of course, the mountains look beautiful in any season, but there is something extra special on a sunny fall day. People come from all over the place to see the Larch trees in their fall colour. As it turned out, yesterday, 2 October, we had a nasty snowstorm. Some of the roads leading out of the city were closed, and it was definitely a day to stay at home if possible. That's exactly what I thankfully did, listening to the strong winds howling around my place, blowing the falling snow. This morning, 3 October, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and there is still some colour on the trees. The temperature is 1C (windchill -3C). 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. On this recent trip, there was a hazy view and in some directions 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. I think this photo was taken from Peninsluar, but it may have been at Buller Pond. 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 just in case I manage to make a last drive out of the city, once yesterday's snow has melted and before the next snow falls. Guess I need to get my snow tires put on soon, too.

This morning, 15 September 2017, I am sitting at my computer for the second day in a row wearing a sweater, and the temperature only 6C! We seem to have plunged straight from the awful heat of summer into winter. One more day, and we should get back to the mid-teens. Yesterday, I came across a few photos of snow-covered Banff National Park! I'm so not ready for this!!! Best of all, though, is that Waterton Lakes National Park has been receiving some rain, thank goodness. This, plus much colder temperatures, should help all the firefighters and others deal with the massive wildfire in the park. It sounds like 70% of the forest has burned. I read a comment by someone saying that Canyon Church Camp lodge was saved, but that the cabins burned. It will be good when a definite report eventually comes out. Foothills MP John Barlow had a chance to fly over the Kenow Wildfire at Waterton Lakes National Park two days ago, on 13 September 2017 and he will be posting a video soon. On 18 August 2017, I made a very last-minute decision (just after midnight) to return to HIghway 40, Kananaskis. Last year (2016), I had finally made myself do this long drive (293 km), after longing for years to be able to get there on my own. I was determined to go again this summer, and 18 August was the day. I left home a few minutes before 8:00 am and took the scenic back road to Highway 40. Unfortunately, we are still getting the smoke from the British Columbia and Alberta wildfires, so distant shots are not the best, though this one seems clear enough. As of 19 August 2017, there were 140 wildfires currently burning across B.C., and this year's wildfire season is now officially B.C.’s worst ever wildfire season. However, the landscape on this whole drive is spectacular and I could never tire of it. I would imagine most people drive the whole loop along Highway 40, but my destination was the place where Pikas (or Rock Rabbits) live, keeping my fingers crossed that at least one of them would show up. I was in luck and saw two of them, and managed to get a few photos, though I have taken better photos on previous visits. While I was standing near the base of the huge talus/scree slope, I started hearing the sound of rocks falling! The first thing that flashed through my mind was that I was not standing in the best place if a rock slide happened, and then I remembered seeing someone's photo of a bear with her two cubs walking across the rocks just above where I was standing. Looking around, I could see nothing - and then, suddenly, I could just make out the tiny silhouette of a Bighorn Sheep on the very top of the very distant ridge, and then several others came along. In a short time, one of them walked to the end of the ridge and stood there, on guard the whole time it took for the rest of the herd to slowly make its way down the rocky mountain side. Sometimes, they would stop and feed for a while. They ended up passing me on a closer, low ridge and finally reached the road. What a journey they made in order to get salt off the road surface! I watched them for a long time, while they hung around just below me, refusing to leave the road when cars came along. Nothing would make them budge! It was just as interesting to watch the reaction of the drivers - most slowed right down or stopped, and most people stayed in their vehicles. After calling in again at Highwood House to pick up a much-needed coffee, I carried on with the drive home via various backroads, including the Priddis area. My early morning drive had given me just two birds - a Northern Harrier and some other Hawk. The return drive gave me maybe four Hawks, none of which stayed long enough for a photo. A strange, empty feeling, as two days earlier, friends and I had seen dozens of Hawks during a day's drive.

