. JUNE 2013 BACK ISSUE Part II by Raymond Gehman JASPER NAT. PARK, ALBERTA: . A setting sun throws a golden glow on a meadow of cotton grass. One of the four Canadian Rockies "Mountain Parks",  Jasper is home for the sublime Tonquin Valley and "The Ramparts", a soaring range of mountains that's part of the Continental Divide. JASPER NAT. PARK, ALBERTA:  Spirit Island lies nestled in the crystal clear waters of 14 mile long Maligne Lake. This glacially carved area is home to mountains 10,000 to 11,300 feet in elevation. WOOD BUFFALO NAT. PARK, ALBERTA:  Deep in the sub-arctic wilderness, a guide's tepee, illuminated by campfire, sits beneath the dancing light of the aurora borealis. BANFF NAT. PK, ALBERTA:  A group of school boys scramble and pose at an overlook above Peyto Lake, a popular stop along the Icefields Parkway. The glacier-fed lake gets its bright turquoise color from suspended rock particles. JASPER NAT. PARK, ALBERTA: High in Wilcox Pass, a bighorn sheep displays his massive full-curl  horns. Rams use their 30 lb horns to do battle with rival males in the herd. BANFF NAT. PARK, ALBERTA:  My son Michael takes a sunrise hike at The Green Spot, a large meadow high above the town of Banff. BANFF NAT. PARK, ALBERTA : A First Nations dancer from the Stoney Tribe reflects during his performance as part of the annual "Banff Indian Days." This celebration has a history stretching back more than a 100 years. BANFF NAT. PARK,  ALBERTA:  A wrangler takes a break from his duties at the corral and warms by a evening campfire. BANFF NAT. PARK, ALBERTA:  A lantern's light casts shadows onto the canvas wall of a  backcountry cook tent. KALISPELL, MONTANA:  Running at full speed, a gray wolf is a blur of poetic motion. KALISPELL, MONTANA:  On a ranch north of town, a young pair of red foxes playfully wrestle in the snow. NAHANNI NAT. PARK RESERVE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES: Mountain peaks catch the last light of day and reflect in the still waters of a wilderness lake. IVVAVIK NAT. PARK, YUKON TERRITORIES:  The ancient Firth River runs northward and empties into the Arctic Ocean. Year-long cold temperatures create seasonal glaciers called “auf eis” on the river and only in the warm sun at the height of summer does the ice melt, creating dazzling rivulets and small, cascading waterfalls. MACKENZIE RIVER, NORTHWEST TERREITORIES: A grizzly bear, surprised and angered by a passing boat, charges along the river's edge. NISUTLIN RIVER DELTA, YUKON TERRITORIES:  Autumn brings a burnishing of gold to the delicate leaves of an aspen tree. Back to current issue