Last week I was chatting with a fellow at work who shares an interest in photography. He told me he had moved to Canada from China 20 years ago and more recently had relocated to Calgary from Vancouver. We talked about places to get interesting photos and he told me that he had only visited the standard tourist destinations in the mountains and wasn't sure where to go. I immediately offered up a Sunday road trip to take some pictures in one of my favorite places. We were experiencing a chinook and much of the snow had melted. It was a great time to head to the Eastern slopes of the Rockies and enjoy the warmer weather.
I live east of Calgary, on the edge of the prairies, and had to call Ken to tell him I was running late when I spotted this sunrise. I pulled over, snapped a few photos and then got back on the road to pick up Ken.
Once we got clear of the city we hit the forestry roads and headed north. After a short delay while I pulled another truck out of the ditch (icy roads in some of the higher spots) we pulled over a few times to take pictures.
Ya-Ha-Tinda Ranch was our destination. A national historic site, it is owned by the federal government but continues to operate as a working ranch. Close to 10,000 acres, it sits nestled in the most easterly edge of the Rockies and is prairie grass and rolling hills surrounded by mountain peaks. All of the nearby National Parks warden's horses are wintered here and they also keep a small herd of bison that is used to ensure a healthy brood stock of pure strain animals for any restocking that might be needed. The public is welcome to visit and most of the ranch is available for hiking, fishing and even some hunting in places.
My goal was to do a short hike up the frozen Bighorn Creek Canyon to Bighorn Falls. I figured Ken would find lots to photograph there. Here are a few of my own captures from that day.
We had a great day and Ken proved to be good company. He took many great photos and thanked me many times over for sharing a piece of Canada that very few have seen. We are now plotting our next back-country trip.
I live east of Calgary, on the edge of the prairies, and had to call Ken to tell him I was running late when I spotted this sunrise. I pulled over, snapped a few photos and then got back on the road to pick up Ken.
Once we got clear of the city we hit the forestry roads and headed north. After a short delay while I pulled another truck out of the ditch (icy roads in some of the higher spots) we pulled over a few times to take pictures.
Ya-Ha-Tinda Ranch was our destination. A national historic site, it is owned by the federal government but continues to operate as a working ranch. Close to 10,000 acres, it sits nestled in the most easterly edge of the Rockies and is prairie grass and rolling hills surrounded by mountain peaks. All of the nearby National Parks warden's horses are wintered here and they also keep a small herd of bison that is used to ensure a healthy brood stock of pure strain animals for any restocking that might be needed. The public is welcome to visit and most of the ranch is available for hiking, fishing and even some hunting in places.
My goal was to do a short hike up the frozen Bighorn Creek Canyon to Bighorn Falls. I figured Ken would find lots to photograph there. Here are a few of my own captures from that day.
We had a great day and Ken proved to be good company. He took many great photos and thanked me many times over for sharing a piece of Canada that very few have seen. We are now plotting our next back-country trip.