Yesterday, 18 August 2017, I made a very last-minute decision (just after midnight) to return to this location. Last year (2016), I had finally made myself do this long drive (293 km), after longing for years to be able to get there on my own. I was determined to go again this summer, and yesterday was the day. I left home a few minutes before 8:00 am and took the scenic back road to Highway 40. Unfortunately, we are still getting the smoke from the British Columbia and Alberta wildfires, so distant shots are not the best. As of today, 19 August 2017, there are 140 wildfires currently burning across B.C., and this year's wildfire season is now officially B.C.’s worst ever wildfire season. However, the landscape on this whole drive is spectacular and I could never tire of it. I would imagine most people drive the whole loop along Highway 40, but my destination was the place where Pikas (or Rock Rabbits) live, keeping my fingers crossed that at least one of them would show up. I was in luck and saw two of them, and managed to get a few photos, though nothing that I was too happy with. While I was standing near the base of the huge talus/scree slope, I started hearing the sound of rocks falling! The first thing that flashed through my mind was that I was not standing in the best place if a rock slide happened, and then I remembered seeing someone's photo of a bear with her two cubs walking across the rocks just above where I was standing. Looking around, I could see nothing - and then, suddenly, I could just make out the tiny silhouette of a Bighorn Sheep on the very top of the very distant ridge, and then several others came along. In a short time, one of them walked to the end of the ridge and stood there, on guard the whole time it took for the rest of the herd to slowly make its way down the rocky mountain side. They ended up passing me on a closer ridge and finally reached the road. What a journey they made in order to get salt off the road surface! I watched them for maybe a couple of hours, while they hung around just below me, refusing to leave the road when cars came along. Nothing would make them budge! It was just as interesting to watch the reaction of the drivers - most slowed right down or stopped, and most people stayed in their vehicles. After calling in again at Highwood House to pick up a much-needed coffee, I carried on with the drive home via various backroads, including the Priddis area. My early morning drive had given me just two birds - a Northern Harrier and some other Hawk. The return drive gave me maybe four Hawks, none of which stayed long enough for a photo. A strange, empty feeling, as two days earlier, friends and I had seen dozens of Hawks during a day's drive. For maybe the last 10 days or so, I had been wondering why the little orange maintenance light had not come on, on the dashboard of my car. I have had the vehicle one year now and felt sure that I should have been notified to get an oil change way before now. Each time I have done a long drive recently, I was worried that the light would come on when I was in the middle of nowhere. Well, yesterday, it finally did come on (at around 9,200 km), right where the Pikas live. Guess I'll have to limit my driving to local grocery shopping till I can get my car serviced.

Unearthed from my archives, this photo was taken on 30 July 2011, on a hike in the mountains. This photo shows just one of the many spectacular views on the Arethusa Cirque trail in Kananaskis, Alberta. The little bit of information that I had been able to find out about this trail said that it was easy with not all that much elevation (122'). Well, we were standing at 8,000' by the time we had scaled the very steep mountain side. Most of the climb was steeply upwards which meant that if I wanted to take flower photos, it would mean trying to balance on a steep slope with an almighty drop below (so I took far fewer photos than I normally would, ha). I am not good at heights, so did my best to avoid looking "down" during the whole climb up. Also not good at any trail that goes upwards instead of along the flat. Lol, I never thought I'd reach the top, but amazingly I did - and, oh, what magnificent views!!! This hike is just north of the Ptarmigan Cirque hike and parts of it were quite similar, except that Arethusa Cirque trail is up, up, up the whole way. Still, the views were simply breath-taking, including this massive, twisted, folded rock face : ) Weather was perfect, no Grizzly Bears appeared, and the company was great. Only six of us went, so it was a nice, small group. Can't remember offhand, but I know we saw one new plant - a tiny blue Gentian species with the most exquisite, tiny blue flower. A brutal hike that I have never repeated and I'm never likely to repeat, lol! What a way to spend the day! Thanks so much, David, for sharing this new place with us and thanks, too, for the welcome treat of coffee at Highwood House. Just what was needed : )

