Canadian Rockies: Jasper National park & Athabasca FallssteemCreated with Sketch.

in #photography6 years ago (edited)

Hey steemies!!

I would like to begin my post offering my sorrow to the victims and my condolences to the damaged families of the various recent religious attacks that plagued both Christianity and Islam a few days ago. Don't let hate propagate, these are actions of radical lone wolfs and do not represent the views of the majority. We are meant to live in peace and freedom, although different ideologies we must respect and love one another and learn to respect each other's beliefs as different as they may be.

pyramid Bench.jpg
Shot 1/320 sec. f/9 40 mm, ISO 100

Going thru my pictures, I noticed that I forgot to do a post on my last trip to the Rockies. We stopped in Jasper National Park and decided to stop in for the day and visit some of all time favorite locations on while we were on our way back home from British-Columbia. If we are willing to take a detour that adds several hours to get a chance to view then why not stop in when it's on the way! One of our old favorite we didn't get a chance to visit last time, was Pyramid Bench. Along with all the fun winter activities available and the spectacular view, there are also self guided tours and trails to be seen. We left early in the morning, by the time we got there it was still pretty quiet. The sun was shining bright and the blue sky that had been covered by fog and clouds for most of the trip had thankfully returned. What a refreshing sight!

pyramid island.jpg
Shot 1/250 sec. f/8 22 mm, ISO 100

We discovered an area we hadn't been to yet, how could we have missed this!! We discovered a trail head that went to Pyramid Island. Perhaps we missed it because it's so small and looks like the mainland from afar. The island is linked by a bridge to go across, very easily accessible for all ages and level of fitness. The Island doesn't take long to tour, maybe 15 minutes at the most. The trail goes completely around the tiny island where tiny animals and birds can be seen actively catching the attention of their guests and offering us some entertainment for a few minutes.

squirel.jpg
Shot 1/500 sec. f/6.3 200 mm, ISO 1600

squirel2.jpg
Shot 1/1000 sec. f/6.3 200 mm, ISO 800

The Trail brought us to a closer and unobstructed view of Pyramid Mountain. This was taken in November, It wasn't to cold yet but cold enough for the ice to begin forming around the edges of the lake. We could hear this annoying light whistling almost like someone running their wet finger on the edge of a glass and we took quite some time trying to figure out what it was. Secretly being watched by UFO's? 😲 What could possibly making that noise! Once we reached the tip of the island, we noticed a very light nearly invisible layer of ice floating over the lake and it's vibration in the waves and colliding pieces were creating this whistling. Who knew ice could sing! Well we learn something new everyday but what a strange phenomenon! UFO's would have been a fun explanation too lol...maybe some other day.

pyramid_island2.jpg
Shot 1/250 sec. f/8 18 mm, ISO 100

We gave ourselves a pat on the back for our great detective work and decided to get of the signing island, I was wearing my hiking boots that I despise and used to climb parts of Mount Robson a few days before, honestly it felt like I was walking with broken ankles and I just wanted off, I much preferred having frozen feet in my runners at this point, I was ready to begin walking back to the truck barefoot in the snow. Note to self, ditch the boots and get new ones, Columbia Hiking boots are crap and ergonomically incorrect at the ankle support, don't make the same mistake I did. I told @silvergingerman not to wait for me and walk at his pace to get the truck to come meet me where ever I make it during that time, it saved me 5 minutes of an excruciating walk and was soon sporting my runners with no grip on ice, time to do the penguin walk for the rest of the day I guess but my ankles felt so much better instantly!

elk4.jpg
Shot 1/1000 sec. f/6 155 mm, ISO 560

Isn't that sweet! A mother's love! We ran into a herd of elk, like any other trip. Parts of me wondered if it the same one I saw pregnant last winter and the mother and bambi I saw in the summer. They tend to be with their herd and roam the same locations? Did I witness the little one growing up from it's conception? Wouldn't that be cool! Sometimes I envy the park workers to be able to track these little wonders. With the cold of winter setting in, it was heart warming to see this duo (again), I just love animals, watching their behaviors and learning about them. At this age, the young bucks get their first set of tiny antlers and I can't see any, she must be a doe.

icefield parkway5.jpg
Shot 1/200 sec. f/7.1 55 mm, ISO 200

Next on our the agenda, well the only one we really cared about absolutely visiting was our favorite location, Athabasca Falls. The required us to go on a journey down one of the most beautiful drives in North America, the Icefield Parkway. Never go to Jasper without checking this road out, it's magnificent especially in winter. The trees lined with snow, driving along the semi frozen river. There are many rest stops for viewing and take in the gigantic landscape and the storms forming on the mountain peaks in the distance, take your time! It's very busy in the summer but the off season offers some peace and quiet to truly enjoy the environment at our own pace.

