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Joel Hagen

Cycling on the Bow Valley Parkway, Lake Louise’s New Fire Guard, and More…

Great Divide’s Spring Newsletter, 2025

Happy Spring, everyone. It’s hard to believe we’re 25 years into the new millennium. Or that Great Divide Nature Interpretation is coming up on its 29th year of operation!

My snowshoeing season wrapped up a couple of weeks ago, and this past weekend, I saw my first prairie crocuses, a sure sign of spring. My summer guiding season begins in late May, and I can’t wait to see many more wildflowers and other scenic wonders out on the trail.

 

Bow Valley Parkway Cycling is Back!

A family ride.

This week, Parks Canada announced that the pilot project to allow spring and fall cycling on the Bow Valley Parkway has been extended. And not just for this year, but for the next five!

From May 1 to June 25, 2025, and again from August 28 to October 2, 2025, the eastern 17 km section of the Bow Valley Parkway will be closed to cars.

If you’re self-propelled on two wheels, you can enjoy a gorgeous and scenic riding experience without vehicle traffic. It’s a terrific opportunity for families, for nature lovers, and for scenery junkies.

The park is making a few requests of people: there’s no parking on the TransCanada Highway, so please ride your bike from Banff’s Train Station parking lot; carry bear spray, as well as lots of water & food; and remember that in the spring, the road is only open for biking from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. because of the Park’s Canada’s seasonal restriction to support wildlife.

Enjoy the ride.

 

Logging in Lake Louise

From December until the end of March, Parks Canada logged a portion of the forest just west of town.

Logging west of Lake Louise

What?

If you’re thinking, “wait a minute, I thought national parks don’t allow logging!” you’re mostly right, but this logging is different. It has created the first half of the brand new Lake Louise Community Fireguard. A fireguard is a large area that’s been cleared of trees. It’s meant to act as a barrier to wildfires by eliminating fuel.

This winter’s work cleared out over 70 hectares (170 acres) of forest, running from the Chateau Lake Louise to the highway. Next winter, 95 hectares (235 acres) will be logged from the highway to the base of the Lake Louise Ski Resort.

All this should reduce the risk of future wildfires to the community of Lake Louise, which is good news given the destructive power of fires these days. The catastrophic fires in Jasper in July, 2024, and in Los Angeles in January, 2025, have made everyone here more concerned.

Lake Louise Community Fireguard

On a happier note, the newly deforested landscapes will also improve wildlife corridors and create some good foraging habitat away from the busier parts of town.

Next winter, the entire area will be re-opened, and we’ll be able to snowshoe into the fireguard. Should be exciting to see it firsthand.

 

Karsten Heuer, 1968 – 2024

When I first started working in Banff National Park, in the 1990s, there was a young biologist hanging around, getting his feet wet. His name was Karsten. I didn’t know then what an amazing life he would lead (I don’t think Karsten knew, either), but when he decided to travel – self-propelled – from Yellowstone National Park to the Yukon in 1998, everybody took notice.

Karsten Heuer working in Banff’s backcountry

The “Yellowstone to Yukon” conservation project had just been launched, with the goal of protecting the core of the Rockies with an expanded network of parks, easements, conservancies, and land management rules. Karsten thought it would be good to put a human face atop this idea, so in 1998 he set off on foot to travel. I remember him camping out at our apartment as he hiked through Lake Louise. It took him a year and a half, mostly in that summer and the next, but he did it, travelling the entire 3,400 km distance under his own steam. Afterwards, he often talked of how there were only a couple of dozen days where he didn’t see a grizzly bear or some sign of grizzly bears. His incredible trip put a human face on the project, but also convinced many how great an idea “Y2Y” was.

That was just the beginning for Karsten. In 2003, he and his wife Leanne Allison travelled with the Porcupine caribou herd to highlight their migratory route. A few years later, with their young son Zev along, Karsten and Leanne paddled across Canada by canoe. And for his final professional achievement, Karsten was the manager of the bison reintroduction project in Banff National Park starting in 2017. From a founding population of 16, bison in the park now number over 130.

Karsten was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease two years ago, and died in November, 2024.

So long to a father, husband, biologist, conservationist and adventurer.

 

Amazing Photo Exhibit at the Columbia Icefield Centre.

This winter, the Whyte Museum mounted an exhibit of photographs by mountaineer Jim Elzinga and filmmaker Roger Vernon. The images were huge and striking, which was only fitting, as they were all taken at the Columbia Icefield. Jim has been going there on mountaineering trips for 50 years, and loves the place so much he started Guardians of the Ice to help protect it.

