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Aspens in Bow Valley by Schmidt

By: Jacob Hawthorne

Gallery: Schmidt Fine Art Gallery

Aspens in Bow Valley by Schmidt of Schmidt Fine Art Gallery captures the skyward reaching aspens of the Bow Valley like never before. Aspens in Bow Valley, available as art on canvas in all sizes, formats, frames and finishes, is a perfect wall decoration for a ski lodge or winter resort.

Bow Valley is the name of a valley in Alberta, Canada and within the valley runs the upper Bow River. The valley and the river both get their name of “Bow” from the reference to the reeds that were known to grow along the river banks; these reeds were often harvested by the local First Nations people to be whittled into bows, the weapon of choice for hunting and battle. Fun fact: the Blackfoot Confederacy, which is the First Nations people to inhabit the area, gave the area the name “Makhabn” in their Blackfoot language, and this translates roughly to “river where the bow weeds grow.” Clearly, the area has profound historical and cultural significance for the Blackfoot tribe and the First Nations people that lived, hunted and foraged the Bow Valley.

The Blackfoot Confederacy is the name for the collective of related groups that spoke the same language and  made up the Blackfoot or Blackfeet people. Throughout history, in the Bow Valley, the Blackfoot Confederacy tribes were known to be nomadic throughout the Bow Valley, northern Great Plains and western North America. They were skilled bison hunters and trout fisherman and as such they moved with the bison herds wherever they migrated. Upon the arrival of the first white traders in the first half of the 18th century, the Blackfeet people acquired horses and firearms and thus expanded their reach into territories of neighboring tribes, often resulting in war and bloodshed. 

Today, there are several existing communicates that are located in the Bow Valley, the most famous of which include Banff, Canmore, Kananaskis. There are also hamlets in the valley named Lake Louise, Harvie Heights, Dead Man's Flats, Exshaw, and Lac des Arcs. The local residents of these communities and hamlets are extremely diverse culturally and the diversity continues to grow with the rising trend of immigrants moving to the area since the early 2000s. 

The forest trees in the Bow Valley is primarily composed of aspens, as seen above, as well as pines including spruce, fir, and poplars. Some of the trees seen in the landscapes of Aspens in Bow Valley by Schmidt seem to be leaning to one side, and this is due to the strong westward winds that are typical of the area. The trees that are exposed either on the outskirts of the forest or near the tops of ridges develop a lean to the east and do not have branches on the windward side, so if you ever find yourself lost in the Bow Valley, find the lean of the trees to tell east from west. Aside from the towering aspens and pines, the dry areas in the Bow Valley have sprawling grasses, wildflowers and juniper shrubs, while the constantly damp, humid areas are covered in plants that prefer the moisture like the yellow lady's slipper, butterwort , and elephant's head

Many immigrants and tourists flock to the area due to the numerous recreation areas found all throughout the valley that span for endless miles in all directions. Bow Valley Provincial Park is a part of the Kananaskis Country park system established east of the Canadian Rockies in the arch of the valley, and the uppermost section of the Bow River winds through Banff National Park.

The main attractions of Bow Valley Provincial Park and Banff are certainly the trout fishing in the Bow River as well as the spectacular mountain scenery. All within the park system, nature lovers can find forested areas, meadows, lakes, and surprisingly, “warm” springs, but the warmth of the springs is constantly up for debate. The reason for the debate is that the spring water at Many Springs has a year-round temperature of about 7 °C (40 °F), but it does not freeze in the winter because it is warmed by geothermal heat from the surrounding mountains. I don’t know whether “not frozen” can be counted as the same thing as “warm”, but maybe that’s just how they roll up in Canada.

The activities in the park system are nearly limitless but a personal favorite is birdwatching for eagles, hawks, and golden eagles. Bow Valley and Banff also feature camping, canoeing, kayaking and rafting, trout fishing, back country and front country hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, snowshoeing, windsurfing, and wildlife viewing for elk, deer, bighorn sheep, beaver, muskrat; bears, cougars, and timber wolves; oh my!

Whether you are an aspiring photographer or an art collector in search of inspiring works to fill your home, Schmidt Fine Art Gallery is here to service you. We are a gallery for the artist by the artist. Our mission is to serve as the place for artists to simply sell art, without the overburdening of promotion, marketing and running a start-up business. We are committed to producing high-quality, museum grade products and timeless works of art that can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Aspens in Bow Valley by Schmidt is available in all sizes and formats.  You can pick your own frame, Finish, and finish on this piece in our customization shop.

Schmidt Gallery was founded by Kurt Schmidt with the vision to establish a photo-centric gallery in the heart of Montgomery county, Texas. Although it is all run online at the moment, Schmidt Gallery has dreams of opening up a brick and mortar gallery in The Woodlands just north of Houston. Schmidt Fine Art Gallery was founded in March 2020 as a startup funded by All ARK LLC. 

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