Big Apple B-Day

A few sleepless nights of planning and a few more dollars later, I surprised Rav on the evening before her 30th B-day at the airport with an action packed visit to the Big Apple. She thought we were going to Edmonton (sucka!) until I played my cover of "Empire State of Mind" to her recorded on my cell phone. Step back from the mic Jay-Z, there's a new kid in town.

A google earth screen capture of my ambitious plans for us on the trip. Although we were only there for 4 days and photography clearly wasn't the priority, I was able to sneak my tank of a camera into my carry-on and catch some interesting visuals in our birthday blitz of the Big Apple.

Gotham city as seen by everyone to ever visit the city. Yes I know, you should go to the Top-of-the-Rock at sunset. But it's been done a jillion times before. Still, this image speaks as it appears highrise buildings cover the entire surface of the earth.
Ravi plots her shopping assault on NYC. It never stood a chance.
The contrast of life and decay as the late evening light awakens this little tree defiantly thriving against an abandoned building in Brooklyn.
The only affordable real estate in Manhattan
Vespa... itching to hit the streets near Union Square.
Not sure what to take from Times Square... other than this is pretty much how I remember it. A bright ass blur. Don't judge the non-rounded 8 diaphragm blades of my 50 1.4. I can't afford the 1.2 ok. TAXI!
A window sill in the Upper West Side proudly presents it's spring colors.
I heart Greenwich. Here I tried to capture the contrasting colors of each unit. In Calgary, we certainly don't pay architectural attention to each and every window, let alone preserve old fire escapes. Gentrified certainly, but beautiful anyways from an outsiders perspective.
Loved the little stores, pubs and coffee shops in Greenwich.
Insert two quarters and all will become clear.
Late night scenester/celebrity hot spot on the lower east side. I doubt the scene inside at night was as interesting as the when the afternoon sun brings to life the colors of the neighborhood.
2012 or 1875?
Uptown sits over the twisted steel of the Brooklyn Bridge
Although it was Sunday, Grand Central still bustles as a world unto it's own.
Everyone's favorite NYC dinner. Do go there. Don't loose your ticket. Bring Pepto Bismal, and your Lipitor.
DUMBO view of Manhattan. Cliche of course, but still a great view for perspective.
Juxtaposed ideologies: dull, archaic, rigid. Young, vibrant, dynamic. Monotheism vs Pantheism perhaps? Probably just a church and a tree.
Left: The Empire state building nestled between the legs of the Manhattan Bridge. Right: What's in a name?
Left: Some tulips and the Flatiron sprout up in early spring. Right: what you don't see is the 5 shopping bags she was carrying back to the hotel. What's worse: they were filled with all my new shoes!

Sparrowhawk

Headed down the Smith-Dorian and forged trail up Sparrowhawk Creek en route to Sparrowhawk Tarns. Lots of thigh deep snow lead to plenty of route finding on this afternoon. Thankfully, I had great company in Barkley and of course Cy. After 2.5hrs of climbing, we reached the Tarns and basked in the 25 Celsius heat (and this is February?!) as the sun reflected off the snow and cooked us in this sheltered oasis. If our Sherpa would have shown up with some beach chairs and case of Corona, I'm sure we could have sun bathed there for the day.

Here, these building sized boulders guard the valley that house the Tarns. We were surely the first bipedals to lay eyes on the Tarns this year, as all tracks had signaled defeat far back down the valley.


Left: Alpenland looks so much better and feels more rewarding in the dead of winter without a purchasing a lift ticket. Right: This chute we rode down from the Tarns was my highlight of the trip. A combination of running, bounding and rolling got us down 500ft within minutes without setting off any major avalanches.


Barkley looks majestic as he guards the entrance to the Tarns. Actually, he's looking back down the valley waiting for Cy to catch up and bust out some food.




Always herding his flock.


Left: Barkley readies himself to charge down the valley. Right: Somebody's getting pissed of being buried shoulder deep in snow. Poor neglected poochie!

Lookout!

Another day at the office. Plenty of fresh white stuff (not the REALLY fun kind :) covered all discernible track-setting over the previous couple of days so a few cheeseburgers were burnt off on this trek. The view from the summit of Lookout trail over The Kananaskis Lakes.


