Before driving down the winding road that leads to the Park Gate to Waterton Lakes National Park, I like to stop at the Overlook and get an overview of the lay of the land and mountains. I planned to leave Calgary at a time that would get me to Waterton after the snow/rain that was forecasted would have stopped. At the Overlook, bits of snow were left and the grey sky was slowly perking up.
I had a number of hours ahead of me to pass before I could check into my home away from home so I made the most of those hours wakking and sightseeing at many locations. One of my favourites is The Moskinonge Wetlands area. This is a view from the bottom of the trail along with other sweet sights.
Trumpeter Swan
The gate is still closed at the top of the Akamina Parkway as Parks People wait for more snow to melt in the parking lot before opening up. The Mountain sheep have been enjoying the limited traffic. I came upon this group as they were crossing the road, once the big guy settled down on the road, the others did not bother to carry on but stopped with him. I drove a very slow wide enough circle around them praying no one would be driving fast around the curve from the other direction.
The Chief Mountain Highway is open part way.
Along the drive I spotted two Sandhill Cranes in a wetlands beside the road.
With still time to pass, I hiked the Linnet Lake Loop and the Prince of Wales Loop.
These are photos from those areas.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
White-crowned Sparrow
While hiking the Prince of Wales Loop, I saw brown lumps across the water. I zoomed in to see a small Grizzly Bear scratching its back on the log. I snapped some shots then turned on the video. This is what I captured.
Mom and her two juniors!
The two juniors playing!
Playing with Mom! I watched them for about a half hour. They were across the lake so I felt safe. I used the camera zoom to get photos and videos. Eventually they moved on and disappeared around the corner.
crystal clear water with no wind
Time came to check into my home away from home. When I eventually loaded the photos and videos onto my iPad, I thought “OH WOW” that’s just Day 1.
Oh WOW! Wonderful photos and video of the bears, the mountain sheep, the birds, and the scenery. We loved our visit to Waterton last September. Would love to see it in every season. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSeptember is so pretty there! During this visit there were a couple of dozen trailers in the campground, a few shops were already open including the gas station, parks people were in training in various areas and it was lovely and quiet.
DeleteIt's an interesting corner of the province.
ReplyDeleteI love this corner of the province! What I noticed while I was there, there were more US license plates than Canadian. I wonder what the summer will be like!
DeleteOh WOW is right…that is one jam packed day! You and your bear encounters 😳..thank goodness this time it was from a distance. Enjoy your visit to this beautiful corner of our province. ❤️Norma
ReplyDeleteMy camera was on full zoom and I was so thankful the video and photos of the bears still came out clear!
DeleteOh happy sigh! What wonderful photos. B x
ReplyDeleteAnd the sigh is LOUD in such a good way!
DeleteSo many sweet sights with number one, the bears!
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteAlexandra, I read the previous comments before writing mine just to see if you might have replied telling us which photo is your favorite. You didn’t but I hope you’ll tell me. 😊 I have 6 images tied for my favorite. 😊 Like Lorrie and Norma said, Oh Wow! John PS Love the bears! … but even they are not one of my 6. 😊
ReplyDeleteOf course my favourite would be the bears and any photos of bears would always be my favourite!
DeleteOK, Wow again! 😊 By the way, I've decided my favorite to be the Sandhill Cranes. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a better picture of Sandhills. A close runner-up is that last image of the colorful rocks under water. Lastly, I am so happy to see you linking up with Saturday’s Critters. I think I get a little bit of credit for that 😊 and it delights me to see new bloggers finding your blog. I’ve been blogging since 2011 and you are one of the best nature/photography bloggers I’ve discovered in all that time. Ok, just one more thing … Besides blogging one of my long-time interests has been Yellowstone Park history. I’ve visited the Park many, many times and I can tell you for sure … the bears attract more attention than anything else in the Park. 😊 John
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