After nearly four years of waiting for the prickly pear bloom in Grasslands National Park, I finally returned to 70 Mile Butte to chase the shot I’d been imagining. Careful planning, sudden changes, and a bit of luck all came together in one golden-hour hike.

Journeying to Shiprock for the 2023 annular eclipse, our unexpected detours and the surreal play of light during annularity taught me that sometimes, nature's grandest spectacles come with unpredictable twists. Dive into our road trip, the challenges of eclipse photography, and the awe-inspiring experience of witnessing Bailey's Beads firsthand.

Photos from exploring the west block of Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Hiking and exploring in the east block of Grasslands National Park.