Sunday, May 18th, Day 9.
This day can be described in one word. W.O.W. as in, wickedly ooawesome wonders. We woke up, bright and early at 5:30, to an awesome breakfast that Lilly and Jean-Claude had prepared for us. We had plenty of homemade bread and toppings to choose from. Delicious. However, the weather was not favorable, as it was rainy, cloudy, and general sucky weather for photographs. So Sean said, ohhhhh kkkkk back to bed. We all took some naps for a few hours and waited for a break in the weather. We set out again later that morning for Elk Island National Park.
Elk Island was about a 30 min drive from our B&B. It is a fenced in park that is home to many animals, including Bison (Buffalo), Coyotes (Awesome dogs) Moose (THE MEESE WANT THE FOOD IN THE WOODINISIT), Elk (I see you admire my noble bearing, like a hybrid of a deer moose thing), various birds (pretty ones, what happened to petey? HIS HEAD FELL OFF), and Beavers (Dam). The set up through is pretty much like Jurassic Park, free range throughout the park in your vehicle on the dirt roads.
So, it was still a bit cloudy as we made our preliminary run through the park on our recognisance mission. We saw a heard of buffalo, but the lighting was pretty crappy. The park was huge, and the more we drove around the more the wather seemed to get better. Lots of time you would just random turn the corner and a Bison would be just sitting there, eating or shitting or something. We got some really sweet/funny pictures of one who really had an itch, and was scratching his face and body on a post. Memories.
Lunch time. We went to a small little picnic area and starting cooking food. Paul has a sweet small grill that runs on propane, and we cooked up some steak and potatoes and made sandwiches. While we were there we met a couple with their three children who were from South Africa that had moved to Canada. The father was a doctor so knowing mom and her endless barrage of questions, we were happy to talk to them for a while. They actually were very nice and intriguing and we spent a good hour chatting with them about South Africa and Canada and George Bush and Gameboys. Good times. After lunch we headed back out.
After lunch we went around again to good spots where Paul thought some animals would be. His instincts proved to be righteous. We got some great pictures of buffalo and when I say great pictures, I mean like the buffalo was right next to the car or within 30 feet of us. Many times Paul would jump out of the car after a Buffalo, and we would be close behind. While I decided to make a few dumb videos, they got some good pictures. Probably one of the highlights of the day would be one buffalo that had become used to us being around him. We were watching him graze for a while in a field, when he literally sat down right in front of us. We were on one side of the road and he was on the other. I got lots of sweet pictures (and some sweet videos as well)
After our amazing Bison model shoot, we decided it was time to stake out a beaver dam, you know, old school stake out, seriously. We parked our truck on the side of a road next to a big lake, and within the lake was a huge Beaver lodge, as well as a Beaver dam. Damn. So, let me lay out the plan for you. Earlier in the day Paul and I scouted out a spot on a hill overlooking the lodge and damn. Paul and Dad would go to that spot, meanwhile, Mother and I would stay in the sides of the car. This way we had two different angles to hopefully capture some beaver shots. We had cameras and binoculars and hand signals, we were ready to go.
Paul planted some fresh trees on the damn as a beaver 'trap.' All around us there were lots and lots of fresh logs that had been chewed the night earlier. Usually beavers won't come out into the night but Paul said if we relax and watch as the sun went down we might get lucky. Boy, we got lucky.
We were sitting for about 30 or 45 min or so when we spotted 3 beavers coming down stream. Awesome. For the next hour or two, we just sat in our spots shooting away. Paul and Dad had a much better angle of the lodge and the beaver, but they had the better cameras. Mom and I though got plenty of good views and I got some decent photographs. I got some bird shots too, as well as some audio clippings of the wild life, including some coyote howls. Totally worth it.
It was getting dark, and late, around 9:00 PM, so we decided to pack it in. We headed home and grabbed some frozen pizza on the way. Jean-Claude and Lilly are awesome and just fun to be around. Tomorrow is another day at Elk Island.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saturday
Saturday, May 17th, Day 7.
