H 2 Ooooooh

Abraham Lake in western Alberta is known for a winter phenomenon known as 'frozen bubbles'. It wasn't winter at all, however, when I discovered this man-made masterpiece and all of its magnificence.

Lining the David Thompson Highway, the lake is easily accessible and incredibly eye-catching, inducing more than one "Stop The Car" moment within a very short distance. With the warm teal colour of glacial run-off, and the overwhelming beauty of a Rocky Mountain backdrop, it's safe to say I was absolutely NOT ready for what I found.

Pull off onto the shoulder... and WOW.

A little further up the road, and a walk to the shore...

The beauty was just not on a large scale.

At this point, if you haven't had your fill of gorgeous water, less than 30km up the road rages Crescent Falls. A few minutes drive up a dirt road, a short trail through the woods leads to the 25 metre (82ft) drop, and for the more seasoned mountain goat in all of us, a slippery slide to the rock base below. The tedious cliff side is worth the midway vantage point that allows for some pretty spectacular photography and the opportunity to dip yourself in the pool formed by the base of the upper portion of the falls.

The view along the trail:

And BOOM.

It was early evening when I left the falls.

As I was driving the dirt road back to the highway, the idea crossed my mind that it might be advantageous to drive back toward Abraham Lake to see if I could catch the sunset over the water. It had been raining off and on, though I had been lucky to stay dry all day, and I thought the brief downpours might make for dramatic light.

Again, I was NOT ready for what I found.

The lake, the mountains, and that RAINBOW.

Pure, unadulterated magic.

It started to fade as I made my way back to my original viewpoint, but I was able to catch the majesty as I pulled back into my still-empty parking spot.

...and someday, when this water is solid and air bubbles stand frozen in their attempt at a mass exodus through the ice, I will come back to this place again, camera in hand, to experience another side of Abraham Lake.