Lone Wanderer

Bighorn ram, Banff National Park I spent a few quiet minutes with this big guy in Banff this November, and he couldn't have cared less that I was there. He was too busy working on a dry leaf, with a little snow still clinging to his muzzle. What got me was the detail in those horns. Every ridge is a year of growth, and the worn-down tips tell you he's been around a while and has probably won (and lost) a few head-butting contests. Those amber eyes looked right down the lens for just a second, and that was the shot. Always a privilege sharing the mountains with these animals. Give them plenty of space, and they'll usually just carry on with their day.