Early Spring in the Bow Valley

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Since spring came early to southern Alberta (and other places), I also started hiking early this year. This day some of us in the Skrastin's Outdoor Club walked in the beautiful Bow Valley, which was adorned with fresh green leaves.

Brushing against the bushes released the fragrance of dry green willows. Actually, we saw more dogwood than willow. Peeking up between new grass shoots were tiny yellow, white and purple blooms. Crocuses tracked the sun like solar collectors and dotted the fields of last year's dried grasses. Teen-aged Douglas Fir trees sported bright red tips of new growth, and some were still covered with exploded cones. The light breeze kept us feeling spring's coolness under the mildly sunny sky.

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Photos

Bow Valley
The fresh green of spring!

Bow Valley trees
New leaves amongst ageless evergreens

Bow Valley bushes
Beautiful greens overshadow even the mountains!

Yamnuska
Distant view of traditional and modern destination

Bow River
Peaceful!

Beaver pond
Man's pipe allows nature's beavers to keep their dams.

Beaver dam
The architect of swamps

New growth
Welcome back from winter

Early flowers
Violet looks like rock!

Crocus
Delicate colours from a harsh land

Clematis
Always fun to see the natural cousins of cultivated plants

Douglas Fir
Who needs Christmas lights!

Douglas Fir
Almost overloaded with cones

Natural abstract artwork
Middle Lake

Middle Lake
Calm mirror at our feet

Yamnuska
Sentinel for miles around

Comments

[Karen Sack]

Such Beauty
Who knew. Thanks so much on a gloomy day in NYC.

[Isabel Gibson]

Nice shots!
I especially like the Douglas Fir, abstract artwork, and Middle Lake. I think it's amazing how much more we see when we carry cameras.

[beentouring]

Nice Shots!
Thank you. Now I know why artists carry sketch books and writers carry notebooks.