So today we were leaving Jasper and heading to Edmonton which would be our last stop. In the morning we made a quick run through the mountains near the town of Jasper. Here we found a young male Elk who was just chillin in some trees. So we got out and started getting some sweet pictures. He was hiding in some trees, but it made for some interesting scenery and cool photos. The rest of the day was meant for travel, but as usual we would make stops when we saw fit to get some shots.
On the way, we stopped when we saw a small heard of sheep on a very steep cliff right next to the road. This was really neat. Paul really has allowed us not only to get some great pictures but to really get up close to the wildlife and see them acting naturally as they do in the wild. During our drive we spotted some huge, giant male big horn sheep. Since we hadn't seen any in a while, Paul Dad and I took off onto the mountain side to get some good pictures. This is where something really funny happened.
We were shooting with the sheep about 75 feet in front of us. In the meantime, Mom came up and went into some trees behind us to use the bathroom. Right as she walked back, Paul Dad and I moved back down the hill side to get a better angle. As we did that, the sheep started moving back into the trees, literally right to where mom was peeing. We waited in anticipation to see what would happen. To ouch delightful surprise, mom came running out of the trees. haha. She had a nice suprise while her pants were down.
After that we pulled out our food and gear and had lunch on the side of the road in a pull out overlooking a coal mine. It was pretty neat, as there were a couple of big horn sheep around us.
The rest of the day was uneventful. When i say uneventful, I mean the drive to Edmonton as the most unscenic drive we've had so far on the trip. I used this time to sleep, and finish my book White Noise (its really weird).
In edmonton we went to a restaurant called Johnny Tomato. It was really really good. Similar to Macaroni Grill. I had Chicken Alfredo Pasta. Wonderful. Paul and Mom insisted I order a beer since the legal drinking age in Canada is 18, so I had a pint of the local favorite along with my pasta. Tastey.
After our delicious dinner, which included dessert, we headed to our next place of resting. This turned out to be one of the coolest parts of the trip. We were staying in a placed called the Chipmunk Bed and Breakfast. It was owned and operated by Jean-Claude and Lilly, two wonderfully amazing and friendly people from the lovely country of Switzerland. Their place can be described in one word. Wood, and amazing. Nestled in the woods on a 40 acre property, was an architecturally profound cabin to end all cabins. There is no way to explain it without showing pictures so I will get to that later. All you need to know is that Jean-Claude and Lilly are some of the nicest people I've ever met. Jean-Claude speaks wonderful english while Lilly struggles a tiny bit, but this in no way kept them from having wonderful conversations and debates while we sat on their porch and watched the sun set. By far the best placed we've stayed and I will gladly make a large effort to make sure I can stay here again. Breakfast at 6 o'clock sharp!
So today we were leaving Jasper and heading to Edmonton which would be our last stop. In the morning we made a quick run through the mountains near the town of Jasper. Here we found a young male Elk who was just chillin in some trees. So we got out and started getting some sweet pictures. He was hiding in some trees, but it made for some interesting scenery and cool photos. The rest of the day was meant for travel, but as usual we would make stops when we saw fit to get some shots.
On the way, we stopped when we saw a small heard of sheep on a very steep cliff right next to the road. This was really neat. Paul really has allowed us not only to get some great pictures but to really get up close to the wildlife and see them acting naturally as they do in the wild. During our drive we spotted some huge, giant male big horn sheep. Since we hadn't seen any in a while, Paul Dad and I took off onto the mountain side to get some good pictures. This is where something really funny happened.
We were shooting with the sheep about 75 feet in front of us. In the meantime, Mom came up and went into some trees behind us to use the bathroom. Right as she walked back, Paul Dad and I moved back down the hill side to get a better angle. As we did that, the sheep started moving back into the trees, literally right to where mom was peeing. We waited in anticipation to see what would happen. To ouch delightful surprise, mom came running out of the trees. haha. She had a nice suprise while her pants were down.
After that we pulled out our food and gear and had lunch on the side of the road in a pull out overlooking a coal mine. It was pretty neat, as there were a couple of big horn sheep around us.
