ALBERTA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - Late september 2017
"I WAS Truely BLESSED TO have had SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES
OF amazing experiences ON THIS TRIP"
Updated December 2020, as I have looked back on this trip I have determined it to be one of my most exciting action packed adventures. Thus, I have added additional pictures and story telling.
Trip overview
First Segment:
I flew into Edmonton, AB and drove to Hinton, AB for my first 3 days on my own. When I arrived they had received between 6" to 15" depending on the elevation you were at. It was winter wonderland and I was excited to enjoy it. The last time I had been in this area a local told me to check this area about 1 1/2 hrs SW of Hinton AB where not many people go and there is lots of Wildlife. I spent my full 3 days in this area.
Second Segment:
I drove from Hinton AB, CA to Likely BC, CA to photograph Grizzlies feeding during the salmon run on a very remote area on the Mitchell River for 5 days. These five days had ther’re ups and downs but on the last day I experienced a Grizzly Sow and Cub feeding on Sockeye Salmon in the river right in front of the guide and myself.
Third Segment:
Drove back to Hinton AB but this time I took the long route through Prince George BC as I had not been through this area. When I left the lodge I was staying at in Likely BC (04:00 AM) I was coming out of the river valley when in my review mirror of the vehicle I noticed something very bright and colorful that was just amazing. When I made it back to Hinton AB almost all the snow was gone. The last few days were uneventful but on my last morning out on a hike I had a spiritual experience with some wolves.
To read all the details scroll down on this page. I hope you will get a sense of was a special experience this adventure this was for me. Tom
First Segment: Hinton Alberta, Canada
Once I arrived in Hinton a major snowstorm was just ending. Boy, was I excited to get out early the next morning to enjoy all this new snow. Depending on the elevation I was at the snow depths ranged from 6 inches to 15 inches.
I was up and out the door way before any hint of Twilight. As I was driving to the higher elevations I noticed silhouettes of elk off in this little opening about a 100 yards off the road. It was too dark at this point to stop so I continued driving when I came across a logging road about a 1/4 mile from where I saw the elk. I decided to take that road in and found a parking area next to a small river. It looked to be a spot where people would stop and fish. Once the light was bright enough (very cloudy with some mist) I headed out through the open forest to see if I could find them. I found them and there was one bull and 7 cows.
As the morning progressed I just stood watching as they moved around watching me. At one point the lead cow came right over to me and bedded down. Then the bull was walking around them bugling ever so often. Below is a few pictures I took with my Nikon D4s / Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 lens. What a great way to start out my day!
This cow was very curious and came right over to me. We ended up talking about wonderful a day it was! :)
Here is what seemed to be the lead cow who just laid down with younger cow right behind her and were not showing any signs of concern with me being there.
Hiking back in here by myself was so magical. With no winds, light mist, and just myself with these Elk I think this photograph sums up the powerful visual energy I felt at this moment.
Here is the Elk bull further away from the cows.
After my wonderful time with the Elk I drove up to the higher elevations to check out what was going on. The picture of me shows how much snow there was.
Later that day I came across this Grizzly sow with two cubs. They were transversing up and down along a ridge line when they came to this opening. I was fortunate to be aware of the direction they were moving in and positioned myself perfectly just as they were moving across a small meadow before heading into the dense forest.
At this point I was walking to get a better position when she and the cubs made sure I was a safe distance away. Took this picture with my Nikon D4s with a 600mm f/4 lens.
Cubs right behind mom also checking me out.
The next day I came across several Bighorn Sheep at different elevations. The one at the lower elevation I came across as I was hiking up over a ridge and spotted several of them grazing. The other one I was hiking along the dirt road when I looked up and there was this ram looking at me just over the ridge. Both were tremendous experiences.
Just a beautiful Ram had just laid down after grazing with 3 other Rams.
Here is an example of expect the unexpected. I had been watching several Bighorn Sheep high up on the side of the mountain and as I was walking along this dirt road this ram just appeared long enough for me to get several photos with my Nikon D4s Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens. These are the moments I just cherish!
Second SEGMENT: Likely bc, CANADA
The second segment started out very early as my goal was to be in Likely BC by late afternoon.
Here is the route I took to go from Hinton to Likely where I would spend the next five days. This was a beautiful drive as I crossed over the Canadian Rockies and the Cariboo Mountains.
Driving through the eastern side of the Canadian Rockies I saw the beautiful reflections of the sunrise on this small lake. I had to stop and take this picture. I was so happy to start my drive with this great experience.
After I arrived in Likely I decided to go drive down the logging roads to see if I could see anything. I came up to a logging semi pulled over. The semi driver said he almost hit the Sow and her cub. As soon as they crossed the road they went up into this tree. This Black Bear sow was one of the biggest I have ever seen. She didn’t seem to be to disturbed but I just took this picture and went on my why.
