Fullerton & Bobcat Trails October 7, 2026

Come along for a hike of the Fullerton and Bobcat Trails in Kananaskis Country! 

We will see sensational autumn shades while breathing in fresh mountain air.   

No one else was in the parking lot when I arrived just after sunrise. The sun was just about to peek over the horizon.  By the time I snapped a couple of shots, geared up, locked my vehicle.....

.....it had become a bit brighter so it was go time!  Everything you need to know before hitting the trail is on the kiosk bulletin board and also on the large map behind the kiosk.  A hat, gloves and a few upper layers were necessary to stay comfortable as I started hiking. 

With no moisture recently, the trail was dry.  

Of course, I had my bear spray easily accessible just in case. Of course, I was vigilant. Of course, I always  continuously check my surroundings, even behind me. Singing a tune or two is helpful too. Already the colours were glorious, there was much promise for today's hike. 

The deer at the back could care less about me,

it was searching for and snacking on breakfast. 

Many leaves had fallen yet there were enough still on the trees to create a welcoming archway. 

After the above section, the forest became more dense and dark with no views.  

A short steep climb ensues then this was the reward. 

By now I had already taken off a jacket and the gloves.  You can very faintly see the snow-capped peaks peeking above the rolling foothills in the very far off distance.  With what's in the forecast for this coming weekend, everything could look white! 

Time to play with perspective!  

Much beauty and detail from something so small! 

 The plant measures about six inches tall. 

After a bit more climbing, the views open up even more!

The final climb.....

.....to the top! This location was worthy of staying a little while to take it all in.  I got my bearings by identifying the mountains in the distance. To acknowledge Autumn and the colours that come with it, I decorated the back of my pack with a collection of leaves I use to decorate inside my home for Thanksgiving.  Now these leaves have a little story to go along with them.  

view on the way to the Bobcat Trail

That's part of the Bobcat Trail on the right.  

After a bit of ascending and then descending through the forest.....

.....you arrive at this location.....

.....and then this spot with this view! 

Because I ascended and descended to get to the above views, I then had to ascend and descend again to get back onto the Fullerton Trail.  Now I had views to the east which were just as pretty as to the west. 

Have you ever startled a cow?  I did today!  I came upon cows feasting on the slopes.  I thought for sure this cow heard me coming but apparently it was too engrossed in chowing down on the grass. It did a little jump and shake and a double take. It stopped eating and stared at me with those big brown eyes! When I realized it was not going to come for me for scaring it, I snapped some shots then moved on.

view as I carried on

I completed the loop, made my way through the dense dark forest section then came out into the open and had views like this as I neared the end.  By now,  I had met many others heading in, many with kids and many with dogs. I was happy I had pretty much the entire time to myself while hiking.  Also, the colours are always the most beautiful earlier rather than when the sun gets high.  

I'm glad you virtually came along for a visit to my beautiful playground in Kananaskis! 

two short stories

 a twist on colours 

It seems I have blinders on against every else but colours these days! 

Once again, I am sharing stories about shades! 

This time though there is a twist to them! 

Story #1

Many minis were created to depict a recent visit to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.  This time around I am not sharing my actual photos. I am sharing my watercolour paintings from some of those photographs. Painting these many minis did not take many moments. Each one measures three and a half inches by two and a half inches. While wandering The Sanctuary's trails, I found beauty around every corner. When I loaded the photos onto my iMac, the beauty popped. Then when I began to place paint on paper, I realized a whole new dimension of beauty, I could feel it!  

autumn reflections, a Deer & Robin feasting, a splashing Goose, the Moon, colourful trees & trails

Story #2

aurora   flows   beauty   grows

There is a wake up call I will never ignore! Answering this kind of call gives me the opportunity to see shades other than the autumn colours I have been chasing recently. A call came very very early Sunday morning!  I heard the alert, I got out of bed and quickly donned warm layers. When I stepped out onto my back deck, I saw the Aurora Borealis dancing in the sky.  So many stars sparkled along with the dancing.  The flow of colours looked like music, I could almost hear the flow. As the colours flowed side to side and up and down, the beauty grew. I watched the show for just short of an hour, all the while feeling like I was swaying to the beauty.  

