I like to think that I live in the mountains. In the summer, I look for interesting wildlife to shoot, I do my best to chase sunsets and I scout various locations for the winter. In the winter, I get serious. As a photographer, I realise that there will never be a better time to capture sunsets; they're early in the day, and the snow reflects the light. That's why I was up on the mountains when the first snow fell upon Vancouver. I captured it. The image got a fairly good reception on social media (even made the news!). Boasting aside, I knew there was a job to be done, that's why I dedicated my entire holiday to documenting the snow where I live. The North Shore mountains got a dumping of white powder early in the season (compared to previous years), so I got off my butt and re-hiked trails I did in the summer. Usually there would be at least one set of tracks for me to follow, but in some cases, I would have to be the trailblazer. I knew these routes like the back of my hand, but you have to be careful not to get too arrogant when you're in the mountains; they're unforgiving. I captured some of my best images early in the season, so I brought a couple of my friends up and gave them a tour of the North Shore backcountry. Originally, we set out to summit Goat Mountain, a peak with a lovely view of Hanes Valley and downtown Vancouver. Unfortunately, three factors ended our hike early; Jerry and Jason didn't bring crampons, it was foggy, and we didn't leave enough time to get back before total darkness. Nevertheless, we got to a nice view point of a neighboring mountain (Crown) and waited for the sun to set. It was a nice compromise, the sun poured a lovely golden light onto the snowy trees for us to photograph. About a week later, on our second expedition (if you can call it that), we couldn't get passed our first checkpoint because of a stubborn blizzard. Jerry stayed, because he was shooting a timelapse, while Jason and I trekked on, our snowshoes sinking in the snow, step by step. The weather was awful. We finally gave up and headed back to Jerry, admitting defeat. We stayed up at our first checkpoint for a couple hours in blistering cold weather, hoping for a sunset miracle. God answered. A break in the clouds delivered a stunning alpenglow on the distant hills. It was perhaps my favourite image of the series. When I arrived back home, exhausted, I was suprised to learn my lenses had frozen (there was ice covering the front and back elements). So far, it's been a winter to remember, from chasing sunsets, to being stranded on a mountain overnight, I've experienced a lot. All I'm hoping for now is that the snow will stick for a few more months. I would only recommend exploring the backcountry when it's cold. This will allow the snow to freeze over, so you won't get caught in an avalanche. Help NSR out by memorizing the trail maps and packing extra clothes and food; many have perished hiking in the Hanes Valley area. In the summer, carry bear spray, as black bears and cougars can be a common occurrence.
0 Comments
|
Ryan NealeWildlife enthusiast, global nomad. Archives
October 2016
Categories |