One evening of my fall Canada vacation I decided to drive up to the Norquay Ski Area to take some photos at sunset. Little did I know what I was in store for!
There were a lot of clouds at the time, but the breaks in the clouds allowed rays of sunlight to shine through, creating a very dramatic scene in the valley over the Vermillion Lakes. I was so excited I was literally pumping my fist, smiling from ear-to-ear, and yelling, “YES!” I honestly don’t think I’ve ever gotten so pumped up about the photos I was taking! I feel like this looks like something out of a movie! What do you think?
Oh Peyto Lake, how beautiful you are! Yes, the color of the water is real! It’s caused by the glaciers scraping tiny particles of the limestone, thus suspending these particles, known as rock flour, in the water. That is how it gets that unique turquoise color.
You’ll notice something else at Bow Summit. It’s at a higher elevation than Lake Louise to the south, so temperatures are much cooler, and it’s more likely you’ll run into ice & snow, as I did in late September.
It was mostly cloudy at this point in the morning, but a brief break in the clouds revealed a spotlight onto the mountains for the perfect shot!
“We yell on the trail, because the bears come close.”
That’s what the woman at the bike shop told me when I checked out my rental bike at the Canmore Nordic Centre. By the way, we’re talking about grizzly bears, not black bears! A bit nerve wracking, but certainly not enough to stop me from riding! Besides, I had bear spray with me. 😉
I screwed up by not ensuring that my gimbal batteries were fully charged, nor did I bring the spares with me, and the result was a gimbal that didn’t work as well as it could have. That was disappointing to me when I watched the footage back, because the riding was outstanding! The dirt was amazing. I know that sounds weird to anyone who is not a mountain biker. Let me try to explain. It wasn’t mud, but there was enough moisture to keep it soft, and prevent loose dirt from laying on top of the hard-packed trail. This is what we call “hero dirt” because you can go ahead and be a hero riding it! It has a high amount of grip, but it’s not tacky like mud. You can get a lot of speed.
Even without the great dirt, the trails were well designed, and being in that pine forest is what dreams are made of! Although I was somewhat adjusted to the elevation at this point, my legs were still sore from hiking two days prior, and the amount of climbing I did on this ride wore me out after 13+ miles.
Aqua colored Lake Minnewanka. Golden larches. Snow-capped jagged peaks. Lush green pine forest. I’m not sure it could get much better!
This hike did not end with a summit, but it did end with quite a view! The hike was tough, especially the last mile or so, that seemed to be at a 45° grade. I wasn’t quite used to the elevation yet, so I was huffing and puffing as I made my way up. In spite of cool temperatures, I was still sweating.
The dense pine forest was so peaceful. The climb was so rewarding. The view was out of this world. This was a spectacular moment, and the photo may be my best of 2017.
I woke up early on one of my last mornings in Canada to photograph the sunrise at Two Jack Lake. Shortly before arriving at the lake, there is a meadow the size of a handful of football fields. There wasn’t much light out at this point, but I could clearly see a couple big bull elk in the field. I snapped a few photos, then headed to the lake for sunrise, hoping the elk would still be present upon my return.
Not only were they still there, but neither one of them wanted the other to be there! Now in some better light, they were duking it out at the far end of the field. I was far enough that I needed all of my 300mm lens, but close enough that I could hear the crack of the antlers every time they butted heads. What a special unexpected treat that morning!
From now on I’ll be posting short stories around a single photo or video. This will allow for much more content to share! It has been a long time since I last posted, so it’s time to play catch up!
This shot was taken from Moraine Lake Road after a long first full day in Canada. Somewhere around 14 hours at this point, where I drove all the way up to Jasper. This wasn’t even one of my top 5 shots that I was after that day, but after some editing, it has become one of my favorites!
The sun was just getting ready to set, and I had just seen Moraine Lake for the first time. I was starving, as I hadn’t eaten much that whole day. Some granola bars in the morning, and beef stew with some outstanding bread at Sunwapta Falls in Jasper for a late lunch.
What I love about this scene is that it is the essence of the Canadian Rockies. Raw, rugged, untouched wilderness. A dense pine forest in the foreground, with jagged mountains above, capped with a glacier and a light snow. Speckled among the pines on the upslope of the mountains are some golden larches, not far from losing their needles for the winter.
hunt.style 