VIII
March 30, 2026.
I took a trip out to Waterton National Park with three of my children this past week and was awestruck by the profound beauty of new life amid the ashes of death and unearthed stone. The Kenow Wildfire was ignited by a lightning strike on August 30th, 2017 and proceeded to sweep through roughly 38, 000 hectares of mountain range before its eventual demise. A massive evacuation occurred, as the fire reached the outskirts of the hamlet, but the iconic Prince of Wales Hotel was saved.
Visiting this historic landscape during the off-season was such a gift, as the shops, cafes and ‘attractions’ were boarded up, many homes sat uninhabited and even the statue was wrapped and tied up for the winter. Wildlife wandered at ease among the deserted space and although two roads were barricaded due to avalanche warnings; we did get to hike up to Crandell Lake in utter solitude.
Mount Crandell, AB.
Crandell Lake, Waterton, AB.
As we were nearing a precipice, my eldest son Jack noticed that several stones had embedded themselves into the roots of a fallen tree. As in the human experience, authentic beauty is revealed when we take the time to examine our roots and unearth how we have been shaped, nurtured and grown. It is not that every aspect of our stories is beautiful, but rather that beauty can stem from anything.
Jack, & Rebekkah, Mount Crandell, AB.
This photograph, along with select others from this expedition, will be available for purchase as limited edition, brushed aluminum prints on my virtual gallery this month.