Light and crevasses at the Columbia Icefield. Photo by Jim Elzinga.

2025 is the United Nations’ “International Year of Glacier’s Preservation.” It’s meant to highlight the importance of glaciers, and the risks we all face if glacial ice disappears. And the research is clear: glacial ice is disappearing. In an article published in the top journal Nature in February this year, glaciologists calculated the total ice loss between 2000 and 2023. It was 5% worldwide, and in western Canada, it was over 20%.

Around the world, 2 billion people rely on glaciers for their downstream needs: for drinking water, irrigation, and hydro power. Here in Alberta, our rivers rise along the Continental Divide, and snake their way through cities and farmland, helping to feed us and quench our thirst.

Jim Elzinga’s photos will have a new home next month, at the Columbia Icefield Centre’s main exhibit hall. They are so dramatic that Jim and Roger hope they will inspire people to want to safeguard our ice. If you’re on your way from Banff to Jasper, stop in and check them out. And once you do, lets get to work on the climate change file!

Valley of the Ten Peaks

Join Joel for a Nature Show this Summer at Moraine Lake or Bow Lake.

Joel at work on the shore of Lake Louise

If you’re lucky enough to stay at the Moraine Lake Lodge this summer, I’ll be back for another season of entertaining and intriguing presentations about the nature and the history of the Canadian Rockies. I’m there three nights a week.

And new this year, on Thursday afternoons, I’ll be presenting at the freshly restored Lodge at Bow Lake.

I look forward to seeing you at a show or on the trail.

Happy hiking!

-Joel

My Favourite Wildlife Photos of 2023 – The Triumph of the Small

pika

I saw some big creatures this year: grizzly bears, mountain goats, even a rare lynx, but what consistently caught my eye were smaller animals, often right beside the trail. These close encounters were rewarding for the beauty revealed in fur and feathers, and for the behaviours exhibited. In the order that I crossed paths with them, here are my favourite five…

1. Least chipmunk
Least chipmunk feeding on a juniper berryChipmunks are certainly cute, but if you watch them closely, they have an interesting approach to berries: they’re only interested in the seeds. It doesn’t matter if it’s a wild strawberry or a buffaloberry, they don’t eat what we think of as the “good” part – the fruit portion of the berry – they just eat the seeds. I watched this one on the Rockpile trail at Moraine Lake in May. It would grab a juniper berry off a bush, munch through the tough skin and pulp until it found the seed, and then throw the rest of the berry to the ground.

2. Violet-Green Swallow
Violet-green swallow in BanffWhen people talk about “wildlife,” they usually mean mammals, but mammals aren’t always easy to find. However, if you include birds in your definition, you are sure to see ‘wildlife” in the park every single day. Add binoculars or a zoom lens into the mix, and your bird sightings will wow you!

I spied this male violet-green swallow in June in Banff, and was impressed by its vivid metallic green back. I was glad that it parked itself for a few moments, as they are really hard to photograph in flight: they can rip along at up to 45 km/h. No wonder their Latin name is Tachycineta thalassina. Tachycineta is from the Greek “tachos,” which means speed.

3. Columbian Ground Squirrel
Columbian ground squirrelAt the beginning of July, in a meadow below the Victoria Glacier, near Lake Louise, a wary ground squirrel and I tried not to move as we observed one another. When you get close to Columbian ground squirrels, you really notice a beautiful, dappled pattern in their fur. They’re definitely worth a second look.

Here’s the wild part: even though it was only early July, this one was more than halfway through its brief summer above ground. They are hibernation champs, spending seven to eight months of the year asleep.

4. White-tailed Ptarmigan
White-tailed ptarmigan near Mcarthur Lake, Yoho National ParkOver the years, my go-to destination for ptarmigans has been Lake O’Hara, where I’m lucky enough to see them pretty much every summer, especially up at Oesa, Opabin or McArthur. This one, in early August, seemed utterly unperturbed as we crept by on the trail. Just look at those feathers!

5. Pika
Pika grazing on the Rockpile at Moraine LakeEarly September means a final trip to the alpine salad bar for pikas. This one grazed amid the hustle and bustle at Moraine Lake, allowing me and my hiking group a wonderful close-up. I especially like the long whiskers.

