Jasper Park, Canada 2013
Elk Bull 10/01/2013-Highway 93A: Day two started out cloudy with lots of fog in the mountains. The temperature was 1C or 33F. While driving we came across this Elk Bull laying along the side of the road in a clearing next to the river. Captured this shot as he was getting up. Although the area is noted for its abundance of wildlife it was scarce during our stay.
Nikon D7100, 28-300mm lens @180mm. Aperture f/7.1, Shutter Speed 1/60 second, ISO 1600, and +0.67EV. Single shot using vibration reduction. This was taken early in the morning and it was very cloudy.
Elk Bull 10/01/2013: He let us know he was aware of our presence but lingered long enough to capture this shot with the river in the background.
Nikon D7100, 28-300mmlens @112mm. Aperture f/7.1, Shutter Speed 1/60 seconds, ISO 1600, and +0.67EV. Single shot, hand held using vibration reduction. Taken early in the morning on a very cloudy day.
Elk Bull 10/01/2013: The Elk began walking away from us but parallel to the road. I was able to get ahead of him and using a 300mm lens keep a safe distance as well. This was the last shot of this prime specimen. I felt like he was becoming annoyed with my presence so decided to call it a day and give him his space.
Nikon D7100, 28-300mmlens @170mm. Aperture f/5.6, Shutter Speed 1/250 seconds, ISO 2500, and +0.33EV. Single shot, hand held using vibration reduction. Taken early in the morning on a very cloudy day.
Sinking Lake Area 10/02/2013: This is a Pika. Pikas are hearty little mammals who live in rock piles high in the mountains of western North America. They have relatives in Asia too. They are related to rabbits and are about the size of large hamsters. Pikas have rounded ears, luxurious whiskers and no visible tails. They use "eeenncck!" and a variety of squeaks and squeals to communicate with each other and their marmot neighbors. There are 29 species of Pikas in the world. Most of them live in Asia. During the ice ages two species came across the Bering Strait. Ochotona collaris settled in Alaska and the Canadian Rockies. Ochotona princeps traveled south to the Sierras and Rocky Mountains in the United States.
Nikon D7100, Tamron 200-500mm lens at 250mm. Aperture f/7.1, Shutter Speed 1/500 second, ISO 500. The Nikon D7100 is a 1.5 crop camera but has a built in converter or zoom capability to increase its crop factor to approximately 2.0. I had this lens set to 250mm which is the 35mm equivalent of 500mm. A tripod is a must and I used live view to maximize my focus abilities.
Mt Edith Cavell Rd 10/02/2013: Traveled up the Edith Cavell Road which consisted of numerous switchbacks as it climbed to Mt. Edith Cavell. Once there we hiked to Angel Glacier. The area is large and wide spread consisting of many deposits of Glacier Ice. Note the turquoise color in the snow, this is the glacier. I regret not taking a pano of this area. The trail continues on for about a couple of miles where you come to a lake with large chunks of ice but we decided to head back down and on to Lake Cavell.
Day 4-Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint 10/04/2013: A tongue of the massive Columbia Icefield, the Stutfield Glacier pours over 900 vertical meters (3000 ft.) of cliff face, forming a picturesque set of double icefalls visible from a roadside viewpoint.
The Sunwapta River braids its way through several channels across the broad, gravel flats below. Stutfield Glacier is located 95 km (59.3 mi) south of Jasper and 135 km (84.3 mi) north of Lake Louise.
As we drove through the Ice Fields the temperature was -5ºC = 23.0ºF. We continued on towards Banff and stopped at the Crossing to get gas. This is the only fuel service between Jasper National Park and Banff National Park. It cost $96 for fuel and $10.64 for two bags of chips and two candy bars.
Nikon D7100, 28-300mm lens @ 116mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 1/500 second, ISO 200, and -0.33EV. Tripod.
Mount Kitchener 10/03/13: Just south of Tangle Falls is the ice draped east face of Mount Kitchener covered in glacier ice. The ice is a turquoise blue and glows like a jewel when the sun hits it. At this point we headed back to Jasper to go grocery shopping so we could start making our own lunches.
Immediately after leaving the Tangle Falls area we entered Avalanche Area. It was snowing and the temperature dropped to .-1C or 30 degrees Fahrenheit. We planned to return to this area on another day.