The rest of the day was uneventful. When i say uneventful, I mean the drive to Edmonton as the most unscenic drive we've had so far on the trip. I used this time to sleep, and finish my book White Noise (its really weird).
In edmonton we went to a restaurant called Johnny Tomato. It was really really good. Similar to Macaroni Grill. I had Chicken Alfredo Pasta. Wonderful. Paul and Mom insisted I order a beer since the legal drinking age in Canada is 18, so I had a pint of the local favorite along with my pasta. Tastey.
After our delicious dinner, which included dessert, we headed to our next place of resting. This turned out to be one of the coolest parts of the trip. We were staying in a placed called the Chipmunk Bed and Breakfast. It was owned and operated by Jean-Claude and Lilly, two wonderfully amazing and friendly people from the lovely country of Switzerland. Their place can be described in one word. Wood, and amazing. Nestled in the woods on a 40 acre property, was an architecturally profound cabin to end all cabins. There is no way to explain it without showing pictures so I will get to that later. All you need to know is that Jean-Claude and Lilly are some of the nicest people I've ever met. Jean-Claude speaks wonderful english while Lilly struggles a tiny bit, but this in no way kept them from having wonderful conversations and debates while we sat on their porch and watched the sun set. By far the best placed we've stayed and I will gladly make a large effort to make sure I can stay here again. Breakfast at 6 o'clock sharp!
Thursday
Thursday, May 15th. Day 5.
This day was a 'down day' where we would be traveling from one location to another. We would be leaving Banff National Park and traveling to Jasper National Park, about a 3 hour journey plus 1 or 2 hours due to animal stops. This was the nicest day we've had so far weather wise. It was sunny and warm without a cloud in the sky. The day started off sweet too. We stopped a nice scenic stream with a mountain range in the backround and Mom happened to scare and Osprey out of a tree. Now, a short lesson on Ospreys. They are natures BAMF's (Bad Ass Mother F*$#ers) Before The USA had an official bird/symbol, many people wanted it to become the Osprey instead of the Bald Eagle. Bald Eagles are excellent hunters, but they are also big scavengers as well, often taking the pray of other animals. Now, they Osprey doesn't take no shit from no one. It kills every meal, meaning it never scavenges for food, meaning I want one when I'm older. So anyway, we were watching the Osprey and found its nest, which was on top of a bridge and was huge. With closer examination through binoculars and telephoto lens, we saw the next had some babies. Nice, good pictures.
The rest of the day we were on the road to Jasper, stopping here and there either for some sweet scenery shots or some random animal shots. We stopped for lunch at Num-Ti-Jah lodge which happened to have a piano and guitar that I took advantage of.
Two best parts about this day can be combined into one word, bearvalanches. We saw a bear, and we saw avalanches, and I got them both on tape (Sean = badass). We were driving through a mountain range (nothing knew) and Paul Dad and Mom woke me up from my beauty sleep claiming they saw a 'water fall.' So we pulled over to investigate. I said 'Dad look there it is" and he said "It looked like that just 10 times bigger." We thought we were all going crazy. Then, I said "Holy S#it look!" and we saw snow and rocks tumbling down the mountain. It turns out, since this was the first day the sun was out causing some serious UV rayage and heat, the snow was melting and falling off the mountains. Now when you picture avalanche, you probably picture something like Hurricane Katrina coming down a mountain side at 300MPH. This was nothing like that, but they were still awesome (check out the pictures). They were probably 2 or 3 miles away from us, but they were still loud as anything.
Once we made it to Jasper, we were faced with some of the most beautiful mountain scenery we've ever seen. The road literally wound and wound in a snake like pattern, slowly getting higher and higher as we passed huge peaks, each one taller and more beautiful than the last. Absolutely astonishing! (say with Australian accent for full effect). Here is where I caught the biggest avalanche we saw on tape. Totally worth it. As we got deeper into the park and light began to dwindle, Paul slammed on the brakes, snapping me out of my day dream of GTA4, Thrice concerts, and Godiva Chocolates, but for good reason. On the side of the road was drum roll, dummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, a Black Bear! We followed close instructions from Paul and spent about an hour photographing and following this bear. It was so cool. The only down side as the God Damn mosquitos. I swear if I could abolish anything from this earth besides AIDS, dandruff, or Larry the Cable Guy, it would be mosquitos.