Exploding Flowers, Climate Crisis in the Rockies, 350 Million Year Old Fossils and More…

Reflection at Bow Lake in early July, 2023

Great Divide’s Fall Newsletter, 2023

The "Icicle Farm" on the Plain of Six Glaciers trail.Say hello to icicles, snow, and frost crystals: ’tis the season where the mercury dips, and winter’s magic spreads over the land. Three weeks ago, I hiked up to the Plain of Six Glaciers with my girlfriend Lisa, and was astounded by the presence of what I’ve nicknamed the “Icicle Farm.” In all the years I’ve lived in Lake Louise, I didn’t know about this feature. It’s only visible in the narrow window from when it’s cold enough for the water dripping over the cliffs to freeze, but before the heavy winter snow buries all the icicles.

Reflection at Bow Lake in early July, 2023

Beautiful Bow Lake, on a still July morning.

Summer 2023 was full of outdoor adventures, and almost 100 days of guided hiking. Thank you everyone, from far and wide, for trusting me to take you out on the trail. Aside from some smoky weeks, the hiking and scenery were excellent this year. Here’s one of my favourite shots from the summer. It was a still day in early July at Bow Lake, and the mirror surface made for flawless reflections.

An Exploding Wildflower in Slo-Mo

Dwarf dogwoods in bloom.

Dwarf dogwoods, Cornus canadensis, blooming in early summer.

One of the delights of early season hiking is finding dwarf dogwoods in bloom. These ground-dwelling shrubs, which are related to full-sized dogwood trees, add good cheer to any hike. Plus, they do something truly extraordinary: they explode.

As a way to guarantee the delivery of their pollen to adjacent dogwoods, the flowers pop open in a violent explosion. The explosion can come at the touch of a small insect (who then becomes like a Fed Ex pollen delivery driver), or can happen spontaneously when the flower ripens. Even though the flower is only about the size of a pin head, the pollen can travel as much as 2 or 3 cm through the air. According to botanist Joan Edwards, a professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, the force of the explosion can reach over 2,000 Gs. You can see time lapse images of exploding flowers on her “Tale of the Dogwood” web page.

I had some fun with guests Darren & Tracey and their kids Joshua & Isabel this summer trying to capture the explosion in slow motion on our iphones. They managed to get the best video of the experiment, so thank you, gang!

 

Climate Change in Lake Louise

This summer was a shocker for temperatures in Alberta and Canada. You probably heard about Canada’s record-breaking fire season (over 18 million hectares burned). We weren’t alone in our misery: the World Meteorological Union declared that 2023’s June, July, August and September were each the hottest summer months ever recorded worldwide.

All this was distressing, but for those of us who live here in the Canadian Rockies, it was May that was the most surprising. Banff smashed its all time record for May, with temperatures over 4 degrees C above normal. Banff has kept weather records since 1891, and this year was unprecedented. Dr John Pomeroy, the lead hydrology and glaciology researcher in the Canadian Rockies, had never seen anything like it. He recorded the most rapid snowmelt in his research career, and even observed winter melting at the Athabasca Glacier for the first time ever.

This is extremely sobering and alarming news, and since a picture tells a thousand words, here are two photos to showcase what happened this year. The first is at the Plain of Six Glaciers, on June 4, 2022, with the meadows and mountains still buried in snow. The second is exactly the same place, one year later on June 2, 2023, after a May that felt like July.

early June, 2022

June 4, 2022

June 2, 2023

June 2, 2023, after the warmest May in Banff’s history.

To read more about this summer of dramatic climate change, there is an excellent CBC article from September. Dr. Pomeroy was interviewed and he described the changes that took place this year on the Peyto Glacier, which has been studied since the 1890s. By early September, the glacier’s losses from the summer of 2023 were 6.5 metres of ice from its surface, and 80 metres from its terminus.

Fire Destroys the Largest Residence in Lake Louise

Charleston Residence in Lake Louise on fire on July 3, 2023

Fire at Charleston Residence on July 3, 2023

Amidst all the worry about forest fires this past summer, a building fire on July 3, 2023 took down the Charleston Residence, which was the largest staff accommodation in Lake Louise. “Chucktown,” as everyone calls it around here, was home to the staff of the Lake Louise Ski Resort. There were about 165 people displaced, but in the winter, the building normally houses between 300 and 400 staff.

Luckily, there were no injuries, but the fire has been determined to have been deliberately lit, and a staff member is awaiting trial on arson charges.

Until a replacement is built, the resort has built temporary staff temporary staff quarters at the base of the hill.

