I took this photo of Mount Rundle from Vermillion Lakes on a cold February morning.

When I left Canmore in the dark, the sky was completely overcast, and I almost didn’t bother — it didn’t look promising. But I went anyway and found only one other person waiting by the shoreline.

Most of the lake was frozen solid except for a small patch of open water, just enough for a reflection. Right at sunrise, the clouds broke for a few minutes, letting in some beautiful light that lit up the mountain and the sky with soft colours.

More people showed up just as the best light faded, but for a short while, it felt calm and quiet; a reminder that sometimes it pays to head out, even when the odds don’t look good.