Not Just Another Commute to Work

I love going to work almost as much as I enjoy being there. Half way through my shift caretaking at the Lodge. Another wicked day in the mountains.

My positive mood was stoked on the drive up with a number of stops along the way to smell and take pictures of the roses wildflowers. First stop was at the 10km bridge to look at the big Cottonwood that came down in the windstorm of July 1st. Wandering around in the forest right next to the road it’s amazing how quickly your perspective can change. Having driven past this point countless times I had never once stopped and climbed the bank to check it out. Big trees of multiple species were all mown down by what looked like a mini tornado that ripped a winding path a couple hundred feet down the slope to the creek.

A short drive to the landing spot on the corner just past the bridge for some mountain vistas then continuing on. A short while later I spied some different looking wildflowers on the margin between the ditch and the road.

I’m tempted to call the flower Goldenrod as it certainly is that colour. I noticed that there were some dark beans on each of the flower clusters. On closer inspection the beans turned out to be Bees. Each blossom cluster on the plant had at least one bee going to town on the flowers. Totally oblivious to my presence, they appeared gorging on the nectar so hard that appeared to be intoxicating. So cool.

 

Moving on to 14km, the Dasies were out in full force. A couple of pickups rolled by, filling the air with dust. I tried to capture the ephemeral clod as it wafted down across the clearing but the light wasn’t co-operating. Just up the hill a brace of Fireweed caught my eye on the side of the road so another stop to capture them. Moving on…

Made the turn at 15km and was greeted by more mountain vistas and pillars of light across the valley in what I believe is Five Mile Basin near Whitewater Ski Area.

At this point I noticed the light was beginning to fade and decided to just get to the Lodge. I did stop a couple times more to waste a few frames but caught no real keepers.

As I pulled into the Lodge, a Ford Raptor rolled in on my tail and parked by the Chalets, a couple from Nelson out for an evening drive. The truck, with the setting sun and chalets behind looked just like a print ad for the brand so I blasted off a couple of shots. They walked over to have a chat, I invited them inside for a quick tour and before you know it, they were on their way back to town.