After the bear shoot it was a quite routine drive to our next stop where we will be for the next two nights. The rides usually consist of us talking about something for a while followed by the usual silence. Paul is always driving, also looking out for wildlife and or potholes. Dad sits shotgun, usually just sitting there with his camera and underarmor shirts. Mom sits back right (right nut, pardon my french) either reading her books, reading my books, drinking a diet coke (shes up to 4 or 5 a day) eating a piece of Dentyne Ice, Intense flavor (also up to 4 or 5 a day), or passing out drinks and previsions to the rest of the car. I sit left back (left nut) and either read, sleep, listen to music, or sleep some more. Tomorrow were going to travel around Jasper and check out some cool shite. Word to ya motha!
This day was a 'down day' where we would be traveling from one location to another. We would be leaving Banff National Park and traveling to Jasper National Park, about a 3 hour journey plus 1 or 2 hours due to animal stops. This was the nicest day we've had so far weather wise. It was sunny and warm without a cloud in the sky. The day started off sweet too. We stopped a nice scenic stream with a mountain range in the backround and Mom happened to scare and Osprey out of a tree. Now, a short lesson on Ospreys. They are natures BAMF's (Bad Ass Mother F*$#ers) Before The USA had an official bird/symbol, many people wanted it to become the Osprey instead of the Bald Eagle. Bald Eagles are excellent hunters, but they are also big scavengers as well, often taking the pray of other animals. Now, they Osprey doesn't take no shit from no one. It kills every meal, meaning it never scavenges for food, meaning I want one when I'm older. So anyway, we were watching the Osprey and found its nest, which was on top of a bridge and was huge. With closer examination through binoculars and telephoto lens, we saw the next had some babies. Nice, good pictures.
The rest of the day we were on the road to Jasper, stopping here and there either for some sweet scenery shots or some random animal shots. We stopped for lunch at Num-Ti-Jah lodge which happened to have a piano and guitar that I took advantage of.
Two best parts about this day can be combined into one word, bearvalanches. We saw a bear, and we saw avalanches, and I got them both on tape (Sean = badass). We were driving through a mountain range (nothing knew) and Paul Dad and Mom woke me up from my beauty sleep claiming they saw a 'water fall.' So we pulled over to investigate. I said 'Dad look there it is" and he said "It looked like that just 10 times bigger." We thought we were all going crazy. Then, I said "Holy S#it look!" and we saw snow and rocks tumbling down the mountain. It turns out, since this was the first day the sun was out causing some serious UV rayage and heat, the snow was melting and falling off the mountains. Now when you picture avalanche, you probably picture something like Hurricane Katrina coming down a mountain side at 300MPH. This was nothing like that, but they were still awesome (check out the pictures). They were probably 2 or 3 miles away from us, but they were still loud as anything.
Once we made it to Jasper, we were faced with some of the most beautiful mountain scenery we've ever seen. The road literally wound and wound in a snake like pattern, slowly getting higher and higher as we passed huge peaks, each one taller and more beautiful than the last. Absolutely astonishing! (say with Australian accent for full effect). Here is where I caught the biggest avalanche we saw on tape. Totally worth it. As we got deeper into the park and light began to dwindle, Paul slammed on the brakes, snapping me out of my day dream of GTA4, Thrice concerts, and Godiva Chocolates, but for good reason. On the side of the road was drum roll, dummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, a Black Bear! We followed close instructions from Paul and spent about an hour photographing and following this bear. It was so cool. The only down side as the God Damn mosquitos. I swear if I could abolish anything from this earth besides AIDS, dandruff, or Larry the Cable Guy, it would be mosquitos.
