Fall Photo Weekend

Five of the guys from the Monochrome Guild set out for Jasper National Park for the annual Fall Photo Weekend.  This year was the 11th Annual, but it seemed as though something was missing.  Rather it was someone that was missing... my good friend Jon had been with me on most of the previous outings, but couldn't make it this year as he was recovering from a recent liver transplant.  Hopefully he can make it next year!

The five of us set out from Edmonton on Friday morning; Remembrance Day.  Steve rode with me, while Court and the other Rob were in a second vehicle.  Arda set out from Edmonton later in the day.  Two others would join us later in the evening.  Gord is from Edmonton but was working in Calgary during the week and drove up through the mountains on Friday.  Mike drove out later that evening from Prince George and met up with us late in the evening.

The first group of four stopped at Talbot Lake and some of the other small ponds in that eastern part of the park and spent the afternoon photographing.  As the light began to fade we made a quick trip up the Maligne Road to scout Medicine Lake for the next mornings shoot.

By evening it was beginning to snow.  When we awoke the next morning it became obvious that the Fall Photo Weekend had become the Winter Photo Weekend.  About two inches of snow had fallen in town overnight, and more in the high country.  After breakfast we headed back up to Medicine Lake.  The "dusting" of snow that we hoped to capture was much more substantial than that.  But, it was a great day of photography with generally mild temperatures, mostly in the -1 to -4C range.  We spent most of the day up around Medicine Lake and the Maligne valley.  Towards evening we stopped down in the Athabasca valley and photographed some aspens, and later watched some bull elk jousting just outside of town.  Once we returned to town we went out for dinner, and then retired to our rooms.  We watched the hockey game and attempted to put a dent in the local beer and scotch supply.

The next morning we packed up, had breakfast at the hotel restaurant, and checked out of our rooms.  Mike left early that morning as he needed to be back in Prince George by afternoon.  The rest of us headed out to do some shooting before we too had to hit the road for home.  We started out up at Portal Creek on Highway 93A.  It was a little more snowed in than I had hoped, which made access to the rocky shore of the creek difficult.  But I think we managed some decent images.  Then, later in the day we headed up to Horseshoe Lake.  Gord had stopped here on his way to Jasper on Friday afternoon and was amazed at how much difference two days could make.  The lake was now almost completely frozen over, and there was a significant amount of snow on the ground.  We shot here until early afternoon, and then reluctantly hit the road for home.  But, it was a great weekend to be out with friends and I know I'll come out of it with some great images. 

I actually processed a batch of film tonight, including a few from this trip.  They are currently washing and will be dry by tomorrow.  But, I am having some technical issues with my new computer.  I had a new one built, with significantly more hard drive space, to alleviate the issues I was having with my old one.  But, I am now having issues with hardware and software compatibility.  So as I struggle through getting everything up and running again I find myself without a scanner.  It may be some time before I am able to scan and post some of my recent work.....