Four days ago, on 29 November 2016, I was fortunate enough to have a third trip into the mountains to look for and photograph the wonderful White-tailed Ptarmigan. Friend, Shirley, had been out there before, but just missed seeing them. She asked if I wanted to go with her, and I jumped at the chance. I knew several other people who were planning to go, so felt a little more confident that we would probably be able to find these birds again. Find them, we did - but, oh, what we had to go through in order to see them! Unlike the other two times I had been, on 22nd and 23rd November, this time the birds were not near the main road area but, instead, were first spotted way across the valley, low down on the mountainside. A few years ago, I had done a short walk along this valley in deep, deep snow and vowed I would never be so foolish to do it again. You need snowshoes and, even then, the going is difficult. Of course, I don't have snowshoes, nor did a few of my friends. When I heard that some people ahead of us had seen a few of the birds closer than the mountainside, I decided I would at least start 'walking' and see how far I got. The first short distance through the snow was flat, but then we had to climb upwards through knee-deep snow. I almost had to give up, but thanks to friend, Tony, who basically dragged me up some of the most difficult parts, I was able to plough my way to where the closest Ptarmigan were. A few other helping hands, too, made this climb possible. Several of the birds were in the sunshine, either resting or taking a few short steps. These birds almost look as if they have a small light under their body, lighting up the lowest feathers and making the bird glow. So different compared to seeing and photographing them on a cloudy, gloomy day. These birds tend to walk around in just a small area for a while, feeding on the Willow buds, and then the group lies down, some of them burrowing till just the head and neck are visible, or some will burrow till they disappear completely under the snow. Every now and then, you can hear the little sounds they make. After resting, they repeat the feeding process and then rest again. A turn of the head so that a bird is looking away from you, and all that remains is something that looks like one of the many lumps of snow everywhere. "The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id "The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_ptarmigan Eventually, it was time to head back down and along to the cars, repeating the difficult process of 'step and plunge' through the snow. It felt so good to finally reach the car! Shirley and I had left the city and travelled south via Turner Valley, but came back to the city via Barrier Lake and Highway 1. While driving out to Highway 40 in the morning, we had stopped to watch a beautiful female Moose along the road from Turner Valley and then later, we stopped to watch a couple of Bighorn Sheep on Highway 40. Other than that, there was no sign of other wildlife. From 1 December onward, the north and south winter gates will be closed across Highway 40, so these birds will be left in peace for the rest of the winter, until 14 June 2017. All the wildlife in the area will be free of human presence while they have their young ones in the spring. Thanks so much for a great day, Shirley! I'm so glad you were finally able to see a few of these beautiful Ptarmigan in their winter white. It was very unfortunate that at least one person was not able to do the difficult walk and so will have to wait till late next fall to hopefully get a 'lifer'. Most people I know have/had never seen this species, so I'm feeling extremely lucky! Of course, even if one doesn't find the Ptarmigan, the scenery alone is just breathtaking.

