Andrew Strain Photography » glacier

Tremor

Strain — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:15:48 +0000

I’m not feeling particularly wordy but wanted to post a couple photos I shot last week from the summit of Tremor Mountain, the highest point in the Spearhead Range. There are few things as humbling as travelling on skis through big terrain – note the two skiers tackling the spearhead traverse (bottom left) for scale.

Tremor was one hell of an adventure and I’m stoked we made it out there – the hourglass is a line I won’t be forgetting any time soon. I was quite pleased with how easy the trip was on my splitboard – I can’t imagine doing a day trip out to Tremor on snowshoes. Speaking of, anyone want to buy a pair of MSR Denali Evos? I won’t be using mine again… ever.

Splitboarding is the answer.

A few more photos from the trip to Tremor:

Wedgemount Lake, 2010

Strain — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:08:34 +0000

For someone who spends as much time outdoors as I do – between 200-300 days per year – I don’t actually do much backpacking. In the summers, I tend to spend my days off resting my body and catching up on weeks away from friends, loved ones, and hot/running water. In fact, Wedgemount lake is the only place I’ve hiked in for camping in the past 5 years or so. I live in a tent and hike around the alpine for a living – the idea of taking time off work to do what I do for work (without pay!) seems a little foolish to me.

On the other hand, being able to share with friends the world beyond highway viewpoints and resort chairlifts is a special experience, and one of the reasons I began shooting photos in the first place. And, no matter how much I complain about working for free or not having a helicopter to ferry me around, I can’t go for more than a couple days in civilization without feeling the urge to get out and go up.

On Wednesday afternoon I headed up with the Wedgemount Lake trail with Eric and Alix to spend a much needed night in the alpine. The weather was cold but clear – perfect fall hiking conditions. I apparently wasted far too many frames on long exposures Wednesday night, as my camera battery was dead by 830pm, and had to settle for iPhone photography during our Thursday hike around the glacier. Note to self: bring spare batteries next time.

A couple other photos from the hike up:

Next time I’m up I’ll have to stay for a few nights and bag some of the many surrounding summits. Might have to wait until next summer though, as the next time I’m out hiking for pleasure, I’ll probably be on a splitboard…

For comparison: some photos of Wedgemount Lake / Glacier from August 1977.

Up Close and Personal

Strain — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 02:33:00 +0000

As cozy as that crevasse looks, the sound of rolling boulders and collapsing ice was unnerving enough to keep me on solid ground…

Pentax K10D / DA 18-55, PEF converted in Lightroom

Ted Morris

Strain — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 03:02:00 +0000

The Ted Morris Glacier, over a kilometre wide at the first bend, is the largest glacier in my general area and the northern lobe of the Frank Mackie Glacier, which stretches 40km south to the Alaska border.

Ice Age

Strain — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 05:47:00 +0000

Two more from earlier this week:

Unuk Finger

Another Day in the Office…

Strain — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:57:00 +0000

The Ted Morris glacier. Pentax K10D / DA 10-17 Fisheye

More Glacier Photos

Strain — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:24:00 +0000

Same glacier as yesterday. All photos here taken with my K10D, the first three with the DA 50-200, and the B&W with the DA 10-17 Fisheye.

Calving

Strain — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:19:00 +0000

Some photographers will sit and wait for days at the terminus of an ice sheet, hoping to capture on film the awesome power of hundreds of tonnes of ice peeling away from the glacier and thundering to the ground below. I don’t exactly have that kind of time while I’m at work, so I kinda figured I’d never manage to get a photo of calving in progress. Unfortunately, my camera was secured in its pelican case for the main event: about an hour after this, a block the size of several houses broke loose, shaking the ground as it crashed several hundred metres to the valley floor…

Before:

After:

Waterfall in the top left, for scale: