Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary

My friend Taylor reached out to me in January with the following text, “Sooo, tickets to Banff in May are low right now……” So, we went. Random out of the blue invitations to amazing travel destinations is definitely something I’m almost always down to entertain. We were in Banff Canada from May 19th to the 24th and the next few posts will involve pictures from that trip.

Our first full day in Banff was already planned to be low-key as we weren’t scheduled to land in Canada until about 10p after a full day of travel. After a few delays, we didn’t arrive at our Airbnb in Canmore until about 3 am. So it was good that we could just wake up whenever on Friday. When we first looked at doing this trip there was definitely one thing I absolutely wanted to do and that was to visit the Yamnuska Wolf Dog Sanctuary about halfway between Calgary and Canmore. It meant we had to backtrack a bit but we didn’t mind since it was pitch black on the way up and this gave us our first glimpse of the mountains.

The sanctuary was created in 2011 to provide public awareness and education about Wolfdogs. The Sanctuary came to be after the founder got her first Wolfdog and came to realize the special needs and challenges that raising and caring for such an animal would entail. The sanctuary rescues Wolfdogs from ill-prepared or dangerous breeding situations or individuals who obtained one thinking it would be like owning any other dog. Many of the Wolfdogs were not treated well and tend to be very wary of human interaction. For this reason, most of the rules, and the safety releases we signed, are positioned far more for the comfort and well-being of the animals than for the humans allowed into their enclosures. A couple of photos seem to show a menacing appearance in the Wolfdogs, but it’s really just a moment in time. The animals were, as advertised, timid, shy, curious and very calm. I cannot overstate the beautiful nature of these animals and if you find yourself anywhere near the sanctuary I highly encourage you to go check it out.

The Sanctuary relies on various forms of income but also heavily on private donations. If you would like to donate follow this link: Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary Donations

Location: 51°14'11.004" N 114°37'40.608" W

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Camera Body: Canon EOS R3

Camera Lens: Canon RF 100-500 f7.1

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The Red Fox

As fate would have it, I had the opportunity to take a short road trip from Phoenix to Colorado Springs recently with my amazing friend Taylor (@oh.hey.its.tay). On the way we stopped in Telluride as neither of us had been there before and thought a night in the mountains might be a good time. It did not disappoint. The views were amazing of course but perhaps the most unexpected moment was when this Red Fox crossed our path. I would like to say that I noticed it from afar and stealthily stalked it to a grove of tree’s where I managed to snap this photo……..but the truth is I wasn’t doing anything stealthily at 8700 feet sounding like a wounded water buffalo just trying to walk in the snow. Taylor was the one that noticed it and gave me the chance to get this shot. For my wildlife/conservationist friends I would point out that I shot this at 200mm from about 20 feet and for the most part left the little guy undisturbed……..although I did say “hey buddy” once at which point he looked directly at the lens.

HUGE THANKS TO THE LIFT OPERATORS AND STAFF AT TELLURIDE SKI RESORT WHO PROVIDED A FREE GONDOLA RIDE TO THE TOP AND THEN ALLOWED US TO RUN AROUND, UNINHIBITED, FOR A COUPLE HOURS WHILE TAKING PHOTOS.

Location: 37°55'50.934" N 107°49'58.806" W

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Snow Covered

The recent cloud cover, rain and colder temperatures culminated in a beautiful covering of bright snow on our tallest peaks around the valley. Shot from a wayside along highway 88 at a spot named the Apache Gap this is a 25 photo panorama that I stitched together to achieve the final result. I drove out to Canyon lake and took several photos from closer to the water but in the end decided that this wide open vista from a higher elevation provided a better representation of how amazing the view of the snow on the peaks against the blue sky really was.

Location: 33°31'13.206" N 111°27'22.392" W

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Arizona Center Christmas

A Christmas tree, decked out in lights, sits outside the Arizona Center at the corner of E. Van Buren and 3rd St. in downtown Phoenix.

Location: 33.45144121300842, -112.06977499552313

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The Bench

Most of the time I take the Mormon Loop trail to the National Trail to get to the Buena Vista overlook but on this day, wanting t make it in time for sunrise, I decided to cheat and drive instead of hike. The overlook allows a panoramic view of downtown Phoenix with Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain in the distance. The overlook features a single bench on which to rest until returning to the trail.

Location: 33°20'37.386" N 112°2'40.422" W

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