My first day would entail a 1 1/2 hour boat ride to the mouth of the remote river where we docked. Then we took a flat bottom river 14ft boat up the river for another 25 minutes. The guide took me as possible and tied the boat up on a sandbar with a fallen tree. Then we hiked for another 20 minutes to a location he said was the best spot to sit. The weather was not the best. It was raining the whole time with periods of heavy rain. We sat on a different fallen log in the river that was just perfect for sitting on. We sat there for 3 hours before the guide said we needed to start back. I could have sat there much longer but the time it takes to get and return from this remote area took a large amount of time. I did see a few Grizzlies much further up the river but they never made it down to where I was.
I had planned a trip to be dropped off in these mountains for six days and 5 nights the first part of July 2017. I actually had just sat down on the plane when I got a call from the guide telling me not to come. They had a strong electrical storm the night before that cause several large wildfires. 3 months later there were still hotspots in the backcountry. This photo shows one of those areas from the remote river I we were on.
Here we are hiking along the river to the spot he picked to sit in the rain.
There were so many Sockeye Salmon Grizzlies would just leave some on the logs for later.
On our way back there was this Juvenile Bald Eagle feeding on Salmon leftovers. It was somewhat surprising this one was not at all disturbed by our presence in the boat.
The second day a different guide took me on a hike up Mount Brew, Cariboo f, BC. As with the first day it was raining off and on all day but I really enjoyed the area as I had hiked into this area the year before. There were always signs of Caribou and Moose but on this day we didn’t see anything.
Here is a picture of myself (taken by the guide) with Mount Brew, Cariboo F, BC Canada in the background. This turned out to be a total of 12 miles of hiking. We did see a lot of fresh Caribou droppings but no Caribou. The forest was pretty dense and it would easy for them to disappear.
On the other end of the lake there were these beautiful fall colors I was able to photograph.
On our way back from the lake in the above picture I came across several Grouse moving through the forest. I was lucky to photograph this one which had just landed on the log not too far from me. Seconds later it was gone. Again, situation awareness, expect the unexpected!
After a long day of hiking without any large wildlife sightings it figures when we made it back to the vehicle which was parked off this remote logging road there would be fresh Grizzly tracks right next to the vehicle. I would have loved to have run into this Grizzly on the hike! You can also see Coyote tracks.
The next few days were tough as the weather was not the best and didn’t see anything. My hopes were dimming but on my last day the weather was going to clear up. The thing I had to remind myself was, this area was technically considered a rain forest. Meaning they get lots of rain in the backcountry.
The last day turned out to be a tremendous experience with two others joining me on this trip. It started out around 34 degrees with mostly clear skies. After the long 1 1/2 hour boat ride from Likely up Quesnel Lake to the mouth of the Mitchell River. Switched to a river flat bottom boat. I used my GoPro to video the whole river trip and hiking to the spot where we ended up with a great encounter with a Grizzly sow and her cub. Select each the four different links just below to watch the videos. “Boat Trip Part 3” contains the complete hiking portion.
Sockeye Salmon spawning. I am always amazed with Mother Nature. I figured these Salmon traveled over 500 miles to get here once they entered the mouth of the river from the Atlantic Ocean. Click here to see a short video.
As we’re hiking along the river I could hear a large group of Ravens making a lot of noise. Even the guide picked up on this and said we need to find a spot right now. Not more then 5 minutes later this sow and cub came down the river toward us.
Here is mom starting to fish right out in front of us.
Mom was so happy with her catch.
This is an amazing photo I took. Just as she scooped up the Salmon the lighting was perfect to capture a split second moment. I was so happy when I got home to review my photos to see this one turned out.
A very special moment in my heart!
A photograph that captures an emotional Bond between Sow & cub
Just after mom started ripping the Salmon apart the cub came out from the other side of the river to feed. This is such a special moment for me to witness a mom and cub interacting in such a loving playful way. I was so happy to be able to spend about 30 minutes with them before I heard a noise to my left and saw the shadow of a large Grizzly no more than 20 yards from me in the dense foliage. At the same time mom and the cub took off to the other side of the river and we never saw them again. The other large Grizzly disappeared too. We sat here for another 30 to 40 minutes and they decided to head back. Picture was taken with my Nikon D4s / Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens.
I would like to take a moment to explain what is all involved to get a photo like this:
The amount of planning it takes to find the right place that meets your needs
The right camera gear, knowledge / experience to use this camera body & lens combination
Traveling long distances with many segments to get to a very remote area
Backcountry experience with the right clothing and gear
Being in shape
Having the persistence / patience go a long way
Expect the unexpected by situation awareness
When we made it back to switch back to the other boat for the journey back to the lodge I took this picture. The mouth of the river is directly in the middle of this photo.
