A Walking Report 21

Today’s I was here photo.
Sentinel Pass is behind me, most of the 10 peaks in front of me

Dear Reader (2020-10-02),
Tuesday September 29, 2020 – Larch Valley to Sentinel Pass Trail < 10k – out and back

I’ve now gone beyond stupid o’clock. When I wake at 2:17, I declare the time stupidest o’clock. Today, I’m off to walk at least part of the same trail I walked with Liz and her daughter 11 days earlier. There has been snow and wind since that first walk, which should have cleared out the smoke experienced that day. Around 3:15, with coffee in hand I’m headed west. It is just me (or so I think) and the long haulers out on the Trans-Canada at that time of night.

Somewhere a little west of the park gates (Banff National Park), and before the first of the Banff exits, a semi truck is driving east on the shoulder of the west bound lanes with its lights flashing. Well that is odd. Was this planned or not, how, and why? I drive on in my padded cocoon listening to Mark Gruber talk about the location of consciousness. It is around 5, when I slow down for another small set of flashing lights. A cyclist is pedaling along the highway. He doesn’t look like a traveller. He looks more like someone on his way to work. I give him a virtual tip of my toque.

Around 5:30 I make the now familiar left turn off Lake Louise Drive towards Moraine Lake. No one is controlling traffic. I am no longer alone in my cocoon, there are over a dozen of us all in a line driving towards the parking lot. 45 minutes later, my head lamp is on, and I’ve started the climb to the wooden bench that marks the fork in the trail between the one to Eiffel Lake and the one to Larch Valley . By the time I reach the bench the stars are gone and the false dawn has begun. Maybe I might be able to get to the largest of the Minnestimma Lakes before the real dawn. I increase my pace.

I choose not to huff and puff my way to the top of Sentinel Pass. Instead, I spend nearly an hour and a half in the alpine before walking back to the truck. The trail is busy on the return walk. Once again, so many people appear to be unprepared for a walk in the woods. By the time I get back to Lake Louise Drive, there are RCMP constables controlling access to Moraine Lake.

The second set of images is a point of comparison, and comes from the walk of September 18 (click here for A Walking Report 19). Well good people, you and I are now at the same place – walks and reports are now all current . I am not sure when my next walk will be, but I have ideas on new approaches. After today my bar for my craft is a little higher.

To remove the annoying band across the top of the full size image, click anywhere on the image.

As always all comments are welcome and sought.
Cheers, Sean

All rights for all material on any media reserved – © Sean P Drysdale 2020-2024

8 Replies to “A Walking Report 21”

  1. Sean absolutely beautiful book!

    Thank you for letting us walk with you.!
    You allowed us to be there in spirit to enjoy your journey.
    The views are as if you where in a plane.
    What a walk indeed!

    Your photos are brilliant!

    Hope you are considering making a hard copy and have them published.
    We would like to have it autographed and we would buy it officially.
    That’s what you do when you get it from the author.
    We would love to have the first copy hot off the press.
    Congratulations!
    😘
    Karin and Barrie

    1. Thank you so much Barrie and Karin. There will be a small print run, and yes you can have an autographed copy. I am currently awaiting word from Archives Canada for ISBNs (International Standard Book Numbers). Love to you both

  2. 1- A nice dramatic sky, with that hit of colour on the mountain goes together wonderfully.
    2-That was worth getting up early for. I hope that’s at least a 4 in your books.
    3-Interesting the colour contrasts, black to almost orange.
    5-8 are sort of a good better best kind of thing, except I don’t know which is which. These are some of the best mountain landscape shots I’ve seen. Great light, dramatic sky, photogenic mountain, what more could you want?
    9-Wondering how long it took to get the tree and the mountain lined up just right, and getting the depth of field just perfect.
    I was almost going to comment on the next batch, then realized they were a repeat.

    1. Thank you Keith for visiting, commenting, and your kind words. I am really pleased with this set and I believe there may be more than one 5 here, and that makes me smile even more.

  3. Thanks for sharing with us in Ontario your photos.
    We can only imagine your beautiful photos in our background.
    I really enjoy reading your journey into splendour.
    Hope you carry a can of bear spray lol

    1. Thank you Karin for visiting and commenting. Yes, I do carry bear spray, and it’s within reach, and I know how to use it 🙂

  4. Wow good on you Sean…the photos are really splendid and I admire your “alpine start”. Not easy to get up at 2 AM and put on your mountain pants.

    1. Thank you Alan for visiting and commenting – welcome to my small outpost in the digital ether.

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