Left: The trees break to reveal the familiar slopes of Mt. Indefatigeable in the distance on our way up Lookout Trail. Right: Just a guess, but probably no new mail.


After my plane exploded in mid-air and I fell 30,000ft, I walked away unscathed due to my pillowy soft landing!

The clouds break and the angels sing as Cy breaks trail. Nope, this is what heaven looks like.

2011 Reflection

I've been reflecting on 2011 and the incredible adventures I've been on over the past 12 months. After cross country skiing virtually every weekend until spring, the warmer weather allowed me to tackle a few peaks and adventures. Here is a tally of my journeys over the past 12 months:

- Prairie Mountain: 5 summits
- Heart Mountain: 5 summits
- Powderface ridge: 3 summits
- Yamnuska: 3 summits
- Moose Mountain: 3 summits
- Mount Allan: 2 summits
- Fairview Mountain Summit
- Grotto Mountain Summit
- Lady MacDonald Summit
- Ha Ling Summit
- Mount Collembola Summit
- Northover Ridge Route
- Lake O'hara Alpine Routes (all in 1 day)
- Victoria Marathon
- Maroma Beach to Puerto Adventuras Mexican Beach Running Marathon
- Devi'ls Thumb
- Lake Minnewanka to Warden's Cabin + Alymer Pass
- Rawson Lake 2 visits
- Cox Hill
- Jumpinpound Ridge
- Three Isle Lake
- Burstall Pass
- Bourgeau Lake
- Calgary to Cochrane & Return
- 20-25 x-country ski days

So many miles on the ol' truck. So many mental (and physical!) snap shots. Although Northover ridge was insane, my day in the Lake O'hara valley was hands down one of the best days of my life.

Trips on my bucket list for the year:
- Healy Pass to Eohippus/ Talc/ Egypt Lakes
- Bryant Creek to Lake Magog
- Mystic Pass
- Haige Glacier/ Turbine Canyon
- Circumnavigate the Iceline

Bring on 2012!

Moose

One of our many trips up Moose Mountain this season on a beautiful late October day. A quick drive out from the city, and a rewarding summit that overlooks Calgary to the east and as seen here the Elbow range as Barkley and I pose for photographers.

Victoria

Packed up the Toyota and took off to the coast for a little run (Victoria Marathon). Forgot how beautiful Victoria was. Just a couple of shots from Vancouver and Victoria as autumn made it's way to the coast.

Autumn Overture

"Music in the soul can be heard by the universe" - Lau Tzu

I first discovered this valley as a young grasshopper. During my inaugural voyage into this land, I was immediately overwhelmed by it's beauty and scale. But also, I remember looking far above me and seeing trails that appeared to switch back into the clouds. These were Lake O’hara's alpine routes (which of course I was forbidden to venture), and I so longed to tear away and explore its peaks and ridges years after I returned home. Finally much later and all growed up, on a perfect autumn day in September, I would be unleashed and allowed to run free to discover it's secrets.

I arrived at the parking lot to this promise land shortly after sunrise only to watch all the prepared souls (who booked a spot at least 3 months earlier) leaving on the bus up the access road without me. So in an act of defiance, I scaled the pearly gates at the base and began my own unauthorized ascent up the gravel road toward Nirvana.

Pack on my back, Valkyries in ear, rations in toe. Senses attune. Lungs and legs long since readied. In an earthly hour, I made the 11km climb up the access road to the lodge. I paused at Lake O’hara, traced my finger along my map, and readied my mind for the ambitious navigation of this entire alpine valley. With a ½ powerbar and a couple of deep breaths, I set my compass toward the Wiwaxy Gap.

Here, I pause to record my retirement home. Lake O'hara Lodges. On the left above the tree line, Wiwaxy gap gives way to Huber Ledges and onto Lake O'esa (camera center). Camera right above tree line: Yukness Ledges begin on way to Opabin Plateau.


After passing a half dozen groups on my way up, I leap frogged over a couple of nimble "Ultra Marathoners" just before the summit of Wiwaxy Gap (yes they felt the need to tell me they were Ultra Marathoners for some reason). Here a vantage on the route facing west before my fleeting descent down to Lake O'esa (mouse over to see route).


