British Columbia’s Jewel

May 31, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 5 Comments

On every vacation there is usually one place that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Our Canadian trip was filled with these places and we weren’t able to single out one. However there were a couple of side trips we took that we would definitely take again – Emerald Lake and Maligne Canyon.

Emerald Lake is one of those rare finds we treasure every time we look at the pictures. From November to June the lake is normally frozen so you don’t get to see the vivid colors. Here in July the oohs and aahs aren’t for fireworks, they’re for this precious jewel in the Canadian Rockies. It’s a wonderful time to visit. Water laden with limestone rock flour is streaming off glaciers flowing into the lake. When the sun comes out Emerald Lake shows off her resplendent vivid turquoise colors. Yes, full sunlight is the final element that completes the picture.

This is one of the reasons Wooly has a love/hate relationship with the sun. Most of the time he prefers partially overcast days that block the most intense sunlight and makes the skies interesting. However, when you see a glacier fed lake in full sunlight you appreciate that those colors only really pop when exposed in full sunlight. In those places the sun is your friend.

Since we had a schedule to keep we couldn’t stay as long as we would have liked. A hike around the lake is a must should we return as well as renting a kayak to explore the place from the inside out. We’re glad the sun revealed Emerald Lake’s glory that day so we could fully appreciate the beauty of the place. Enjoy the photos that make us want to return.

One of the jewels of British Columbia.

Emerald Lake reveals its vivid colors in full sunlight.

Reflections and leisure.

Envious

I’d stay at that cottage.

Canada, North America, Travel, United States

After the Glacier

May 30, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 15 Comments

When glaciers melt the water races downhill. In its race as it tumbles over rocks it sometimes forms waterfalls. And how long can you watch and listen to the roaring water?

Spring in the Tetons.

Turquoise water from glacier runoff.

Water roars downhill in Glacier Natl. Park.

Elbow Falls in Alberta

Waterfalls are abundant in Maligne Canyon.

Canada, North America, Travel

Brr, The Columbia Icefield

May 29, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 4 Comments

Heading north to escape the heat is a summer ritual many Phoenicians participate in. Most head to the higher elevations of Northern Arizona where temperatures typically are ‘only’ in the 90’s during the day but cool off to a nice 50 or 60 at night or towards San Diego where we are affectionately? know as Zonies. Hey, it beats highs of 110 and lows in the 90’s.

Wooly and Raeski have also been known to follow the ritual of heading north. However Wooly sometimes likes to go the extra mile, or in this case, the extra 1,600 miles. Not only did we escape the heat, there were times we were downright cold.

Like the time we stood on the Athabasca Glacier in Alberta Canada. The glacier flows from the Columbia Icefield which happens to be the largest ice mass in North America south of the Arctic Circle. How large is it? It’s big, very big. It covers a 130 square mile area and has a maximum depth of 1,200 feet which is about the height of the Empire State Building.

It was a great day when we stood on the Athabasca Glacier. We were taken onto the ice in these massive buses to an area where it is safe and we didn’t have to worry about falling into a crevasse. Standing on the ice with the Columbia Icefield towering over us was very cool. Well, actually it was quite cold since cold air has the pesky habit of flowing down. And guess where all the cold air was blowing that day. Yup, right down the glacier where we stood.

And if you are wondering if this glacier is retreating the answer is yes – as all the glaciers fed by the Columbia Icefield are. Since the industrial age began the Athabasca has retreated 1.5 miles and the rate of ice loss is accelerating. And yes, Wooly and Raeski agree with the climate scientists that say that human activity is a major contributor to climate change. When 95% of all climate scientists agree on this, one must question why the other 5% are still in disagreement. Perhaps it’s because of who pays them.

Enjoy the show of water in one of its purest and most ancient forms. Glacial ice.

Athabasca Glacier is one of the five major glaciers feeding from the Columbia Icefields.

The triple cascade of the Athabasca Glacier.

Those dots on the glacier are people and the giant sized ice buses.

Raeski kicks the tires.

Legend says that drinking the water from the Athabasca Glacier will add 10 years to your life. Hey, it’s worth a shot.

Brr. The wind is blowing down from the Columbia Icefield as Wooly and Raeski pose for the camera on the Athabasca Glacier and it’s cold!

