Termination Dust

Termination Dust, Kluane Ranges, YT

That’s what the locals call it. The first snow high in the mountains is the end of both the mining and tourist season. It also marks the end of our time in the Yukon. We have really enjoyed our time here!

Kluane Lake, YK

Dall Sheep, Kluane, YT

Abandoned Boat, Kluane Lake, YT

Quill Creek Kluane National Park, YT

Yukon Gold

The Yukon Territory is a special place. It is wild and spacious. The light can be fleeting and the weather can be challenging. Fall comes early. In Dawson, they loose 6 minutes of daylight every day.

Goldensides View, Tombstone Territorial Park, YT

Male Spruce Grouse

Grizzly Bear

We have moved south to Kluane National Park. We will spend our last few days in the Yukon here.

Flying Squirrel Creek, YT

Yukon in Autumn

Look Up

As we headed to bed, it had clouded over and looked like rain. I had checked the weather and it was supposed to clear in Dawson City, Yukon at midnight. I figured it would clear about an hour later in Tombstone Territorial Park. I set the alarm for 1am. When it went off, it was raining hard. I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep. Around 2 am, I rolled over and looked up at the sky. I could see stars and a streak of light. We got up and it was on, the light show of the north. Aurora Borealis is also called northern lights. The thing is, when you are this far north, it’s not in the northerly direction. It’s above you and in every direction.

Aurora Borealis at Tombstone Park, YT

The photos do not really do it justice. To stand there and watch this unfold is something everyone needs to experience for themselves. The best way I can explain it, God is dipping a ladle into a bucket of light and pouring it over the top of the world. Pinch me, I must be dreaming!

Aurora Borealis at Tombstone Park, YT

Aurora Borealis at Tombstone Park, YT

Stones

“I’ve got Stones in my Passway
And my road seems dark as night.”

Robert Johnson, 1937

Dust on the Dempster Highway

Every now and then, a stone will get caught between the metal plate and the break rotor of the van. It makes a noise of metal on metal. If you didn’t know what it was, it would cause you to worry when so far from home. It can be very loud! If you drive in reverse for a while, it will usually dislodge. This kind of noise can frighten off wildlife long before you get close enough for a photo. We are back on the Dempster Highway in the Yukon. The leaves and tundra are just starting to turn Fall colours. We will wait a few more days and hopefully see it close to its peak.

Young Silver Fox (Red Fox)

North Klondike River, YT

The Road

Dempster Highway, Yukon/NWT Border

I’m always a little nervous as I turn north on the Dempster Highway. This time was no exception. The road was rough. It was closed in several places just the day before. I worry about the van, the tires, and the gas. I mostly worry about the road. It can be a challenge when it is rough. We made our way to Tombstone Territorial Park.

Tombstone Territorial Park Sign, YT

We got a great campsite with a 360-degree view. I didn’t drive much after we got there. I wanted to save gas for the run to the Arctic Circle the next day.

The next day we woke up at 5am to frost on the dining tent. About 6am as we drove north past the Tombstone Viewpoint we caught the full moon setting - a good omen.

Full Moon, Tombstone Park, YT

The road was very rough in some areas but we made it fine. We camped at Rock River near the Yukon/NWT border. It is very beautiful. Lori and I looked for caribou but we must have been a bit early, as we didn’t see much of anything. Driving back to camp, we did spot a Grizzly at the side of the road. I did my best to get a shot but it never stopped. It just kept eating and walking. Still it was a thrill to see.

Grizzly Bear

The next day we decided to head south. It is so wet that we fear one more rainstorm will close the road again. We will resupply and head back up as far as Tombstone tomorrow.

Northwest Territories on the Dempster

Freedom is Never Free

One of the locals said, “There is often a reason people end up at the end of the road”.

Cabin on Keno Hill, YT

We are in Keno City, Yukon - a “city” of 15 residents in the winter. There are still a few active mines. Enough mines to keep this place functioning and valid.

Cabin on Keno Hill, YT

We travelled up a mountain road to Keno Hill (or Signpost Hill). It is the most spectacular view I have ever witnessed.

