Urban-Like

You don't have to go far and you don't have to go high to experience that feeling of feeling like you are "on top of the world"!  Sometimes that's what it takes, but other times all you need is dreamy scenery, lyrical-like landscape and a friend who senses surroundings similarly as you do.  I always hope for the best of everything when I am out & about and today was no different for our snowshoe saunter through the Middle, Many, Moraine areas of Bow Valley Provincial Park.  This view of Middle Lake, at our starting point, was the prelude to our day.

Making Waves &  Happy Hiker

Sunshine & Shadows

As we approached this open meadow covered with brand new untouched snow, lined by trees and mountain peaks, that urban-like vibe began penning itself not on paper but in my mind.   It is landscapes like this that I love, that keep me coming back to the mountains and that I enjoy sharing with all of you.  This view was dreamy and lyrical-like.  So much so that I felt like I wanted to put it in a song, just like Keith Urban did about the love in his life.  

Standing in the middle of this meadow. 

I momentarily escaped.

To the dreamy moment when Mr. Urban serenaded me with...

...his lyrics from Put You in a Song.

"I gotta tell the world what ya mean to me

Wrap you up in a melody so you can be

Stuck in my head all day

Cause you're already there anyway"

Keith's words above describe how I feel about every moment spent in my mountain playground.  

"all in together girls"

"never mind the weather girls"

As we arrived at the Bow Valley Playground not sheltered at all, we chatted about how cold it really was with that wind chill and glad that we came prepared.  There was no way the cold and wind was going to keep us at home. 

"deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder"

"where it's so white as snow"

I marvel at these creations, how snow in such a uniform circle can perfectly cover rocks.  We were fortunate today to have open sections of water which added to the dreaminess and allowed for unique photo opportunities.

Our view from along the Bow River.

"oh play me some mountain music"

"like Grandma and Grandpa used to play"

Before snowshoeing away from the river, we took a few moments to admire Mount Yamnuska. 

"sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy"

We made our way to the campground and found the perfect site, #25, to enjoy our lunch. It was protected from the wind and open enough to let the sun shed rays on us.  The campground was a fun place to snowshoe around and we thought what a wonderful place to venture to for those just getting into the sport.

"the long and winding road"

"will never disappear"

We made our way down the long campground road scouting out campsites with potential.

"the hills are alive with the sound of music"

I took center stage for today's destination shot.  After taking care of that business, Happy Hiker made her way front and center for her performance which was singing a sweet melody.  The lighting was so pretty here at this time of day.

We made our way out of the campground to Moraine Trail, followed along this high point a short distance then meandered through this speckled looking forest back to where we began our day about four hours previous.

Our snowshoe trek around this area turned out being much, much more then anything I had hoped for.  I was thoroughly pleased as punch as was my friend because she does sense surroundings similarly as me.  As it was early afternoon, we decided to check out the Kananskis River area which was just a few kilometers drive across the road.  

We found the parking spot, then headed to an open area to where we could hike down a slope to the open river with plans to stroll along it a short distance and obtain more spectacular photos.  This was not the type of spectacular photo we had counted on.  As we neared where we would begin our decent, we spotted two wolves that were eyeing us.  We quickly turned around and made a bee-line back to the vehicle.  As we were heading in that direction, I turned around only to see the two wolves a mere six inches behind Happy Hiker who was not looking so happy now.  I know what to do during bear encounters, I have recently learned how to behave when surrounded by a pack of coyotes but what the heck does one do when confronted with a wolf!  They followed us to the vehicle, we got inside and even locked the doors.  They paced around the vehicle, around and around, stopping at times starring up at the window.  That is when I snapped this photo.

"hey there little red riding hood"

"you sure are looking good"

A few minutes later we were approached by Claus as we were on his property at Rafter Six Ranch.  He came right up to our vehicle and introduced us to River who is shown above and River's playmate. They are two timber wolves owned by Claus who took them in when they were seven weeks old.  They are family pets along with dogs and horses.  The wolves are eight months old now.  He said it was very safe to get out of the vehicle and pet them as he was doing while chatting with us.  My heart was still pounding and my hair was more on end then what River's looks like.  There was so way on God's green earth I was stepping foot outside the vehicle.  Claus did offer to us to come back another time and explore the property, hike around and to enjoy the animals.  I will have to think about that offer!  

Thinking back now to our day and how spectacular it was and how it developed into a day full of melodies, the icing on the cake had to be our wolf encounter, only now that we know we were safe the whole time.  Yes, everything little and big thing about today when all packaged together made me feel like I was "on top of the world!"