The Hoodoos a Land of Fairy Chimneys

A Hoodoo is also called a "fairy chimney."  These hoodoos are located in the heart of the Alberta Badlands.  The sediments comprising these hoodoos formed between 70 and 75 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period as clay and sand sediments from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation were deposited. These hoodoos have a unique mushroom-like appearance.  What fairy would use a hoodoo as a chimney?

 

I looked for a painting of a fairy and I like "Midsummer Eve."  Artist Edward Robert Hughes (5 November 1851 – 23 April 1914) was an English painter who worked in a style influenced by Pre-Raphaelitism and Aestheticism. One of his best known work is Midsummer Eve.

 

 

 

Ground Squirrels at Horse Thief Canyon

Red Deer River

 

Late afternoon view of Red Deer River from North Dinosaur Trail.  Red Deer River is 450 mile long and got its name from the translation of Was-ka-soo which means "elk river" in the Cree language.

Drumheller's River Valley

  

 

More photos of the valley and Red Deer River.  I particularly liked the cloud formation over the valley.

Horse Thief Canyon Canadian Badlands

 

It's obvious how the canyon got it's name.  Cowboys would rustle horses and hide them in this canyon.  Alberta Canada has it's cowboys and wild west history very similar to the states. Drumheller is part of the cowboy trail for those who are interested in the cowboy history. Horse Thief Canyon is located off the North Dinosaur Trail. 

Red Barns of the Badlands

 

I like taking photos of barns so as we drove through the Badlands of Alberta Canada, I took several pictures.  It is cowboy country with a lot of cattle.  These barns were from the ranches off Hwy 21 on the way to Drumheller.

Bieriot Ferry North Dinosaur Trail

 

Travelers must ride a ferry on the North Dinosaur Trail (Hwy 838) to cross Red Deer River.  Horse Thief Canyon is located on North Dinosaur Trail.  There were no cars or tourist so it was enjoyable.  It was almost like having the Badlands to ourselves in many places that we visited.

Canadian Badlands Orkney Viewpoint

We stayed in Calgary Canada for four nights and visited Dinosaur Country in the Badlands.  These photos were from Orkney Viewpoint off Hwy 837 which is the South Dinosaur Trail.  I did not zoom in on the canyons but choose to try and get a panoramic view of Red Deer River, the canyon floor and vastness of the landscape.  Drumheller is central and a starting point to visit the Badlands.

Artistic Waters Yellowstone River

 

To capture the colors of the landscape, I used a dry brush technique in the above photos.  The water has streaks of green as well as deep blue running fiercely over the rocks. I walked a trail along side of the rapids.  There are too many rocks for white water rafting.  This concludes my adventure at Yellowstone.  We only visited from the South Entrance up to Washburn Mountain Range.  It was a tiresome full day drive from Jackson Hole to Yellowstone and back.  I could not take photos during the golden hours of 2 hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset.  That is the best natural light for a landscape picture.  The bright sun will fade out the brilliancy of colors of the landscape no matter what filters you use.  The pigments of oil painting can bring out the gorgeous colors better then any photograph.

Lewis Falls Yellowstone

Lewis Falls is located roughly 11 miles inside Yellowstone’s south entrance, and two miles south of Lewis Lake.  If you know American history, Meriwether Lewis was a member of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition.  The expedition was the first government-sanctioned effort to explore and map the Western Frontiers.  The sun was very bright when we stopped at Lewis Falls.  The river looked white from the sunrays reflecting off the whirling waterfall.

Washburn Mountain Range

 

 

I really was not impressed with the mountain ranges of Yellowstone after visiting the Grand Teton National Park.  Even the Grand Canyon did not surpass the magnificent beauty of the Teton Range.  Mount Washburn Range is similar to the Appalachian mountains.  A lot of forest and woodlands surround the area. 

Yellowstone River Moments of Serenity

 

The river does have some areas where it is calm, peaceful and serene before it reaches the Grand Canyon area.

Hayden Valley Where the Buffalo Roams

Bison really do walk along side and between your cars. Lots of them!  The older gentlemen above walked past my car window.  You never know what may agitate them so I stayed quiet as a mouse and rolled up my window.

Heart of the Caldera Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Caldera, sometimes known as the Yellowstone super volcano, is a volcanically active region in Yellowstone National Park.  You can get a glimpse of the crater from the overlook.  Yellowstone, like the Hawaiian Islands, is believed to lie on top of one of the planet's few dozen hotspots where light hot molten mantle rock rises towards the surface.  Within the past two million years, it has undergone three extremely large explosive eruptions, up to 2,500 times the size of the 1980 Mount St. Helen's eruption.  There is a documentary film that I watched based on "what if there is an Yellowstone Volcanic eruption" and it basically will destroy the entire North America continent and beyond.  That bare tree is a symbol of events to come.

Yellowstone's Grand Canyon

These pictures are of different angles of the Grand canyon.  It is roughly 20 miles long and is the primary geologic feature in the Canyon District. The aqua color water of the Yellowstone River against the golden canyon made a spectacular scene.

A Winding Yellowstone River

 

The Yellowstone River curves and winds its way through the valley.  A bison resting among the wildflowers was a lovely sight to behold.  Such a large and powerful animal resting peacefully among the flowers.

Yellowstone Lake

 



 

We tour Yellowstone from the south entrance and drove up the Grand Loop Road to Yellowstone Lake.  The lake is very large at 132 sq. miles and has a west thumb, south and southwest arm.  The water was a very deep blue.  These pictures were taken from Gulf Point.  It was a very bright day even though there were many clouds that formed over the lake.  The mountains in the distant is the Absaroka Range.

Teton's Call of the Wild

It was an extraordinary visit to Jackson Hole Wyoming and The Grand Teton National Park.  I tried to give as much detail about my visit for those who are interested in visiting the park.  One thing I need to mention is the smell of sage is all over the meadows.  It is a wonderful scent and the wildflowers were endless.  The fresh cool air, mountain rivers and lakes, wildlife, the forest, the call of the wild is beckoning me to come back and I will again and again. 

Jackson Lake Lodge A Surreal Dining Experience

We had lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge and the view was surreal.  I have been at many restaurants where you get views of the ocean, beach, city lights, mountain rivers, etc. but we had a magnificent panoramic view!  There is nothing like it that I have ever experience.

Gros Ventre River

Kelly Loop starts at Antelope Flats Road, passes Mormon Row to the small town of Kelly.  The Gros Ventre Road follows the Gros Ventre River and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. We saw a lot of elk resting in the meadows and in the river.   

Two Ocean Lake and Pacific Creek River

 

It is always fun to take a side road adventure where most tourist usually will not travel.  We drove to Two Ocean Lake by turning onto Pacific Creek Road before we got to Moran Junction.  We were not sure exactly where the road would led but we wanted to see the Bridger-Teton National Forest.  The top photos are of Pacific Creek River and Ocean Lake and the photo right is the view at the intersection of Pacific Creek and Two Ocean Road. Pacific Creek Road is paved but very narrow and roughly follows the river and Two Ocean Road is an unpaved gravel road and is too narrow for two way traffic.  There are trailheads that follows the shoreline of the lakes and river.

Sawmill Pond Overlook at Moose-Wilson Road

 

Moose Wilson is a narrow and scenic little road that winds along the base of the mountains between Moose and Teton Village.  There is barely enough room for two way traffic and at several places it is only one lane.  It passes water falls, beaver ponds and marshy areas. The bottom photo is at Sawmill Pond Overlook which is known for sighting wildlife.

Cascade Canyon