Fossil fun in Kananaskis Country

Horn corals at Arathusa Cirque

Horn corals at Arethusa Cirque

Sometimes it’s good to get out of your neighbourhood and see something new. My girlfriend Lisa, who is a geologist & geophysicist, took me to an amazing spot in Kananaskis Country this summer. Our destination on a beautiful mid-September day was Arethusa Cirque, near Highwood Pass.

It’s a dramatic landscape of folded limestone, so your eye is drawn by the big scenery. But there was little stuff to marvel at as well: it turned out that the limestone was full of fossilized corals. Most were horn corals that had thrived in the seas of the Carboniferous Era, 350 million years ago. It was like a scavenger hunt through time!

Next Up? Snowshoeing!

My snowshoeing season begins on December 1. You can find out all about it on my snowshoeing pageUntil we meet again, Happy Thanksgiving to those in the US, and happy holidays to everyone during the coming Christmas season.

-Joel

How Lake O’Hara’s Alpine Circuit Ended Up Being Yellow & Blue

Trail markers on the alpine circuit.

Trail markers on the alpine circuit.Have you ever wondered who painted the trail markers on the “Alpine Circuit” at Lake O’Hara? There’s red and orange squares side by side, as well as blue squares with two vertical yellow stripes. Sometimes you see all of them on the same rock.

Who painted them? How were the colours chosen? It turns out it’s a multi-generational story, with a handful of cast members who ought to be celebrated for their efforts to keep us hikers in the right place on the mountainside.

Famous Lake O'Hara trail builders Carson Simpson and "Tommy" Link.

Lake O’Hara trailblazers – literally – Carson Simpson and “Tommy” Link.

First up in our cast are trail builders George “Tommy” Link and Carson Simpson. Through the 1940s, they worked to create most of the alpine circuit we enjoy today, putting up the routes to Wiwaxy Gap and All Soul’s Prospect, as well as the Huber and Yukness Ledges. Since there was little to indicate where the trails were, Tommy decided to mark the route with red and orange squares of paint. He had researched the colours, and believed that they would be easy to see for people who are colour-blind.

In 1969, the legendary Tim Auger started working as the district warden at O’Hara, and became a protege of Tommy, who was by this time in his 80s. Tommy took Tim out to all the trails he had built, and since the paint squares were fading, Tim repainted the red and orange in the early 1970s.

Park Warden Tim Auger painting route markers at Lake O'Hara in the early 1970s.

Park Warden Tim Auger painting route markers at Lake O’Hara in the early 1970s.

Fast forward to the 1980s, when my friend Edwin Knox, now retired from the Waterton Lakes National Park Warden Service, got his first trail crew job… at Lake O’Hara! He started in 1984, and spent three summers up at O’Hara. Edwin overlapped the era when the trail markers were changed. I interviewed Edwin for a couple of hours this spring (thank you, Edwin!), and got the whole story. In 1986, it was decided that the orange and red squares needed an upgrade: they looked too similar to the brightly coloured lichens on the rocks, and they weren’t ideal for those who are colour-blind.

Rob Hemming painting alpine markers in 1986

Rob Hemming painting alpine markers in 1986. Photo by Edwin Knox

That summer, Edwin was on a crew that included Rob Hemming and Diny Harrison (who later became the first woman in Canada to become a full mountain guide). Diny had studied fine art in university, and from her knowledge of the colour wheel, she knew that two colours from opposite sides of the wheel would give the highest contrast and be the most visible – even to those with colourblindness – so she chose blue and yellow. In the first week of August that summer, Edwin, Diny and Rob went on a mission to paint the new squares on the alpine route. They had little stencils, small paintbrushes, and a couple of cans of paint.

Rob Hemming and Diny Harrison painting alpine markers in 1986.

Rob Hemming and Diny Harrison painting along the Huber Ledges in 1986. Photo by Edwin Knox

Edwin provided me these photos of Rob and Diny at work. I love the Parks Canada “uniforms” circa 1986: blue or pink shorts and bare chests or bikini tops!

When you next do the alpine circuit, make sure you tip your hats to Tommy, Tim, Diny, Rob, Edwin, and all the other great O’Hara trail crew members who have followed in their footsteps. Without them, we’d almost certainly get lost up in the high country!

Tommy And Lawrence book coverIf you want to dig into the history of Lake O’Hara’s trails, I recommend Tommy & Lawrence: the Ways and the Trails of Lake O’Hara, by Jon Whyte, edited by Chic Scott.

