Frozen

By Valentine's Day, I was back in the land of ice and snow, but the sun was shining and it was on track to be a beautifully sunny day. I decided to make my way back to Abraham Lake, as Google was promising the legendary frozen bubbles were on full display.

But first... Canadian traffic stop.

A little further along the highway, past another herd of bighorn sheep, around a corner, and atop of a hill, somewhere near Cline River.... a stop the car moment of pretty epic proportions.

Complete with people for scale. Can you see them? Holy cow!

It was also the clue I needed that what I was looking for was probably just below me. I drove to the bottom of the hill, pulled over, and piled on a few layers of clothing. Cross the highway, hop a guardrail, slide over a little embankment to the shore, and there was this...

Where the sun and the moon meet for a secret rendezvous.

As well, there was this guy, and I knew when I saw him that I had found what I had come here for.

I really like the "barren, frozen tundra" feel of the shots.

Finally, I made my way to the lake surface. The ice was a few feet thick and I had no fear of walking on cracks or snow-covered invisibility or.... frozen bubbles!

I wandered the ice for a couple hours before starting to make my way back.

 It was mid-afternoon and the light was changing and there was another spot I wanted to try to hit before dusk. But I couldn't resist another couple of captures on the way.

The second viewing area I had read about was blanketed in shade from the mountains as the sun started to lower in the sky when I arrived. I didn't stop. But as it turns out, my timing was impeccable.

Further along the highway, I came to a bridge spanning a river that fed into the lake. I can't even remember exactly where I was because as I casually turned to admire the lake from the vantage point the bridge provided, I saw... PEOPLE. But not just people... vehicles. And... dogs? Is that DOGS? And all of it was ON THE ICE. Stop the car, we're going in! 

Sure enough, I was able to drive right down a short dirt road I hadn't even noticed when I originally went by and right out onto the ice. I ignored the looks I was getting from the group of people working there. I didn't know why they were there, but I was driving on a frozen lake in the middle of the Rockies, dang it, and nobody was gonna tell me I couldn't!

Happy, happy day!

Eventually my curiousity got the best of me and I wandered over to what turned out to be a dogsled company. Doggos, doggos, everywhere! "Can I pet them?!?!?!" "Sure!"

I had only taken a few shots, though, before I was told I had to put my camera down - the team was there on some kind of secret dog mission and I was not to promote their visit.
The employee of the dogsled company, (shout out to you, Snowy Owl Dogsled Tours!) however, encouraged me to pet and love on the dogs for as long as I wanted as they were being fed, and told me they are based out of Canmore and yes, you were allowed to take all the photos you wanted when you were on a tour. Dogsled tours are still a thing?!?!?! I had no idea. Bucket list item? Oh, I think so.

It turned out to be a Valentine's Day of the best kind - full of adventure both expected and unexpected - and the best way to spend a glorious day off with my camera exploring the unparalleled majesty that is Alberta.

Exploregon

I recently read somewhere, "Good things come to those who go," and I feel like that's a good mantra for me. I have the worst time staying in one place for any length of time, and the only thing that calms my spirit is in discovering every little bit of a place. 

I've been visiting Oregon for 5 years now, and I'm still finding new places to take my camera. More often than not, in seeking new places, I find other new places. That's how I stumbled on Golden.

Stop.The.Car.

This newspaper tossed over the railing of the building above was dated 1992.

There were a couple of locals meeting on the side of the road near the site who took the time to chat me up as I was getting ready to leave. They thanked me for taking photos, as one observed some of the buildings were not expected to make it through the winter.... not that they had been expected to make it through last winter either. I wish I had thought to get their email addresses so I could send them what I captured, but my mind was completely blown at having even found this place!

This is what I was actually looking for that day.

It's the covered bridge at Grave Creek.

Morbid name for a place?

Well... 

"In the fall of 1846, the first emigrant train from Fort Hall, Idaho, to travel the southern route to the Willamette Valley camped on the north side of this creek, then Woodpile Creek. Martha Leland Crowley, 16 years old, died of Typhoid fever during this encampment and was buried one-hundred-fifty feet north of the creek on the east side of a white oak tree that was later removed for the present roadway, thus the name Grave Creek."

~Historical Site sign, Grave Creek, OR

And there Ms. Crowley still rests.

This adventure was spawned by the discovery of another covered bridge a few days earlier: this one in Wimer, Oregon.

I don't know much about the history of this one, but there was some interesting things around there to photograph.

The cool...

...and the downright creepy.

That's a tire swing on the left, a kiddie pool on the right, and this wooden stag which seemed to have been created to stand guard over this grave. There was a wooden arch built over the walkway into the area, declaring it "May Ellis Park". Was this Ms. Ellis's resting place? I don't know - my hair stood on end just walking around this place, so I didn't stay long enough to find out.

On January 11, I spent the first half of the day fulfilling some obligations I had taken on as house/cat sitter, so it was mid-afternoon by the time I discovered it was absolutely gorgeous outside. 

"Wanna go for a drive? It's gorgeous out!"
"No, I overexerted myself today - I'm going to take a nap."

A nap? On a day like this?

Not I!

I hit the highway and drove. I knew I had only about 2 hours before I needed to be back home. 

I didn't find Lake Selmac until I had turned around to head back.

I need another visit here, but there is no way I will ever be so lucky as to get this light with this calm and this sun quite like this again.

I spent another afternoon attempting to tackle Rainie Falls Trail, which I've been hearing about for the entire five years I've been visiting Oregon. Unfortunately, I didn't give myself enough time and the fear of losing my way in the dark won out over my sense of wanderlust, so I suppose I'll continue to hear about this trail until I get the chance to actually make my way to the end. 

I did get a few nice shots, though.

Dropped my sunglasses over the embankment and had climbed down to get them when I captured this shot. Adventure within adventure within adventure. :D

Evening visit with the silhouettes of some fishermen on the beautiful Rogue River.

And dusk with this statue at Reinhart Volunteer Park, dedicated as I do my adventures, to all of the citizens of Grants Pass.