After a noise and people-filled weekend, it was a joy to go with my friend to a quieter nature spot north of the city. A lot of the birds are gone but we were gifted with a stunning sunset and roll…
Source: Sunset at Big Lake
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Maligne Lake on a Cloudy Day
It was a dark and cloudy day…snicker, snicker. Couldn’t resist starting this way, though it is not recommended in writing class.There was a deer beside the parking lot at Maligne Lake that I took a photo of with my long lens, then a line-up of tourists followed it from about 20 feet away.
Also a Grey Jay stopped by, begging.They are not nick-named “camp robbers” for nothing.
This is a no-no. C’mon, people, the garbage can is only a few feet away, and this is grizzly bear country. If you want to visit the National Parks show some respect.That includes slowing down to the posted speed on the highways.
It was very overcast and the tour had closed a week earlier.The usual blue lake was grey so I decided to shoot some close-ups.
I mentioned the tour, and I would recommend the boat tour. It was expensive when I went, but i felt it was worth every penny. As you get closer to the iconic Spirit Island some 2o kilometers down the lake , the water turns a deeper turquoise and is stunningly beautiful and sadly, this isn’t one of my better shots.
After the Forest Fire
There was a forest fire at Exclesior Creek earlier this year and I was very saddened to see in the newspapers that the area around my oft-visited viewing site at Medicine Lake was burned.A desire arose in me to see it first-hand. I admit that as I drove up Maligne Lake Road to Medicine Lake the moment I saw the burned area I felt overwhelmed by the devastation.I was also curious what kind of photos I could take of the burnt area and perhaps what was already starting to grow. There were areas that were thick with trees and probably needed thinning out. Yes there will be rejunenation but I felt the loss as well. I talked with a local artist in the parking lot who shared with me how he has come for many years to the area to paint “en plaine air” and we agreed it was sad as well as would be interesting to see what abstracts could be discovered…he as a painter and I as a photographer.I could still smell the charcoal as I took the following photos. Since it was fall the lake was much lower and I was able to walk on ground that normally would be under water. This lake has an under water drainage system and the level drops dramatically in the fall as the water goes underground and drains into the Maligne river and canyon.The photo in my header is of Medicine Lake .there is an eagle’snest on the left and I worried about the young until I saw a photo of the burnt tree with the healthy eaglet still in the nest.
The last photo is taken from the lake looking back at the parking lot above the stairway.there are some trees that survived as well as saplings in their fall colours
Two Favourite Locations
After going into town for a yummy muffin and Latte from The Other Paw, I headed about 20 km south on the Icefields Parkway to a most wonderful lake. There is a small parking area here and no signs except for the board at the trail head. It is just a short walk through the woods, to a creek. Cross the creek and follow the trails -there is one that goes straight ahead and one that goes left along the creek then into the woods. Both ways are short walks that take you to different parts of the rocky shoreline that has, in some spots, emerald green waters and if you time it right , amazing reflections of the water and cliffs across the way.
This is a place where I can spend hours pondering the scenery and on a warm day, soaking up the heat from the rocks.
Just down the road is the junction of highways 93 and 93A. I turned right here to go to Athabasca Falls.There are short walks to various viewpoints of the falls and the gorge. You can feel the energy as the water rushes over the rocks and through the gorge.
I have been to this spot in spring , summer and fall -never the same and always exciting.
Next was Medicine Lake where there was a forest fire earlier this season and further up the road, Maligne Lake, an almost 40 km drive. I will save that for my next post.
The View from Here-Whistler Mountain
On my first morning I took a path behind the hostel a very little way up Whistler mountain and took images looking up to the Skytram and out to Pyramid Mountain. Nothing like going to the mountains to find out just how bad the fitness level is.In no time I was huffing and puffing and feeling the strain in my calf muscles. It was a frosty morning and made for some pretty scenes.
on the path in front of me
The Sky Tram Station on Whistler Mountain behind me
Looking across the valley at Pyramid Mountain
fall leaves are mostly gone and sunlight warms the frosty air
The View from Here-Whistler Mountain
On my first morning I took a path behind the hostel a very little way up Whistler mountain and took images looking up to the Skytram and out to Pyramid Mountain. Nothing like going to the mountains to find out just how bad the fitness level is.In no time I was huffing and puffing and feeling the strain in my calf muscles. It was a frosty morning and made for some pretty scenes.
on the path in front of me
The Sky Tram Station on Whistler Mountain behind me
Looking across the valley at Pyramid Mountain
fall leaves are mostly gone and sunlight warms the frosty air
Highway of Memories
It was great to make a trip to Jasper for three days earlier this week.i passed many places enroute that stirred up memories of lost love, friendships with people who have since passed on, and favourite stops to visit to take photos. t
This photo is of a pond that my friend Maxine and I visited many times, once before sunrise when the place awoke to a golden glow. I stopped here for old times sake.The colours are past their peak but still lovely. There are still a few Tamaracks that haven’t shed their golden needles and aspens that haven’t dropped their leaves.
Almost every landmark that I passed stirred up a memory. The friend that I stayed with on a stop halfway home, the couple whom I visited just near what some locals referred to as “the million dollar s—house” a rest stop on the highway. The turn-off that led to the place where I used to live and the roomate that passed away recently.
I kept driving except to pick up a coffee and some licorice, a long-time habit when i am traveling. The photo shows an overcast sky but it got sunny around Hinton and stayed that way for two days.
My next stop,apart from paying entry at the park gate in Jasper National Park was a a place known to photographers for consistantly good light and a pleasing composition.I have heard about this place and driven by it many times, but not consciously. After at least a two-year wait I found it and took some photos.
My destination for the next two days was HI Jasper the international hostel on Whistlers Road. It was a great place to go for someone traveling solo with a limited budget and I met people from Alaska,France,New Zealand, Japan.I made daily trips to places that I had been to before and wanted to visit again.More about that tomorrow.
River Valley on an Autumn Day
i took these photos from a bridge that spans a ravine that goes into the main part of the river valley, with the intent of getting photos of the Autumn colours. There were interesting challenges with light and shadow, so I took the photos using a polarizer filter and did some post photo work in Lightroom.
Super Moon Eclipse
The eclipse started before the moon rose above the horizon and I worked late but got out to take this shot of the moon above the river valley.It was fascinating to see the moon rise and travel across the sky, changing in colour and texture.I took these shots from three locations in the city; a bridge in the west end that overlooks downtown, from further north and the last two were from the Telus Science Centre where there were telescopes that you could look through that made the moon really big but these shots are all from my Rebel XS.
A Refreshing Walk in the Woods
It was a full day, starting with the last part of a church service (yes, I slept in), a committee meeting, a fashion show fundraiser at a local hospital where they let me take photos, then finally a trip to Elk Island National Park. Enjoyed the calm, the fresh air and feeling my body and mind relax. As you can see, there were times of overcast skies and bright sun.
My Heartsong 