Nikon D7100, 28-300mm lens @ 62mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 1/320 seconds, ISO 200, and -0.33EV. Tripod.
Day 5-10/04/2013: The day started off with a temperature of -9ºC = 15.8ºF. Our destination was Wilcox Pass to photograph the Big Horn Sheep in rut. To get to the pass we had to hike 2.5 miles over a very steep grade that was covered in ice and snow. We made it to the overlook which was 1.6 miles up the mountain. This picture was taken from that overlook, looking down on the Columbia Ice Field Center staff living quarters and the ice field. I am sorry to say we did not continue. My companion, who just went through knee surgery, did not believe she could continue and since we only had one can of bear spray I was reluctant to continue on. Coming down was impaired to say the least. The sun had come out and the trail was glazing over. I honesty must say we were unprepared for a hike of this degree, not having the right footwear and hiking equipment. But when you fly you are limited to what you can take. We did meet a couple who made it all the way and they told us of all the Rams in the pass. Now that made us feel really good. Another time.
Day 6-10/05/2013: Temperature was 10ºC = 50.0ºF, WOW we are having a heat wave. We decided to leave a day early and head back to Edmonton due to the US Government shut down and not knowing if we would be able to get back into the country if all the federal employees were laid off. Traveling Yellowstone Highway 16 to Edmonton we came across a Bull Elk and some nice landscapes which we stopped often to capture.
Highway 16 Landscape 10/05/2013: Well we did not make it to Wilcox Pass to get the Rams but nature rewarded us with a group of Ewes and Lamb in a river bed along Highway 16.
We left Canada on Day 7-10/06/2013. Our first flight was from Edmonton to Seattle with a two hour layover. We flew into Seattle on Alaskan Air which is owned by Delta. Ok so one would figure Alaskan Air would be close to Delta's terminal, wrong they were a mile apart. Seattle's Airport is so big we rode an underground train from one end of the airport to the other end. By this point my friend's knee has given out and we are using a wheel chair which I pushed half way through this terminal before we discovered the underground train. Next we fly from Seattle to Salt Lake City with a 45 minute layover there. Well the Salt Lake City Airport was having trouble getting the docking terminal to dock with the plane so we were delayed in getting off. The wheel chair helped as they let us load first, the minute we arrived at the terminal for our flight to St. Louis. Arrived in St Louis at midnight and then drove 3 hours to New Madrid. Got home around 4AM in the morning and we started this day at 6AM.
All and all it was a great trip. The Canadian people are very friendly. We had a great cabin. The Canadian Rockies are impressive. The weather was great for photography, overcast in the mornings and clear in the afternoons and evenings. Mornings were always cold and overcast and we used this defused light to capture waterfalls in the morning hours. The wildlife was not as visibly abundant as we had hoped for. Our American National Parks are just as beautiful and none can compare to the Great Smokey Mountains in the fall.
I took 1,450 pictures on this trip. This album consists of 55 for your viewing enjoyment. As time goes on I will process more to add to this group.
Day 1 (9/30/13) The Athabasca River was just outside our cabin. Walked to the river to acclimate the camera to the temperature. It had snowed higher up in the mountains so this made for a good opportunity to get the river with the snow-capped mountains in the background. Went into town to check out the visitor center and then it was on to the Jasper Tramway.
Nikon D600, 24-70mm lens @32mm, Aperture at f/14, Shutter Speed .8 seconds, and ISO 50
Our adventure began at an elevation of 1304 metres (4279 ft) above sea level in the safety of an enclosed Tram car. It is a seven minute trip to the Upper Station located at 2277 metres (7472 ft) above sea level. During our ascent up Whistlers Mountain our tour guide informed us of the area, points of interest, animal life and history. We got lucky there were only four of us the our car on the way up. We were treated to views of six mountain ranges, glacial fed lakes, the Athabasca River (Alberta’s longest) and the scenic mountain town-site of Jasper during our ascent.
