Within a four-hour drive of my house, the Purcell region is by far the most impressive mountain range that I am aware of. Getting here is an adventure in itself. There is only one way in, via a long pothole filled dirt road that will rattle out your fillings (or in my case the hardware in my bones) and will make you question your efforts. For those that make the trek, this magnificent view is the reward at the end. For majority of visitors, this vista is only the beginning of their journey. The primary objective for many of the people visiting this park is for the world class climbing opportunities among the many spires. For others, the hiking is first class, offering access to pristine alpine lakes, or glaciers. For the outdoor enthusiast, this park is a wilderness paradise.
Every evening emerging from deep in the forest canopy, Great Gray Owls such as this one come out to open meadows to hunt for meadow voles. During the twenty or so minutes I observed this owl, it had already caught and consumed three voles. It had no reservations with my presence.
With a thunderstorm fast approaching during my visit to Smith Rock State Park, I scrambled around to capture the constantly changing light before needing to head for cover. As each thunderous crash of lightning progressed to what seemed to feel a little close for comfort, I rushed for shelter back at the truck. As I scrambled my way with an armload of camera gear on one side, and my daughter in the other, I witnessed the sky start to explode with vibrant colours as the setting sun dropped below the clouds in the distance. With only a couple minutes to capture this, I quickly re-composed my shot and frantically snapped away before I had no choice but to get out. Within seconds of loading the in truck, Torrential rain came down, followed by a blast of hail. Either the stars were aligned, or the weather gods liked me that day. Either way, I'll take it.
