It’s a beautiful day again so I headed out exploring looking for good vantage points and light on the mountains. It’s tough this time of year as many of the back roads are closed leaving you with only main roads, and hiking isn’t really an option as the snow is too deep still (unless I get some snow shoes which I will try later this week). I still found some nice locations but I always feel like I’m chasing the great view but never quite finding it!

I also spotted this view, which made me think of my editing agent Satu back in england as she loves Horses.

I’ve rented an apartment in Whistler for a month so I can explore the area more and get in some serious snowboarding, but I arrived to this at the entrance –

Although I could get into the flat, it was quite hazardous so it took me an hour to dig it out and create a proper path to my door, any more snow and I won’t be able to see out the windows! Clearly the 3 swedish girls who lived in this 1 bed apartment before me were very lazy.

Once I was in I headed out since it was a nice day to see what sunset shot I could get.

There was some amazing light forming on the mountains near Pemberton, 30km north of Whistler, so I was searching for a good position for a shot, but in the end I was too late and just captured the last whisps of light. I will have to come back again with more time to find a spot as mintutes before the whole mountain was glowing red.

It was another rainy night and time to play scrabble with my Aunt Linda, we managed to get in 2 games this time, the first one I won by just 27 points, slowly I am learning from the master.

Today I hiked around the Baden Powell Trail, a famous trail for vancouver that stretches 20 miles or so across the north mountains, I only went along a small stretch but there was plenty to see!

 The sun came out for a brief period and I got these nice shots.

I love finding all these big old stumps from the old growth of the forest, it’s just a shame most have been cut down.

I woke today at 6.45am, and it was so clear it was worth rushing out to get the Lions at sunrise, I was in my car by 7am but boy was it cold, with wind chill it was around -10 so I was stood there taking this photo shaking a little as the wind blew at my face before running back to the car for warmth.

Later in the day I headed to the Capilano Suspension bridge thanks to Jess my cousin who used to work there and her great friend Kara. I only wish it was an old school rope one!

It was a very cold day in Vancouver today but the sun was out so a perfect day to hike around a little.
I started out by going back to Capilano River to capture the 4 trees growing from the log properly.

The sun is out so I headed out for the day for more exploring, again armed with my my portable GF1, I’m changing my style of exploring, whereas before I would take my full kit with me and eventually get tired of carrying it on my back so not get as far, I am going have exploring days and any great shots I find I will re-visit when I know the light will be best.

First I headed to Lynn Valley to see if I could get the shot from the suspension bridge again on my medium format, but unfortunately the sun is just too low this time of year, I may be lucky if I come on an early morning and the sun just shining through the canyon, but not today. So I wondered around the falls a little climbing over the fences to see where I could go.

This is another shot I couldn’t get on my Mamiya 645 camera as the light is too low in the canyon this time of the year, plus I was on top of a rock leaning over the edge again.
In the summer kids come here to jump off into the pool below.

I took a shot of the suspension bridge this time, not the greatest light or greatest shot, but still nice. There isn’t a moment when no one is on the bridge!

After lunch I headed to the Capilano Lake, I was here a week ago and wanted to revisit at sunset on a clear day to get the sun shining on the Lions peak, but just like last week the clouds became too heavy and the sun vanished by sunset.

So instead I went exploring the trails by the river as it flows through the hydro dam through the canyons.
All of British Columbia’s power is from Hydro electricity, they have so much water it makes sence,
even some of the buses in downtown Vancouver run on electricity powered from the dams all over BC. Makes me wonder why the UK doesn’t make better use of it’s water.

I walked past this great shot of 4 trees growing out of an old log, I’m going to have to come back and get this with my 617 panoramic camera another day.

I’ve got the 4×4, 1999 model for ¢4500, 26 mpg, leather seats, Air-con, Cruise control. Now I just need to pursuade my UK insurance company to give me my No Claims History, apparently they don’t do that whilst a policy is active which makes no sense!
Rocky Mountains here I come.

I thought I would share the kit I have brought over to Canada, I tried to travel light this time and only bring a handful of lenses, but it still ends up being heavy on a 4 hour hike!