Nikon D600, 28-300mm lens @62mm, Aperture at f/7, Shutter Speed 1/250 seconds, and ISO 320
Whistler's Mountain 9/30/2013: Once on top we were greeted with very cold conditions as well as snow. Good thing we wore cold weather clothing, hats, and gloves. It was beautiful to say the least. After taking a lot of pictures we decided to take a break from the cold and treat ourselves to lunch at the Tree Top Restaurant located on top of Whistler's Mountain. Our lunch consisted of Buffalo Burgers, fries, and a drink. Cost $40.00 per person
Nikon D600, 28-300mm lens @35mm. Aperture f/13, Shutter Speed 1/250 of a second, ISO 100, and -.67EV. Handheld.
City of Jasper 09/30/2013: This is a picture of the City of Jasper looking down from the top of Whistler's Mountain. It was a cloudy day and at this elevation it would spit snow from time-to-time. The river surrounding this town is the Athabasca River.
Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It has a population of 4,432 people. It is the commercial center of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River valley. Jasper is approximately 362 kilometers (225 mi) west of Edmonton and 290 kilometers (180 mi) north of Banff, Alberta at the intersection of the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) and the Ice Fields Parkway (Highway 93).
The Municipality of Jasper, comprising the Jasper town site known as the Town of Jasper and a surrounding rural service area, was established as a specialized municipality on July 20, 2001. Governance is shared between the municipality and the federal Parks Canada agency.
Nikon D600, 28-300mm lens @32mm. Aperture f/11, Shutter Speed 1/200 of a second, ISO 100, and -.67EV. Handheld.
Tram 09/30/2013: This is our tram driver on the way down the mountain. He was from Australia, and was very knowledgeable about the area. While fielding questions I just had to click off a picture or two.
Nikon D600, 28-300mm lens @160mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 1/60 of a second, ISO 320, and -.67EV. Handheld with vibration reduction on.
Athabasca River 09/30/2013: Another view of the Athabasca River along Highway 93A. The Aspens were turning yellow as fall comes earlier this far north. The rivers and lakes all have a green coloration which is due to them being fed by Glacier waters.
Nikon D600, 24-70mm lens @27mm. Aperture f/10, Shutter Speed 1.3; .8; 2.0; seconds, ISO 200, and 0EV; -.67EV; and +.67EV. This consisted of three separate shots blinded together in PS6. Tripod.
Athabasca Falls
Athabasca Falls 09/30/2013: This water fall drops over a lip of Gog quartzite, thundering down a narrow canyon and is among the most powerful in the mountain parks. The entire force of the Athabasca River is funneled through this gorge. The walls have been smoothed out which is not an easy task since quartzite is not a soft rock. In the background is Mt. Kerkeslin rising 9,790 ft in the air.
Nikon D600, 24-70mm lens @24mm. Aperture f/9, Shutter Speed .8; .6; 1.0; seconds, ISO 100, and 0EV; -.33EV; and +.33EV. This consisted of three separate shots blinded together in PS6. Tripod.
Athabasca Falls Canyon
Athabasca Falls Canyon 09/30/20013: This is the exit point of the Athabasca River as it leaves the Canyon.
Nikon D600, 24-70mm lens @27mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 1/30 second, ISO 100, and -0.33EV. Single shot and processed using multiple layers in PS6. Tripod.
Day 2 Athabasca River 10/01/2013: While driving Highway 93A to our next destination, Sunwapta Falls, we stopped along the way to capture this view of the Athabasca River and snow capped mountains. The river is low due to the season but expands the full width of this bed in the spring and early summer.
Nikon D600, 24-70mm lens @31mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 10; 6; 15; seconds, ISO 200, and 0EV; -0.67EV; and +0.67EV. This consisted of three separate shots blinded together in PS6. Tripod.
Sunwapta Falls 10/01/2013: We arrived very early and were the only ones there. It was cold and spitting snow. The falls is fed by the Sunwapta River coming from the Columbia Icefield.
Nikon D600, 24-70mm lens @38mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 1.6; 1.0; 2.5; seconds, ISO 200, and 0EV; -0.67EV; and +0.67EV. This consisted of three separate shots blinded together in PS6. Tripod.
Sunwapta River 10/01/2013: Sunwapta River as it enters the canyon to form Sunwapta Falls. I found this shot intriguing. How long has that rock set on the precipice of this Canyon? How many years before the river plunges it from its high place to the depths below?