 

An Exciting Season of Prescribed Fires

Prescribed fire at the Saskatchewan Crossing in 2009

Prescribed fire at the Saskatchewan Crossing in 2009On this Earth Day, it felt right to write about one of the most fundamental natural processes that plays out over the surface of the earth: fire.

Forest fires have been part of the natural history of the Canadian Rockies since the return of plants and forests at the end of the last big glaciation. That’s about 13,000 years of wildfire in the landscape. Despite this, people and fire have an uncomfortable relationship. Fires are as natural as sunrise and sunset, and they create some tremendous patches of habitat, favoured by everything from birds to bears to bison. But they can take a real toll on communities, and they produce a lot of smoke, so the usual response to fires is to fight them and put them out, even in national parks.

One of the best tools for bringing fires back into a landscape is prescribed fire, where people (in this case, the Parks Canada fire team) decide when and where they want to have a fire. They can light fires when the weather window is favourable, and do nature’s bidding with a guiding hand.

Prescribed fires planned for Yoho, 2023.

In 2023, Yoho National Park is in the fire spotlight. In my over 30 years of living in the Rockies, Yoho is the park that’s experienced the least fire, so it’s time. This year, Parks Canada has announced an ambitious plan to light three large prescribed fires in Yoho. They are in out of the way valleys in the western end of the park, but if the park gets the right conditions, it could make for an interesting spring and fall (the park doesn’t do prescribed burning in the summer).

My Favourite Wildlife Sightings of 2022

Hoary marmot

It’s time for my fave animal photos from last year. I always love going through my pictures (all taken on my teensy Panasonic Lumix camera), but it’s always tough to pick the final shortlist. Let me know if you’ve got a favourite from the bunch.

1. Snowshoe Hare
Snowshoe hareI think this one will be hard to beat. I got home from snowshoe guiding on a snowy day last January, and while I was shovelling, I noticed a roosting snowshoe hare beside the woodshed. They often rest in the daytime, and this little cutie decided that this was the perfect spot. The next day, I was doing the dishes and looking out the kitchen window when I realized that a clump of snow underneath my car was… the same little snowshoe hare!Snowshoe hare roosting under the car

2. Yellow-Fronted Bumblebee (Bombus flavifrons)
Bumblebee and glacier lilyThis early bird (er, bee) was out gathering nectar and pollen at the end of May in Yoho National Park. Given the early date, this is a queen bee, born in the late summer of the previous year. She and her sisters are the only bumble bees from a colony that survive the winter, and after hibernating, each of them will try to start a new colony in the spring. Talk about resilience! Plus, if you need proof that bees are important pollinators, this picture is worth a thousand words.

 

3. Hoary Marmot
Hoary marmotThese photogenic and jumbo-sized squirrels could make my list every year. There’s something endearing about marmots and their big buck-toothed grin. Right now, they are in the middle of almost 8 months of hibernation, making them the deep sleep champions here in the Rocky Mountains (take that, grizzly bears!).

4. Grizzly Bears
Female grizzly bear and cubSpeaking of grizzly bears, sometimes the Lake Louise Ski Area lives up to its billing as a good place to spot bears. I was on the “Grizzly Express” summer sightseeing lift in July when I spotted this mama griz and her cub.

5. Chipmunk
chipmunk stuffing its cheeks with seedsFall is my favourite time to watch chipmunks, because they get really focussed on collecting seeds for the winter. It’s super charming: they harvest and husk grass seeds, then stuff them in their cheeks until they can’t squeeze in any more. These seeds are carried to the hibernation den and piled up until there are a couple of litres (!!) squirrelled (er, chipmunked) away for the winter. They wake up and snack frequently during their hibernation period.

6. White-tailed Ptarmigan
White-tailed ptarmiganOkay, I have to start with the only ptarmigan joke I know…

Q: Why can’t you hear a ptarmigan going to the bathroom?
A: Because the “p” is silent.

At the end of September, you know that winter is just around the corner, and for proof, I like to watch the white-tailed ptarmigan moult from summer brown to winter white. It takes a few weeks, but once it starts, it’s time to break out the long-johns and the extra puffydown jacket.

My Favourite Panoramas from 2022

Marcus on top of the world

A happy new year project for me every January is posting my favourite panoramas of the past twelve months. Panos are great at capturing the sweep of the landscape, and most of the time, I like to place a person in the frame for scale. Enjoy these half dozen photos from 2022!

