Fall Photo Weekend - Day 1

The gang from the Monochrome Guild headed out for our annual Fall Photo Weekend.  This time we headed back to Jasper National Park, our most common destination over the past 20 years.  We actually left the city on Friday November 8th, but that was in the afternoon and was essentially just a driving day.  We arrived in time to check into our hotel rooms and settle in for the evening.  The first real day of doing any shooting was Saturday November 9th.

Steve and Meghan rode along with me in my truck.  Gord, Gabor and Court drove out separately.  Arda would meet us later on Saturday evening.  And then there were seven....

The forecast back in Edmonton was not great and I understand that it snowed quite a bit there.  In Jasper we had heavy rain on Friday night, but no snow.  The rain somewhat dried off before the temperature dropped but some places were fairly icy.  We got blowing snow on Saturday evening, but nothing that affected our shooting for the day.

Court and Gabor did some exploring along the old secondary highway #93A and eventually ended up over at Athabasca Falls.  Steve stayed in town and wandered about the townsite with his rangefinder camera.  Gord, Meghan and I also headed up onto Highway 93A.  We stopped at Portal Creek, a favorite location of mine, and shot for two or three hours.  The creek cascades down the mountian and at this point in the season there is a buildup of ice on the rocks that is always different and always visually interesting.  A couple years ago it was -20C when we were out here.  This time around it was only about -6C.  But it is always very humid by the open water so it still felt cold.  The skies were heavily overcast and on this day the light was very flat and dull.  We shot for a while and then eventually moved on further down the road.  We checked out the Astoria and Whirlpool Rivers but didn't end up taking out the cameras.  The road was gated and closed for the season at Whirlpool so we had to turn back and return the way we came.

The days are very short in the mountains at this time of year so we would not have a lot of opportunity to head anywhere else.  It was about 2:00 when we headed over the the confluence of the Maligne and Athabasca Rivers at the Sixth Bridge.  By this point it started snowing and the wind was getting fairly brisk.  We didn't end up shooting anything here either, and made our way back to town.  We stopped along the highway near the Jasper townsite and there was a large herd of elk right near the road.  They were pretty settled in and relaxed and we managed to get a few large format shots of a majestic bull and some cows.  After that we headed into town, had a few drinks at our hotel, and then eventually did the five block walk into town to a restaurant.  Arda had driven out later from Edmonton and met us there for dinner.
After dinner we walked back to the hotel and visited for a while.  All of us were pretty tired from being outside most of the day in the cold so none of us ended up staying up all that late.  I think we were probably all in bed by 10:30 or so.

Class 5 License

My oldest daughter Hailey was finally able to take her road test for her Drivers License on Thursday November 7th.  She passed on her first try.... !!

We are very proud of her, and very pleased.  She is now able to drive herself to and from her job, as well as to schook, to run errands, and drive her sisters around from time to time.  The used car that we bought for her on her 17th birthday can now be put to use.  This is a huge relief for all of us... her mother in particular...!
Unfortunately, a couple days after getting her license, it snowed, and Hailey instantly had to become a winter driver.  When we put new tires on her car a few weeks ago, we put winter rubber on, so that should help.  

Bluegrass 101

On October 30th I followed the advice of my friend Brad and checked out a local Bluegrass Group.  He has been a member for a couple of years and says he learned a lot about playing guitar since he started.  This is the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society and they meet every Wednesday at a local community hall.  

I chickened out and didn't bring my guitar, choosing instead to just watch for the first time.  They start out with Bluegrass 101, a group lesson lead by local artist Darcy Whiteside.  Darcy hosts the Bluegrass Hour on CKUA radio every Sunday at Noon.  At the club he leads a one hour group session that explores how to play, and sing one song.  I was surpised at how much focus is on the vocals.  It is not just for guitar players either...  there were lots of other instruments there including an upright bass, fiddles, banjos and mandolins.

After the first hour, the members break into two groups.  The experienced players form a circle in the main room and jam for a couple of hours.  At this point in the evening a bunch additional players that did not take part in the lesson showed up to join in the jam.

A number of the less experienced players went to a back room and worked on some songs together.

This past Wednesday, November 6th, I showed up again, and this time around I brought along my guitar.  I tried to strum along with all the other players but I am such a raw rookie in comparison that it was a challenge for me to say the least.  At one point Darcy asked me if I wanted to stand up and sing one of the vocal parts.  I had to decline because this was my first time out playing and I was really struggling to figure out the music, let alone try to sing it.  I admire musicians that are able to play and sing at the same time as it is a much bigger challenge than one might expect.

I stayed afterwards and tried to play along with eight or nine others in the back room.  It was a humbling experience and I now realize that I have a long way to go.  But I want to learn, so I will stick with it.  Although I have been playing guitar for nearly two years now, my work schedule and other commitments allows very little time for practice.  Going forward, as I look to slow down at work, I hope to be able to devote more time to the guitar.  In any event I will continue to attend these club events as it has been a lot of fun, and I've learned a bit......