This photo was taken on Saturday, 10 September 2016. This was the second day in a row that I did a long drive that I had never done myself, and had longed for years to be brave enough to do. On the Friday, I drove way down south as far as the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale (drove 496 km that day). Then, on the Saturday, my daughter came with me to Kananaskis and I drove the Highway 40 loop, going south via Turner Valley and then coming home via 1X and Highway 1A. I had been to Coaldale maybe five times before with various friends, and I had been to Kananaskis quite a few times over the years with different friends. What a way to introduce a new car to life with Anne Elliott, lol! By the end of this second day, it was so dirty from all the dust gathered, especially along the rough, gravel Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien trail (only drove part way along this mountainous road). My car was also covered in splattered insects which were unlucky enough to fly into my car. Got my very first (tiny) paint chip from all the flying gravel along this road, on the passenger door. If I had been able to do these drives a bit earlier in the summer, I would have done so and not on consecutive days. However, I would never have taken my 17-year-old car, for a start. Then, when I checked the Birds of Prey Centre's website, I discovered that Saturday was the last day it would be open before closing till next May. As far as the Kananaskis trip was concerned, there had already been snow in some areas of the mountains, and I definitely did not want to risk doing my very first drive there in snow. So, two wonderful days, for which I am truly thankful! A few weeks before, I had been with friend, Pam, for a long day out in Kananaskis (the mountain area of the Rocky Mountains that is closest to Calgary). What a great day we had, seeing so many different things in such beautiful scenery. The trip with my daughter followed part of the trip I was on with Pam, which was very helpful. Our first stop was at Highwood House, a very convenient place to stop for things like coffee, snacks, washroom, gas station. All the Hummingbird feeders had been taken down. now that the Hummingbirds have left. From there, we drove north to Rock Glacier to see the little Pikas (also called Rock Rabbits). I'm pretty sure we saw just two individuals and managed to get some rather distant shots. As usual, they were darting all over the massive scree (talus?) slope, busily collecting plants to store and dry in their "caves", ready for the winter months - they don't hibernate. There was very light rain while we were there, but that cleared up for the rest of our journey. A couple of short YouTube videos in case anyone wants to hear and see these absolutely cute creatures: youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc Further along, we called in at Boulton Bridge, as I wanted to do a quick check to see if there were many mushrooms around. I had been there with friends, Dorothy and Stephen, and we found lots of interesting mushrooms to photograph. Saturday was very different and it was obvious that the peak of the season was now over. Trying to find Buller Pond, where I had stopped with Pam the other week, we ended up at an area called Peninsular, part of Lower Kananaskis Lake. I don't remember ever having been to this area before. Parts of the lake were emerald green. A short drive along the Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien trail, followed by continuing along Highway 40 past Barrier Lake, brought us to Highway 1. We crossed over and found 1X, which then took us to Highway 1A leading to Cochrane. From there on, I was on very familiar driving ground. Many thanks, Rachel, for coming out with me. We had a great day in such magnificent scenery with enough wildlife to keep us happy (Pikas, Bighorn Sheep and a tiny Chipmunk who was happily munching on a bright red berry).

This photo was taken on Saturday, 10 September 2016. This was the second day in a row that I did a long drive that I had never done myself, and had longed for years to be brave enough to do. On the Friday, I drove way down south as far as the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale (drove 496 km that day). Then, on the Saturday, my daughter came with me to Kananaskis and I drove the Highway 40 loop, going south via Turner Valley and then coming home via 1X and Highway 1A. I had been to Coaldale maybe five times before with various friends, and I had been to Kananaskis quite a few times over the years with different friends. What a way to introduce a new car to life with Anne Elliott, lol! By the end of this second day, it was so dirty from all the dust gathered, especially along the rough, gravel Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien trail (only drove part way along this mountainous road). My car was also covered in splattered insects which were unlucky enough to fly into my car. Got my very first (tiny) paint chip from all the flying gravel along this road, on the passenger door. If I had been able to do these drives a bit earlier in the summer, I would have done so and not on consecutive days. However, I would never have taken my 17-year-old car, for a start. Then, when I checked the Birds of Prey Centre's website, I discovered that Saturday was the last day it would be open before closing till next May. As far as the Kananaskis trip was concerned, there has already been snow in some areas of the mountains, and I definitely did not want to risk doing my very first drive there in snow. So, two wonderful days, for which I am truly thankful! A few weeks before, I had been with friend, Pam, for a long day out in Kananaskis (the mountain area of the Rocky Mountains that is closest to Calgary). What a great day we had, seeing so many different things in such beautiful scenery. The trip with my daughter followed a good part of the trip I was on with Pam, which was very helpful. Our first stop was at Highwood House, a very convenient place to stop for things like coffee, snacks, washroom, gas station. All the Hummingbird feeders had been taken down. now that the Hummingbirds have left. From there, we drove north to Rock Glacier to see the little Pikas (also called Rock Rabbits). I'm pretty sure we saw just two individuals and managed to get some rather distant shots. As usual, they were darting all over the massive scree (talus?) slope, busily collecting plants to store and dry in their "caves", ready for the winter months - they don't hibernate. There was very light rain while we were there, but that cleared up for the rest of our journey. A couple of short YouTube videos in case anyone wants to hear and see these absolutely cute creatures: youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc Further along, we called in at Boulton Bridge, as I wanted to do a quick check to see if there were many mushrooms around. I had been there with friends, Dorothy and Stephen, and we found lots of interesting mushrooms to photograph. Saturday was very different and it was obvious that the peak of the season was now over. Trying to find Buller Pond, where I had stopped with Pam the other week, we ended up at an area called Peninsular, part of Lower Kananaskis Lake. I don't remember ever having been to this area before. As you can see in this photo, parts of the lake were emerald green. A short drive along the Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien trail, followed by continuing along Highway 40 past Barrier Lake, brought us to Highway 1. We crossed over and found 1X, which then took us to Highway 1A leading to Cochrane. From there on, I was on very familiar driving ground. Many thanks, Rachel, for coming out with me. We had a great day in such magnificent scenery with enough wildlife to keep us happy (Pikas, Bighorn Sheep and a tiny Chipmunk who was happily munching on a bright red berry).