After the bear shoot it was a quite routine drive to our next stop where we will be for the next two nights. The rides usually consist of us talking about something for a while followed by the usual silence. Paul is always driving, also looking out for wildlife and or potholes. Dad sits shotgun, usually just sitting there with his camera and underarmor shirts. Mom sits back right (right nut, pardon my french) either reading her books, reading my books, drinking a diet coke (shes up to 4 or 5 a day) eating a piece of Dentyne Ice, Intense flavor (also up to 4 or 5 a day), or passing out drinks and previsions to the rest of the car. I sit left back (left nut) and either read, sleep, listen to music, or sleep some more. Tomorrow were going to travel around Jasper and check out some cool shite. Word to ya motha!
Wednesday
Wednesday, May 14th.
Today we got up around 6:30, had some breakfast and then set out on the road. This day was going to consist of Paul taking us around to different spots through Banff and Banff National Park where he knew we would find some sweet animals. The weather in the morning was um, shitty. It was cloudy and chilly, but not too bad for shooting. While Mom and I were exploring the area around a lake, Paul and Dad spotted a Pileated Woodpecker. Now this may not sound exciting, but Paul explained to us that the birds are not rare, but extremely shy and close to impossible to photograph. After we captured it on a film we took off again. The rest of the morning consisted of us stopping at various scenic view points where I made sure I took plenty of panoramic shots. I also spotted a bald eagle but only took a bad picture. During one stop we happened to run into a small heard of Big Horn Sheep. It is really awesome being here because instead of just taking pictures of the animals, Paul often runs after them. To photograph the Sheep, we climbed up a steep rocky slope and hid in some trees in order to get the best shot. Awesome. After the sheep shoot we returned back to home base (the cabin) for lunch and a quick nap.
Upon our return to the wild, we noticed that the sun had begun to poke out of the clouds. This meant that more animals would be out and about and ready for us to chase them. We went back to every spot we had been at that morning, and took more and better pictures of the sights from the morning. As the afternoon went on, we headed into the actual town of Banff to do some grocery shopping as well as a chance to see the town. The town could be described as this: take the town of Princeton, New Jersey, specifically Nassau Street, and drop it in the middle of a mountain range. BAM! (Emril) Thats Banff. I thought it was nice, but it didn't appeal to Mom and Dad (Dad put it so elegantly as to say the town 'sold out'. Wow, what a square). I can see where they are coming from though as much of the town seemed to be built just to appeal to the tourists. I had my camera with me and was afraid of looking 'touristy,' but that feeling subsided when I saw a group of young asian girls with Hello Kitty backpacks and huge bear hats on their heads, posing in front of every building for pictures for their facebook (shudder).
After our trip through town, Paul took us to a few places around the town that he thought would be hot spots. His instinct turned out to be a good one. In this tiny meadow sandwiched between two roads, we found 5 Mule Dear. They were extremely calm and for the next hour, Dad Paul and I moved around them and got very close to them taking lots of pictures. Very nice! After the Deer shoot we posed for some scenic shots and headed home. However we made a detour at a fantastic lake with a mountain range in the backround. Paul wanted to wait for the sun to set so we could get some totally uber shots. Now, let me remind you, we are in North Western Canada. It was 8:30PM, (2030 for you Canadians, and Chris Thiel) and it was still light out. It doesn't really get dark until 9:30 or 10. Crazy. We waited around a bit, got some good pics and headed back to ze cabin where we had a wonderful dinner of leftovers, which actually was really good. Paul is a great cook. I'm going to be traumatized when I come home and don't have a personal cook anymore (No offense Mother). Tomorrow were off to Jasper!
Today we got up around 6:30, had some breakfast and then set out on the road. This day was going to consist of Paul taking us around to different spots through Banff and Banff National Park where he knew we would find some sweet animals. The weather in the morning was um, shitty. It was cloudy and chilly, but not too bad for shooting. While Mom and I were exploring the area around a lake, Paul and Dad spotted a Pileated Woodpecker. Now this may not sound exciting, but Paul explained to us that the birds are not rare, but extremely shy and close to impossible to photograph. After we captured it on a film we took off again. The rest of the morning consisted of us stopping at various scenic view points where I made sure I took plenty of panoramic shots. I also spotted a bald eagle but only took a bad picture. During one stop we happened to run into a small heard of Big Horn Sheep. It is really awesome being here because instead of just taking pictures of the animals, Paul often runs after them. To photograph the Sheep, we climbed up a steep rocky slope and hid in some trees in order to get the best shot. Awesome. After the sheep shoot we returned back to home base (the cabin) for lunch and a quick nap.
