Day
33, September 14
Locations: Lake Louise; Takakkaw Falls; Vermilion Lakes
Miles driven: 185
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I was able to see stars
as late as 5:15 and today appeared to showed more promise than previous
ones. I had the alarm set for 5:45. Some clouds started to form as I left
camp at the Helen Lake trailhead and there were only a few patches of
blue by this time. What gives with this place?!
I went to Lake Louise for sunrise and I decided to set up the tripod near the outlet stream on the boat house side. There was a car parked immediately behind the walkway on the shore. I didn't see anyone inside, but I thought it was a bit peculiar that a car would be parked right there. Awhile later, a younger guy gets out and sets up his tripod a couple feet away. What?! We're the only two photographers out at this time and he has the whole shore to work with, and he sets up right next to me?! Talk about violating space! I couldn't believe it, but went about my business. A short while later he starts conversation and it ended up being all good. His name is Simon Wiggall, who goes by Si, and he's from somewhere in England (I didn't catch the town). Si, if you read this, it's all good! You threw me for a loop initially, but it was a pleasure meeting you! He was touring across Canada and into the States for a bit while finding boarding-type jobs. He worked in Lake Louise for the winter (2005/2006) before heading onto Fiji in the spring of 2006, then home. Rough life! After we got talking a bit, and just before the first bus loads of people arrive, I suggested he move his car back to the parking lot as he wasn't supposed to have it right there! I watched over his camera while he parked it. I told him at this point, I can't be picky about getting color at sunrise, but only that I'd hope for any light at all at some point in one of the upcoming mornings. In all the gray of the morning, we did get a real small, and I mean real small, sliver of pink on Mt. Victoria for a moment. I didn't take a picture, though I should have as it would’ve made for comic relief. It even rained for a bit.
Si was just starting out in landscape photography and was using a point-and-shoot. So, we talked about this subject for a bit and I was able to answer the questions he had which was cool. I ended up handing him my card when we were in the parking lot just before we left. I told him to make sure he emails me some pictures from the trip. We discussed our whereabouts for the next few days and I gave him some locations to check out in Banff and Jasper. Turns out we ran into each other later today and tomorrow as well. We've emailed back and forth a number of times after I returned home and continue to do so.
Darwin Wiggett mentions in his book when shooting at Lake Louise that, “Friendships can develop as advanced photographers help novices with advice on how to shoot the scene.” I guess truer words have never been spoken and this same situation happens to me on my first visit to this lake on this trip no less! Very crazy!
I went into Yoho and to the 1,248-foot Takakkaw Falls and hung out at one of the pullouts near the Whiskey Jack Hostel for about an hour. Si eventually pulled up behind me and we talked a bit more. He went onto the main parking lot to check the falls while I was waiting for a chance to shoot the falls from the pullout between the raindrops before going to the main lot. Si returned. He was just killing time before he was to take a rafting trip on the Kicking Horse River between Golden and Field. Not necessarily an optimal day for rafting, being cool with off-and-on rain and all. I finally got some shots from the pullout, and took a few more slightly different ones from the hostel’s parking lot before going to the main parking lot. I spent most of the day here and left around 3:45.
I headed down Emerald Lake Road hoping for a late afternoon shot with scattered clouds, but since the clouds were solid to the north, I decided I'd head back to the Vermilion Lakes in Banff one more time. I got over there and shot a couple pictures shortly after arriving. The one pictured below is one of my best of the trip. I changed out 17 sheets of film while waiting for sunset and I still had the 4x5 set up which got the attention of a fellow photographer, Peter Van Heulen, from a coastal area in the Netherlands and we talked for a bit as I was heating up some tortellini. We exchanged business cards. I failed to mention to him that I am an Ajax fan, which is the soccer team in Amsterdam that I've followed since 1997, though I don’t know if he is a Dutch football fan or not anyway. An older Japanese fellow also approached me and he asked about the light at the lakes and if sunrise would be any good and had some questions on the camera, and it was nice talking with him as well. Nothing ever transpired for sunset as it was gray and overcast, so it was good that I arrived when I did and got the picture I did.
I pulled into the Helen Lake trailhead across from Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint at 9:10 for another night. I again hoped for sunrise at Lake Louise in the morning.
Simon Wiggall,
whom I had met at Lake Louise and then ran into later in the day and again
tomorrow. This photo is courtesy of him.
11:40 AM —
Takakkaw Falls from near the Whiskey Jack Hostel
12:55 PM —
Waiting in the rain
~1:30 PM —
Takakkaw Falls
2:39 PM —
At the base of Takakkaw Falls
2:44 PM —
Takakkaw Falls closeup
2:51 PM —
Takakkaw Falls closeup
3:15 PM —
Takakkaw Falls closeup
3:17 PM —
Takakkaw Falls closeup
~6:20 PM —
Mt. Rundle from Vermilion Lake #1. I consider this to be my
second best image from the trip after the Medicine Lake shot on day 24.