Signpost, Keno Hill, YT

Old mining camps and buildings dot the mountainside.

Keno Hill, YT

Further up the road (trail) from the signpost viewpoint is an old cabin. I can’t image how hard it must have been to live here. Hauling food, water and firewood up here above the tree line would have been quite a task.

Cabin on Keno Hill, YT

We are staying at the Silvermoon Bunkhouse. It’s a lovely place right in the heart of town.

Silvermoon Bunkhouse, Keno City, YT

We will spend a couple more days in this area and try to soak up the local culture.

Cabins in Keno City, YT

Loved to Death

I drove through one of the most beautiful places in the world and did not take one photograph. After leaving Kananaskis, We drove north through Banff to Lake Louise. It was jammed packed. They had people in the intersections directing traffic. We looked for a campsite and everything was full. I had wanted to stay and get a few new images of Moraine Lake since I have had quite a few images of this lake published in the past.

Moraine Lake, Banff

The above image is the cover of the Backcountry Maps of Southern Alberta book. We will hopefully come back this way on our way home. It should be less busy in September. Lori and I continued up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. All of the campsites were also full there so we got a cabin. I was hoping to shoot some new landscapes of Mount Edith Cavell in Jasper National Park. Again there were just too many people.

Mount Edith Cavell, Jasper

The main campgrounds in many national parks are now “reservation only”. We don’t like to book much on our trips. That way we can stay flexible regarding weather and shooting time. We may have to rethink this for areas like the Rocky Mountains. Hopefully September will be better.

We headed to Hinton for an oil change and to do laundry and now are on our way north.

Manic Depressive

Travelling like this is tough both physically and mentally. Long hours of driving followed by hours of looking and photographing whatever we can find. There are times when I get frustrated. As a nature photographer you are at the mercy of the weather. I found this location in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in the Kananaskis area of Alberta. I knew it was a great spot. I just needed some light. I was tired. We waited for quite awhile. There was nothing but clouds and dull light. We left and looked for bears. We didn’t find anything. As we drove south, the light hit the mountain and I knew I had missed it. I felt that sinking feeling. When you work this hard and miss it, it can play on your mind. I was about to call it a night. Lori quietly said, “We can go back and wait if you want”. And that’s just what we did. It started to rain but there was just a sliver of light. And then, it hit. Glorious light, rainbows and calm water.

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, AB

Rainbow in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, AB

As I shot at this small lake, we could hear Wolves howling close by.

I needed this - just a shot of energy at the right time. We often hit a wall three weeks into a trip. It is sometimes tempting to turn the van around and drive to the comforts of home. Hopefully this will get us over the hump.

Kananaskis is an area south of Banff. It seems a little wilder, a little more remote than the National Parks to the north. It is worth checking out if you get a chance.

Grizzly Bear

Endangered

Three endangered species, 2 days, one flat tire. We spent 4 days in southern Saskatchewan.

Old Church Saskatchewan

We camped for 2 nights in Val Marie. Grasslands National Park is nearby and a wonderful place for photography.

Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan

We sat by the Prairie Dog Town looking for Burrowing Owls. We could spot up to 5 at any given time. Looked like 2 adults and 3 young. They kept to the far back of the dog town. I spotted an adult on a rock and drove down to get as close as I could. Still too far away. Sat for another 30 min. It finally flew to a closer rock and I was able to get a descent shot in nice light.

Burrowing Owl

I have always had trouble photographing Loggerhead Shrikes. Never seem to get them to stay put. I started seeing them at the road-side as we drove into south Saskatchewan. Tried several times to get a shot. They would always fly away just as I picked up the camera. Finally one stayed long enough for a few shots. Not the nicest scene but, it’s the best one I have so far. Just have to keep trying.

Loggerhead Shrike

As we drove out of Val Marie, the van indicated a low tire. We pulled off the road. I could hear the air leaking from the rear passenger side. We pack a full size spare so we changed the tire and drove on. We passed a rattlesnake in the middle of the road. I was careful not to hit it. Unfortunately, someone had already run it over. It was still moving so it had just happened. Sad to see it like that.

Prairie Rattlesnake

We will head west to Waterton National Park, Alberta next.