Upon our return to the wild, we noticed that the sun had begun to poke out of the clouds. This meant that more animals would be out and about and ready for us to chase them. We went back to every spot we had been at that morning, and took more and better pictures of the sights from the morning. As the afternoon went on, we headed into the actual town of Banff to do some grocery shopping as well as a chance to see the town. The town could be described as this: take the town of Princeton, New Jersey, specifically Nassau Street, and drop it in the middle of a mountain range. BAM! (Emril) Thats Banff. I thought it was nice, but it didn't appeal to Mom and Dad (Dad put it so elegantly as to say the town 'sold out'. Wow, what a square). I can see where they are coming from though as much of the town seemed to be built just to appeal to the tourists. I had my camera with me and was afraid of looking 'touristy,' but that feeling subsided when I saw a group of young asian girls with Hello Kitty backpacks and huge bear hats on their heads, posing in front of every building for pictures for their facebook (shudder).
After our trip through town, Paul took us to a few places around the town that he thought would be hot spots. His instinct turned out to be a good one. In this tiny meadow sandwiched between two roads, we found 5 Mule Dear. They were extremely calm and for the next hour, Dad Paul and I moved around them and got very close to them taking lots of pictures. Very nice! After the Deer shoot we posed for some scenic shots and headed home. However we made a detour at a fantastic lake with a mountain range in the backround. Paul wanted to wait for the sun to set so we could get some totally uber shots. Now, let me remind you, we are in North Western Canada. It was 8:30PM, (2030 for you Canadians, and Chris Thiel) and it was still light out. It doesn't really get dark until 9:30 or 10. Crazy. We waited around a bit, got some good pics and headed back to ze cabin where we had a wonderful dinner of leftovers, which actually was really good. Paul is a great cook. I'm going to be traumatized when I come home and don't have a personal cook anymore (No offense Mother). Tomorrow were off to Jasper!
Tuesday
Tuesday, May 13th.
We woke up at 7:30 from our second night in the Country Inn & Suites, a very nice place to stay. Paul Stone, the owner of Canada Photo Safaris was coming to get us around 8:30. We started packing our things and had some breakfast. Paul arrived at 8:15 and had some paper work for us to fill out. He is a nice, tall man with a good sense of humor. I got really excited knowing he would be a cool guy to hang out with. After we filled all that out, we loaded up our bags into Paul's Suburban and headed out west. We then took about a two hours car ride from our hotel to our cabin in Banff National Park in Alberta. The drive was awesome. The highways here are unbelievably uncongested. Its nothing like driving at home (or in the States as Paul said). I would have loved to just rip over the highway. I didn't see any cops either. So anyway, the drive took us through the base of the Rocky Mountains. I had no idea how close we would be to them but every turn seemed to bring us in front of another peak and snow topped mountain. Absolutely breathtaking. We entered Banff National Park and stopped on a mountain side to see some sheep. We checked into our cabin, dropped off our stuff, and headed further west to a town called Golden in British Columbia where we would be shooting some wolves (with pictures not bullets).
