Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park September 5, 2024

Still not feeling the urge for a long highway drive, I was quite content with the thirty minutes behind the wheel to get me to Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.  When I last ventured out to Glenbow Ranch back in March, snow still covered the ground and I wore winter wear.  I needed warm layers this morning and appreciated it knowing that by mid afternoon I would be at home sheltered from the +30C heat wave.   

As I passed through the gate to descend along Tiger Lily, the alpenglow hit the hills ahead of me.  

When I reached the valley bottom and noticed the leaves lining the trail, the thought of "swishing" came to mind but there were not enough leaves to do that yet. I also thought about what late summer / early autumn might look like this year.  Given the lack of moisture throughout spring and summer paired with unusual numerous extended heat waves, even experiencing one right now as we work our way into September, how will the changing of the colours play out, what effect with this have on "larch season"?  I will be watching intently as each day passes!  

Between the sun shining on the hill tops and some autumn hues showing, being at The Pond offered up a photographers' delight!  It was also delightful to watch five muskrats swimming around with two chasing after each other.  

ascending Badger Bowl

Many deer were doing their morning thing while I hiked along Badger Bowl.  From the moment each of them spotted me, they remained watching me until I was a long distance away.  These are just four of the many I spotted.

watching these three was my favourite of the deer sightings

Once I began descending along the McPherson Trail was when the birds began to capture my attention.  This trail is along the far west area of the Park and winds down through the trees and follows along a creek.  The trail is narrow and is sheltered by steep hills on both sides.  I spotted a dozen or so Cedar Waxwings perched high in a tree.  Their songs blended together and filled the forest.

This is just one of what I thought were about a dozen.  That dozen turned into being about four dozen!  When a few took off from the tree, along came many others from the bushes and other close by trees.  I made an assumption that they were finished with this area and ready to continue on south with their migration!  

a Yellow-rumped Warbler

there were a few of these

a Black-capped Chickadee

there were a few of these

a Palm Warbler

there were a few of these

looking up at the colourful slope from the bottom of the McPherson Trail

It was time to move along from watching the birds and ascend to the Bowbend Trail.  

It also meant leaving the shaded area behind and popping out into the wide open.   

Much earlier when I was hiking along the top portion of Badger Bowl, I heard a pack of coyotes howling. When I reached a vantage point, I surveyed the region but saw none.  Fast forward to now and I spotted this one not far off in the field.  

Fast forward once again to many minutes later after hiking a good distance, I looked back, zoomed in and saw that it was settled down catching the warmth of the sun yet still watching me.  I made an assumption that it was ready for a late morning nap.  

view towards the west as a train passed by

With a couple of kilometres left, I hiked along Bowbend to the junction and then took the south section of Tiger Lily where I could ascend to the top and then back to the parking lot.  I imagine the next time I venture out to Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, it could be wintertime with the area dressed in white!