The only time I had ever driven to Kananaskis (the mountain area closest to Calgary) was fairly recently, on 10 September 2016, when my daughter came with me. I wasn't too impressed with the photos I took on the first drive, especially of the little Pikas (Rock Rabbits) that we went to see, so I wanted to go and spend a bit more time with them. A drive like this is also helping me get a bit more used to my new car - before the roads are covered in snow and ice! Actually, there was a bit of snow on the ground in places close to the trees when I got to where I see these Pikas. I left home at 8:45 am, later than I had intended, and drove southwards via Millarville and the back way to Highway 40. When I Googled the distance via that route, it gave me 134 km, 1 hr 41 mins from home to the Highwood Pass. Needless to say, I kept stopping to take photos, so it took me longer than that. By the time I got back home around 5:00 pm, I had driven 299 km. This day was a Monday, so not much traffic anywhere, which makes a huge difference. As you can see in this photo, taken somewhere along Highway 40, the weather cooperated very nicely. A little chilly to start with and a sky full of beautiful cloud formation early morning. This time, I only drove as far as the Pikas, just north of the Highwood Pass, especially as I wanted to make sure that I wasn't driving home in the dark. The Highwood Pass, at an elevation of 2,206 m (7,238 ft) is the highest paved pass in Canada. In past years, I have hiked the Ptarmigan Cirque, Pocaterra and Arethusa Cirque trails, but can no longer do hikes like these. The scenery is breathtaking in this whole area (indeed, for the whole drive), some mountain slopes covered in forest and other mountain faces displaying bald, breathtaking folds above the treeline. There was only one scary incident on this trip. I had stopped to take a few scenic shots when I was on the backroad to join Highway 40. I didn't close my car door completely and when I went to open it, I discovered it was locked! Pressing the fob to open all the doors did nothing. I just could not get into my vehicle. Thank goodness, I had read on the Internet that there is a key hidden away inside the fob - otherwise I would never have known and might still be standing there, lol! It kind of reminded me of an incident on our recent trip to Plateau Mt, when we stopped at an outhouse en route - and I could not unlock the door to get out. Thank goodness I was not on my own that day, so I was able to pound on the door and friend, Sandy, came over and unlocked the door from the outside!! Brought back memories of when my kids were little and one of them got locked inside an outhouse and, ever since then, I remember it every single time I have to use one. Feels so good to know that I am now comfortable enough to do this drive on my own, after so many years of wishing I had the courage to do it. Thank you, little Pikas, for being so adorably cute, that I was determined to drive back to see you : )

