From 2012 through 2017, we used this space to offer the annual Great Friends of Kananaskis Christmas Gift Guide (
if you're looking for gift ideas from the Kananaskis hiker/biker/climber in your life, just look back through the newsletter archives at the ~100 suggestions we have offered over the years).
Once again this year, we're offering YOU a gift.
Each month in the newsletter, we publish one interesting photo, from the Alberta Parks Ecology research cameras, of cool animals caught by a camera trap. However, in the last year alone, I've received over 170 images. Many, many, many awesome and interesting photos are going unseen.
So with thanks and permission from the kind folks at Alberta Environment and Parks, and in recognition of the ~40 or so member volunteer team who service the cameras and catalog the literally millions of photos taken each year (
of which I am proud to be a part), here's a whole lot of cool animals for you to be impressed by. As always, keep an eye on the date and time stamped on each photo.
Let's start with the bears!
Mom wears a necklace and earring. Her (rather large cub) hasn't got them yet.
"
Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" (through often attributed to the US Postal Service, it was actually first said by Herodotus, in 503 B.C. -- and practiced by this black bear mom).
Quite the balancing act by this bear.
Bear cubs are born in February. Imagine how tiny this little one was then.
For those of you who like early morning trail starts, remember this shot.
I keep reminding people that even now in November, bears may or may not be in bed as yet.
The Rundle Forebay canal crossing structure is part of the wildlife corridor that includes the nearby Grassi Lakes trail.
This is just above the Forebay, and probably the same two cubs.
The Horsehoe Loop area in Canmore is popular with mountain bikers... and families of bears, too.
Not all bears stay in bed late. This mom and two yearling cubs are up in late March (and don't look like they lost much weight over the winter).
June snow doesn't deter this bruin...
...but October snow makes it tough sledding for this one.
A "glow in the dark" coat.
My observation (looking at as many photos as I do while classifying) is that grizzlies rarely look happy.
Yes, grizzly claws really are that big. Did you know they are shed every year while in hibernation, so they come out with sharp claws each year?
Next up: the cats!
Let's start with a cougar close-up. My, what big eyes you have!
Clearly, the concept of cougars being nocturnal is somewhat false.
Cougar "cubs" will stay with mom until they are as big or bigger than her.
Our cameras make no noise, and there is no flash during the day. But somehow, I suspect this cougar knows the cam is there.
Here's another example, though it's possible they "see" the infrared flash at night.
A cougar's tail makes up 1/3rd of it's body length.
12:30 pm on a Friday afternoon with Canmore visible in the background. Something worth remembering.
This is on the hillside just above the Forebay.
This is a well known cam on the popular Montane Traverse trail just above Silvertip Golf Course in Canmore that sees human use 24/7 -- over 10,000 events per month.
When we classify, we have to ID, and one split that's hard is Bobcats vs Lynx. What do you think this is -- but better, how do you know? Whatever it is, it just got dinner.
So one way to tell is that Lynx back legs are LONG and cause their rumps to stick up in the air if they're cleanly standing on all fours. Plus, they have REALLY big feet.
Here's another Lynx.
By now, you should have figured out that the first one was a Bobcat because the back is basically flat and the feet are not oversized. Here's a pair of Bobcats for comparison.
And again, compare that to this pair of Lynx.
So now it's easy. A Lynx...
...and by comparison, a Bobcat.
Sometimes though, we "cheat" when we classify. Lynx are seen on this camera often, but we never see Bobcats here.
This is another cam with regular Lynx visits (uniquely, mostly nocturnal ones), but no Bobcat visits.
Whereas this camera is the exact opposite: Bobcats, usually during the day, but never Lynx.
Time for Wolves!
Chester-Sawmill Winter Trails
Help us complete the 2km connector trail that will result in the designation of the Razor's Edge Trail (McConnell Ridge) - a popular mountain biking and hiking destination trail.
For over 20 years, the Friends of Kananaskis Country have been helping Alberta Parks build and maintain its designated trails, with hundreds of volunteers giving back to the trails they love.
"With Kananaskis getting busier every year, our volunteers' love of K-Country and the hours they put in on the trails are invaluable to maintain the region's ecological integrity and recreational use. We continue to look for and find new ways to keep our trails safe and preserve Kananaskis as the best place to spend time in the mountains. Your donations offer significant help to achieve these objectives and we thank you."
"The contributions of the Friends of Kananaskis cannot be overstated. The passion, dedication and commitment of the executive and the hundreds of volunteers that come out annually is not only inspirational, but critical to our continued success.
"One of the great rewards of doing volunteer trail work, is the pride that comes from looking at a segment of trail, knowing that “I helped make that!” Perhaps you might share an insight about that trail work with a companion. But, more likely, you just feel the warmth of knowing that a bit of your effort remains on the landscape for others to enjoy. It’s a good feeling."