February: Afternoon light on Mount Hector. With the sun low on the horizon throughout the day, winter is a magical time for mountain photography.Mount Hector

March: On a ski tour with my friend Marcus north of Lake Louise, we enjoyed the proverbial “sea of peaks” all around us. It’s an experience that makes you feel big and small at the same time.Marcus on top of the world

August: Lake O’Hara is one of my favourite places, and here you can see why. Thanks to the Bedrich family for agreeing to do the stiff climb to All Soul’s Prospect. This spot gives you a sense of accomplishment and beauty in equal measure.High above Lake O'Hara

September: This is O’Hara again, only a few weeks after the previous photo. My guests Eric, Alice and I had never seen anything like it: a full-on snowstorm to the north of us; a mix of clouds and sun to the south; and the three of us standing at the dividing line between the two weather systems!snow and sun at Lake O'Hara

November: Lake O’Hara a third time, in mid-November. My friend Chuck and I cross-country skied up to the lake, which was frozen and in deep shadow. All around us were glorious peaks.Chuck at Lake O'Hara

November: That’s yours truly on the same day, after a magical afternoon skate on Lake Louise. The lake ice was spectacular in mid-November, and in ten days I managed to skate on five different lakes and one river.Joel on the ice of Lake Louise

 

A Massive Cone Crop, Ocean-going Garter Snakes, New Snowshoeing Videos, My Next Ukraine Fundraiser, and more…

Ice crystals at Hector Lake

Great Divide’s Fall Newsletter, 2022

Welcome to the short days of winter. And what an amazing start to winter here in the Canadian Rockies! There was a pulse of snow in early November, and then clear skies and cold temperatures in the last two weeks. During that time I’ve managed to skate on five different lakes and one frozen river. The real treat was getting out on Hector Lake, the second largest waterbody in the park. The ice and frost crystals were magnificent.
deneme bonusu veren bahis siteleri
ice crystals on Hector Lake

2022 was a real “bounce back” season for me, after two rough years of Covid-19. Thank you to everyone who joined me on the trail this year. It was a beautiful summer, and nature, as usual, provided some intriguing stories.

A Cone Crop for the Ages

Most of my guests noticed that the evergreens in the park were just plastered with a heavy crop of cones this summer. The numbers were staggering, and the big cone crop was consistent across different species of trees.

It was only the third time in my 30+ years in the Rockies that I’d seen this, and when it happened the last time, I wrote a blog post highlighting what biologists think is going on.

2022's amazing cone crop, featuring cones of many colours.

Clockwise, from top left, female (pink) and male (gold) cones on a Lyall’s larch; developing spruce cones; mature cones on a subalpine fir (blue-grey) and an Engelmann spruce (beige); subalpine fir cones rocking the purple in early July.

 

One thing about this awe-inspiring display of fecundity was how beautiful it was. We usually think pine cones come in a boring selection of beige or brown, but during the growth of this summer’s cones there was pink and purple and green and gold. It was absolutely striking.

Great Divide’s Favourite Nature Book of 2022: Seeds, by Thor Hansen

It is a tradition of this fall newsletter to recommend a book for the nature lover on your Christmas list. Since the big cone crop is still on my mind, I’ve chosen a book about the natural history of seeds. It was a gift from one of my guests this summer (thanks, Elyse!), and proved to be a really engaging look at something we don’t think about much (gardeners excepted).

Book cover of Seeds, by Thor HansonNature writer Thor Hansen takes the long view on seeds, starting with their evolution (a big advance over spores, which ruled before seeds took centre stage). From there, it’s a very entertaining ride, with stops en route that take the reader to the deconstruction of an Almond Joy bar, to how the beaks of Darwin’s finches evolved because of seeds, to a breakdown of why the seeds of peppers range from very mild to very hot. Most mindblowing of all: the story of how a 2000 year-old date palm seed found in the ruins of Masada was successfully sprouted in 2005!

Garter Snakes in the Salish Sea

I’m always on the lookout for nature stories that spark wonder. This summer, wildlife and nature photographer Ryan Wilkes went to British Columbia’s Gulf Islands to photograph some unusual garter snakes he’d heard about. On Saturna Island he found what he was looking for: garter snakes that take to salt water to hunt fish in the intertidal zone!

 

Garter snake hunting in salt water off of Saturna island, B.C.

Garter snake preparing to dive into the salt water on the coast of Saturna Island. Photo by Ryan Wilkes.

As Ryan wrote, “I spent days watching garter snakes meander down the beach, swim through kelp beds, hold their breath for minutes at a time, and even witnessed the occasional successful hunt. These snakes take on a surprisingly confident and poised persona while in the water which allowed me to get closer than I had previously thought possible from many fleeting encounters on land.”