September 11th, a day never to be forgotten. My thoughts are with the thousands of people who died that day and others who suffered terrible injuries, their families and friends, and all the emergency responders (Firefighters, EMS, Police, and others) who worked tirelessly. A day that can never be erased from our memory. Hard to believe that 15 years have already passed! All three photos posted this morning were taken yesterday, 10 September 2016. This was the second day in a row that I did a long drive that I had never done myself, and had longed for years to be brave enough to do. The day before yesterday, I drove way down south as far as the Coaldale Bird of Prey Centre (drove 496 km that day). Then, yesterday, my daughter came with me to Kananaskis and I drove the HIghway 40 loop, going south via Turner Valley and then coming home via 1X and Highway 1A. I had been to Coaldale maybe five times before with various friends, and I had been to Kananaskis quite a few times over the years with various friends. What a way to introduce a new car to life with Anne Elliott, lol! By the end of yesterday, it was so dirty from all the dust gathered, especially along the rough, gravel Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien trail (only drove part way along this mountainous road).. Also covered in splattered insects which were unlucky enough to fly into my car. This morning, it has been raining, thank goodness, so hopefully my vehicle will look a bit cleaner. If I had been able to do these drives a bit earlier in the summer, I would have done so and not on consecutive days. However, I would never have taken my 17-year-old car, for a start. Then, when I checked the Bird of Prey Centre's website the other day, I discovered that yesterday was the last day it would be open before closing till next May. As far as the Kananaskis trip was concerned, there has already been snow in some areas of the mountains, and I definitely did not want to risk doing my very first drive there in snow. So, two wonderful days, for which I am truly thankful! About three weeks ago, I went with friend, Pam, for a long day out in Kananaskis (the mountain area of the Rocky Mountains that is closest to Calgary). What a great day we had, seeing so many different things in such beautiful scenery. Yesterday's trip with my daughter followed a good part of the trip I was on with Pam, which was great. Our first stop yesterday was at Highwood House, a very convenient place to stop for things like coffee, washrooms, gas station. All the Hummingbird feeders have been taken down now that the Hummingbirds have left. From here, we drove north to Rock Glacier to see the little Pikas (also called Rock Rabbits). I'm pretty sure we saw just two individuals and managed to get some rather distant shots. As usual, they were darting all over the massive scree (talus?) slope, busily collecting plants to store and dry in their "caves", ready for the winter months. There was very light rain while we were there, but that cleared up for the rest of our journey. A couple of short YouTube videos in case anyone wants to hear and see these absolutely cute creatures: youtu.be/US_Hy_eGPtg youtu.be/OQ2IgcjVIfc Further along, we called in at Boulton Bridge, as I wanted to do a quick check to see if there were many mushrooms around. Recently, I had been there with friends, Dorothy and Stephen, and we found lots of interesting mushrooms to photograph. Yesterday was very different and it was obvious that the peak of the season is already over. Trying to find Buller Pond, where I had stopped with Pam the other week, we ended up at an area called Peninsular, part of Lower Kananaskis Lake. I love the mountain folds seen in this photo. A short drive along the Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien trail, followed by continuing along Highway 40 past Barrier Lake, brought us to Highway 1. We crossed over and found 1X, which then took us to Highway 1A leading to Cochrane. From there on, I was on very familiar driving ground. Many thanks, Rachel, for coming out with me yesterday. We had a great day in such magnificent scenery with enough wildlife to keep us happy (Pikas, Bighorn Sheep and a tiny Chipmunk who was munching on a bright red berry.