athabasca_pass.jpg
1/250 sec. f/8 55 mm, ISO 100

Good thing we are not on top of that mountain!! It doesn't look all that friendly today! As we got closer to Athabasca Falls, we could see many storms setting in giving the Rockies a more somber feel than the town of Jasper, I suppose it is to be expected in the mountains it seemed to be the theme of the trip anyway, leave the clear blue sky behind for clouds and fog, why would it be different now? 🙄 🙄 🙄

raven.jpg
Shot 1/1000 sec. f/6 155 mm, ISO 500

I saw my spirit animal, the elk on our way, it was only natural that @silvergingerman gets to spend time with his too. Upon our arrival at Athabasca Falls, we were greeted by @silvergingerman's raven and he followed us for a bit, probably looking for food but regardless got a chance of having a good photo op with him as other guests were beginning to arrive. We didn't come here for the ravens tho, it was time to move on and view what we had been so excited about... THE WATERFALL! We made our way down the short trail, the place was busier than we expected for this time of year but still not as crowded and difficult to get a good view like summer. Each year, many visitors make their way here with large tour buses viewing can get difficult as the crowds gather in large numbers all day. Who can blame them, this place is incredible!

mount kerkeslin.jpg
Shot 1/250 sec. f/8 26 mm, ISO 125

The devastation of the pine beetle infection can clearly be seen on Mount Kerkeslin and it's surrounding, it is heartbreaking but knowing that we had enough cold this winter to kill most of the larvae population offers some relief and hope. The damage is already done but it will be easier to contain this year and hopefully the damage can be under control enough to save the landscape from more damage. At this time of year, the flow of the waterfall is substantially reduced as the glaciers are freezing instead of melting but nonetheless there is still some water flow and the fall was beginning to form the beautiful ice mass it carries in winter yet the river not frozen enough to be able to walk over it and view it from the bottom. We took our time and took as many trails as we could and enjoy the shortened day as much as much as we could.

athabasca_falls12.jpg
Shot 1/250 sec. f/8 18 mm, ISO 180

athabasca falls13.jpg
Shot 1/250 sec. f/8 18 mm, ISO 125

athabasca falls14.jpg
Shot 1/200 sec. f/8 55 mm, ISO 200

mount kerkeslin2.jpg
Shot 1/250 sec. f/8 18 mm, ISO 100

The sun was beginning to go down and sunsets are often spectacular near the endless chain and that was also one of our targets for the day, it is less than 30 minutes drive away and we already made it this far, why not! We like to just sit at a nearby rest stop and watch the sun illuminate the tip of the chain as it disappears. It was too cloudy for it on that day but still worth a shot anyway. We didn't get the sunset we had hoped but we were still happy just relaxing after a busy hiking ad traveling week. Too bad the vacation was was coming to and end, I could stay here forever. This was a good place to quietly reflect all the excitement of the trip. We were on our way home after all, this was a bonus and a great way to end another successful journey discovering the great Canadian landscape.

endless chain.jpg
Shot 1/500 sec. f/5.6 135 mm, ISO 280

icefield parkway6.jpg
Shot 1/250 sec. f/8 46 mm, ISO 180

icefield parkway7.jpg
Shot 1/250 sec. f/8 46 mm, ISO 125

All images taken with Nikon D7000 and Sigma 18-200mm lens.

Cheers my friends! X🐞X

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O maaaaaaan!! I've been waiting on this post for a long time. What a treat to read about all the things we've seen and missed of course. You make miss the Rockies so much and I really hope to see it soon during winter as well. It's so different and similar at the same time as in summer. Reading about your hiking stories makes me laugh because proper shoes are always our problem. Turns out Nike Air Max and running shoes fit perfectly and keep blisters away for my feet.

Are you writing any more posts? Or is this enough text to make it to summer?

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If you come to the Rockies again let me know, maybe @silvergingerman and I can meet up with you and visit some hot spots you may have missed. Don't feel bad for missing some visuals, I have been living here 10 years and I am still discovering new things, it's a lot to discover especially since much of it is only accessible by foot. I would like to post more and return to the Rockies before summer but my industry is under political attack and I have no job so money is tight and savings are dwindling fast but temporary work should come soon and that will be my priority however long that lasts, we never know. In the meantime I will try to visit local attractions, I have an aviation history museum visit in the works ( I have the pictures) I just have to do research and write the text, there are other near by national parks I plan to visit since I have a yearly pass. I have quite a few post about Jasper, Banff and Kananaskis to dig up far down my blog if you need a Rockies fix. I was also thinking of writing a top 10 activities sorta thing as well because I need my mountain fix too!

