It took me a long time: prairies

[shootingstar]

It probably took me 2-3 yrs. after I moved a decade ago, to appreciate the prairies. I initially hated the super cold winter weeks (-25 to -35 degrees C) and huge long stretches of cycling with no trees for relief.

I'm more of a tree person that loves generous tree cover..  One good thing in our part of CAnada, the humidity year round tends to be drier than ie, Ontario or southern British Columbia.  Today when these photos were taken, is only 30% humidity with bright sun and often clear skies, the snow tends to melt a bit faster.  But then snowfall returns. We get alot of sunny bright days with clear skies or fantastic cloud formations that's easy to see year round.

Downtown Calgary is to my top left. Very faintly to right of city are Rocky mountains nearly 100 km. west.  Long time locals like to sell the Rocky Mountains --as if it's ours.  It's not...they and the park wilderness do not sit within our municipal boundaries at all.

And Banff National Park is enormously huge real wilderness.  Just to know let people know that despite overhyped photos of summer crowds near town of Canmore or Banff....outside the edges is vast wilderness with elk, moose, bears, bighorn sheep, long hair mountain goat, etc.  Day hikes in the Banff area - Banff National Park (pc.gc.ca)  

Miracle Moments: Of Bears, National Bird and Other Critters at Banff National Park – Cycle Write Blog (wordpress.com)

[Ralphie ★]

6 hours ago, shootingstar said:

Downtown Calgary is to my top left. Very faintly to right of city are Rocky mountains nearly 100 km. west.  Long time locals like to sell the Rocky Mountains --as if it's ours.  It's not...they and the park wilderness do not sit within our municipal boundaries at all.

But they look pretty darn good from a distance!

[shootingstar]

1 hour ago, Philander Seabury said:

But they look pretty darn good from a distance!

They are beautiful..as you approach closer and closer.   

[sheep_herder ★]

My wife loves the forest. My father and I like the forest, but always preferred to have a view where we lived into our vast surroundings. That pretty well fits where we live now and our property to the south.

[Longjohn ★]

2 hours ago, shootingstar said:

They are beautiful..as you approach closer and closer.   

Not much snow in your pictures, how much snow do you get in the Winter?

[BuffJim]

I love the wide open spaces and vistas of the prairies. Sunsets can be spectacular. But I’m very happy with the wilderness of my region, forests, hills and plenty of bodies of water. 

[shootingstar]

7 hours ago, Longjohn said:

Not much snow in your pictures, how much snow do you get in the Winter?

We get enough snow for certain years. Some years the municipal budget went over several  million for snow clearing.  Our chinook winds which appears like a thick ridge cloud advancing... bring in some warm air for a day or so every few weeks and might melt some snow. Not all of it. Then later we get another wave of snow.  We've already had 3 snow dumps since Oct., then it melts gradually.

It is the type of snow that is not as sticky as ie. in southern Ontario, where the frozen slush hangs around a long time because the air naturally has higher humidity.  I lived in southern ontario for lst 40 yrs. (before Vancouver) so it would be similar to parts of northeastern U.S.  When the prairie air is drier, then the melting snow evaporates alot faster in bright sunlight with clear blue skies that go on forever.

I wouldn't want any more snow than what we get. Thank goodness it's not Edmonton which is 300+ km north of us..where they don't get the chinook winds so the snow stays around alot longer and their winter temp. are alot colder than ours more days.

So 200 cms. = 78+ inches.