Carburn's Colours October 2, 2026

Of course, I have another "autumn colours" story to share! These colours are fleeting so I am getting my fill fast and furiously!  Conditions were forecasted to be ideal to capture Carburn's colours. I answered the call! It was a cool start, no wind to contend with, clouds were how I like them, it was time to capture a multiple of beautiful seconds in time. Before delving deep into the woods, I found a perfect place where I could use my phone to take this panorama picture overlooking the pond facing west.    

Still before following the forest paths, I roamed along the route by the river.

The colours were calling, as were the clouds, so into the forest I went.  

The moon was still high in the sky!

I like how parts of the trees light up when the sun hits the colours!

I stood underneath to get a view looking up!

OH! What's that I see!

This is a close up of what I saw!  There's that Great Horned Owl again!  Oh and what to my wondering eyes should I see, another Great Horned Owl a few feet to the right.  Oh how special is this!  I had heard there was another Owl yet it was skittish and stayed hidden out of sight for the majority of the time.  

This is the Owl on the left facing me with one eye open!

This is the Owl on the right facing the other direction.

I was able to find an open spot through the leaves, zoom in and see that it saw me!

I wondered lots!

Is this the skittish one?

Is this a male or female?

Are they a couple?

After loads of admiring time of the Great Horned Owls, 

I moved on down the trail that follows the river.  

Black Squirrel feeding on seeds left by a local walker. 

A Double Crested Cormorant airing out its wings!

A Muskrat mixed in with the weeds! 

After catching all the colours, admiring the Great Horned Owls, following the trail along the Bow River, it was time to head back.  On the way back. I took the route where I could have a view of the reflection while facing in the opposite direction from when I first hit the trail awhile back.  I found a perfect place where I could use my phone to take this panorama picture overlooking the pond facing east.

No doubt, this is not the last of the autumn colours!  

I still have it in me to chase more!

autumn at Glenbow Ranch October 1, 2026

After putting paint on paper for the above watercolour creation, I had second thoughts about printing "Hikes" maybe I should have printed "walks".  I enjoy both activities equally for various reasons. I then wondered when does a walk become a hike! This morning I put my hiking boots on then drove to Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park to cover kilometres where I could see amazing autumn hues.  The parking lot is located about a kilometre down a long winding dirt road.  From the parking lot, I descended down into the valley bottom.  The sun was up but was just beginning to rise above the rolling hills.
 

By zooming in, I could get a clear shot of three deer, this is one of them. With the naked eye, the three were just brown blobs moving about in the brush.  I believe it was a Mom and her two little ones, this is one of the little ones. 

The Moon was still glowing high in the sky!  

Got my selfie shot out of the way early! 

The sun was hitting the tops of the trees behind me.

After descending to the valley bottom, 

then ascending a little hill to a ridge, 

this was the view I had behind me.

This was the view I had in front of me. The train passed by as I arrived up on the ridge. The Canadian Rocky Mountains to the west are now all covered in new white gold.   

The route along the ridge was a welcoming line of autumn aspens. 

from the Prairies to the Mountains

The temperature was just below freezing. I wondered was that why this Yellow-Rumped Warbler was all fluffed up.  There were a few of this species of Warbler in the flock.  I was surprised yet happy to see they had not flown further south yet.  Being all fluffed up really showed off its yellow rump.

another Yellow-rumped Warbler 

further east along the route offered up a view of the Bow River

See the Moon?

It was views like this I came here for!

leaves covered some of the trails

The clouds were beginning to form interesting formations! This was the last photograph I took before beginning the ascent back up out of the valley bottom. I like how the thin clouds form an arch frame over top of the autumn shades.  

After arriving back up to the top, I stopped to enjoy the view of the autumn shades, 

the long line of snow-capped mountain peaks and the wispy clouds filling the beautiful blue sky.  

After you have been "out & about" you then wonder 

do you call that a walk or do you call that a hike? 

My answer to that is, 

"what you accomplished is in the mind and body of the beholder"!