Those who know me, know I am a sucker for a road shot.  For me, there is real wonder in an empty road. more than anything, It represents a journey to be chosen or declined. I find beauty in an empty road that is not satisfied elsewhere. It's the provision of opportunity, it's an invitation to a place known or unknown, a new horizon or familiar ground, a new adventure or old friends, wherever it leads, who could resist an empty road. 

So, one of my latest string of empty road shots is this beauty, highway 40 in Kananaskis. Heading from south to north this scene greets you as son as you crest a hill on the highway. Fortunately highway 40 in this area is always quiet and you can pull over to the side of the road and grab a shot. If you wait until autumn you will make the best of it with the roadside shrubs illuminating the dark forest all along its edge. 

But don't make a trip for one shot only, this highway has dozens of genuinely spectacular views along its entire length. So take all your gear, take snacks, take your time, and make some memorable images.

It is sometimes easy to forget just how fortunate I am to live so close to the Canadian Rockies. The spectacular scenery and equally spectacular wildlife surrounds me every day, and, although I never take it for granted, it is (as a result of my location) commonplace. 

Something that never feels commonplace, even though it really is now, is finding a big grizzly bear out there making its way in the wilderness.  There is something genuinely magical about these wonderful creatures. They just wander through the wilderness in a relentless hunt for food, absolutely fearless. 

Contrary to popular belief they have no interest at all in humans, they don't hunt humans, nor do they eat us. In fact they avoid us as much as possible. Usually if a bear hears you approaching it will be gone before you ever see it. But if you are lucky enough to see one of these monsters in the wild, give it the space and respect it deserves, make your images and move on. 

Below is Grizzly 169, seen in mid September this year, she is an eight year old female, with no cubs in 2025, captured here in Kananaskis harvesting the very last of the bearberries.