I paused briefly at Lake O'esa and continued onto Yukness Ledges. While I traversed its steep rocky ledges, the nimble yet delicate fingers of Ohlsson traverse Chopin’s Nocturnes in my mp3 player. I can't help but be struck by the similarity of the gracefulness of his hands to the way my feet grace the ground as I run.

First you must understand the mechanics of both. The angles of the joints of the fingers, hand, wrists, elbows and shoulders as he moves from key to key. The lean of the trunk. The angles of the foot, ankle, knee and hip as I move from foot contact to foot contact.

But this only tells part of the story. You see, it’s not just the notes on the score that create memorable music. It’s really about how the musician interprets and conveys the emotions of the composer to the audience. The speed of depression and retraction of the key. The angle, direction and force with which it is touched. How each note when created, relates to the note next to it. These are all influenced not only by the skill, but by the emotional state of the pianist.

As an artist masters their craft, it transcends the physical mechanics involved and becomes a medium for conveying information. A means for the artist to connect with their audience, be it a crowd of adorning fans or simply themselves. A connection that can profoundly affect the audience’s state of being. Emotion – medium – evoked emotion. By absorbing and translating a human emotion, doesn’t the piano become part of Ohlsson, Chopin and the people witnessing their performance? Ohlsson is breathing life into his piano!

As I effervescently float along these absurdly steep and rugged ledges, I think not of the angles of my joints, how my foot contacts with the ground or the 20 years I’ve been honing this skill. But instead I feel the sheer exhilaration as I try to interpret the impossible beauty of the Utopia under my foot. This is reflected in the compliance of my limbs and the length and cadence of my stride. I feel I am creating music as I move from foot hold to foot hold. I am playing my music on this landscape. And so doesn’t this landscape and that piano become part of me as well? Am I not bringing this valley to life?

After descending off the Yukness ledges into the grassy valley (camera center behind Lower Opabin Lake), I enter the magical Opabin Plateau. I love the strong late morning light as the sun ignites this larch tree which directs my attention back up the route I just traveled.


As the wind carries me across the Opabin Plateau, I come across Moor Lake as it opens up on Wiwaxy gap and Mt. Hungabee. Wish I had my SLR to capture the vibrant colors of the larches and the electric blue color of this one of many smaller lakes in the Opabin valley.


Eventually, I left the comfort of the valley below and began to climb again, this time up All Souls alpine trail en route to All Souls pass and onto Lake McArthur. As my heart races and I come upon the summit of All Souls pass, I turn and my jaw drops as perhaps the most majestic view I've experienced before is revealed before me. Here my entire journey thus far is in view (mouse over to reveal the route). (Doesn't this remind you of those enchanting maps before the first pages of "Lord of the Rings" or "The Hobbit??)


After pausing to capture that impossible view, I picked my jaw back up off the rocks and dropped back down into the valley leading to Lake McArthur. Along the way, I stop to peer into emerald Schaffer Lake through the kindled larches (camera right). After another 45min of undulating valley, straight out of a masterpiece hanging in the Louvre, and appropriately with a little Clair De Lune in ear, Lake McArthur appears in all it's aqua glory (camera left).


A stitch of Lake McArthur (5 images). Wish I had a polarizing filter to cut down the glare of the afternoon sun on the lake and a poet to describe it's beauty. Well, although I love my S95, I wish I had my 5D and my 17-40L to capture just how surreal this place was.


From Lake McArthur, I begin the long journey back to Lake O'hara lodges and stumbled down the access road to the car. My muscles torn. My joints ache. My mental and physical memory cards full. As I refuel before the drive home, I reflect on my adventure. By playing my notes on it's keys, I breathed life into this valley, and this unforgettable place has now eternally become a part of me, and me a part of it.

Louise

Just another tourist waiting for sunrise at Lake Louise.

Viva La Mexico

Couple of shots from my trip to the Mayan. Cliche yet sublime. Enough said.

Burstall - Birdwood Pass

A little stroll in the mountains up Burstall Pass to Birdwood and back with Waz and Barkley. Nice little trail I must say. Some day, I'll return to complete the circuit.

Here, Barkley and his favorite running partner Andrew head into Burstall Meadows which sits just below Burstall Pass. Quintessential mountain running.


The view back down Burstall Pass.


The view along Birdwood Pass. Trail running magazine material.