2016 Photo Blog
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LATE JULY
A frazzled Pete on a hot day on Nihahi
Ridge, Kananaskis Country. Too hot for Pete, so we turned around after
about 1,500 feet of elevation gain and a round trip of about 10 KM. Ruby
is convalescing at home after cruciate surgery but might be re-joining
Pete on hikes in later August.
A fresh
Pete early on
But the
climbing got steep
Firt
false summit in the distance. Still 1,000 feet of altitude gain to the
true summit.
Nice
view of the Elbow Valley below . . . .
Pete's
reward at the bottom . . . . a cooling swim in the Little Elbow.
Nice
day for lake running . . . .
Walking through the tall grass prairie
A nice
day for Pete . . . . .
Mid July
Pete
tries to clear some food stuck in his back teeth after lunch . . . . or
he's howling at the forbidding wilderness. Whichever story you want to
believe . . .
Nice day
for a swim on the Sheep River
Grouse
in a tree . . .
EARLY JULY
Pete climbs up to the Moose Mountain
Fire Watch Station. We should have been watching that approaching storm
more closely.
First
summit . . . . heading to the fire watch station in the distance
More
climbing for Pete
Steep at
times
Rodent at the top with a great view . . . . a Marmot
Heading
down . . . . . starting to rain and then hail.
An
iconic filming spot on Moose Mountain for the movie "Brokeback Mountain."
Pete
explores the Highwood Pass, Ptarmigan Cirque and Grizzly Col in early July
I
was worried about Pete's feet on this scree so we turned around here.
Hikers continue higher, above the snowy patch. We're at about 9,000 feet
here.
Pete and the snows of July
Which
are very nice to roll in . . .
An
alpine waterfall
Pete on
Ptarmigan Cirque, heading higher to Grizzly Col
Enjoying a cool spring
Fat,
local rodent . . . . a resident Marmot
The
Highwood Pass below . . . . our starting point
LATE JUNE
A
walk through the forbidding forest with Pete
EARLY JUNE
Cautious Pete on a lakeshore walk
Caution
to the wind!!!
Pete
running free . . . .
Pete
exploring the Sheep River out west
Pete, on
the Sheep River
Near
Turner Valley
Daybreak
near Pete's prairie home
MID MAY
While his sister-in-life Ruby
continued to recover from cruciate surgery at home, Pete stepped out to
enjoy a snow break on the way up Gunnery Creek, then over to Grass Pass.
About 11.5 KM round trip with a net elevation gain of 1,900 feet.
Lotsa snow in the shadow of the
mountain
Another climb . . . . . Pete crests a mucky Grass Pass and looks over
the other side
Pete enjoys chasing rodents on top
of Grass Pass
Springtime in the Rockies
On the way home, some random woman
came galloping through the picture
EARLY MAY
Pete is going up to the top of the
Hailstone Butte ridge
Pete's view during a snowy break on
the climb
Pete on the ridge top
Hailstone Butte fire watch station
is on the peak in the distance. The same gentleman has been occupying it
for 26 years.
A fine view at Hailstone Butte fire
watch station. Our exit was straight over the picnic table
Pete on the way lower
Pete
takes an early Spring walk in Death Valley
Spring at home
Pete on the
way up to Raspberry Ridge Fire Watch Station
The last two kilometres were very steep
Pete crests the summit and looks
over the other side
Walking along the top of Raspberry
Ridge
Banff is over thataway
Pete
takes a snow break with the fire watch station in the distance
Pete's big world
Mid April
Pete explores the shore of Rawlings Lake, about 1,000 feet above Upper
Kananaskis Lake. The snow was deep this day, Rick sinking up to his crotch
a few times.
Pete lounges at Upper Kananaskis Lake
Pete
Early April
Pete, west of Bragg Creek. Two miles and 1,200 feet on a climb
We
stayed off the bike path so we didn't get mowed down by downhill riders
Pete
on Indian Graves Ridge, west of Chain Lakes
Bear
spray
An old bench, barely hanging on.
Pete on
Mesa Butte
End March
Pete
visits Chester Lake, Kananaskis Country
Pete on
the prowl . . . . . Buller Pass off in the distance behind him
The
snow is about five or six feet deep
There's
a pristine alpine lake right here . . . . but buried under snow and ice
and unrecognizable at this time of year
Run,
Pete, run!!!
Ruby
takes a short, vet-authorized walk out west to test out her cruciate
repair. It didn't go well. I cut it short. But she's doing well now.
Fresh snow
Mid March
Pete on
a walk along an old forestry road
Pete
finds a murder scene. A delectable deer innard in front of him, a corpse
up ahead on the right and giant splotches of blood for half a kilometre in
either direction. Maybe a cougar kill. As the body part in front of us
wasn't what you'd normally find in the bush, Rick had his bear spray in
hand, thumb over the trigger, as we walked through this scene - didn't
know if the corpse owner was still around and protective of their food
source.
Pussy willows in March
A
juvenile moose follows momma over a fence
Success!!!
Country
driving near Pete & Ruby's home
Pete
visits the Whaleback in southwestern Alberta
Pete on
the shore of Chain Lakes
Pete
goes for a swim . . . . the ice was still thick a little off shore
A
little east of Longview
Mid
February
Pete
flying on Strawberry Trail, Kananaskis Country
Heading
towards Mt. Armstrong
We hate
crossing rivers in the winter - you never know what's going on underneath
the ice.
Lady elk
The boys
on an icey, foggy morning
Pete on
a walk at Lake Minnewanka, near Banff
Pete
takes a break where a forest fire had roared through
Banff is
over thataway
Walking
on the lake
Bison on
the move . . . . near Pete & Ruby's place
Early February
Near
Pete and Ruby's home
Mid January
The
troops trooping home on a bitterly cold morning . . . . about minus 17
Celcius
Pete helps Carol shovel!!!
Hoar-frost morning
Cold for
Pete
Ruby, out hiking a few days before her operation to repair her
cruciate. Last walk for about six months
Early January
Early morning sunrise near Okotoks
Walking
the Whaleback with Pete and Ruby on a bitter morning. About minus 15
Celcius and into a stiff wind but nice when we got back
We could
see Chief Mountain in Montana from here
Pete
resplendent
Pete and
Ruby
Pete walks the shore of Barrier Lake under a low, winter sun
Ruby at
Barrier Lake
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