Suzanne Francis
The Canadian Rockies

While growing up in Elk County, Pennsylvania, I never saw a single elk. But high up in the Canadian Rockies in early October one year, I was astonished to find that one had to share the road with them—even on the main drag in Jasper, Alberta. Aside from nature’s wildlife surprises, what made the biggest impact on me were the majestic views and the sounds of the environs—or lack of sound in some cases. When standing next to the roaring, blue-green Athabasca River, and seeing, off in the distance, mountains severed by glaciers and specked with yellowed Aspen leaves, I knew that the sight was a gift. Later, hiking deep into the woods, I came the closest I had ever been to hearing nothing at all. The utter grandeur was such that it brought about a certain intense, internal silence. And even though I felt small and insignificant in the midst of it all, I knew that I was very much alive, and grateful.

Suzanne Francis is the business coordinator for TRAVELER.