Entering the Moose Freezerland of the Canadian Rockies 📷
It's been absolutely crazy cold the last while here, but I couldn't resist the joy of venturing out to the wilderness with a couple friends at -29°C (-20°F) to go lay some new ski tracks in the fresh powder.
Jan 1 and 2nd we got about 8inches of fress crisp powder in the mountains so I got out early for one very cold, yet great day in the mountains.
Note: Click any image to see a larger version
I was able to get a couple cool photos of the sky at dawn. These couple are HDR shots, but everything is frozen, including the color it seems, lol.
One of the best parts of being out early before anyone else, is you get to see all the wildlife. We actually came across 10 separate Moose within about 1 hour as we headed out. They were all in different areas, most were pretty far away, but it was 10 females and only one bull Moose (a young one).
Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures, as operating a camera is tough at these temps and they were mostly farther away than a photo can capture well. Here were a couple that stood up from their snow bed to watch us pass by. None seemed bothered by us which is good, moose can be quite dangerous.
After a quick look, they went back to eating bark and twigs, so we kept going.
We also go to see a small herd of 8 deer. Only this one small one was close enough for photos, the rest stayed higher up the hillside. Nice to watch them forage in the cold still and effortlessly get through the snow.
For about 75% of our day, we had untouched powder on a ski trail that had a decent base, so the powder was excellent, but a little snow going. The three of us traded turns laying track for the others.
I loved the powder on all the trees and really enjoyed getting a few shots deep in the wilderness. We travelled out about 10km and back 10km as well, so the nice thing about that, you don't see too many people, even on the 2nd of January with lots of people on holidays stay.
As we get closer back to the vehicles, there are a couple of fences and eventually, a lot more trails and people out for a short trip themselves. Still some nice photos and powdered trees to capture though.
And last but not least, this is what I look like after an hour or so in these temperatures. I had to keep melting the ice off my eyelashes with my fingers or else my eyes would start to freeze shut while cruising in the slopes. Pretty darn frosty hey?? It was still great fun!
Past Winter Photo Sets
I hope you enjoyed this trip report and photographs. If you are new, please follow and check out some of my other recent winter photography sets:
I much enjoy your trip report, very interesting! Your pictures are wonderful! I like them all!
Last but not least, the amazing thing is the ice at your eyelashes! I have seen like this in the news before and at that time I thought that it's incredible and it's not true! Until I saw your picture.....Oh!
Thank you very much for sharing!
Thanks tangmo, ya, the facemask is good to keep the air warmer for your lungs, as you can actually frostbite your lungs at those temperatures (and below) so it makes the moist air just really freeze up thick.
That's really great time for you!
Looks like it was a fantastic mini-adventure, lots of neat photos and frozen eye lashes!!
Thanks Daveks, yes, it certainly was a good adventure. 5hrs in the cold is enough though, the heater in the truck on return was a VERY welcome thing to have. haha
No doubt!!
It would be for sure LOL
This is so nice. You have an attractive eye lashes here. :) I really thank you for sharing. Followed, see you again!:)
Thanks bontonstory, yes if my eyelashes weren't long enough before hand, they certainly were once all iced up. I liked the touque as well, since the heat off my head frosted the whole thing up as well.
Jeezz, looks frickin cold! But very beautiful! Awesome photos :)
Thanks ourlifestory for adding a comment and stopping by!!!
Lovely photos
Beautiful...found your account from the AutoSteem release. Upvoted and following!
Thanks! I'll definitely be posting more photosets, but I'm been rather consumed lately with autosteem, glad you found both! Thanks for the follow
Great photos !!!
I was out cold weather hiking training for bushcraft and off the grid life with 50 lbs in my pack last Jan. - on the sidewalk coming home in my quiet area of town, when a car ran me over, not paying attn and disabled me.
The post title caught my eye and these photos actually are powerful - they gave me a flashback to the things I was aiming for being in Canada like you and now my life is forever changed since the file is being buried politically.
I am not 100 sure where you are -- I am east of Toronto --- but I have travelled most of the country - weeks or months at a time back in the day and so I have seen the temperatures in this nation from coast to coast like you are describing to people here.
-50 and a dry Prairie cold is pretty comfortable, -20 and lake effect moist air like where I live is not LOL and trying to explain that to people like you sort of did hear I got a laugh out of also and frankly, I needed that.
Powerful post here by you, I just thought i would share how it affected me.
thanks barrydutton, wow that's aweful to hear. Pretty sad that it happened when actually trying to get away from all the people for a better life. I can't even imagine.
Appreciate the comments though, I live in Alberta, south of Calgary, so am nice and close to the rockies for a LOT of adventures. We've been cold a lot lately, but finally getting a 25° increase on the weekend, which should be good for my next adventure. Take care!
Thanks -- have a good week