What an inspiration....

 

 

This is a photo of Lake Louise with Mount Victoria in the middle of the image just below the cloud. Lake Louise is located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

 

Yesterday, on the internet I came across a story about a man named Trevor Sexsmith who died in a skiing accident on Mount Victoria. http://unofficialnetworks.com/2016/09/early-season-avalanche-in-banff-national-park-claims-the-life-of-trevor-sexsmith

 

Since I love the Canadian Rockies and have been lucky enough to spend time there photographing the wildlife and landscape over the years, I googled Trevor Sexsmith to see who he was and found his site http://perpetualski.ca/2016/09/

 

Getting to the summit of even moderate peaks is real work for me, so reading his trip narratives and watching the incredible videos of his adventures left me slackjawed.

 

I was inspired and awed by the places he chose to go, his ability to get there and then to willingly drop off the edge on skis.

 

The level of fitness, knowledge of snow and ice, climbing, navigation, and the comfort he demonstrated in such a seemingly perilous environment was really something.

 

The fact this young man chose to spend his time and energy scaling mountain peaks and then skiing back down seems like a beautiful way to live.

 

I'm thankful he documented his adventures in photos, videos, and words. His doing so allowed me to see views I would never see and go along on remarkable adventures I would never attempt or accomplish myself. 

 

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

 

Moraine Lake ....

It had been a few years since I last photographed Moraine Lake and I was hoping for some good light and a few clouds at sunrise. I didn't get it.

In fact I couldn't even see the mountains across the lake when I got there.

Either low hanging clouds or a heavy fog made visibility less than 100 yards.

I thought about leaving to try and find some light at Lake Louise or up the Icefields Parkway,  but for a brief moment the sun hit the summit of a nearby peak and provided the little bit of encouragement needed for me to stay.

It took more than an hour for the sun to finally burn through and reveal the Wenkchemna Peaks just across the lake.

I'm glad I stayed.

 

 

 

 

 

 



On the hunt......

A wild gray wolf walking along a ridge in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada on a 90 degree August day.

This male wolf was working his way along a ridge with rocky outcroppings at the end of it.

Bighorn sheep often frequent this area and depend on the rocky outcropping to  provide protection from predators such as this wolf.

The wolf located a group of five young bighorn sheep rams resting down near a river and took off to pursue them.

Four of the rams ran away and eventually up the slope to safety, but one ram just jumped over the edge and waited the wolf out. At one point the wolf was sitting just above him about fifty feet away.

After a short break the wolf trotted down to the Athabasca River and layed in the water to cool off.

Then stood up, shook off, and walked away.

Over the years......

I've gone to many great places and seen lots of cool things.

Such as wild horses just after sunset in western North Dakota.

Mount Moran reflected in the still waters of the Oxbow Bend of the Snake River just after sunrise.

A common loon looking quite uncommon reflected in the waters of a northern Wisconsin lake surrounded by a lush green forest.

Steam rising from Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Geyser on a cool fall morning in Yellowstone.

A sow grizzly encouraging her new cubs to cross a mountain stream.

A bolt of lightning over Yellowstone Lake during an afternoon thunderstorm.

A grizzly bear sow and her almost grown cubs in a heavy spring snowstorm.

A beautiful cinnamon colored black bear in an Alberta berry patch.

The sun setting through steam from Clepsydra Geyser as it erupts.

These are but a few of the many memories I now hold from my travels through the years. 

Mount Rundle in Banff National Park

Mount Rundle is probably the most photographed mountain in Banff National Park. It's beautiful and easy to get to. There is a paved road near the town of Banff which leads to the Vermillion Lakes and wonderful views of the mountain.

The following photos of Mount Rundle were created over the course of several years. Depending on factors such as; cloudiness, time of day, wind, weather, and season the mountain appears very different. That's one of the best things about photographing nature, no matter how many times I photograph the same location it is never the same.

The only thing constant is change.

Fall reflections from the Third Vermillion Lake.

Last light on clouds at the summit of Mount Rundle.

Cloudy afternoon reflections.

- 28 degrees Fahrenheit, a cold winter sunset.

A stormy evening from the Third Vermillion Lake.