Hiking in Kananaskis

It sure has been busy these last few weeks!!!  I had a look at my blog tonight and realized that is has been nearly a month since I've posted anything.  Its not that there isn't anything to report... on the contrary I have been too busy to stop and sit down at the computer.  I'll try to catch up on things over the next few days...

At the end of July my friend Rob and his friend Brad headed out to Kananaskis for a weekend of hiking.  They had an extra bedroom in the suite they had rented in Canmore and invited me to join them.  I had to work on Friday July27th and wasn't able to join them for the start of the weekend.  The two of them did a long hike up the Galatea trail in Kananaskis.  I joined them that evening, driving out from Edmonton after work.  I must say that the two of them were looking pretty bagged by the time I arrived.  This strenuous hike is 16km return, with an elevation gain of 2000 feet.

The opportunity to join the guys for this weekend was what prompted me to order the lighter Ebony camera. I expect to be able to do hikes like this, and still have a spartan large format outfit with me to make photographs.  Unfortunately the camera that I ordered did not arrive in time for this trip.  Rather than torture myself attempting to pack my heavy Sinar camera, I compromised and brought along my medium format Hasselblad outfit.  I really like this camera system, particularly for studio portraiture, but really feel I make a rather reluctant compromise to use it out in the field.  For this weekend, I had no other choice.

On Saturday morning we got up moderately early and headed out into the high country.  We drove up Highway 40 into the Highwood Pass.  This is the highest paved road in Canada!!  It was our intention to hike the trail up into Ptarmigan Cirque.  To our dismay we found that the trail was closed.  Signs posted at the trail head indicated that a Grizzly Bear on a Carcass had forced the closure of the trail.  It was rather ironic that right beside the trail closure sign, the RCMP had posted a sign about a missing hiker.  Wonder what that carcass was....

As a compromise we headed back, turned off onto the Smith-Dorrien Trail and attempted the hike up to Chester Lake.  Once again there was a sign at the trail head warning of a Grizzly Bear with cubs.  This time the trail was not closed, just a warning posted.  We hiked the 5km trail, with  an elevation gain of over 200m. It was busy, with a lot of hikers, including many families with young children.  Many of the people returning down the trail past us commented that we should hurry up to the lake and try to get some good shots of the Grizzly Sow with her cubs.  We enjoyed the hike and spent some time making photographs, but scoffed at the stupidity of hikers that would approach a Grizzly Bear with cubs.  We opted not to hike the last few hundred meters to the lake and left the bear alone.  At one point as we were photographing some fir trees an afternoon thundershower rolled through and we were forced to take shelter as heavy rain and hail pelted us for about 15 minutes.

After hiking back down from the lake we headed back in the general direction of Canmore, and our suite.  We made a stop at Spurling Creek to take some photographs.  This small creek tumbles over a stretch of moss covered boulders before spilling down into Spray Lake.  Lots of photo opportunities here and we spent a fair bit of time here.  Robs friend Brad is not a photographer, but really enjoys the outdoors and is very patient towards camera nuts like Rob and myself.  He even carried some of Robs gear for him.

After a hearty dinner in town that evening we got up moderately early once again and checked out of our suite.  We tried to find a short trail that we could hike before making our way back home.  We settled on the trail at Wind Valley, near Dead Mans Flats.  It was a nice trail, winding through the forest for some distance before angling off on a rather stiff climb up onto a ridge.  It was hot and humid, and the 200m elevation gain was a challenge.  We stopped in a few places to make photographs before eventually turning back.  By mid afternoon we packed it in and reluctantly hit the road for home.

As I write this, nearly a month after the hikes, I have only processed one of the rolls of film that I shot on this trip.  I just find that most of the stuff I shoot on roll film does not have the resolution and hold the detail that large format film does.  I find that I rarely print anything that I shoot on roll film, with the exception of some studio portraiture.  I'm anxious to get the Ebony field camera, which should allow me to put together a pack of about 25 to 30 Lbs that includes the camera, three or four lenses, 10 to 12 film holders, a light tripod, and a few odds and ends [meter, loupe, darkcloth, cable release and a few filters].  The medium format outfit that I easily packed around this weekend was of similar weight.  This will be comfortable relief from the 75 Lb Sinar pack that I have been using the past decade or so.