Part 14. The Northern Rockies

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park.

Jasper National Park. It is one of the most scenic places in the world.

Lake Peyto, Banff National Park.

Goat Lick, Jasper National Park, Alberta

Frasier River Falls, Yoho National Park, British Columbia

Winter morning, Jasper National Park, Alberta

Mt.Robson from the north, British Columbia	Mount Robson is the highest in Canadian Rockies, and one of the most beautiful. Mt.Robson from the south, British Columbia The northernmost part of the Rockies from Mt. Robson to Yukon River headwaters is the less visited one.	Elk on the summit of Pink Mt., Brit. Columbia
Stone Mountain Provincial Park, Brit. Columbia.	Part of Alaska Highway that passes through these mountains (from Fort Nelson to Watson Lake) is very spectacular, and a good place to see wildlife, such as wild sheep.	Muncho Lake Provincial Park, Brit. Columbia.

Newborn mule deer fawns, Devil's Canyon, Arizona

The easiest to see of all large mammals of the West is mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). It is often difficult to explain to people from Europe that deer can be grazing at night on city streets.

Mule deer in winter coat, Hurricane Ridge, Washington

Mule deer fawn, Grand Teton, Wyoming

Mule deer fawn, Lost Coast, California.

Deer looking in my window, Berkeley.

Mule deer fawn, Lost Coast, California.

Mule deer grazing, North Rim, Arizona

	Its close relative, White-tailed deer, a species of Eastern origin, is only common in some inland parts of the West.
White-tailed deer (O. virginianus), Dixie National Forest, Utah.

Moose drinking, Liard Valley, British Columbia.

In the North, moose (Alces americanus) is the most common member of deer family. It occurs in boreal forests, southern part of tundra, and also in high mountains and suburbs.

Moose, Muncho Lake Prov. Park, Brit. Col.

Elk, summit of Pink Mountain, British Columbia.

Elk (Cervus canadensis) is also locally common, particularly in the Rockies, but it can be difficult to see outside parks and Nature reserves.

Elk, summit of Pink Mountain, British Columbia.

Unlike European moose (Alces alces), which mostly feeds on aspen (Populus tremulae) in winter, moose A. americanus of America and Eastern Siberia prefer willows (Salix) as main winter food. Rocky Mountains elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) also like willows. Northern Colorado.

Wolf and ravens, Liard Valley, British Columbia.

Wolves were once the most widespread carnivores of North America. Ravens (Corvus corax) used to follow wolf packs in winter. Now they depend on people for their survival. Western (Euro-American) culture has a strange paranoid obsession with wolf, that can be traced back to medieval times.

Raven playing with its reflection, Yellowstone, Wyoming

Even now, hardly a week passes in the US without at least one movie about werewolves and evil wolves in general.

Wolf tracks, Yellowstone, Wyoming.

As a result, both wolf species have been almost wiped out in USA (as well as in Mexico and most of Europe).

Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), Bear Glacier, British Columbia.

Grizzly bears are also much feared and considered very dangerous in the West, while black bears, being more common and widespread, are more easily tolerated and considered harmless; both attitudes are a bit wrong.

Black bear (U. americanus americanus), Liard Valley, British Columbia.

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