What a way to end the 5 days in Likely, BC. Back at the lodge I finished packing the car up and then all of us had a great dinner recounting the days events. I do not drink but everyone else did. They sure got drunk. I went to bed around 9:00 PM as I wanted be be on the road by 4:00 AM. I am pretty sure no one heard me leave but I do know they would have one hell of a hangover!
Third SEGMENT: BAck to Hinton ab, CANADA
This time I decided to take a longer route back to Hinton AB through Prince George BC as I had not been through this area before. It turned out to be a much longer drive. I thought driving through remote areas of the UP of Michigan was bad. You would have these straight flat roads going through dense forest areas which was like driving down a tunnel of trees for ever. I had the same experience for many long sections until I came up to the western side of the Canadian Rockies where you then had mountain views in each direction.
Right from the start of my trip I could not have planned this better. The picture below says it all!
When I left the lodge I was staying at in Likely BC (04:00 AM) I was coming out of the river valley when in my review mirror of the vehicle I noticed something very bright and colorful that was just amazing. It was difficult to find a spot but I found a logging road to drive down. As I drove down there was this small opening where I stopped. I quickly pulled out my camera gear, set it up, and started taking pictures. I new twilight would be soon and took advantage of the time I had left. After several photos I just sat there enjoying the dancing colors across the sky. Again, I cannot say this enough, expect the unexpected. Another amazing experience to add to this trip!
Back in Hinton AB most of the snow that was there when I arrived was gone. The next day I did not see much other than a few Beavers. I have to be honest, I was on a roll with all the great experiences so far. The last full day was uneventful and somewhat of a let down knowing I was packing up and heading back to Edmonton AB the next day. During dinner I was running through all the great experiences I had so far in my head. While having a great bowl of chili I decided I would go out very early the next morning to the high country. I wanted to go for one last hike before I needed to start my way back. Well my frequency of positive energy was still in tune with Mother Nature as my internal compass pointed me in the right direction. Read on!
Amazing spiritual encounter with a pack of Wolves
On my last day in Hinton AB I decided to go to an area I could hike on a trial I’ve hiked before. As I was hiking I felt like something was watching me. I stopped and look up on this ridge just above me when I saw this Black Wolf sitting looking right at me. I froze and slowly took the picture below. We just looked at each other for about 5 minutes when he/she disappeared behind the ridge.
Took this picture with my Nikon D4s / Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens.
The next thing I heard was howling from several directions. I decided to head back down the trail to a large open ridge line. There were two Blacks and one Grey higher up on that ridge.
As was watching with great pleasure the Grey Wolf on the right of the picture above started running down the slope right at me. I was like OMG it’s coming right at me. I just stood very still with my Nikon D4s / Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens ready to go. It stopped about 40 yards from me, just looked at me for a minute and sat down.
The huge wolf stops and looks at me before sitting down.
The first thing I thought was how big and thick this wolf was. After sitting down he/she just kept looking over my shoulder left of where I was standing. The next thing I knew it was howling.
Look how intense this wolf was looking at the other side of the trail I was on. It was a very dense forest and I could not see or hear anything over there. I think it was another wolf moving through the forest.
The only howling I heard was from this wolf, the others on top of the ridge, and behind where I first saw the black wolf.
I was just in awe as this went on for over 10 minutes with the other wolves joining in. I didn’t dare look behind me as I did not what to disrupt this very spiritual experience. Then before I knew it he/she turned around and ran back up to the other Wolves. What was so amazing was something behind me was of great interest for this wolf. I turned around and just looked at a very dense forest hoping to see or hear something but I never did. Stood there for another 20 minutes and started my way back to my vehicle. I needed to start driving back to Edmonton AB to the airport hotel (8 hrs) for my very early morning flight.
My last picture of the trip. Coming down from the high country this image captured my eye as I was driving. Turned around, stopped, and took this photograph to capture not only the colors within the pine forest but the dark clouds with the tall peaks of the eastern side of the Canadian Rockies.
As I was driving back I kept pinching myself thinking about what I had just experienced. Not only did I spend quality time along with these wolves but to be able to look right into the eyes of this wolf and feel an overwhelming sense of calmness as if we were on the same frequency that neither one of us were a threat to each other.
Summary
I find it very difficult to summarize all the tremendous experiences and connections with Mother Nature I had on this adventure. I look to my photographs to disseminate each emotional moment I capture through my photography. This is how I like to reconnect with Mother Nature as a way to reinforce how special she is but at the same time realizing how fragile she can really be. Now I did see and experience several disturbing situations on this trip but I will not go into them. All I know is some humans need to do a better job of understanding the holistic chain of Nature on this planet. Destroying any piece of this chain for selfish reasons can only lead to an unbalanced environment with dire consequences for the future of this planet.
I hope you enjoyed reading about this amazing adventure I had in Alberta and British Columbia Canada!
Tom