Ryan’s photos ended up winning him an award in Canadian Geographic’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. You can find Ryan’s work on his website or on Instagram.

Rock Star Snowshoeing Videos

Last winter, I hired the team at Calgary-based Roam Creative (great company to work with!) to produce some video footage of my snowshoeing trips. We got lucky with a couple of bluebird days in February, and I’m really happy with the footage.

Joel's "Hero Video"Some of the clips will be getting featured on my website soon. But for a sneak preview, check out my “hero video” (Roam’s name, not mine) and a really fun stop motion video inviting you to come snowshoeing. Who could resist?

And as the Borg say, “resistance is futile,” so why not join me for a winter outing? My snowshoeing season starts next week, on December 1. To make a reservation, just visit the calendar on my website and pick your day.
deneme bonusu
Fundraiser for Ukraine

Getting in the Ukraine spirit.We’ve just passed the 9 month mark of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It has been an awful and brutal conflict. Last March, I ran a fundraising weekend for the Canada Ukraine Foundation, teaming up with Wilson Mountain Sports, our local sports shop. I donated the proceeds from two days of snowshoeing, and Wilson’s matched it. Together, we raised over $2600 for aid to Ukraine.

This coming winter, in February, will be the one year anniversary of the invasion. To help the Ukrainian people, I will be doing another fundraiser, so if you want a fun day out, all while supporting a good and just cause, mark off February 25 or 26 on your calendar!

Enjoy the holiday season and winter, everyone, and I hope you can make it out to the parks for a snowshoe tour.

All my best wishes.

-Joel

30 Years of Golden Eagles, Three Decades in Lake Louise, Fundraising for Ukraine, and more…

bill and joel showing donation cheques for canada-ukraine foundation

Great Divide’s Spring Newsletter, 2022

Happy May from Canadian Rockies. As this photo from late March would suggest, it’s been a glorious winter, but it’s taking a long time for spring to arrive. The leaves should finally pop open next week in Lake Louise, which also marks the beginning of my guided hiking season, on May 30. Speaking of 30, this year marks a couple of three decade milestones, one from the world of nature, and one that’s more personal…

Snowy scene in March

30 Years of Golden Eagles

Golden eagle flying

Golden eagle in flight. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

Let’s go back to March 20, 1992. For bird geeks, this is an important date. This is the day that Peter Sherrington and Des Allen discovered, by accident, a hundred golden eagles flying over the Kananaskis Valley. Over the next few weeks, they put in the hours, and realized that thousands of golden eagles were flying over the mountains. I remember getting the call for volunteers that spring, and Nadine & I went down to watch for eagles flying over Lake Minnewanka.

How had we missed such a mass migration? After all, this is a bird with a 2 metre wingspan! The answer is they were simply flying so high that you couldn’t see them with your naked eye. You needed binoculars or a spotting scope.

This spring, the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation marks thirty years of monitoring the migration of golden eagles and other birds of prey over the Rockies every spring and fall. Sadly, the number of migrating eagles has been in steady decline, but that highlights the value of multi-year studies like this one. They can sound the alarm when wildlife populations change.

Congratulations to Peter and Des, and kudos to all the volunteers over the years.

Three Decades in Lake Louise
I’m celebrating a more personal 30 year anniversary this year. In early May of 1992, I arrived in Lake Louise to begin work as a park naturalist with Parks Canada. I wrote a post on Facebook on the actual anniversary, May 4, and this is what I had to say:

interpretiation staff, 1992.

Joel (top right, dressed as a Scottish mountain goat) and his co-workers in 1992.

“It’s been a privilege to live in this landscape of mountains and nature. I get to take people into the park, and share with them stories of this amazing place.

“Based on a back-of-the-envelope estimate, in the last 30 years, I’ve led almost 2000 guided hikes, walks and snowshoeing trips, and done over 1400 presentations.

“Thanks to the friends and co-workers and guests I’ve met along the way. Thanks to Nadine, who shared in this journey for so many years. And thanks to nature, a true temple that we ought to treat better. It’s a sacred gift, to humanity and to itself.”

