Bear Country Guiding & Consulting's Rocky Mountains Adventures

08/30/2024

Lake Louise, Banff National Park

08/30/2024

A hoary marmot is contemplating on its options after an August snow fall on Mt. Lipsett, Kananaskis Country, AB.

08/16/2024

08/09/2024

Successful hunt of an osprey on the Columbia River in Revelstoke, British Columbia. If you watch it on big /horizontal screen (especially if you pause it) you will see the fish in its claws.

08/08/2024

The power of water in Marble Canyon; Kootenay River, Kootenay National Park, British Columbia

08/08/2024

Some good news and some bad news related to the Jasper National Park wildfire consequences. Definitely good that more resources are open now in Banff National Park.

Beginning August 9, 2024, public access on the Icefields Parkway (93N) will be extended from Saskatchewan Crossing to the vicinity of the Icefield Centre in the Athabasca Glacier area.

❗ Due to limited resources, not all services on the 93N will be available.

Banff National Park day-use areas and trails on the Icefields Parkway are open to all visitors, except for Nigel Creek Trail. All front-country and back-country campgrounds in Banff National Park remain open.

Jasper National Park:
• With limited visitor safety resources, the Toe of the Athabasca Glacier trail is open, with only authorized operators allowed on the glacier.
• All other trails and all campgrounds in Jasper National Park are closed.
• The Icefields Parkway and the remainder of Jasper National Park remain closed between the Athabasca Glacier area and the Town of Jasper. The Icefields Parkway is only accessible from the south via Highway 11 or Highway 1.

Learn more about visiting the Icefields Parkway (93N): https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/les10-top10/glaciers-icefields.

Safety reminders:
⚠️ To reduce the strain on visitor safety resources, please plan ahead and exercise an abundance of caution in your activities.
📵 There is no cell coverage on the Icefields Parkway.
⛽ The only gas station is located at Saskatchewan Crossing.
ℹ️ Check Alberta 511 for the most up to date road conditions.

08/07/2024

What's lurking in the Foothills of the Rockies in Alberta; grizzly bear family captured by wildlife camera trap.

07/26/2024

Very sad days for all living creatures of Jasper National Park and the town of Jasper. Including wildlife which nobody could warn to evacuate. Our hearts are with them.

07/26/2024

If you think you are hearing a cricket, think twice and look around. (Watch it with volume up)

07/24/2024

Mutual interest. Curious, young Hoary marmot (Marmota caligata) checking us out through the bush from its rock fortress.

07/22/2024

A pika is cooling down on a rock in Banff National Park

07/22/2024

The buffaloberry season has arrived in our beloved mountains. This tiny berry is crucial for both black and grizzly bears in the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. Simply because of its abundance it is far more important for them than any other berries in this geographical area. They rely on them just like costal bears rely on salmon. Since these bushes prefer sunshine there are plenty along trails and this is why when the berries are ripe there is elevated chance to encounter bears while hiking or doing other activities.

07/17/2024

The view from Sunset Lookout (1985m) in Banff National Park, Alberta. Mount Amery (3,329m) towering above the confluence of North Saskatchewan and Alexandra rivers.

07/16/2024

Taking a brake at Sunset Lookout in Banff National Parks

07/08/2024

A bluff charge is the most serious warning possible from a bear before a real attack. It increases the significance of this kind of action from a bear that nobody can be sure if the charge will end with or without contact. Often not even the charging bear. This situation should be prevented by conscious bear awareness while recreating in bear country.

Bear Closure: Sparrow's Egg Lake near Elkwood Campground due to a grizzly bear bluff charge occurring in the area. More info and map of affected area at: https://ow.ly/cv4450Sx6cc

07/03/2024

Where alpine meets subalpine, in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia

07/02/2024

Beautiful spring aspect by Elbow Lake, on 2120 meter elevation in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada. The beaver dam, that you can see in the front, increases the spring water level of the small subalpine lake even more.

06/24/2024

Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada

06/20/2024

Nakoda, the only known white grizzly bear, just like many other bears and further wildlife, has been killed on the highway. Please join us and sign the petition for a better, more wildlife focused National Park management in the Canadian Mountain National Parks!

06/12/2024

The foothills of the Canadian Rockies from Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, with the peaks of Kananaskis Country in the background.

06/12/2024

Two young Richardson's ground squirrels ready to run into their burrows. Richardson's ground squirrels are considered nuisance species under the Alberta Agricultural Pests Act, because they readily eat crops. However, they are an important part of the short grass prairie ecosystem. They can also provide tremendous enjoyment to people with their playful behavior.

06/03/2024

Alert Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep by Lake Minnewanka, Banff National Park. The group has several ewes, one young of the year lamb and probably a couple of young animals born previous year. Female Bighorn Sheep also have horns (this is what confuses many tourists and think they are seeing goats) however much smaller than the giant curved horned males. Most of the year females create groups together with young animals and males wander around in separate groups. They will come together in their breeding season, in the fall.

06/03/2024

If a coyote is returning to your neighbourhood, it is because shelter or easy meals are available. Speak with your neighbours about preventative actions and work together to reduce attractants.

Reduce your chances of attracting coyotes by removing pet food, garbage and fruit fallen from trees from your yard.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4dYWaBC.

05/25/2024

Hide and seek

05/23/2024

Two pronghorns on the South Albertan prairie. Pronghorns are not deer and not even antelope. Their closest relatives are the African giraffes and okapi. They can run up to 98 km (60 miles) per hour. In Canada they live only in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan.

05/14/2024

The beauty of the May 11th aurora

05/10/2024

White-tailed deer crossing Fish creek in Fish Creek Provincial Park, Alberta

05/09/2024

Fortunately, the cougar attack in Banff National Park, reported back in February, did not happen. It is more than frustrating though how far some individuals are ready to go for popularity, even by faking a cougar attack.

No cougar activity was found at the site, with lab-tested DNA back this up.

05/06/2024

Elk calving season is on the corner. This is the time of the year, usually mid-May to end of June, when female elk are often defensive towards people to protect their offspring, especially if someone walking with a dog, even on leash! Try to give more space than usually to these beautiful animals and never approach their calves, even if they seem to be alone.

⚠️IMPORTANT REMINDER: an annual seasonal travel restriction is in place on the eastern section of the Bow Valley Parkway until June 25 ➡️ http://ow.ly/3ObB50J7XUf

⏰From 8 pm to 8 am vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians are not permitted on this section of the Parkway to give wildlife the space they need.

👉Time your Bow Valley Parkway adventure properly to comply with these restrictions.

This closure helps wildlife big and small. 🐺🦎🐻🐦🦌

✨Your actions matter, help keep this special place wild!

04/25/2024

Great news for conservationists and grizzly bear enthusiasts.

The National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have announced a decision to actively restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades of Washington, where the animals once roamed. Grizzly bears occupied the North Cascades region for thousands of years as a key part of the ecosystem, distribut...