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Crypt Lake hike in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

Posted by Steve Boer on September 6, 2022
Posted in: Nature, Photography, Scenery, Travel, Wildlife. Tagged: alberta, canada, crypt lake, hike, hiking, travel, Waterton, Waterton Lakes. Leave a comment

The Crypt Lake hike in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada was probably a once in a lifetime experience. I suppose maybe that’s because it took me until age 55 to do it, but it was tough. {scroll down for pics}

As I said in my last post, this is among the hardest things I’ve ever done. Top of the list is probably running the Run4Fun half-marathon in Whitecourt Alberta, but that might only be because it required a lot more training. There is a lot of climbing on this almost 19km hike as you start at upper Waterton lake level and climb about 880 meters to finally reach Crypt Lake in the mountains. The scenery along the way is amazing, and these photos really do not quite do it justice. As you near the end, there is a tunnel you have to go through and then a cable along a narrow trail across a rocky cliff edge. I didn’t really use the cable on the way up, but on the way back down, it was a necessity. Going back down was definitely more scary than going up.

If you have problems with your knees or hips, this hike is probably not for you. It’s pretty steep in some places and takes a toll on your body. As well, you are under a time constraint because if you miss the last ferry back to Waterton you are stuck there overnight with no amenities. We made it back with about an hour to spare, but we did NOT do the optional side trip to the waterfall. Do most of your picture taking on the way up. You’ll need to take rest stops anyway, and on the way back down, you may be too tired to care about taking photos as I was. I would recommend 2 litres of water at the very least and if the weather is warm then 3-4. I only had 2, it was warm, and it wasn’t really enough. I lost my hat to a gust of wind and might have been starting to get heat exhaustion.

All that said, I’m glad we did it. Here’s some of the photos I took, in chronological order:

Waterfall on the Crypt Lake trail

View from the Crypt Lake trail

Crypt Lake waterfall

Crypt Lake tunnel

Entering the Crypt Lake trail tunnel

Crypt Lake via ferrata cable

Crypt Lake

Ground squirrel at Crypt Lake

View from the top of the Crypt Lake waterfall

If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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The Amazing scenery of Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

Posted by Steve Boer on August 24, 2022
Posted in: Nature, Photography, Scenery, Travel, Wildlife. Tagged: alberta, canada, lake, moose, mountains, travel. 3 Comments

Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada has some of the most amazing lakes and mountains that you could ever hope to see. We spent a few days here in July 2022. This was our second visit to this magnificent park and it was even more impressive than I remembered, which is rare. Usually I find that memories get built up in your mind and you can be disappointed when you re-visit them, but not in this case. First up is the iconic Cameron Falls waterfall which is basically right in town.

Cameron Falls long exposure

On the other side of town there is a rocky beach on Upper Waterton Lake. The amazing formation of Citadel Peaks is visible from here. It’s unlike any other mountain ridge I’ve ever seen.

Citadel Peaks as seen from Waterton Alberta Canada

From just up the road heading towards Cameron Lake, you can stop and take in this view looking over the townsite and Upper Waterton Lake.

Elevated view of Upper Waterton Lake and mountains

This next shot was taken further along on the road to Cameron Lake. This stuff called Bear grass was growing all over the place and was really cool to see.

Bear grass along the road to Cameron Lake, Waterton

Once at Cameron Lake, you are treated to a full view of Mount Custer, which is actually in Montana. We rented a canoe and were able to reach that side of the lake in about half an hour. The Canada / US border actually goes through the last bit of the lake so we technically crossed the border in the boat.

Mount Custer from Cameron Lake in Waterton National Park

Another really interesting peak was also visible from the Cameron Lake area. I wasn’t able to determine which exact one it was, so I can’t give its name, but I really liked the colour and textures.

Iron-rich mountainside in Waterton

Finally, just before we left the area we were able to watch this moose mom and her two calves grazing in a swamp for a few minutes.

Moose mom and her calves grazing in a swamp
Moose baby walking in a swamp

My next post will be about the hike we took to Crypt Lake. Possibly one of the most difficult things we’ve ever done, at least for being in only so-so shape in our mid-fifties.

If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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Grizzly Bears in Jasper Alberta (six photos)

Posted by Steve Boer on May 23, 2022
Posted in: Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife. Tagged: alberta, bear, bears, grizzly, jasper. Leave a comment

We were very excited to see these two grizzly bears last time in Jasper National Park. They were near the side of the road so we were able to stop and I took all of these photos with a long lens from the safety of my car.
Grizzly bear walking looking down to the right
Grizzly bear standing on a ledge looking back

As they started heading for higher ground, one of them knocked a large rock loose. This caught its attention and it watched the rock fall to the side of the road.
Grizzly bear knocking a large rock off a ledge

While I pulled the car forward for a better angle, they climbed to the top of the ledge.
Two grizzly bears standing on a ledge looking at the camera

Happy with their new vantage point, they both sat down together and just watched all the vehicles driving by.
Two grizzly bears sitting on a ledge looking down and to the left
Two grizzly bears sitting on a ledge looking left with prominent hump

If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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Boreal Chickadee (four photos)

Posted by Steve Boer on February 12, 2022
Posted in: Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife. Tagged: alberta, birds, Boreal Chickadee, chickadee. 2 Comments

I was blessed last weekend to have this boreal chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) sit still (well not really still but at least in the same spot) on this branch for over a minute. Allowed me to get several pretty decent shots. This was the first time I noticed how much blue is in their back feathers. These guys are not very common around here compared to the black-capped chickadees, and I’m fairly sure I’m seeing the same individual every time, although you’d think there might be at least a pair of them.

