Global Descent from the Canadian Rockies
Francis and I recently enjoyed one week in the Canadian Rockies, an area of five National Parks (four located in Canada) as well as numerous provincial parks and semi protected multi-use areas. Two of these parks straddle the U.S.-Canadian border in a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
The following photo essay begins in Jasper National Park at the bone chilling Athabasca Glacier, part of the massive Columbia Icefield. Nearby Mount Columbia hovers at 12,294 feet, the 2nd highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. These glacial meltwaters flow to three world oceans – the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic.
Follow this 400 kilometre journey, from the forests, meadows and rugged snow capped peaks of North America’s continental divide, then meandering downwards and eastwards through golden grassy foothills, tumbling out to the apparently infinite windswept prairies.
This is a story of the ages juxtaposed against our contemporary times. Frequent readers may recall my posts about Small is Beautiful. In what comes next, think big – it goes with the terrain.
GLOBAL DESCENT FROM THE CANADIAN ROCKIES
Icefield Parkway Summit
Athabasca Glacier
Peyto Lake
Highwood Meadows in Kananaskis
Descending Icefield Parkway
Grazing mountain sheep in Banff National Park
Modern Travel
North Saskatchewan River
Elk outside the Town of Banff
On the Trans Canada Highway
Bow River on the outskirts of Banff
Wedge Pond
Nearby Kananaskis Country
Grizzly Country
Outskirts of Kananaskis Village – site of 1988 Winter Olympics and 2002 G-8 Summit
Barrier Lake near Highway 40 Alberta
Misnomer – Kananaskis Trail (really?)
Highwood River bridge lost in 2013 Calgary floods
Ravaged earth equals high water
Foothills of the Canadian Rockies
View from Highway 22
Heartland Country (homegrown CBC Television Series)
And cowboy trails
Home on the Range
Mountains meet foothills where cattle graze (click photo for awesome hi-resolution)
… and oil and gas
Descent. Or dissent?
Oxbow River
Cheers to Prairie Wind
Tilting at wind mills, or to live the impossible dream.
For us and the earth. To be or not to be? That is the question.
~ from back home on Vancouver Island ~
Love, peace, and harmony, to all
Bruce
through the luminary lens 
Nice progression – I got the real feeling of descending from the high mountains down to the grasslands.
You’re a good brother to the land you love.
Thanks Clarie. You got it! You’re a good sister to the land (and the people) you love, too.
By the way: the other day I got what you were saying on your blog and it really got me in the gut… I only thought deeper about it afterwards. It is like we’re living in a world that is a cross between Orwells 1984 and Huxleys Brave New World. We’ve got the big brother Homeland Security or CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligience Service) on one hand and the good feely WWWeb pill on the the other. Isn’t life great!! Such a terrible paradox. I feel this too Claire. Not to pull the wool further over our eyes cause there’s so much sham and drudgery…. Anyhow or who or whatever…. A definite love, peace and cheer to you Claire, on this dark night of our soul.
Awesome work Bruce, big can also be beautiful! Spare me from wind farms though, eco friendly or not.
Ahh Roy… I find them beautiful and inspiring, even if they block the view at times. However, beauty is the eye of the beholder, no doubt… Thanks for weighing in.
That’s amazing, you pictures are totally wonderfull wow ! Congrats ! Now i want discover Canada ! 🙂
Glad you like them, and hope you continue to enjoy. Canada is a beautiful country, I noticed you also liked the Brandt Series: Dawn Awakening. To clarify this series, most of those photos are by a friend of mine Fr.Charles, who is a 92 year old Catholic monk. He’s an amazing person. Peace to you Annececile.
What a wonderful trip.
Yes, it was rejuvenating. We hadn’t had a travel holiday in a couple years, so we enjoyed it even more.
Agreed. A travel holiday frees the mind and the soul. 🙂
Bruce, these photos are absolutely breathtaking. You and Fran ought to consider expanding your publishing business to include wall calendars and such. Really! I’d buy one.
Thank you kindly Gwen. For a few years with my business I published a calender to give to clients. It was a lot of fun. A good idea to expand it into Huckleberry Haven Publishing as well. You could be our first customer. 🙂 Glad you love our photography!
