Heart morning

View from Heart mountain in late September looking toward the hamlet of

Exshaw. Years ago this land was part of Banff National Park. The park

was significantly reduced in size in 1930; now instead of park land, there

is a cement plant just left of centre in the photo. Kind of sad, but I guess

we need cement. Industrial progress notwithstanding, this is still a great

place to hike, and this particular September morning was quite

memorable.

My brother and I started out at around 6 am, in strong winds. The

temperature by 6:30 was 16 degrees Celcius, and if you've ever hiked at

the end of September in the Canadian Rockies early in the morning, you

know that this is not a normal temperature (unless you are in a chinook as

we were). The sunrise was one of the best I have ever seen, and my

weak panorama attempt does not nearly do it justice. The strong winds

blew over my tripod shortly before or after this picture was taken, and

destroyed the lens hood and autofocus capability - the optics seemed

unscathed however.

Larger = better

Taking the conditions into consideration, this is an amazing photograph, with stunning colours.

Yes, larger = much better; it needs to be seen big.  It's a beautiful view, and the most incredibly short-sighted decision regarding the locating of a cement plant.  Still, you had a memorable experience, and that's a large part of what it's all about.

The lens hood is a quick fix and I hope the lens repair is not too costly.

The larger view is awesome and your "weak" attempt at panorama is actually the "strength" of the image. The reflected sunrise onto the lake area is too beautiful.

Thank you for sharing this lovely image with such a sad story behind it.

Regards