This is just a quick shot through the windscreen of the car I was riding in, when a group of us went birding W of Calgary, on 2 February 2014. I zoomed in quite closely in order to avoid the highway being in my photo, so the mountain looks much closer than it really is. "Cascade Mountain is a mountain located in the Bow River Valley of Banff National Park, Alberta, adjacent to the town of Banff. The mountain was named in 1858 by James Hector after the waterfall or cascade on the southern flanks of the peak. The mountain has also been called Stoney Chief, which is related to the name of the smaller neighbouring mountain Stoney Squaw, which is still in use. Cascade is the highest mountain adjacent to the townsite." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Mountain_ (Alberta)

Unearthed from my archives, this photo was taken on 30 July 2011, on a hike in the mountains. This photo shows just one of the many spectacular views on the Arethusa Cirque trail in Kananaskis, Alberta. The little bit of information that I had been able to find out about this trail said that it was easy with not all that much elevation (122'). Well, we were standing at 8,000' by the time we had scaled the very steep mountain side. Most of the climb was steeply upwards which meant that if I wanted to take flower photos, it would mean trying to balance on a steep slope with an almighty drop below (so I took far fewer photos today than I normally would, ha). I am not good at heights, so did my best to avoid looking "down" during the whole climb up. Also not good at any trail that goes upwards instead of along the flat. We were climbing uphill, off towards the left hand side of my photo. Lol, I never thought I'd reach the top, but amazingly I did - and, oh, what magnificent views!!! This hike is just north of the Ptarmigan Cirque hike and parts of it were quite similar, except that Arethusa Cirque trail is up, up, up the whole way. Still, the views were simply breath-taking, including this massive, twisted, folded rock face : ) Weather was perfect, no Grizzly Bears appeared, and the company was great. Only six of us went, so it was a nice, small group. Can't remember offhand, but I know we saw one new plant - a tiny blue Gentian species with the most exquisite, tiny blue flower. A brutal hike that I'm never likely to repeat, lol!

Oops, I fell asleep sitting in front of the TV (not unusual, but so annoying) straight after I uploaded these three images this evening! Can you believe it, I was in the next province, British Columbia, today?!! Friends Ron and Trish invited me to go with them as far as the amazing Takakkaw Falls, which are located in Yoho National Park, near Field, B.C.. I had never been there before. What an amazing day, seeing so much breath-taking scenery and enjoying great company! Totally dead beat now and will have to fall into bed soon. Thank you SO much, Ron and Trish, for treating me to such a special and thoroughly enjoyable day!!! Still can't believe it! This photo shows just one of the many spectacular views on the Arethusa Cirque trail in Kananaskis, Alberta. Several of us did this hike on July 30th. The little bit I had been able to find on this hike said that it was easy with not all that much elevation (122'). Well, we were standing at 8,000' by the time we had scaled the very steep mountain side. Most of the climb was steeply upwards which meant that if I wanted to take flower photos, it was a case of trying to balance on a steep slope with an almighty drop below (so I took far fewer photos today than I normally would, ha). I am not good at heights, so did my best to avoid looking "down" during the whole climb up. Also not good at any trail that goes upwards instead of along the flat. We were climbing uphill, off towards the left hand side of my photo. Lol, I never thought I'd reach the top, but amazingly I did - and, oh, what magnificent views!!! This hike is just north of the Ptarmigan Cirque hike and parts of it were quite similar, except that Arethusa Cirque trail is up, up, up the whole way. Still, the views were simply breath-taking, including this massive, twisted, folded rock face : ) Weather was perfect, no Grizzly Bears appeared, and the company was great. Only six of us went, so it was a nice, small group. Can't remember offhand, but I know we saw one new plant - a tiny blue Gentian with the most exquisite blue flower (but can't remember the name just now). What a way to spend the day! Thanks so much, David, for sharing this new place with us and thanks, too, for the welcome treat of coffee at Highwood House. Just what was needed : )

Another view from our hike on 25th July, on the Pocaterra Cirque Trail, Kananaskis (off Highway 40). The deep V dip on the top of the ridge close to the centre of the image is where the two Mountain Sheep were standing silhouetted against the sky (photo posted the other day). This view will give you an idea of the power of 18x zoom plus cropping on my computer, LOL!

Quite awe-inspiring to zoom in on the sculptures of Mother Nature!