Crowsnest River Panorama
(click image for larger view)
Crowsnest Pass is a great place for photography. There are countless areas and spaces around here to explore with a camera. I always enjoy seeking out new and different vantage points, and angles, from which to photograph our local landscape. Occasionally, I’ll come across photo opportunities where I least expect them.
This happened to me last autumn, while walking my dog, Maggie, along the upper reaches of the Crowsnest River. It was a place I had been many times before. That is – except for one thing; I had always hiked on the same side of the river, where the majority of people walk and exercise their dogs. When it comes to dog walking, sometimes I tend to be a creature of habit. For no real reason, other than to try something different, I decided to take another route that day, on the opposite side of the river.
With Maggie leading the way, we followed a narrow path, which eventually wandered down to the water’s edge. When I gazed ahead, I was struck by the picturesque view on display before me. It was as if I was looking at a life-size postcard of the valley. The Crowsnest River, having meandered around an upstream bend, was flowing lazily toward me. Its gentle current began to slow even more, as the river turned sharply in front of me, before continuing its quiet journey downstream, toward the various communities in the Pass. Crowsnest Mountain, with its craggy cliffs glowing in the late afternoon sun, rose majestically in the background. The mountain was relatively close by, yet somehow, it seemed far off in the distance. Meanwhile, clouds of white drifted through a bright, blue sky. Across the valley to the west, the High Rock mountain range, and the Continental Divide, marking the Alberta – British Columbia border, could also be seen. It was a photo-inspiring moment, to say the least.
I did not have my camera that day (too bad for me!), but returned several more times to take photographs. I returned once again a couple of weeks ago and captured the photo shown above. The photograph consists of 9 vertical images, blended, or stitched, into one. It’s quite a large image, measuring more than 4 feet in width. When viewed at full resolution, it reveals all sorts of detail – much more than what is seen in this low-res blog photo.
Something I have learned from this experience is that it can be a good thing to walk where you have never gone before. Another thing I have learned is it’s wise to always bring a camera when walking your dog. You never know what you might see.
