Mount Krahn. I do like the sound of that.
This whole mountain naming thing started simple enough with a posse of my pre-teen prairie cousins. We got lured into climbing up to the next ridge when visiting relatives in British Columbia. Inspired by the view, we decided to scale the modest mountain and claim it as our own. Great fun!
The colours and lines around the lake below Mount Edith Cavell are breath taking. Given the glacier at the back and the floating chunks of ice, it’s entirely possible the water may be a bit chilly.
We started out strong but naively assumed the next ridge was the summit quite a few times. Eventually, the lateness of the day and enormity of the task lead us to declare an early victory. The world would know of our declaration by spelling out ‘Krahn’ with rocks. Alas, the lack of rocks soon reduced even these scaled-down plans to the simple letter K. Our enthusiasm was undiminished even after the worried scolding of anxious parents who had been waiting at the bottom. The mountain was ours!
That childhood memory got me musing about mountains and lead me to the conclusion that we currently have an unofficial mountain. It’s time to figuratively spell it out with rocks!
The way I see it, there are two ways you can name a mountain. You can go through all the official channels or just do it. Naturally I prefer the more efficient route.
I am quite untroubled by the fact that our chosen mountain was long ago named after British nurse Edith Cavell. I have every reason to believe that was a good choice. But it’s a 7,000 foot mountain, so I am happy to share.
That magnificent vista has cast a spell on me for the lush memories it holds over a few decades:
- Hiking with our young son far up the facing mountain to see Angel Glacier at eye level across the valley.
- Encountering pikas for the first time which started an enduring fascination with those cute little creatures.
- Being shocked by the winter wonderland we encountered in the parking lot at the end of June – back then we were still mountain rookies!
- Watching small snow avalanches cascading down the mountain. Time seemed to stand still … especially for our kids who were exceedingly bored.
- Admiring the surreal green colours of the gorgeous lake below with chunks of ice floating around even in summer.
A few months ago we returned to the spot that held so many rich family memories. It only occurred to me later that this is our mountain. So Mount Krahn it is. The next time we go there, I just might be tempted to rearrange a few rocks!
A closer view of Angel Glacier on our mountain. I thot the low clouds added a nice finish to the ice and rock. What mysteries lie beyond the glacier?
A broader view of the lake with two tiny people to give some perspective.
For more documentary photos and information on this mountain in Jasper National Park Alberta check out http://banffandbeyond.com/the-path-of-the-glacier-loop-at-mount-edith-cavell/
Krahnpix 
I have actually never reacted to those ‘rings’ in the glacier before. Evidently they come about like the rings in a tree trunk (one ring for each year), buit I havent seen them in Norwegian glaciers, possibly due to different climate conditions?
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I don’t recall seeing those rings that pronounced on other glacier either. The conditions when they were laid down must be a factor. In any case l find them quite beautiful.
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It seems logical that new levels of snow (and later ice) are being formed every year? Which means that the glacier must somhow gather silt, debris, sand/rock through every summer? Fantastic lines!
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Now that I think back to that spot, there is a mountain just about it where we have watched snow falling down the mountain. That action could easily pick up some rocks and sand along the way.
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Strange though? And like you, I’ve never seen anything just like this before!
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Strange and beautiful!
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Now I hope you are not trying to move away from nature and enter the world of landscape otherwise I am sunk. The texture across these shots is fantastic and have to admit to dwelling for quiet a while on these shots and shall no doubt return.
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Now that made me laugh out loud! No fear of me focusing on landscape and you’ve got that expertise well covered. Standing in front of absolutely amazing settings like this can turn anyone into a landscape photographer. I have had the privilege of sitting amazed as I looked up at that sight on numerous occasions. It truly is remarkable and I’m pleased that you felt some of that.
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What magnificent colours in that ice!! It’s a bit of a change from fur and feathers….
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It is a huge change. It seems these days the scenery has to be in the “blow me a away” category before it grabs my attention. These scenes certainly did. I never tire of the colour of the ice or the lakes in the mountains.
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Those mountain lakes have to be seen to be believed, don’t they? The colours seem almost impossible. I always try to memorize it and drink it in, and then the next time I’m out there, it is impossible all over again!
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Yes that’s pretty much what happens to me too. It takes something special to do that!
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Fantastic. I have spent two weeks of my whole life in Canada, which is not a great deal of time by any stretch of the imagination in country so huge, yet I looked at the image at the top of this post and said to myself: “I know that place”. Angel Glacier. Excellent pics and thanks for the nostalgia.