I’d definitely be a customer, Bruce! Your work deserves a wider audience.
Magnificent, breathtaking beauty! Sad to see even this wilderness has been invaded by frackers – but it’s heartening to see competition from wind-power. Thank you for sharing such awe-inspiring thoughts and art, Bruce.
Yes – and it seems paradoxical seeing the direct results of climate change (and oil and gas) in such beauty. The flooding was considered the worst in Alberta’s history and caused an estimated 5 Billion dollars in damage. The perversity in all this is how it actually stimulated the economy. Go figure! It certainly doesn’t figure in the price of gas! I appreciate your noticing the nuances of this post, Carol. I hope your staying well, apart from the university environment. Best regards – Bruce
Spinetingling. You got some beautiful country there.
These photos are absolutely brilliant. Well done! 😀
Thank you Dianne. A selection of Francis’ and my own.
David and I have traveled through the mountains so many times and have often decided to put our camera away because our pictures never convey the beauty and magnificence of the landscape. Yours do just that. Thank you!
Your welcome Louise. It is wonderful to hear from you, though Fran always fill me in. In regards to the images, over the years Fran has had to learn to live with U-turns and longer travel times, although we have practical ground rules. Photography, is so enjoyable to us, as it gives focus and memories. It has the ability to convey a myriad of messages about the world and the times we live in. I’m often amazed at the end of the day of what Fran has photographed because we all have different viewpoints. All the best to you both. The Orkney trip sounded wonderful …. peace and love, Bruce.
Wow…I’m speechless…these are stunning! Thank you so much for sharing.
Reblogged this on disappearinginplainsight and commented:
It gives me great pleasure to reblog Bruce’s latest post – a photo essay of our recent trip. Enjoy!
Amazing pictures, What a country! Thank you
Well those photos brought back some wonderful memories of some of the most beautiful places I have been. What a great idea.
Saskatchewan not so far away Lyle 🙂
Stunning images! I love these
Thanks Michelle. Glad you enjoyed them. Loved your collage over the rail tracks.
Thank you so much! I love trains and tracks! I also love the rockies! My Pa lived in Colorado for years so I always enjoy seeing mountain photos! They are stunning! My Pa had Alzheimer’s but he never forgot his love for the mountains! I heard someone say you can take the man out of the mountains but you can never take the mountains out of the man! I love that!
So beautiful. Thank you.
Your welcome Nicci.
Absolutely stunning photos!
Thanks Debbie.
Beautiful place!
Yes the Rockies are beautiful indeed. Nature helps us be well.
Thanks for sharing, Bruce. Majestic and breathtaking. Meeting God in the vastness and silence of our natural world.
So glad you enjoyed it Rosaliene. A sermon from the mount(s) 🙂 This trip was an eye opener, because we left the current flooding in our own area, only to find the consequences of last years massive floods in Southern Alberta. I didn’t yet watch the lecture you sent yesterday on Climate Change, though hopefully this evening. It’s the new terrible reality, and you folks in California get less and less moisture. Houston – we have a problem 😦
outstanding photos, telling us what is there. charles
Thank you Fr Charles
refreshingly beautiful
pilgrimage in nature, Bruce!
A pilgrimage indeed. Thanks David. Hope you stay well.
Thanks for taking me along on this beautiful journey! BTW, when I clicked to see the photo in high-res, nothing happened. It could be my computer; it’s got issues.
Enjoyed your journey as well Priscilla, especially relating to Deep Ecology. On the high-res image, I should have said right click.
Ah, yes. I’ll try that.
Magnificent in high res! Those mountains just zoom out at you.
These are amazing photos- I changed to my desktop to better appreciate them. Such a beautiful world we are blessed with.
Yes indeed. Glad you enjoyed them. I’m enjoying your hiking stories from the Bruce Peninsula.
Beautiful Thanks again Bruce and Francis
Wonderful to hear from you Brendan. 🙂 Hope you’re well in Ireland.
They are all incredible images, elegant content and amazing post!
Thanks Mihran. It’s good to share the earth and where we have come from – and where we might go!