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Monday, August 19, 2013

Our world, hills on our horizon

We live in a small town on the western border of the city of Medicine Hat in southeastern Alberta. For reference, the elevation at the Medicine Hat airport is 2,352 feet (717m).

I've often shown photos of the terrain in our neighborhood: the flat prairie with coulees carved into it by the river long ago, but I've seldom, if ever, mentioned that an hour and a half east, on the Alberta/Saskatchewan border,  is a small mountain range called the Cypress Hills.


Wikimedia Commons photos
According to Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation, "The Cypress Hills rise gently, climbing 600 metres above the surrounding prairies. The Hills have a unique climate and mix of forests, wetlands and grasslands. This high plateau is home to an astonishing diversity of plants and animals."

Recreation in the Cypress Hills includes skiing in the winter, fishing, and frolicking on the beach in the summer, as well as educational tours, hiking, and geocaching.

This past weekend, my husband visited the Cypress Hills with the Grasslands Naturalists group and, of course, he took some photos.

In the Cypress Hills, there is a small community called Elkwater, Alberta, where the elevation is 4,049 feet (1234m), and the highest point in the hills is called Head of the Mountain, at 4,816 feet (1468m).

In comparison, the well-known tourist destination of Banff, in the Canadian Rockies, is 4,800 feet (1463m), and the base elevation of Canada's highest community, Lake Louise, is 5,400 feet (1646m).

Posted for Our World Tuesday
hosted by Lady Fi, who lives in Sweden

Richard Schear photo

Richard Schear photo

Richard Schear photo


13 comments:

Penelope Postcards said...

What fun it must be to go out with a group of Naturalists! I like the soft sloping hills … and the bend of the stony path is lovely.

Jim said...

Great scenery. Regarding The White Flower in my post today, the plaque says it is made of steel and epoxy.

Anonymous said...

I love cypress trees... so this is truly my cup of tea, Kay. Thanks for sharing all these gorgeous photos! Amy

Lew said...

Looks similar to the eastern side of the Colorado Rockies and is similar in elevation to the eastern US mountains.

Kay said...

You live in such a beautiful area, Kay! Lucky you. You have so much land to walk on.

Cezar and Léia said...

Idyllic landscapes, you got wonderful pictures!Looks so peaceful there!
Léia

jabblog said...

Wide open spaces - lovely:-)

kaykuala said...

So peaceful and serene, Kay! Thanks for sharing!

Hank

Unknown said...

Great tour of you immediate area. Makes you happy to live in a country which has so many different areas that are all beautiful. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Maude Lynn said...

What a gorgeous place!

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Beautiful rolling countryside, Kay.

RedPat said...

I hadn't heard of that area - always learning new things on the blogs!

Joyful said...

Beautiful area. Stunning scenery.