https://steemit.com/travel/@ladybug146/canadian-rockies-frozen-new-year-day-3-pyramid-bench-frozen-waterfalls-and-endless-sunset

https://steemit.com/travel/@ladybug146/elk-island-national-park-the-charging-buffalo

https://steemit.com/photography/@ladybug146/canadian-rockies-an-afternoon-with-wolves-day-2

You would think they would make hiking shoes actually for hikers!! I generally go in my runners unless I am expecting an extended hike in cold temperatures and where there is the possibility of ice and slippery conditions. I used to wear "keen" but found their recent designs dull but they are a great comfortable brand that I will most likely return to even if they are kinda ugly. (they are also eco-friendly made of recycled materials)

Awesome! As you might know, I love the freedom of the speech as well as the freedom of the nature. Sometimes I'm posting hikes and MTB-trips in the Alps as well.

Best Regards!

I subscribed to your blog so I do not miss your Alps and your hikes, I very much enjoy nature and always excited about finding out how other places in the world look. I intend to visit them one day. I do not read German or the language you write so I cannot understand the writing but I can still offer some support as I can tell you put in a lot of work into your posts. Free speech is important! Although I do not feel free to speak my truth yet and perhaps too much for the people of steemit to handle the information I would like to share. Thank you for taking interest in my blog, it's appreciated! 💜 💜

Thanks a lot! My last post about hiking was in February. My last two posts were very interesting as theit topic was STEEM as money. It is easy for you to read my german texts if you simply use a translator i.g. google translate. Normally it works fine.

When spring is coming I will resume my writings about hiking and biking.

I wish you all the best.

This post has been voted on by @acropolis nature and animals in collaboration with the project @templo.

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Thank you for your support! 💜

Thanks for the tour. Farthest North BC I've been to is Kelowna in the summer time at somewhat more than a decade ago. Otherwise a Cruise romp up to Steward and Ketchekan Alaska.

I have never been to either of those locations yet, it must have been a true beauty, anywhere in the Rockies is spectacular. I want to do the Alaskan highway one day soon, just for the sake of it. If you ever get the chance to go back to BC , Wells grey provincial park is a waterfall wonder made for the hiker, more in the interior.

Way too late to react sorry for that... but finally felt some energy today to give a proper reaction at your great post again!

Happy you remembered that you still had to do a post about this gem! If I show these pics with the animals (squirrels and elk) to my girlfriend I think our plan for Iceland this year will be flushed down the drain, with the note now we can't do that many trips in spring because of me we can save money for Canada 😉 When we finally book a Canada trip I'll contact you for some proper waterfall spots because you showed a beauty again here. Can't get enough of those.

You bought yourself already some new shoes? Because bad shoes really suck when you need to walk for a longer period! Bought myself a new pair of Lowa last year and still like them although a bit heavy when I compare them to my fivefingers.

But what about that pine beetle infection? Is it a bug killing/eating the trees or something?

I hope there are more winter posts coming? 😍

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That's a pretty area. I have yet to get out there. Nice photos, too. It would be fun to see the elk like that.

That ice can be dangerous. A couple years ago, a few lakes here in Minnesota had thin layers of ice like that that the wind actually shoved off. They built up into a wave of grinding ice that pushed up on shore and did a lot of damage to some homes!

Yeah the ice tsunamis we call them here!! yest they can be dangerous, we had one near a lake and it did a lot of damage to properties and structures that were too close to the lake. It was too soon for that yet but there is always folks trying to get on the ice when it's too thin and it's a fast flowing river, I think the park blocks access during those times to reduce the dangers of somebody falling thru the ice.

I hope you get to see it someday! The elks are easy to find in Jasper.

Hiya, @lizanomadsoul here, just swinging by to let you know you're being featured in today's Travel Digest #462

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I will !! , thanks for your support!!

I guess they are the Rockies as you mentioned in that comment, aren't they? They remind me of the Alps we have in Europe but a differently way stunning. I think it requires a car travelling alone sometimes is more "challenging" because of that. Regarding your message of condolences to victims, Hope tragedies and hate would stop one day.

I hope the hate and violence comes to an end soon too!! It's too much.

Yes they are the Canadian Rockies. I heard they are similar, I have never seen the Alps yet but last summer I was speaking with some Germans on vacation we met during our travels and they said it was almost the same but our mountains appeared slightly bigger than the Alps. We always travel in pairs it's safer especially in the back country , there are a lot of grizzlies to watch out for on foot. In a car is nice and offers protection and a time saver but the best features are only accessible by foot.

Very interesting to read that appeared slightly bigger than the Alps. Hope to visit it. But my visa it is very short and Canada is very large.

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