Backpacking in Canadian Rockies

I had mentioned in another blog entry that I am not big on camping/backpacking, but yet I went again the past week to Canada. This marks my 2nd backpacking trip in a span of just 2 weeks? I figured I could still do this while I am young (well, below 30 is young, right?), before I regret it later on.

This time, we headed over to Mount Assiniboine with a short side trip to Banff National Park. The first day we were at Banff, the weather wasn't too cooperative, as clouds enshrouded the sky and it rained all day. We covered most of the major Banff landmarks (or rather, lake-marks) in a day – did a ho hum sunrise at Lake Louise, followed by Moraine Lake, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Herbert Lake, Banff Viewpoint and ended off the day at Two Jack Lake with a very unmemorable sunset. The next morning, I drove over to Moraine Lake for sunrise from Canmore, and while it was totally foggy, I suppose I needed to see it for myself. So that rounded up my short stay at Banff National Park. Here are some photos of 2 of my favorite places in Banff National Park.

If you Google “Moraine Lake”, you’d get a ton of photos that are breathtakingly beautiful, to say the least. I’ve seen photos of Moraine Lake so many times I thought I’d be desensitized when I finally see it in person. But what did I know? It had me in awe, nonetheless; imagine 10 giant peaks towering over an emerald lake, with layers of pine trees skirting the lake. I could probably just sit around the lake and do nothing but admire it all day, but the rain pelted down on us and we had to move on.

Peyto Lake is yet another postcard-perfect place and the lake’s captivating turquoise color can be attributed to the sediments of the melting glacier. The lake’s milky-blue color varies, depending on season and time of day. The intense color of the lake is incredibly charming, and I reckon I should have taken a telephoto abstract shot of a small part of the lake. Ah well, next time maybe.

And off we headed to backpack at Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park. When we got there, the skies were overcast again and we hiked towards the campsite in the rain. After we’d pitched our tents, we went out to scout for a sunset spot. We didn't get a decent sunset but instead got a ton of wind to chill our bones. However, the saving grace was definitely our meals. We had pretty amazing Thai food for dinner made by our Thai chef, Por (she's a real chef at a Thai restaurant), who’d flew in from Brisbane for this trip.

The next morning we did sunrise at Lake Magog, where we met Justin Renzik and his friends. First light at Lake Magog was pretty awesome and it was probably the only day we saw some clouds. Mt Assiniboine rises above Lake Magog and because of its pyramidal shape, Mt Assiniboine is often known as the “Matterhorn” of North America. I have yet to see the real Matterhorn, but after seeing Mt Assiniboine, I am itching to see the real deal.

We then scouted a couple more lakes for the night’s milkyway photos before going heading back for lunch. After a re-energizing lunch, we started our hike up to Nub Peak. The trail is segmented into various levels of elevation that have rather endearing names: Nub, Niblet, Nublet and Nub Peak (in ascending order). The hike was relatively easy with moderate elevation gain all the way to Nublet, but things got choppy thereafter. From Nublet to Nub Peak, it gets pretty sketchy when you hike past a ridge and start hugging the Nub from the left. Some parts of the trail are basically narrow paths that drop vertically on the left – lose your footing and that’s it. Though Nub Peak is the highest point on the trail, most people get their sunset shots from either Niblet or Nublet. I have seen a shot by Kevin McNeal taken from Nub Peak and decided to check it out myself. After ruffling my nerves quite a bit, I made it up to Nub Peak unscathed. I only took a couple of shots before sunset and rushed back to Nublet for sunset. I made it just in time for sunset and met everyone else at Nublet. It was a clear, cloudless sunset at Nublet, but in my opinion, Nublet offers the best views of the 4 lakes (Lake Magog, Sunburst Lake, Cerulean Lake, and Elizabeth Lake) and Mt Assiniboine, so I enjoyed shooting there.

After sunset, we rushed down to one of the smaller lakes that we had scouted earlier for milkyway shots. It was a really jam-packed and productive day, before we headed back to base to rest for the night. The next morning, we did sunrise at a few of the smaller lakes that we’d found the previous day. It was a fine day for crystal clear reflections from the lack of wind but the caveat was that the sky was also crystal clear (read: cloudless). We hung out around the lakes for a bit before heading back to pack up. As they always say, all good things come to an end, and this was it. I am back in transit to PDX and yes, I am going back to work tomorrow. It was a short trip but nevertheless, a memorable one. Yet another one of nature’s gems checked! :)

Yukon bound

Off to Yukon. Here's one from the ice cave in Juneau that I visited again yesterday. The glacier retreating and melting is so so real. I was here standing at the exact same spot 2 months ago and the amount the ice changed is ridiculous. The cave also lost a big part of the entrance about a month ago and a couple smaller caves we found the last time has melted so much and their entrances are way bigger. It's so amazing yet scary.