400 Images

On November 3rd I posted the 400th image to my Flickr account.  This one was a shot of an abandoned Trapper's Cabin in the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains.  This was taken when I was out for a hike with Chris and Connie, back in August.  I shot this with a 135mm lens on my 4" x 5" view camera.  It was Efke PL25M film, processed in Rodinal developer.

Vancouver Island Trip - Day 10

We got up in the morning on Sunday October 27th.  Brad and I packed up our gear, and we said our goodbyes to Rob.  It was great for the three of us to get together again over this past week.  Now Brad and I would have to endure the long ride home.  It is not really that boring a drive as we would pass through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country.  But we were somewhat worn out from all the hiking and photography over the past week... not to mention all the driving.

We set out from Vernon at first light and made our way north to Sicamous.  From there we headed east on the Trans Canada Highway through Revelstoke and Golden.  The time zone change took place near Rogers Pass and we lost an hour as we returned to Mountain Time.  All of the construction zones were closed on Sunday and we breezed right through without any delays.

Once we crossed the divide back into Alberta we made the decision to head north over the Bow Pass to Saskatchewan Crossing and on to Nordegg and Rocky Mountain House.  There was a little snow up on the pass, but in general the roads were pretty good.  We could have looped around to the south through Banff and Calgary and the road conditions would have been a little better, but the drive a little further.  We had no regrets as the time delay was not significant and we were probably ahead of the game.  We stopped for fuel and a bite to eat in Rocky Mountain House and then made the push home to Edmonton.  We headed to my shop where Brad picked up his vehicle and we transferred over all of his gear.  It was nice to be back home, but there was a little regret that our adventure was coming to an end.  Hopefully we can head out together again sometime soon.....

Vancouver Island Trip - Day 9

We got up really early, threw all of our gear in the truck and checked out of the rental house.  We hit the road for the one hour drive to Nanaimo, aiming to be there before 8:00AM, so that we could catch the 8:40 ferry across to Horseshoe Bay.  We were there in time, but being a Saturday, the ferry was really busy.  It was filled before we got to the front of the line and we had to wait nearly three hours for the next one.  This put us a little behind schedule to say the least.

Once we finally got off the ferry we pounded the road all the way back to Rob's place in Vernon.  I was getting a little drowsy by afternoon so Rob took a turn driving over the Coquahala and on into Kelowna.  We arrived at Rob's place in the early evening.

Rob's wife Monique had put together a nice supper for us of lasagna and salad and we got that on the go and settled down for the evening.  This was our last evening of visiting as Brad and I would pack up and head home to Edmonton in the morning.

Vancouver Island Trip - Day 8

On Friday October 25th, Rob, Brad and I headed back over to Hornby Island.  We got up at our usual time and caught the morning ferry over to the Gulf Islands.  This time there was a different ticket agent working at the BC Ferries terminal and he was much more helpful.  He advised us that we could buy a frequent user card which would save us about 40%.  He also offered us a map of the islands.  Its too bad the woman working the previous two times we crossed wasn't as helpful as we paid about 60 bucks more than we should have...!

Once we got across to Hornby we headed straight over to Ford Cove and got back down onto those eroded sandstone rocks.  This time the tide was low and we pushed on up the beach all the way to Heron Rocks.  This was our original intention the last time we were out here but we just never made it that far.  The rocky beach between Ford Cove and Heron Rocks is actually more photogenic then Heron Rocks itself.  This is large flat area of open rocky beach.  There are several large boulders on the beach, as well as a bit of a headland.  It is scattered with some of the eroded sandstone.  

We spent most of the day in this general area.  A local guy that was out digging clams warned us that there were heavy winds to the south and that the main ferry between Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo had been shut down.  We were a little skeptical that he was just trying to get us to leave but heeded his advice and took the ferry back to the main island, rather than risk getting stuck out on Hornby if the ferries there had to stop running.  It was a little choppy when we crossed back to Denman, and similar when we crossed from Denman to the main island.  Later we learned that the guy had been correct and some ferry crossings had been cancelled.

When we got back to the house we put our gear away and walked a mile down the road into Courtenay.  We went to a local pub for a couple of beers and something to eat.  This was our only restaurant dinner of the entire trip.  Later we walked back to the house and visited for a while, played guitar some more, and eventually turned in.  This would be the end of our exploring and photography as the next morning we had to hit the road for home.

Vancouver Island Trip - Day 7

On Thursday October 24th we didn't have to rush to the Gulf Island Ferry as we had done the previous couple of days.  Brad, Rob and I decided to head back down island to the Parksville area, and not cross to the Gulf Islands on this day.  The forecast was calling for a cooler, breezier day with overcast skies.  So we headed back over to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park near Parksville.  This day it was a whole lot nicer then it had been a couple of days prior when it was pouring rain.

I wandered around out on the tidal flats with my camera for a while.  And Rob and Brad wandered off on their own for a bit.  I did a couple of detail shots down on the beach, and also found a tidal pool that was full of thousands of sand dollars.

Later I wandered over to where Rob and Brad were.  They had gone around the point from the bay and were exploring the rocky beach in this area.  Rob was working on a bunch of abstract detail shots of the forms in some of the driftwood logs up a the high water line.  I wandered into the edge of the forest and attempted a couple of shots of a the Douglas Fir trunks, and a solitary maple.