Nikon D600, 24-70mm lens @28mm. Aperture f/9, Shutter Speed 1.3 seconds, ISO 100, and +0.67EV; Processed using PS6. Tripod.
Sunwapta River 10/01/2013: The Canyon leading from Sunwapta Falls. Before leaving we stopped at a restaurant/gift shop to have breakfast. One of the local photographers had a lot of his work on display on the surrounding walls of this establishment. Awesome photography. Eggs, potatoes, bacon, and coffee, $48.50.
Nikon D600, 24-70mm lens @24mm. Aperture f/6.3, Shutter Speed 0.5; 0.3; 0.8; seconds, ISO 100, and 0EV; -0.67EV; and +0.67EV. This consisted of three separate shots blinded together in PS6. Tripod.
Tangle Creek Falls 10/01/2013: Side view in black and white of the lower fall.
Nikon D600, 24-70mm lens @ 62mm. Aperture f/16, Shutter Speed 3.0 seconds, ISO 100, and +0.67EV. This consisted of three separate shots blinded together in PS6. Processed using NIK Silver Eflex Pro. ripod.
Tangle Creek Falls 10/01/2013: Fed by Tangle Creek plunging to the canyon floor of the Sunwapta Valley. This water fall consists of cascades over a series of steps and cliffs.
Nikon D600, 28-300mm lens @ 90mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 0.5 second, ISO 100, Tripod.
Columbia Ice Fields 10/01/2013: Covering 125 square miles, the Columbia Icefield is the largest body of ice in the Rocky Mountains, or any other North American mountain range south of Alaska and the Yukon. The core of the Icefield feeds five valley glaciers. Maximum ice depth is estimated at 1,200 feet. Average elevation is 9,800 feet and the annual snowfall is 23 feet. Snow to the west of the icefield melts and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Oregon while to the east it melts and flows to the Hudson Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, via the North Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan and Nelson Rivers.
The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) runs 143 miles between Banff National Park to Jasper National Park to the north. This is the highest highway in Canada and one of the best for viewing wildlife. The focal point is the Athabasca Glacier, a 3.7 mile tongue of ice extending from the Columbia Icefield. In addition to wildlife there are many lakes and waterfalls along the way are within hiking distance of the Parkway. I did not record the temperature when we left Jasper but it dropped to -1C the minute we entered the Icefield and was spitting snow. On this day visibility was limited.
Nikon D600, 28-300mm lens @ 28mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 1/640 second, ISO 100, and 0EV; -0.67EV Tripod.
Columbia Ice Fields 10/01/2013: After leaving Tangle Creek we drove to the Columbia Ice Field Center to search for information. The minute we entered the Ice Field area the temperature dropped to -1C. Directly across from the Center is the Athabasca Glacier. The center sells snow buggy tours to go out on the Glacier but as the day was ending we decided to consider this on another day. However I did get a picture of the Glacier from the balcony of the Center. Look to the lower right corner and midway up you will see a black spot on the snow. That is a Snow Coach on the Glacier Ice. This gives you a perspective of the Glacier's size.
Nikon D600, 28-300mm lens @ 32mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 1/250 second, ISO 100, and -0.33EV. This picture was taken from the balcony of the Ice Field Center. There are three flights of stairs just to get to the center and then another set of steps to get to the balcony (3 Stories). Needless to say I did not take a tripod. It was freezing outside so I shot this with a fast shutter speed to help control camera shake or better still photographer shake.
Canada Rail 10/01/2013. As the day drew to an end and on our way back to the cabin we passed by the depot and I needed a shot of these two trains. They travel across Canada and I have heard that this is a fantastic trip itself.
Medicine Delta 10/02/2013: As we continued our trip on Maligne Road in route to Maligne Lake we noticed these huge boulders in Jeffery Creek. I am not one to pass up water falls, cascades or the like so it was time to stop for another photo op. The temperature is dropping so it was a good time to break out the hats, gloves, and warmer coats.
Nikon D600, 24-70mm Lens @ 60mm, Aperture f/10, Shutter Speed 1.0 second, +0.33EV, and ISO 100.
Doug
on January 27, 2014Beautiful images. You have really stepped up your game on taking and processing. Superb captures.