A Close Call

During his travels Glen meets people from around the globe. Sometimes in their backyard. Other times far from their home. He’s been bailed out by complete strangers, because as a photographer sometimes he suffers tunnel vision when focusing on a shot.

One bail-out was such a Canadian cliché it’s comical. It’s also the origin of this photo, a favorite.

Maligne Lake, in Jasper National Park, Alberta, is one of the most photographed pieces of landscape on the planet, with good reason. The pristine water, the clean air, the glacier-capped mountains, the thirsty moose. For the ‘moose novice’ let us explain some things. They’re huge. They’re very odd looking. They’re oddly good swimmers. They look odd when they run but can reach speeds most electric cars only dream of. They’re also oddly violent if you provoke them. How do you provoke a moose? Nobody knows for sure.

This day, Glen was standing on a narrow path to the lake waiting for the sweet light that happens just before dusk. The shoreline had been packed with tourist 15 minutes before and now it was just Glen and a guy who was part of a tour group from China. Absolute serenity then… “psst”. Glen glanced over at the only other inhabitant of the shoreline with half a smile thinking “come on I’m working here buddy!”. Then, “PSSST!”… a little more enthusiastically. He glanced over to see the tourist pointing behind him, Ah. Moose. He slowly stepped off the path. The moose sauntered past and dipped her face in the lake. And then she stood on the shore taking in the view. The three of them quietly shared this idyllic space.