A Retreating Prairie Storm

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Nature is a beautiful thing.

The Amazing Sky

Retreating Thunderstorm at Sunset Panorama

A stunning storm cloud retreats across the prairies leaving clear skies in its wake.

The timing could not have been better. On Monday night, June 17, a thunderstorm retreated to the east at just the perfect time to catch the light of the setting Sun.

As these prairie storms often do, this one left behind clear skies, with a quarter Moon at right to the south and the Sun to the west, off frame but illuminating this amazingly sculpted cloud. Downdrafts in the thunderhead produced the mammatus clouds – the bulbous structures hanging from the thundercloud. The low Sun angle emphasizes their form.

We’ve had a lot of rain and storms lately, but when a storm puts on as fine a show as this one, I’ll take it!

This image is a 3-segment panorama using the Canon 5D MkII and 16-35mm lens at 16mm. I used Photoshop’s Photomerge and Adaptive…

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Scorpius Rising on the Prairies

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Did you know that Jasper’s National Park is known as the world’s largest dark sky preserve?

The Amazing Sky

Sagittarius and Scorpius on the Horizon (50mm 5DII)

Scorpius and the star clouds of the Milky Way skim along the southern horizon on the western Canadian prairie.

Scorpius crawls along the horizon at right, with dark lanes of dust converging onto yellowish Antares. Just left of centre a dark horse prances above the treetops. At lower left shines the pink Lagoon Nebula.

With its intricate mix of dark dust lanes and bright star clouds this is the richest region of the Milky Way. It marks the direction toward the centre of our Galaxy. Pity it lies so low in our sky from here in western Canada, at a latitude of 50° North. Compare this view to what I saw two months ago from New Mexico and you can see the advantage of a southerly latitude for any lovers of the Milky Way.

However, I was lucky to get this shot, taken last weekend during the only decent time…

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Photographs I love: D. Simon Jackson Photography

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J.C. Photography

A good news post.

I’ve been helping to support the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition for a while now and they are on the brink of victory.

The victory is protecting this very unique and endangered kermode bear, or spirit bear, only found on the B.C. coast of Canada.

Please read on for two ways you can help confirm that this beautiful black bear sub-species can safely exist here in Canada.

Two Ways to Help Save the Spirit Bear this Spring

After nearly two decades of work, we’re on the brink of saving the spirit bear.

This spring, help us take the final steps toward reaching our goals by supporting two visions that will strengthen our campaign, generate support and challenge youth to champion a new social movement for a wilder world.

1. Help us finish our first social movement, our campaign to save the spirit bear.

For nearly two decades…

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Ye Olde Sunwapta

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Sunwapta Falls in the old days was called: Sunwapta Falls Bungalows and consisted of a little tea room and cabins.  The original Owner was: William Hayhurst.  He was an avid geologist and lover of the outdoors.   Back then the highway to get to Sunwapta (HWY 93) was a dirt road and passing through the National Park was altogether different.  It was a few years after this that the Main Lodge that still stands today was built with larger seating area for the restaurant and gift shop.

Sunwapta Falls Bungalows Tea Room

Sunwapta In Winter

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Yes it’s true- Sunwapta Falls exists after the summer season is over. Even though we all pack up and say goodbye in the Fall- Mountain Momma and her trusty assistant Elsa do property checks to make sure Sunwapta doesn’t get lonely. Here’s a shot of the Endless Chain in winter- it’ll be neat to compare this one to a summer shot in a few months- the terrain is so altered by snow.
Endless Chain Winter