Mendenhall Glacier Ice Cave, Juneau

Mendenhall Glacier Ice Cave, Juneau

Juneau, miss ya so much and I am back! Did a morning hike yesterday to Mendenhall Glacier to search for some new ice caves and found a couple. Travelled quite abit of distance today. Juneau -> Haines -> Skagway -> Whitehorse. 

 

Btw Happy long weekend everyone! More updates later.. Stay tuned! :)

Triple Falls

Triple Falls, Glacier National Park, Montana Sony RX100

Triple Falls, Glacier National Park, Montana 
Sony RX100

This shot was taken about an hour before sunset and 10 mins before a thunderstorm came by, stayed around soaking us all and we had to hide behind a big rock as lightning was way too close for comfort in the open fields.. Didn’t get too lucky with the weather at Glacier National Park 3 days of rain and 1 day of thunderstorm. Hence had to find comps that didn’t include the overcasted sky and here’s one shot of me at the bottom of triple falls trying to get it without the sky. Will be back again someday and photos to come soon. :)

ps. does this place remind anyone of Keller Fountain? :p

Travel Portland, OR

Been asked numerous times for things to do in Portland, so here’s a list..

 

1. Hiking and Waterfalls

Columbia River Gorge. Take a drive on 84 to Historic Columbia River Highway Scenic Byway. Some of the popular places that people like to stop over for photos are Latourell Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Multnomah Falls, Horsetail Falls and Vista Point. 

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls

These are a couple more in the same loop but some hiking would be involved.

Ponytail Falls (0.8 miles roundtrip with 360 ft elevation gain. Pretty easy hike with some elevation gain. You would start at Horsetail Falls Trailhead)

Ponytail Falls

Ponytail Falls

Fairy Falls (2 miles roundtrip with 800 ft elevation gain. Slightly strenuous hike. You would start at Wahkeena Trailhead. There is 3 trails there and its the right most trail when you face Wahkeena from the parking. You have to walk past the small wooden bridge. Theres been a sign that says its closed for a long time but the closure is past fairy falls, so you can still take the trail up to Fairy Falls. )

Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls

Oneonta Gorge (1 mile roundtrip. This is a popular one in the summer but it involves some log climbing and you will get wet. Probably not kid friendly as well. You would start at Oneonta Gorge Trailhead)

Oneonta Gorge

Oneonta Gorge

Elowah Falls (1.4 mile roundtrip. Easy hike. You would start at Elowah Falls Trailhead)

Elowah Falls

Elowah Falls

2. Portland Waterfront

View from Portland Waterfront

View from Portland Waterfront

3. Shopping. TAX FREE shopping..

  • Pioneer Square for some tax free shopping pretty big mall in downtown Portland.
  • Theres another big mall, Washington Square in Tigard.
  • For outlets the best one would be, Woodburn Premium Outlets. Its nothing like the Premium Outlets in California but its tax free. :)

4. Powell’s Books (popular gigantic bookstore)

5. Pittock Mansion has a good view of Downtown Portland and Mount Hood.

View from Pittock Mansion

View from Pittock Mansion

6. Food Cart are like everywhere in Portland and heres a few that I like.

  • Nong’s Khao Man Gai (Thai styled Chicken and Rice. My Thai friends love this place!) 
  • E-San Thai Cart (I really like the Pad Gai from here)
  • Chicken and Guns
  • Brunch Box
  • Thai Kee Mao (I really like the Pad Ban Mee from here)
  • Straits Kitchen (Kinda new Malaysian/Singaporean cart in Sellwood)

7. Brunch and Eats

Below are a few famous ones for brunch but I personally like Broders and Tasty n Sons.

  • Broders (Scandinavian)
  • Screen Door (Their Chicken and Waffles only available at brunch is awesome)
  • Mothers Bistro
  • Tasty n Sons, Tasty n Alder
  • Pine Street Market

Other Eats...

  • Salt and Straw (famous Portlandia flavored icecream)
  • Pok Pok (famous Thai food, expect a 1-2 hour wait)
  • Pine State Biscuits
  • The Waffle Window
  • Andina (personally love this place)
  • Lechon (pretty new place and a couple of my friends love this place)
  • Toro Bravo, Pollo Bravo, Tasty and Sons, Tasty and Alder (they are the same chain of restaurant and they are all good. I like Toro Bravo for dinner and the any of the Tasty for Brunch)
  • Pambiche (Cuban Food)
  • Blue Star Donuts
  • Le Pigeon
  • Voodoo Donuts (famous donuts and they are open 24 hours, ridiculous lines all day and way overated but still gonna leave it here anyways)

Finally Asian Fix...