Another glacier flowing from the Columbia Icefield.

The Columbia Icefields feeds a glacier sliding down a mountain.

The Dome Glacier is one of the many ‘minor’ glaciers feed by the Columbia Icefield.

Chile, South America, Travel

The World of Reina Victoria

May 21, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 12 Comments

You are entering a fantasy world where artists boldly express visions from within their minds. Once the door shuts there is nothing to do but wait to be transported into this world. You ascend in your cage knowing you are stepping into another world when the door opens.

Ascensor Reina Victoria in Valparaiso has transported you into this fantasy world. Enjoy the show.

North America, Travel, United States

Hiking the Catalinas

May 20, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 5 Comments

Quick… think of a place with mountains, cool breezes, aspen trees, streams and fern lined trails. Where a hike leads you to grand vistas where you can see for miles and watch clouds gather and burst forth into afternoon summer thunderstorms.

Did you think of southern Arizona? I didn’t think so. However a place like this exists high in the Santa Catalina Mountains that tower over Tucson. As you drive 40 miles up the mountain the temperatures cool as you gain elevation. While Tucson swelters in the desert heat, it’s a refreshing 35 degrees cooler at the end of your drive.

It’s hard to fathom that a mere few miles away Tucson is in the 100’s while it’s only in the 70’s where you are. In Arizona elevation makes a huge difference and you are 6,000 feet higher in the Catalina’s. Hiking may be a bit more difficult due to the thin air but you don’t mind. You’ve escaped the heat at least for a while. And it’s kind of fun making your way through chest high ferns instead of side-stepping cactus.

Argentina, South America, Travel

A Word A Week Photo Challenge – Watch

May 17, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 4 Comments

It was lunchtime for the man and the cat was hopeful. Taken in the Recoleta section of Buenos Aires.

North America, Travel, United States

Travel Theme: Blossom

May 16, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 5 Comments

I have always been a summer person. I look forward to spring because that means summer is just around the corner. Except for the leaves bursting with color, I’ve never been much of a fan of fall because that means winter is next. Here in Chile it is fall which means that dreaded season is next. So I drug out some pictures from spring in Glacier National Park.

South America, Travel, Uruguay

Rio Plata Sunset

May 15, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 1 Comment

The Rio Plata (Silver River) separating Argentina from Uruguay is the world’s widest river. While in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, we were fortunate to watch a magnificent sunset from the shore of the Rio Plata. Pass the wine and cheese please.

Europe, Netherlands

Are we lost?

May 14, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 6 Comments

I forgot, are we lost? Maybe they’re a bit befuddled with the language. Perhaps it’s difficult to tell which way the map is pointed. Uh, what was I talking about? I seem to have lost track of what I was saying. Oh well, let’s go back into the store behind us and buy some more stuff.

Canada, North America, Travel, United States

Animals

May 13, 2014 Wooly and Raeski 7 Comments

Last summer we saw many amazing places and lots of wildlife. Some were expected and others were a complete surprise. The first surprise was spotting a young bighorn sheep in Zion National Park. In Rocky Mountain NP we saw elk. Driving in Wyoming I had to stop the car to get pictures of a herd of antelope.

In Yellowstone we were hiking on a trail and had to walk by that big bison. Being that close did make me a little nervous. After all, he was definitely a wild animal. Further north in Glacier NP is where we saw the adorable young mountain goat sticking close to mom. On the same hike to Hidden Lake we saw the furry little marmot. Legend has that they will eat anything they can sink their teeth into.

It wasn’t until we got to Canada’s Glacier Waterton NP when we finally saw bear. It’s hard to tell from the photo whether this is a brown bear or a grizzly. A brown bear’s nose is fairly straight and a grizzly bear has a more rounded nose. It’s hard to tell from the photo which it is and I stuck to using my telephoto lens instead of getting closer. And finally we saw caribou near Jasper Alberta. They are huge!

I am always happy when I can photograph animals in the wild and feel fortunate when I spot them. When asked why I’m an environmentalist who wants to save habitats, these photos are my answer. One of my favorite presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, recognized that states cannot be trusted to save the land and protect it from commercial exploitation. I abhor what’s going on in the West with a few people who feel the federal government has no right to protect land for future generations.