Great Divide’s Donation to the Canada Ukraine Foundation

bill and joel showing donation cheques for canada-ukraine foundation

Bill Keeling (left) from Wilson Mountain Sports and Joel, with our novelty sized cheques to the Canada Ukraine Foundation.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February was a brutal act, and the war continues, at the expense of tens of thousands of lives and untold misery. Like many, I wanted to do something about it, so I donated the proceeds of two of my guided snowshoeing trips in late March to the Canada Ukraine Foundation. When my neighbour Bill Keeling found out, he had our local (and awesome) sports store, Wilson Mountain Sports, match the donation. Together we raised $2700 to support humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine.

Ice Melt Date at Lake Louise
It’s been a late spring in the Rockies, which means many of the high elevation lakes are still frozen. Every year, it’s fun to watch the ice on Lake Louise and mark the day when it finally disappears.

The good news: you don’t actually have to be here to see it happen. From the comfort of your armchair, you can pull up the webcam on the roof of the Chateau Lake Louise, and monitor what’s going on! My vote is for June 4. I’ll post the date once the ice comes off.

Art from at Lake O’Hara, and Lake O’Hara Hikes this Fall

Morning, Lake O'Hara, by JEH MacDonald

“Morning, Lake O’Hara,” 1926, by JEH MacDonald

This spring, while visiting Toronto, I got to make a long-awaited pilgrimage to the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg. They have a big collection of works by the Group of Seven, including pieces painted in the Canadian Rockies, and it was such a thrill to see works made in places I know and love. One of my favourites was a canvas by JEH MacDonald, done up at Lake O’Hara. It was luminous and totally captivating.

And Lake O’Hara itself is luminous and captivating. Most of my summer is already booked up, but I’ve currently got lots of availability in the second half of September, during larch season, and I invite you to consider a trip to Lake O’Hara to enjoy the show. If you’re unfamiliar with larch trees, they’re an “evergreen” that isn’t evergreen! They shed their needles in the fall, but before they do, they turn a beautiful gold. O’Hara, a limited access area, has phenomenal larch displays, and I can reserve day trips into the area through the guiding quota with Parks Canada. If you’d like to see this feast for the eyes firsthand, let me know.

Covid-19 Update
After being fully vaccinated in 2021, I received my first Covid booster shot at the beginning of January, 2022. I’ll be eligible for my second booster in July, and am planning to get my inoculation then. Covid has not gone away in Canada, but most of the restrictions have. I still take it seriously, however, and all of my Covid-19 safety measures are laid out on the Great Divide website.

Have a wonderful summer, everyone, and I hope to see you on the trail.

Five Years of Bison in Banff

Large herd of bison in Banff, 2021

This week marks the 5th anniversary of the return of bison to Banff National Park. On a chilly February 1st in 2017, 16 bison were airlifted into the park’s backcountry, and released into a holding corral in the Panther River Valley.

Since then, it’s been a pretty amazing buffalo journey. Parks Canada’s Bison Blog has done a great job of chronicling the last five years. Here’s my favourite highlights, with all photos courtesy of Parks Canada:

Spring, 2017: ten bison calves are born, the first wild bison to be born in what is now Banff Park since at least the 1870s.

Bison and calves, summer, 2018

 

Late July, 2018: the bison herd – now 31 animals strong – is released from their paddock into the wilds of the park. There are now free roaming bison in Banff. Hurray!

Bison crossing a creek in Banff's backcountry.

 

Late summer, 2018: once out of their paddock, the bison herd goes to the last place anyone expected: the high alpine! They spend most of August and September behaving like real Rocky Mountain lovers, hanging out along treeline ridges. These bison are clearly full of surprises already.

Bison on an alpine ridge in Banff in August, 2018

 

November, 2019: automated wildlife cameras show bison and wolves interacting, with a young bull following some wolves! It’s hard to see the time stamp in these photos, but the wolves and the bison are just a few minutes apart. Eventually, wolves and grizzly bears will learn to hunt bison, and once some of the bison are old enough to die a natural death, many animals will be able to scavenge from their carcasses. On a smaller scale, the fur that bison moult every spring will line the nests of songbirds, and at least 6 species of dung beetles will thrive in bison droppings! It’s an absolute dream scenario for an ecologist.wildlife camera footage of wolves and bison

 

Summer, 2021: with the addition of more new calves in the last three years, the herd is now made up of 66 bison. Here’s about half the current crew in a high meadow.

Large herd of bison in Banff, 2021

The bison reintroduction project has been a great success. One of the few challenges has been the instinct of young male bison to go on long road trips. In the last five years, two bulls had to be euthanized after travelling beyond the Banff’s boundaries, but, thankfully, the rest of the herd likes to stay put. The result is a thriving population. I can’t wait to see what the next five years will bring!