  • Bubble N Tea. (Hands down best boba in Portland. Thai owned, their Lychee Thai Tea and Strawberry Matcha is Legendary)
  • Kizuki Ramen formerly Kukai Ramen (awesome Ramen in Beaverton, OR)
  • Kenny's Noodle House (legit HK Noodles, like I really meant legit. Whenever I bring HK friends there, they are always a little doubtful till they walk into the restaurant.)
  • Yama Sushi and Izakaya
  • Mee Sen Thai Eatery (hipster Thai) 

8. Coffee scene. Portland has a huge coffee scene, theres like cafes everywhere. Heres my personal favorites

  • Stumptown Coffee
  • Coava Coffee
  • Cup & Bar (Formerly Trailhead Coffee Roasters / Accidental Cafe)

9. Happy Hour and Breweries. Both places have a good view of the city.

  • Happy Hour at Portland City Grill  
  • Happy Hour at Departure Restaurant + Lounge (has outdoor seating with heaters kinda nice for summer nights)
View from Portland City Grill

View from Portland City Grill

Some Popular Breweries

  • Henry’s 12th Street Tavern
  • Deschutes Brewery & Public House
  • Hopworks

10. Mount Hood Area. If you still have time, heres some places with good views of Mount Hood, all pretty accessible with a car and basically awesome views with no hiking involved.

  • Trillium Lake, Lost Lake and Larch Mountain in the summer
  • Timberline Lodge in the winter
View from Trillium Lake

View from Trillium Lake

View from Lost Lake

View from Lost Lake

Timberline Lodge, Oregon

Timberline Lodge, Oregon

11. Oregon Coast Area. If you still even more time, here's some worthy places to stopover along the Oregon Coast.

  • Cannon Beach
  • Seaside 
  • Astoria
  • Cape Kiwanda
  • Thor's Well (look this up its really cool and also slightly dangerous)

12. Painted Hills. A really far drive from Oregon but this place has gotten really popular over the years and I got a couple groups of friends visiting from Singapore and Hong Kong that made their way there.

Painted Hills, Oregon

Painted Hills, Oregon

13. Bend, Oregon Area. Some stuff worth checking out around Bend.

  • Proxy Falls
  • Smith Rock
  • Sparks Lake
  • Toketee Falls (Iceland looking falls)
Proxy Falls, Oregon

Proxy Falls, Oregon

14. Crater Lake. Finally the furthest away from Portland but totally worth a visit.

Crater Lake, Oregon

Crater Lake, Oregon

Tunnel Falls

Missed 3.00am alarm. Missed 3.30am alarm. Missed 4.00am alarm. Missed 4.30am alarm. The 6am "get up for work" alarm went off. Picked up my phone and to my horror... 6.03am. Swear. Swear. Swear. Checked my messages. A msg from Lance at 5.07am. Scrambled around for my bag, gathered change of clothes, wetsuit and some stuff, washed up, got changed and made coffee. Ran out of the house.. 6.17am. Drove towards Eagle Creek. More swearing. Finally got to trailhead. Left a note on Lance's Jeep. Started running, continued running past Metlako Falls, kept running past Punchbowl Falls. Finally got to a landmark, High Bridge, 3.2 miles. Only halfway.. Got so demoralized. Stopped running and started walking instead. Lol. Walking, kept walking. Finally, I saw a familiar couple in sight. Hey that's Lance and Annette! Just in time before the sun peek through the top. Mission accomplished. Tunnel Falls checked.

Long story short, the 5am 12.6miles hike became a 7am 4mile run and 8.6mile hike. Lol. Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far! :)

Lost and Found

I used to think that the Milky Way was something you could only see if you’re an astronomer- it is super elusive and when you do see it, you might mistake it for some haze or fog in the night sky. Was at Lost Lake over the weekend because the forecast said it’d be clear. And it was, before sunset. Set my alarm for 11pm and took a nap. When I woke up, Mt Hood was barely in sight, enshrouded by clouds. Disappointment mounting, I set up my gear to take a test shot anyway. Worst fears confirmed as pictures turned out cloudy. Since I’d driven 2.5 hours there, I decided to muck around and be optimistic. There were a couple of flashes across the sky coz there was probably a thunderstorm going on some where in the West. That distracted me for while, and before I knew it, the skies cleared and the Milky Way was totally visible! Took many shots (probably too many) and this is my favorite amongst them. I guess some things, like Portland’s Voodoo donuts, are worth the wait? :)

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Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellowstone_Grand_Prismatic_TTT2022.jpg

It was a steep hike that was off the beaten track to get to this amazing spot where you could get the overview of the Grand Prismatic Spring. I wasn't sure how high to hike to, but I kept going until I found this sweet spot with the absolute best unobstructed view of the spring. From this vantage point you could see the colors of the Grand Prismatic come to life in full bloom; something you can't quite get when you're at the spring itself. The myriad colors spreading out on the Spring is reminiscent of a painter who had tipped over bottles of paint, and the colors had somehow amalgamated purposefully on his canvas. So as I was perched atop the hill looking at that chromatic marvel, I thought to myself, this must be the pot of gold at the end of the Grand Prismatic rainbow.