This ride was again pretty long, between an hour and 30 min and two hours, but when I say it was totally worth it, it was TOTALLY WORTH IT. We arrived at the wolf place (insert name here). This place was run by a man named Casey, who happened to be a friend of Pauls. They had 4 wolves there who were raised in captivity but had become used to human contact. Casey and his wife loaded up two wolves, Aspen and Wiley, into their truck and we followed them out into the woods. My adrenaline was pumping the whole way. Casey and his wife had given us lots of instructions on how to act and everything, because while the wolves are used to being around humans, they still have their wild instincts, and if we pissed one off, well yeah lots of bad things could happen. Anywho, after we got to our spot in the woods, Casey let Aspen and Wiley out. Now, imagine a dog, except, bigger, stronger, and 100 times more badass. Thats what it was like. Aspen was a female, smaller and about, hmm I'd say 40 pounds or so. About the size of an average Retriever. Wiley on the other hand, was a freakin monster. When he was sitting down he came up to Moms chest, and he weighed about 120 pounds. Not something you want to mess with. They were running running around like two happy campers, it was really amazing to watch. They would come up and smell you and while it was intimidating, it was awesome. It just made me want to strip off my clothes and run with them through the wilderness like a wolf boy. Casey and his wife stood by with food and treats making sure the wolves didn't get out of hand.
We pretty much left them run around freely and Paul, Dad and I just went crazy with our cameras. They were so well accustomed to people that the wolves would literally pause and model for us. It was wonderful. Wiley actually unzipped Dad's fly with his powerful muzzle, Dad made a new friend. After we got back from the woods trip, we walked around the center and learned lots of information about the beauty and wonder that is the Gray Wolf. Also, I met Stevie, their cat, who was very friendly and jumped up onto my back. I was sad when we had to leave the wolves and Stevie :(. On the way home, we stopped at a Tim Horton's, a Canadian equivalent of Star Bucks. We had some tea and hot chocolate and headed on home.
We were due for a pleasant surprise. Paul has a keen eye and while he drives he is always scanning the surroundings for animals. On the way back we saw a Black Bear walking on some train tracks and everyone started flipping out. We drove down the road past it in an attempt to get some sweet pictures. We quietly waited and hided in some brush as the bear approached. Now, the bear was tiny and thin, and we out numbered it, and it was probably much more afraid of us then we were of it, but that didn't stopped my adrenaline from pumping like crazy. We played a game of cat and mouse, following the Bear through the woods and around the train tracks. It was wild, trying to find it but also trying to hide and also making sure it didn't sneak up on us, totally worth it.
After our bear adventure we headed back to the cabin and everyone helped make dinner. We had spaghetti with sauce and Buffalo meat. I've never had Buffalo, but it was yummy. Tomorrow were going to drive around Banff to some spots that Paul knows to have lots of animals. Night.
We woke up at 7:30 from our second night in the Country Inn & Suites, a very nice place to stay. Paul Stone, the owner of Canada Photo Safaris was coming to get us around 8:30. We started packing our things and had some breakfast. Paul arrived at 8:15 and had some paper work for us to fill out. He is a nice, tall man with a good sense of humor. I got really excited knowing he would be a cool guy to hang out with. After we filled all that out, we loaded up our bags into Paul's Suburban and headed out west. We then took about a two hours car ride from our hotel to our cabin in Banff National Park in Alberta. The drive was awesome. The highways here are unbelievably uncongested. Its nothing like driving at home (or in the States as Paul said). I would have loved to just rip over the highway. I didn't see any cops either. So anyway, the drive took us through the base of the Rocky Mountains. I had no idea how close we would be to them but every turn seemed to bring us in front of another peak and snow topped mountain. Absolutely breathtaking. We entered Banff National Park and stopped on a mountain side to see some sheep. We checked into our cabin, dropped off our stuff, and headed further west to a town called Golden in British Columbia where we would be shooting some wolves (with pictures not bullets).
