I can’t tell if this grizzly in Kananaskis, Alberta looks like she is sheepish or if she is shy. I’m sure she is just hungry. She was such an entertaining bear to watch last summer.
Read my background in wildlife photography practice, as well!
Kananaskis, Alberta -watching the sunset from my tent. The view was alright…
What?! Who’s there?
Curious grizzly bear in Kananaskis, Alberta.
Read about my wildlife photography practices.
I’ve been lucky enough in the past 3 summers to immerse myself in nature and to do this with an expert in wildlife, my boyfriend.
Since seeing my first bear in 2009, it has been my mission to pick out the difference between a black bear and grizzly bear, as other tourists would often shout out that they have just seen a grizzly bear, when, in fact – it was a black bear.
There are a few key differences to help differentiate between the two:
1. Black bears have a straight snout, while grizzlies have a dished in snout/face profile.
2. Black bears do not have a pronounced shoulder hump, while grizzlies do.
3. Black bears ears stick out more, grizzlies are less pronounced.
4. Black bears have shorter claws, you can definitely see grizzlies light long claws a lot more clearly.
5. Black bears, for the most part are much smaller than grizzlies.
Guess the bear – black or grizzly:
Bear #1
Yellowstone National Park
Bear #2
Yellowstone National Park
Bear #3
Yellowstone National Park
Bear #4
Yellowstone National Park
Bear #5
Waterton, Alberta
Bear #6
Waterton, Alberta
Bear #7
Kananaskis, Alberta
Answers:
#1 – Grizzly #2 – Black Bear #3 – Grizzly #4 – Black Bear #5 – Black Bear #6 – Black Bear #7 – Grizzly
How did you do?
PS – Read my view on wildlife photography.
Thank you to those who voted for the subject of my new header. Hope you enjoy the winner: Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba.
It was taken the final evening of my 2 month summer adventure – what a gorgeous sunset to top off an amazing, adventure filled summer.
The runner’s up were:
En route to Revelstoke, B.C.
Waterton, Alberta
I am a big road trip fan, and I always need to be the one behind the wheel (except when driving a manual transmission in Italy – thanks Katie for taking on that job!).
I’ve done a few gorgeous road drive in my day, and I am going to attempt to pick my mostest favoritest ever.
This is going to be hard.
5. Highwood Pass – Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada
I’ve been back and forth on this road a billion times, it feels like. I know it like the back of my hand, I suppose! It was all those early morning and late night drives in search for the perfect grizzly bear to observe.
4. Rogers Pass – TransCanada Highway in B.C., Canada
I didn’t expect much on my way to Revelstoke, B.C.. But this pass was absolutely breathtaking. The wildflowers were the most colourful and widespread I had ever seen!
I wasn’t able to stop and capture my own photo!
3. Going to the Sun – Glacier National Park: Montana, U.S.A.
I’ve completed this drive 3 times now, and I will never, ever get sick of it. It would really be nice to drive it some day when I can actually see the sun peeking through the gloomy clouds. Still – jaw-dropping beauty with all the glaciers, pine trees (ohhh the smells!), and mountain goats.
2. Amalfi Coast – Italy
Zing – jaw dropping scenes and those crazy little towns like Positano hanging off the side of those sheer rock cliffs. Sure, I would move there though!
1. Road to Hana – Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A
WOW – the views! At one spot, there was a very unique tiny town that sold the best banana bread and shave ice. The volcanic rocks and huge crashing waves there were amazing! Once in Hana, we noticed that it was getting late in the day and we had to turn right back around. I was kicking myself for not booking a room there to spend the night (they were full). Try to keep your windows open when you pass the eucalyptus trees – wow! Wow. WOW!
Honourable mentions to Beartooth Highway, the Canadian gold rush route through the Fraser Canyon, the drive from Vancouver to Whistler (Sea to Sky highway), and any driving we did in Italy and Hawaii – there wasn’t a dull scene anywhere!
It was a tough decision making this hike my #1 experience this summer while away camping and doing photography for 2 months.
My previous three: Specimen Ridge in Yellowstone, Sulphur Springs in Jasper, and Avalanche Peak in Yellowstone were all spectacular hikes.
But, after I looked over the photographs that were taken on this hike, I figured out that it was not such a hard decision after all.
Here are the dets from the Waterton Park site.
Distance: 18.0 km / 11.1 mi (one-way, transportation needed to or from trailhead)
Time: 6 – 8 hours (plan a full day)
Elevation Gain: 650 m / 2132′
Carthew-Alderson is one of the most beautiful hikes in Waterton Lakes National Park. Enjoy some of the most breathtaking scenery the Canadian Rockies has to offer! This trail winds through the montane, sub-alpine, and alpine zones! From Carthew Summit look east over the peaks to the prairies, and south into Glacier National Park, Montana.
Highlights include a misty walk through one of Waterton Park’s oldest forests, and the pyramidal grandeur of Mt. Alderson. You can take the hike from Cameron Falls in the Townsite to Cameron Lake, or from Cameron Lake to the Falls.
Follow the thick red line!
So come 7:45 am on this beautiful August morning, with coffee in hand (necessity!), we set out with a group of about 10 others in a mini bus from The Tamarak and headed to Cameron Lake to begin this adventure.
As per usual, we began our little competition of making sure we stayed in first place, ahead of the bus load of people that were dropped off with us. A few quick pictures were snapped of the two glacial lakes along the way.
It seemed that everywhere we turned, an amazing, jaw-dropping scene awaited us. So for once, we decided to sacrifice a record time on the hike and take it slowly. We stopped to appreciate all of the various scenes in front of us.
Wowee – look at that!
One of my favorite spots on the hike was an optional side trail to the peak up Carthew Ridge. It had one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. You could see into Montana, and Glacier National Park. You could see all the glacial lakes dotting the landscape and mountain peaks rising from the ground and surrounding you in a awe-inspiring 360 degree view. As my boyfriend was off on one of his frantic searches for wildlife to photograph, I sat atop a rock and enjoyed a peaceful view of the rugged landscape.
Another fav (it was so hard to pick a fav moment) was walking over a ridge of snow that emptied out into a lake. I could actually see the belly of the snowpack from the base of the lake. Ohhh what fun it would be to take my geography students to this area!
Overall, I had to designate this hike as my favorite, over Avalanche Peak in Yellowstone because there were just so many unique, diverse and spectacular views awaiting me with every 10 steps I took.
Almost there! We can see the townsite peaking out from the trees.
Hike #4 Specimen Ridge: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Hike #3 – Sulphur Skyline: Jasper, Alberta
Hike #2 – Avalanche Peak: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Here we are in Kananaskis, Alberta again. I am slowly editing down my vast volumes of photographs from the summer, and am stuck in a folder labeled ‘Alberta’.
Here is another photo of one of my favorite grizzly mom and cub duo (also here and here). It was a great show, that’s for sure!
Read my view on ethical wildlife photography, too!
It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw, not because she is Canada but because she’s something sublime that you were born into, some great rugged power that you are a part of.
- Emily Carr
Maligne Lake – Jasper, Alberta
