Canmore – clouds racing the moonlight
A couple of weeks ago I spent a night under the stars on the shore of Lake Minnewanka. On the way there, as I passed through Canmore, the full moon was lighting up the mountains that connect the town with the sky. Here the tip of Ha Ling and the East End of Rundle (EEOR) were lit up during the long exposure I made looking across the Trans-Canada Highway and over the town.
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House Sparrows in Canmore
The Summit Cafe is a favourite place for Bobbi and I to have breakfast when we are in Canmore. I was there last weekend, sitting on their patio outside. The sun was out, the snow had melted and it had more of a spring feel than anything else. These House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) contributed to that with their chittering and occasional outburst of song. There were about 15 that darted between the roof of a nearby building, a deck railing and a shrubbery that was more stick than bush given the time of year.
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Leanne and Dane’s Wedding
I was up in Canmore last weekend to photograph the wedding of Leanne McIsaac and Dane Moran. The weather came around just in time and we had a beautiful afternoon up on a hill overlooking Quarry Lake for the ceremony. We went down to the Bow River for some photographs with just the wedding party.
It was a really fun day and I can’t say enough about the couple and how much fun they were to work with. I wish them all the best together – I can’t wait for the baby photos in a few years!
Thank you to my friend Jeff Rhude who signed on as an assistant but was more a second shooter and a discussion board throughout the day.
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Bow Valley Trail Mountain Sheep
A large group of ewes were walking along this ridge with a gang of frisky youngsters in tow. A bit further down the road were 12-15 rams that looked to have separated from this group as they were grazing on the south side of the highway. Maybe they were sneaking away for some guy time. This is around the time lambs are born but I didn’t see any really small ones here. Not sure if they will be born soon or if they have been already and their mothers are keeping them in more remote spots for now.
These two younger lambs did not have the sure-feet and confidence of their more mature brethren which made their traverse of this steep, jagged part of the rock below the ridge an interesting walk to follow.
There are a number of great locations to see Bighorn Sheep when heading into the Rocky Mountains from Calgary. The place where I made these pictures is one of the most accessible: it is a long stretch of the Bow Valley Trail between Exshaw and Canmore. The sheep can be frequently seen right beside the road, up the mountain slopes on the scree or, more dramatically, on the cliffs that loom 60′ above the road just north of Lac des Arcs.
This ram came up a few minutes after the herd of ewes and lambs had gone. He was a beautiful animal and we loved watching him stride across the rocks. This ended an incredible day on a fine note after having seen a herd of elk, a moose, a Barrow’s Goldeneye, a grebe, a mating pair of osprey, several hawks and a bald eagle between sunrise and sunset.
Christopher Martin Photography 