This ride was again pretty long, between an hour and 30 min and two hours, but when I say it was totally worth it, it was TOTALLY WORTH IT. We arrived at the wolf place (insert name here). This place was run by a man named Casey, who happened to be a friend of Pauls. They had 4 wolves there who were raised in captivity but had become used to human contact. Casey and his wife loaded up two wolves, Aspen and Wiley, into their truck and we followed them out into the woods. My adrenaline was pumping the whole way. Casey and his wife had given us lots of instructions on how to act and everything, because while the wolves are used to being around humans, they still have their wild instincts, and if we pissed one off, well yeah lots of bad things could happen. Anywho, after we got to our spot in the woods, Casey let Aspen and Wiley out. Now, imagine a dog, except, bigger, stronger, and 100 times more badass. Thats what it was like. Aspen was a female, smaller and about, hmm I'd say 40 pounds or so. About the size of an average Retriever. Wiley on the other hand, was a freakin monster. When he was sitting down he came up to Moms chest, and he weighed about 120 pounds. Not something you want to mess with. They were running running around like two happy campers, it was really amazing to watch. They would come up and smell you and while it was intimidating, it was awesome. It just made me want to strip off my clothes and run with them through the wilderness like a wolf boy. Casey and his wife stood by with food and treats making sure the wolves didn't get out of hand.
We pretty much left them run around freely and Paul, Dad and I just went crazy with our cameras. They were so well accustomed to people that the wolves would literally pause and model for us. It was wonderful. Wiley actually unzipped Dad's fly with his powerful muzzle, Dad made a new friend. After we got back from the woods trip, we walked around the center and learned lots of information about the beauty and wonder that is the Gray Wolf. Also, I met Stevie, their cat, who was very friendly and jumped up onto my back. I was sad when we had to leave the wolves and Stevie :(. On the way home, we stopped at a Tim Horton's, a Canadian equivalent of Star Bucks. We had some tea and hot chocolate and headed on home.
We were due for a pleasant surprise. Paul has a keen eye and while he drives he is always scanning the surroundings for animals. On the way back we saw a Black Bear walking on some train tracks and everyone started flipping out. We drove down the road past it in an attempt to get some sweet pictures. We quietly waited and hided in some brush as the bear approached. Now, the bear was tiny and thin, and we out numbered it, and it was probably much more afraid of us then we were of it, but that didn't stopped my adrenaline from pumping like crazy. We played a game of cat and mouse, following the Bear through the woods and around the train tracks. It was wild, trying to find it but also trying to hide and also making sure it didn't sneak up on us, totally worth it.
After our bear adventure we headed back to the cabin and everyone helped make dinner. We had spaghetti with sauce and Buffalo meat. I've never had Buffalo, but it was yummy. Tomorrow were going to drive around Banff to some spots that Paul knows to have lots of animals. Night.
The Rest of the Trip
Hey there. Due to lack on consistent, reliable internet, I have been unable to post anything in the blog. I have however been taking plenty of pictures and writing the blog entires on my computer. I'm now going to pose the rest of the blog entries and eventually put some photos in here. I will also be uploading all of my pictures and and videos online and i'll post the links in here.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Photos from Day 2
We have to get up really early tomorrow so I can't upload the pictures. I will however upload one. This is my panoramic view from the top of the cliffs at Smash Head In Buffalo Cliffs.
Here are some more photos from Day 2.
On the way to Head Smashed In. Everything was crazy flat.
My reading material, awesome book.
Warning sign at HSI (Head Smashed In)
The two cliffs used to kill the buffalo. One on the left and the far one in the distance
Some buffalo inside the center
A birds nest of some sort on the cliffs. The cliff is stained white from its crap.
Some amidst the rolling hills.
Dad and Mom walking to the base of the cliffs.
The awesome rug inside the center.
Mom mid bite and Dad enjoying his Prairie Dog and Tipi fries.
Some Canadian currency.
Buffalo, from behind.
Me.
Mom and Dad
The main entrance.
Here are some more photos from Day 2.
On the way to Head Smashed In. Everything was crazy flat.
My reading material, awesome book.
Warning sign at HSI (Head Smashed In)
The two cliffs used to kill the buffalo. One on the left and the far one in the distance
Our first animal siting of the trip. A marmot and his poop.
Some buffalo inside the center
A birds nest of some sort on the cliffs. The cliff is stained white from its crap.
Some amidst the rolling hills.
Dad and Mom walking to the base of the cliffs.
The awesome rug inside the center.
Mom mid bite and Dad enjoying his Prairie Dog and Tipi fries.
Some Canadian currency.
Buffalo, from behind.
Me.
Mom and Dad
The main entrance.
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