Since we’ve corrected a glitch in our voting system, you can now vote for your favourite entries in our annual Experience the Cowboy Trail and Kananaskis Country Photo Contest. The contest ends December 15, 2015, which means you have just over a week to cast your vote for the best submission.

Your vote matters. The picture that receives the most votes will win the Voting Category. That means the contestant who entered the winning photo will receive a memorable Boundary Ranch and Sundance Lodges getaway, which includes a “Ride and Lunch” package for two and a 1 Night Stay in a Large Tipi or Trapper’s Tent.

Cast your vote today, and be sure to let your family and friends know they can vote for your picture now. It’s not too late to enter photos to the contest. Your photo depicting an authentic western experience along the Cowboy Trail or in Kananaskis Country could win First or Second Place in the Judges Category or could win the Voting Category.

Click here to view the entries, vote, and submit your own photo to the contest.

“Hard Landing” – entry by Suzan McEvoy

The Experience the Cowboy Trail & Kananaskis Country Photo Contest ends in less than two weeks. Enter today! Simply submit a photo you’ve taken along the Cowboy Trail or in Kananaskis Country depicting the western lifestyle, provide a description, and let us know where you took the picture.

“Trail horses at lunch” – entry by Joe Tschanz

You could win the Grand Prize in the Judges Category – a $500 gift certificate to The Camera Store in Calgary. What a great way to stock up on equipment for more great photos!

If you’re the Second Place prize in the Judges Category, you could win a mini getaway for yourself. The getaway is courtesy of Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino and Rockies Heli Canada. It includes 2 Night’s Accommodation, Voucher for Buffet dinner for 2 people, Continental breakfast each morning, and a $200 gift certificate for a heli tour.

If your photo gets the most votes from our readers, then you’ll win the Voting Category prize: a Boundary Ranch and Sundance Lodges getaway. It includes a “Ride and Lunch” package for two and a 1 Night Stay in a Large Tipi or Trapper’s Tent.

Boundary Ranch ridge ride

Sundance Tipi

Make sure to vote for your favourite entry. Those votes will determine the winner of the Voting Category prize. And encourage your family and friends to vote, too!

We’re pleased to announce that Scott Stimson won our Experience the Cowboy Trail & Kananaskis Country reader contest by completing our reader survey and being selected in a random draw. And we wish him well  with his new boots! The cowgirls will all be swooning. Here is a photo of Scott Stimson (right) being awarded his new pair of Cowboy Boots by Ben Gerwing (left) owner of the Alberta Boot Company.

Thanks to Ben for sponsoring this contest again this year and to Scott, and all of our readers who completed the survey.

We still have several contests open. Click below for the links to learn details about the contests and prizes, and to enter the contests:

Experience the Cowboy Trail Photo Contest

Experience the Mountain Parks Photo Contest

Experience Calgary’s Greenway Photo Contest

Fall is just around the corner, and Kananaskis Outfitters can ensure that you have the right gear to enjoy your favourite outdoor activities. Items ordered during the 2015 fall gear sale will be available for pick-up on or after October 1st during store hours 10am – 6pm. Visit the webstore to order.

If you want to start a new outdoor hobby this fall, consider mountain biking, hiking, or stand up paddle boarding. Kananaskis Outfitters offers the latest gear for these activities, including:

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt 710 27.5: $1299

Rocky Mountain Soul 27.5: $499

NRS inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUP) Full Set up. Leash, Paddle, Pump and Backpack $650-850

Trailabikes $99.00

The time is limited before the days become short and the snow arrives, so make the most of the fall season. There’s no better time to enjoy your favourite fall sport or learn a new one than now!

Have you traveled along the Cowboy Trail this summer? Your vacation snapshots could win an amazing prize! Enter your pictures of authentic Western experiences to win one of the following:

Judges Category: Grand Prize
A $500 gift certificate to The Camera Store

Judges Category: Second Place Prize
Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino and Rockies Heli Canada getaway: 2 Night’s Accommodation, Voucher for Buffet dinner for 2 people, Continental breakfast each morning, $200 gift certificate for a heli tour

Voting Category
Boundary Ranch and Sundance Lodges getaway: “Ride and Lunch” package for two, 1 Night Stay in a Large Tipi or Trapper’s Tent

Our judges will determine two winners for the Judges category when the contest ends in December. The photo that gets the most votes from our readers will win a prize in the Voting Category. Be sure to encourage your family and friends to vote for their favourite picture!

Click here to enter the contest.

