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We visited Peyto Lake, in Banff National Park in May of 2015. The park had just opened for the season and we were likely the first on the trail! It was an incredibly stellar day; the air was crispy clear, the colours were vibrant and the late spring snow added so much beauty. "Lucky us!" we both exclaimed! I'm easily drawn into this photo and taken to this very spot. It was here that I was reminded of Mother Earth’s fragility, of its tranquil beauty and its grandeur; then later I was reminded of our human fragility. As we hiked the trail my friend came across a beautifully polished jade heart that was approximately 3 inches in diameter; it was definitely not something that belonged there. It was flat on the bottom side (so it could sit on a table) and rounded on the top and on the top side there was round indentation (about the size and the thickness of a dime), obviously something had been glued in there, at one time. “Hey, look what I found”, my friend exclaimed! Instantly I was overtaken with emotion and tears rolled down my face; it was a baby’s urn. Raw memories of my own family’s stillborn and urn overtook me; my tears ran deep. I suspected this was a chosen, final resting place for this precious tiny life; what a spectacular view. We were standing near a ledge, where there was a full view Peyto Lake, and its turquoise colours. We had been walking on a snow-covered trail so I surmised that the parents couldn’t walk any further so they either placed the urn in a tree or perhaps lovingly and carefully tossed it. We knew that if we were to leave it, where we found it, then the next group of hikers would likely take it (being that it was jade); not knowing what they had found. “This baby”, I said, “deserves a beautiful resting place, somewhere it's parents would have intentionally and lovingly placed it". With that, I walked over to the mountain’s edge, laid on my stomach, reached over and down and then with my hands found a safe resting place for it to sit. Perfect ...tears. Tears are words that can’t be expressed just as grief is a love that has nowhere to go. Love is what binds us all. Be vulnerable, be you; it’s okay to cry... you’re human. This photo reminds me that I’m human, on a human journey on this amazing earth! Life is short; write a story! ...and take your camera! Peyto Lake is a glacier-fed lake, along Columbia Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. It was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff.
On Thanksgiving Day, 2017, we ventured out on our ATV’s for what was a truly adventurous and rewarding day. With my dear friends Ray and Karen we ventured out to Pettipeace Lake, a lake we had tried to get to a before; with each attempt we ran into obstacles, including knee deep snow, the disappearing daylight and a bridge washout. This time however we were prepared and set early and with great anticipation of the day that lie before us! As we approached the bridge washout we were disappointed to see that, although it was still under repair, a huge mound of boulders blocked our way. So, what to do? With excited determination we pulled up our sleeves and went to work, moving the boulders one by one until finally, we made a path for the ATV's. “Yay!”, we were elated to be on our way, to the “elusive” Pettapeace Lake. As we gained altitude, we entered a fog bank and the dampness could be felt with every breath; it had grown bitterly cold. Soon, snow began to fall and stick to the road; "If the snow gets much deeper", we agreed, "we'll have to turn around". We pressed on and as we approached this lake, we were all in awe; I had never (ever) seen such a beautiful winter scene. "Wow!", we all commented, “unbelievable!” were the words that came out of our mouths. The spiritual serenity of this alpine view was majestic; truly Mother Nature at her best. We were so excited by the scenery and really wanted to continue on but we were losing daylight, and fast; it was time to turn around. As we descended, we raced the day's darkness, and we froze as we did! Our original plan was to return to our cabin, wash up, dress up and go to the local community’s Thanksgiving dinner however because we were running late, we chose to drive directly there. We arrived, wet, cold and dressed in our winter gear and adorned our helmet hair; lol ..you can imagine the looks we got! Too funny :-) That said however, being an off-grid community, everyone was more interested in our travels and our attire! Such fun! Our Thanksgiving dinner was the perfect ending to a perfect day! I'll never, ever forget this adventurous day we shared. Pettipiece Lake is a lake located just 19.7 north-east of Seymour Arm via logging/forestry roads; in the province of British Columbia, Canada.
No doubt the first thing that comes to mind when you look at this photo is, “cold”! That said however, Alberta's cold wintry days are usually sunny, thus so very spectacular! As the morning clouds were lifting, the sun cast its rays on the mountain slopes, and the shadows it creates helps to define the ruggedness of the range. The shadows of the foreground trees help lead your eyes along and up to the mountain peaks. Notice how the foreground shadow, the mountain range and the heavy clouds above, all contribute to the balance of this photo; each being one third of the field of view.
