Thursday, November 29, 2012

Red Rock, Red Lichens

Late august we meandered south letting randomness decide where we would camp and what we would see though we had set a destination point of Cyprus Hills as I had not been there yet. But thats another post as for years I've wanted to see the following wonder.
 Beautiful round boulder formations in southern Alberta that are covered with equally beautiful patterns of lichens. A magical and mysterious place that calls to me.

A touch of green overshadowed by the red-ochre cast of its surrounding environment.
 A variety of birds flitted amongst the rocks and low shrubs.
 Horned Lark
 Two views of the landscape. When we get a chance to go back I would love to walk this canyon to view the carved hoodoos. One elderly fella whom we met said its gorgeous with subtle coloration's and shapes that one does not see until amidst it. I was not able to walk that distance due heat and recouping from a bee sting the night before.
 Looks like the giant marbles spilled across the land.
 Many of the concentric were halved by weather or man exposing the boulders to be layers of flat circles one upon the other...
 though some as in image below look like radiating spokes. 

 High-jumping Jack flees over the ridge.
 Sparrows
Beautiful golden light from plant blossoms.
Alberta holds many areas of natural beauty that is fast disappearing under commercialism and the monetary illusion of gain, I fear the beauty we see today will be wiped off the map, leaving only a trace of memory.


3 comments:

Red said...

Awesome pictures. I could spend time in the badlands. Also the Sand Hills in Sask are well worth going through. Good to see you post again.

john said...

I hope that at least this area is protected land. It reminds me very much of Northern Arizona. Don't you just love the glowing rocks in early morning and late afternoon?

tess stieben said...

Red we have heard the sand hills are worth spending a day trekking around, hopefully in a few years time we will make it to see them. We would have gone if I had been up to it.

John the strong afternoon light was perfect to capture the colors, images were taken between 3:40pm and 7pm. There was a photographer waiting for the full moon to arise as we were leaving. It sure made me wish we could have stayed longer, but we were hungry and needed to find a campsite. We did get shots of the moon on the flats about 45min later.