Johnston Canyon and Creek, Banff National Park 2006

The day after arriving in Canmore and Banff (from Calgary), we drove up the Bow Valley Parkway to Johnston Canyon, only some 10,000 years old. The hike through Johnston Canyon is unique, much of the "trial" consists of metal walkways bolted to the side of the canyon walls so that you walk along and above Johnston Creek. The trail is pretty much level with one beautiful view after another just on the other side of each turn. There are several falls along the trail.

The afternoon was mostly cloudy, what sun there filtered through a heavy canopy of leaves. That made for the opportunity to take longer exposures of the smoothly flowing creek, capturing the mood perfectly. Of course, with all the photographs, tripod setups each time, I was taking my time along the trail, and enjoying myself immensely.

Lower Yosemite Falls, June 2007

Having been to Yosemite in July (2002), I planned a return in 2007, while on the west coast for other family matters. The days spent in the Valley were wonderful, even though marked by an absence of cumulus clouds.

Waterfall amounts were not as strong as they could have been. The snowfall the prior winter was comparatively light but you couldn't tell from the volume of water over the lower of the two Yosemite Falls.

Without clouds in June, the light prevented any hint of the smooth waterfall effect so I concentrated on capturing as much of the spray as the water came over the top of the cliff.

The size of this waterfall is impossible to gauge from this photograph. Before this photograph was taken, however, a man stood on the broken large boulder at the bottom of the falls (not a smart place to stand). In this scale, he was as tall as the "Y" in the title script.