Once we finished up here we made our way back to the parking area.  Like last time the meadow at the edge of the trees was full of the little black rabbits that we saw last time.  They have the grass grazed down like a golf green.

Later we headed inland on the Port Alberni road and turned off to Englishman River Falls Provincial Park.  This time I didn't bother to do the entire loop trail, but focused my attention and my camera on the upper falls.  I bushwhacked my way down to small plunge pool at the edge of the waterfall.  I tried some long exposures, hoping to record the swirling eddy.

It was a great day of shooting and I think I came away with a couple of decent images.  Once we wrapped up we drove the hour back up island to Countenay and retreated back to the rental house for the evening.

Vancouver Island Trip - Day 6

On Wednesday October 23rd we repeated the drill of the day before.  Brad, Rob and I were up at 6:30AM, had a quick breakfast, packed our gear, and hit the road by 7:45AM.  Once again we headed over to Buckley Bay to catch the ferry out to the Gulf Islands.  This time around we only took the first ferry across to Denman Island.  

The tide was getting a little later every morning.  At the beginning of our trip the low tide was in the early morning hours, well before daylight.  Now, a few days later, low tide was occurring somewhat after sunrise.  

We drove up to the northern tip of Denman Island where the road ended.  From here it was a short walk through the trees to the top of the bluff above Morning Beach.  The girls and I were here a few years ago and really liked the area.  There is a steep staircase down the bluff to the beach below, and when we arrived the tide was out.  We made our way along the beach up to the spit at the northern tip of the island.  At low tide you can actually walk across the flats out to a spot called Tree Island, in Sandy Island Marine Provincial Park.  Not sure how long the tide would stay out, we did not venture across to the island.  After hiking and photographing on the beach for a while, we made our way back to the staircase.  By the time we got there the tide was well on its way up again.  The stairs were rather steep and narrow and climbing them with my heavy camera pack on my back was no small feat.  The burning in my thighs reminded me that I'm getting too old for this.

We got back to the truck and headed down to the south end of the Island.  We parked at the other end of the road, this time in Boyle Point Provincial Park.  From here there was a short hike through the trees over to Eagle Point.  Here there was no staircase and it was a bit of a scramble down to the beach below.  I understand that the locals call this Betty's Beach.  It is scattered with large eroded boulders, black in color, that have tumbled down into the water and become rounded and worn.  The tide was pretty high by this point and the shooting was a little limited.  

Once we finished up here we scrambled back up to the cliff top and once again my thighs reminded me of the weight that I was packing around.  My phone recorded my steps and indicated that I walked the equivalent of 8.6km on this day, and climbed the equivalent of 16 flights.  It would take a few days for the soreness in my legs to ease off...

After we got back to the truck we took the ferry back across to the main Island and headed back up to Courtenay and our rental house.  After the evening meal we repeated the usual routine... more visiting, beer and guitar playing.

Vancouver Island Trip - Day 5

On Tuesday October 22nd there was a drastic improvement in the weather.  The guys and I were up early... at about 6:30AM.  We had a quick breakfast, loaded our gear, and hit the road by about 7:45AM.  It was a short drive down the old Island Highway to Buckley Bay.  Here we would catch the ferry.  The round trip cost up about a hundred bucks return.  This actually included two ferries... first a cable ferry across to Denman Island.  Then we had to drive across Denman Island and down to the south end to catch a second ferry at Gravelly Bay.  This one was not a cable ferry and traveled across to Shingle Spit on Hornby Island.  The whole process consumed nearly two hours and we would have to repeat the process at the end of the day to get back to Vancouver Island.  The Gulf Islands and the West Coast in general are beautiful, and a wonderful place to visit as a tourist.  But to leave here would be challenging.  Not only are the gloomy, overcast conditions of winter rather depressing, but to be married to the crazy ferry schedules, and saddled with the costs, would drive me insane.

After we left Shingle Spit we crossed Hornby Island and then headed over to Ford Cove.  Here there was a small marina, and a beach with some really interested weathered sandstone.  We photographed here for a while.  Later we stopped and wandered around a bit in an open meadow with some Garry Oaks and an old cedar split rail fence.

By early afternoon we made our way down to the south end of Hornby Island and went for a hike at Helliwell Provincial Park.  There are some open grassy meadows with a scattering of more Garry Oaks and a few Arbutus trees.  These are along some open bluffs exposed to the ocean.  Further inland the forest recedes into the more typical fir, hemlock, cedar and maples so common everywhere else.  We walked for about 4 or 5km on a loop trail around the park and stopped to make a couple of photographs.  By mid-afternoon the light was beginning to fade.  We had to constantly keep in mind the ferry schedule and make sure that we could be on time to make the connections to get back to Vancouver Island.  At this point in the off-season, and being the middle of the week, I think the last ferry of the day was around 6:00PM.

It was early evening by the time we got back to the house and followed what had become our usual routine.    ...Check e-mail messages from work, put something together for supper, relax and have a few beers, and then dig out the guitars.  It was certainly nice to not have any rain on this day as it made things a lot more pleasant and productive than the previous two.