Boreal chickadee perched on a branch looking right beak open
Boreal chickadee perched on a branch looking down eating seed
Boreal chickadee perched on a branch side view looking left
Boreal chickadee perched on a branch looking up and right
If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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SupercaliFRAZIListic (six photos)

Posted by Steve Boer on November 21, 2021
Posted in: Nature, Photography, Scenery, Travel. Tagged: alberta, frazil, yeg. Leave a comment

Ice, ice, baby. It’s supercaliFRAZIListic in Edmonton right now. These frazil pancake ice shots were taken downtown #yeg yesterday. The water can’t freeze solid yet because it’s moving too fast and so the ice crystals group together and form these lilypads as they swirl around and bump against one another while they’re rotating.

Frazil pancake ice in river with blue sky reflection
Frazil pancake ice with bridege in background
Frazil pancake ice in river closeup monochrome
Frazil pancake ice in river monochrome
Frazil pancake ice in river portrait mode
Frazil ice pancake with a face shape

If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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Waxwings (four photos)

Posted by Steve Boer on November 10, 2021
Posted in: Nature, Photography, Travel, Wildlife. Tagged: alberta, birds, waxwing. 3 Comments

Some waxwings seen in Whitecourt, AB. I thought they were Bohemian waxwings, except that no other photo I found of a bohemian showed the stripes on top of the head like you can see in a couple of these shots. So, if anyone has a species ID they can give or any insight I would love to hear about it!

Bohemian waxwing
Bohemian waxwing
Bohemian waxwings
Bohemian waxwings

If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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Elk Island Alberta (six photos)

Posted by Steve Boer on October 13, 2021
Posted in: Nature, Photography, Scenery, Travel, Wildlife. Tagged: alberta, badlands, Drumheller. Leave a comment

Spent an evening out at Elk Island National Park here in Alberta last weekend. It’s only about a 45 minute drive from home near Edmonton and has some nice scenery and wildlife to offer. The fact that it is a dark-sky space helps seeing the stars at night. We saw a few animals before it got too dark to photograph them. A bison wouldn’t take his eyes off me on the side of the road, and during a short walk we saw a few beavers and what I think might have been a snow goose. After that we found a picnic spot to have a fire and some snacks, and start taking shots to make a star trail photo. An hour and a half and 195 images later, I reset for a shot of the Milky Way galaxy with some trees that were lit by our campfire. I also made a time lapse video with the star trail shots, please check it out on my youtube.

Bison at Elk Island
Beaver at Elk Island
Snow goose?
Elk Island sunset reflection
Star trail at Elk Island with reflection
Milky way galaxy with trees lit by campfire

If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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A few random shots (three photos)

Posted by Steve Boer on October 6, 2021
Posted in: Nature, Photography, Wildlife. Tagged: alberta, stalbert, yeg. Leave a comment

I finally brought my camera along on a walk the other weekend and took a few pictures for the first time in over a month. A Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) with nice red leaves for fall, and a couple of birds. The woodpecker is a female black-backed woodpecker and the other is a nuthatch looking a little wary about taking a sunflower seed from my wife’s hand.

Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)

Black backed woodpecker female

Wary nuthatch

If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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Drumheller Alberta (six photos)

Posted by Steve Boer on August 16, 2021
Posted in: Nature, Photography, Scenery, Travel. Tagged: alberta, badlands, Drumheller. Leave a comment

We made it back to the Drumheller, Alberta area again this summer. I always enjoy this desert, badlands landscape. I hope you’ll take the time to check out all six photos in this post. You’d have to be a dumb feller to not want to go to Drumheller!

Yellow cactus flower with badlands landscape background
A close up of a yellow cactus flower
Famous Hoodoos in Drumheller Alberta on a sunny day
Rock isolated on textured sand with a bush
Hoodoos in Drumheller Alberta with shallow depth of field
Fake tilt-shift effect on Drumheller hoodoo site

If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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Edmonton Skyline

Posted by Steve Boer on July 27, 2021
Posted in: Architecture, Photography, Scenery, Travel. Tagged: alberta, bridge, city, edmonton, night, skyline, yeg. Leave a comment

Edmonton at night with the Walterdale Bridge. The light trail in the sky was a helicopter.

Edmonton at night with the Walterdale Bridge
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Exposure Time: 20s, Aperture: f/8, ISO: 100, Focal Length: 24mm

If you enjoy my photographs please consider making a purchase. All of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to help support our friends volunteering at the Seed of Hope in South Africa which is a great organization really making a difference in the community. Every little bit makes a difference, even a small digital download for your desktop!

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    • Crypt Lake hike in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta September 6, 2022
    • The Amazing scenery of Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta August 24, 2022
    • Grizzly Bears in Jasper Alberta (six photos) May 23, 2022
    • Boreal Chickadee (four photos) February 12, 2022
    • SupercaliFRAZIListic (six photos) November 21, 2021
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