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Whoa. Incredible – the ice in itself is like a piece of art. Magnificent pictures – the kind that should be printed out LARGE and put on an empty wall!
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You’re absolutely right that ice was art. It truly is magnificent to admire. With the glacier, mountains, valley, lake, ice and valley, it was almost hard to know what to shoot with the sensory overload.
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I’m sure! Seems like a place to return to many times. 🙂
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I’ll be back!
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These photos are a real tribute to this magnificent site – just beautiful! Saw those ‘tiny people’ only on a second glance – wow, that really shows the majesty of “Mount Krahn’! I’m having a hard time just envisioning you carrying your camera on this climb ;-)!
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Glad you liked that magnificent place. It really takes your breath away to stand in beside something that large.
I would have a hard time envisioning me carrying my camera up that far as well. Thankfully I took a smaller camera, and more importantly, the parking lot is a lot higher than the lake so I didn’t have to gain all that altitude. That would have taken more than breath away!
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Well I’m seriously liking your mountain! Tremendous photos of these amazing scenes, I can understand your wish to lay claim.
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It’s a remarkable place. Glad you share the view. It’s a lot easier to get better photos standing in a place like that.
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Awesome photos. Mt Krahn just went on my travel list.
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You won’t be disappointed in that magical place. But it might be a little cooler than what you are used to.
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Mount Krahn…why not? 🙂 Very, very, beautiful photos from there. I was in Calgary in 1981 for a conference, and traveled over to Banff. The whole area is gorgeous.
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I see support building for this naming!! I agree that area is absolutely wonderful. There is nothing like the drive between Banff and Jasper on a sunny day.
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Really lovely. I’ve never seen a glacier and I would love to at some point in the future. The coloring is magnificent. And so big!
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I find it fascinating that you’ve done the safari thing and not seen a glacier. I highly recommend seeing the glaciers. The whole scene reminds me how shockingly small I am in the grand scheme of things.
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Why? Lol… You’ve seen glaciers but not Africa… :)))). I have been wanting to go to Antarctica for a long time, just too pricey. Perhaps I’ll make it to Alaska.
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My biases coming through I suppose and my aversion to flying:) I tend to think that glaciers are so much easier to get to on this continent while I think of Africa as so far away. Antarctica would be quite something and Alaska is definitely on the my list! The safari would be an amazing experience as you have shown so well.
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Spectacular!
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Thanks so much. I wish I could take credit for making the vista.
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Jasper is definitely my kind of place Lyle. Those beautiful textures colors and patterns in the glaciers instantly had me wanting to grab the camera and head out with you. In case it will help to have international recognition, you have my support for the naming of Mount Krahn–it’s a perfect name!
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Always appreciate your support for my outlier ideas! It truly is a remarkable place and I guess that’s why we keep going back. It’s interesting how a photo increases the urge to grab the camera. Have a good week.
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Your mountain is impressive, Lyle, not at all like the much smaller peaks that we call mountains in the eastern United States. I like the fact that you included a couple of people in the last photo to give us a sense of the scale of that frosty lake. As you may recall, I’m all in favor of informal naming conventions and will sometimes make up my own names for creatures that I photograph. Mount Krahn? It has a nice sound to it.
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I’m afraid even the photo with the people doesn’t give a sense of just how small I feel when I look at the lake, valley and the mountain. Climbing any distance up just magnifies the effect. It is an amazing place. We need to keep up these informal naming conventions – good fun.
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Did you get an image of the Angel Glacier from a distance recently? I understand that the angel is less recognizable these days. Sharing the naming sounds like a good idea. It is important to have a connection with nature and giving it a personal note just strengthens the ties.
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Memories are powerful connection points. We drove around Jasper recalling incidents that had occurred with various family memories.
The photos of Angel Glacier in this post were taken three months ago and it was quite recognizable. There had been an incident a while back where ice fell into the lake and caused a water overflow. Maybe that’s what you heard.
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Hey Lyle,
Now I’m really feeling at home 🙂 Great photos!
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Glad to hear that! I wish we lived closer to scenes like that but it’s sure nice to visit. You have an advantage.
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Stunning photos! Not sure that I would like to climb with you before dinner. 😉
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Thx. I’m not sure I would have liked to climb it even 10 years ago!
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