Big photo moment: A bighorn sheep ewe and calf

THE Traveler: Dan Messman of Anoka.

The scene: A mother and calf bighorn sheep wander down a back road of Jasper, a town inside Canada's Jasper National Park. While ewes have horns, they lack the large curved displays that distinguish the rams, and which give the animals their name.

The trip: This summer, Messman and his wife traveled to Jasper and Banff National Parks, both in Alberta. The parks stretch along the Canadian Rockies, holding ice-capped peaks, glacier-fed lakes, rugged beauty — and a few wildlife surprises. "A local at a gas station told us that a sheep with a baby was hanging out just beside a back road. We headed over there and sure enough, there they were. We saw moose, bear, elk and coyote on the trip, but seeing these two was a highlight of our trip," Messman wrote in an e-mail. He also noted the beauty of turquoise-colored Lake Louise and the many hiking trails and waterfalls found in the area.

Getting the shot: This photo was taken with a Canon EOS 80D camera with a 100-400mm lens. "I like the way this picture shows a protective-looking mother with her offspring. The photo was taken with a big zoom lens from quite a distance so as not to disturb the animals," Messman added.