“Love Is In the Air” – contest entry by Raylynn Draper

Tomorrow is Canada’s annual Parks Day! Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park has some special events planned for Saturday, July 18 to encourage Canadians to discover this local park. Start the morning off with the Riversong Run at the Ranch, which has five distance options for the whole family (including a free Children’s Challenge). Click here for race registration and information.

The free family activities start at 11:30 am. They include pony rides, facepainting, and many hands on activities. The day finishes with a play from Alberta Parks Interpretive Theatre at 2:30! View the day’s schedule here.

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is hosting a variety of fun and educational programs this week.

On Saturday visit the GRPF Pond Exploration at the Cochrane Farmer’s Market. The free Teaser Program runs from 9 AM – 1:30 PM.

If any of your kids are interested in birds or dinosaurs, then they’ll enjoy Remarkable Raptors (and other Winged Wonders) on Saturday, June 27. The 2 Hour Family Program at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park runs from 1pm to 3pm. It costs $10 per person. Participants will explore the features and adaptations that differentiate birds from all other animals. See how your adaptations compare to the birds you can see at Glenbow. Games, crafts, and even some bird-watching will keep you busy at the park. This program is best for families with kids aged 7 and up.  NOTE: Preregistration required. Learn more and register here. Cost is $10 per person.

On Sunday, June 28, Paws and Claws (Animal Tracks and the Stories They Tell) will teach your kids ages 6-10 about animals that live in the park. Kids will get to make a plaster cast and take a hike to see they can find any tracks and animal traces. NOTE: Preregistration required. Learn more and register here. Cost is $10 per person.

The windswept prairie and foothills of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park are full of good things to eat! Attend Prairie Foraging on Sunday from 10:00am to noon to learn which plants are edible and the historic uses for them. Sign up for just one tour, or join all three and watch the edible landscape change as the season progresses. NOTE: Preregistration required.  Learn more and register here. Cost is $10 per person.

Learn how the wind affects everything from tornadoes, to natural disasters, to cloud identification, to air pressure, and kite-flying. As part of the program Kites and Wacky Weather, you’ll get to make your own kite from scratch. Program runs from 1pm to 3pm on Sunday afternoon. NOTE: Preregistration required. Learn more and register here. Cost is $10 per person.

September Springs Ranch is becoming a Museum and Gardens, too, and they’re celebrating the expansion with a Native Pow Wow this Saturday. Enjoy free admission from 10 AM to 5 PM and view the Native Pow Wow at 2 PM. Extend the cultural experience by visiting the Unique Art Gallery featuring fine North American Native art and artifacts. You can also explore the rest of September Springs Ranch, including the Unique Art Antique store, the Unique Art Boutique. the Memories Tea Room, and the beautiful Iris Gardens.

The September Springs Ranch Pow Wow is a great kick off to this summer’s Pow Wows. You’ll find a list of upcoming Pow Wows on page 21 of the 2015 edition of Experience the Cowboy Trail and Kananaskis Country. They’re a fun way to experience Native culture first-hand, including the music, food, and dancing. And be sure to bring your camera – the dancers in ceremonial dress make for some amazing photo opportunities!

Pow Wow – courtesy Travel Alberta

Explore Kananaskis Country and gain new skills with the help of a guide! Kananaskis Outfitters has a number of guided tours scheduled for this summer.

If history fires up your imagination, then you’ll love the Ghost Town Hike. Participants will explore the ghost town of Ribbon Creek and learn about its past mining community. Then they’ll hike up Mt Allan to the site of the coal mine that brought 3000 people to the Kananaskis Valley in the 1940’s. Choose from one of these Saturday tours: June 27, July 11, or August 22.

Wildlife Tracking 101 will teach you the basics of the art of tracking. An experienced interpretive guide will teach you to recognize and identify tracks and scat. You’ll be able to use your new identification skills on every hike you take! Tours offered on the following Sundays: June 7, July 5, July 26, August 30.

Team sports meet history when you embark on a Voyageur Canoe tour. Nine adult guests can ride in each 25′ long boat. The tour begins with a lesson on paddling with an emphasis on teamwork. Participants will then explore Barrier Lake as their guide recounts the Voyageur days and the significance of these explorers to Western Canada. Tours are available on the following Sundays: June 28, July 12, July 19, July 26, August 2, August 9, August 16, and August 23.

The Scenic Photography Tour of Kananaskis will give you some top-notch opportunities to take stunning scenic shots. Participants will take short walks to a number of scenic view points during this four hour long tour. As a bonus, chauffeuring will be provided so participants can enjoy the view and concentrate on photo ops! Choose from a tour on Sunday June 14, June 28, July 5, July 12, July 26, August 2, or August 30.

Be sure to visit the Kananskis Outfitters website to see many other fun activities they’re providing this summer, including Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) lessons!