The Forgotten Tangent

English may be the language of Shakespeare, but he is not responsible for its unbearable inconsistencies. As I was preparing my post on "Buried Treasures" I typed the word "berry" instead of "bury."  As a wildlife photographer I like to photograph "bares", oops, I mean "bears".  Somewhere I have a photo of a bear eating berries, but I think the photo is buried among thousands of photos so I can't bare the thought of looking for it, which is unbearable. 

My apologies for the tangent!

Back to Wells Gray.  Winters in Wells Gray are almost unbearable. Even bears can't bare it so they hibernate. Okay, Den, stop it.

I remember one winter it was minus eleven degrees Fahrenheit. Being in the middle of nowhere I slept in the back of my truck (4x4 with winch). When I woke up I had that strange taste in my mouth so went to brush my teeth only to find that the toothpaste had frozen. In fact, everything in my truck was frozen  ---  EXCEPT WHAT WAS IN MY ICE CHEST. (So I kept the toothpaste in the Ice Chest from then on).

In terms of Wildlife, Wells Gray has black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, mountain lions, lynx, bobcats, wolverines, moose, deer, mountain goats, caribou, fishers, martens, minks, weasels, etc. So it has provided me with wonderful wildlife photos over the years.

But another amazing aspect of its nature are the lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.

Baileys Chute is relatively small waterfall on the Clearwater River that cascades a modest 30 feet. Yet, the Clearwater River's volume is so significant it creates quite a spectacle. In the fall, during the salmon run, the cascading nature of the falls and bedrock make it impossible for the salmon to move any further upstream. The salmon can be easily seen (and photographed) trying in vain to jump the chute. In the spring and early summer, the volume of the Clearwater River will often reach and exceed 35,000 cubic feet per second. 

In 1998, Christine and I took our son Matt and his new bride Rung for a week in British Columbia and Alberta. I took them on my usual wildlife photo route. Our first stop was Wells Gray. Here then, photos of Bailey's Chute:

Here from a distance as we first arrive at Bailey's Chute (note the 20 - 25 pound Salmon trying to get up the Chute).

I climb down to get a better photo (Christine's photo)

The better photo

Buried Treasures and Tangents

I was going through some old photo albums from 20 years ago and came across some photos I liked that never got scanned into my computer  ---and for which  the negatives were long since gone. So, I scanned  the print and imported them into my digital photo library.  The result is not quite as good as if I scanned the negative, but it is fun to see these old prints now on my computer. Anyway, my thought was to share these "buried treasures" over the next couple of days, starting with this literally buried treasure:

The outhouse in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia

Wells Gray is one of my favorite places in North America. It is the fourth largest park in Canada covering over 1.3 million acres of incredibly beautiful wilderness. A single road takes you into the southernmost third of the park. The rest of the park can only be accessed by foot. It is a true wilderness area. The park is noted for several 9,000 foot peaks in the Cariboo Mountains, and several amazing waterfalls, the largest of which is Helmcken Falls which plunges water some 500 feet. 

Here is a photo of Helmcken Falls taken during the summer:

Helmcken Falls during the summer

From the same angle but taken in the Spring:

Helmcken Falls during the spring

Same angle but with wide angle lens and taken in the winter:

Helmcken Falls during the winter

Different angle in winter:

Helmcken Falls

Winter close up from below:

Mushrooms can be fun, not just eaten

We are still at Wells Gray in British Columbia for another day. I think it is important for a wildlife photographer to be willing to cherish the "little things." There are many days that you look for the large mammals without luck, and as a result become disappointed. And yet, you may have passed up many opportunities to be creative and have fun nonetheless. Mushrooms are a good example of that. I wasn't out looking for mushrooms to photograph. I was looking for bear and moose. Yet, something caught my eye with this mushroom.  Maybe it looks like a father, mother, and baby. Maybe its because the little one seems protected by the larger ones. Maybe it is because they seem vulnerable and alone in the woods. Maybe its the unique shape that looks like a closed umbrella. We all see things from different perspectives and process what we see in different ways. (I suspect that's what creates the political climate we're in). And, while it may be that some people will look at this photo and not give it a second thought, some might really see it like I do, and appreciate its natural beauty.

When You Don't See Moose

Much of the time taking a photograph is obvious. You see a moose in the river, elk jousting, a bear in the tree. But, there are other times when a photograph is there, you just have to look for it. I remember a later trip to Wells Gray where I wasn't having much luck. I walked my "moose trail" but there were no moose, no bear, and no elk. So, I started looking for other "photo ops". There is much beauty in this world that we take for granted. It is a reminder to literally stop and smell the roses. These photos of the mushroom and the puff ball may not be as exciting as a bear standing 15 feet away, but they are quite beautiful nonetheless. What's more, they don't run or fly away. You can get the angle you want. In both of these cases it was lying on my stomach using my elbows as tripods. I thought they turned out pretty nice.

First Wildlife Photo Trip

On my first "photo only" trip I went to Wells Gray in British Columbia, where I came across this elk. Judging from the size of his antlers, it was probably late June (I didn't keep good records the first couple of years and it was before digital). Male elk start growing their antlers in the March/April timeframe. They grow very rapidly. In general age determines how big they get. As they grow the antlers are covered in "velvet." During this time male elk must be careful not to cut or bruise the velvet. That makes male elk a little easier to get close to and a little easier to photograph,  -- that's if you can find them, of course. The challenge for the wildlife photographer is to get a "open shot." This guy was deep in the woods. I probably took two rolls of film to get this photo. But, I really didn't know what I had until I got home and developed the film. What made this photo even more special, was the tongue. Although it was one of my first wildlife photos, it is still one of my favorite elk photos today.

American Marten

Wildlife photography is sometimes a matter of seconds. Rarely with a second chance. I was in Wells Gray, British Columbia early one morning. Wells Gray is a marvelous place. It is over 1.3 million acres, which is more than twice the size of Rhode Island. 90 percent of Wells Gray can be accessed only by foot or boat. We are talking wilderness here. I was driving along its only road to a trail head I like to take (great moose and bear country). And I came across an American Marten, which of course I startled. He was by the side of the road but ran into the woods when he saw me. Why couldn't I have gotten to that spot ten seconds earlier? Nonetheless, I stopped where I had seen him, looking into the woods wondering where he went. Should I get out and go look for him -- or, is he long gone. Then while I am still debating with myself, out of the woods he came to pick up the squirrel that he had caught but dropped when he saw me. A second chance! And, I was ready.