I thought we'd start today's adventure with a short jump up a 500 ft hill to see the morning sunrise. Things like Chas blowing out a lung didn't occur to me. Okay, there's something about being at 4,000 ft above sea level and carrying 40 lbs of stuff that's enough to make anyone humble when climbing. I knew it would be a difficult climb but I knew it was going to be great once we got to the top. I can't take full responsibility Chas' discomfort. He did debated with himself the merits of taking his 400 f/2.8--9 lb lens--I even reminded him something we'd discussed yesterday. "Well, you know yesterday you said something about not going for the ultimate portrait shot and therefore not needing the 400mm. I guess that would mean you wouldn't have to bring it". He brought it anyway because Murphy's law was might've taken place. For sure, if that law is active you'll end up wishing you had it. Still, I think the climb was worth it once you get past the whole part about Chas coughing up a lung. The view was spectacular and the sunrise colorful. There were Big Horn Sheep to work with but they weren't nearly as cooperative or photogenic as the previous day's rams. It wasn't their fault, the conditions didn't make the shooting that great. Still, we spent three hours up there and have a few really great landscapes to show.

After that, lessons learn previously were beginning to take hold. We actually stopped to get a supply of water and food for the rest of the afternoon. Chas and I discovered yesterday that it's really easy to get dehydrated in these mountains. We vowed to buy some extra water and leave in the car, which we promptly forgot before heading out in the this morning. So, on the way out of Old Fort Point--that hill with the "climb of pain"--we decided to get some water and lunch for the road. That meant we could not spend all afternoon out in the field.

The next goal was down Maligne road towards Maligne lake. We saw two bulls and cows yesterday and hoped to see if any were there this afternoon. No kidding, right at our spot a car was parked with a couple folks staring into the woods. We would've missed the moose without the helpful car. Two bulls and a couple of cows were hidden a hundred feet in the woods. Not exactly the most photogenic situation but we got out anyway. The law here is "if you don't get out and shoot, you won't take any pictures". Not long after setting up the gear, one of the bulls crossed the road--I wasn't positioned at a good angle so no keepers--but the other stayed with us and began to feed in the ditch next to the road. Chas used his 80-200 and I kept to my 300. He was going for the enviroment shot while I was working on the portrait. Remember yesterday's fiasco where my cameras stopped working? Chas already had his portraits and I need to work on mine.

We spent almost three hours with this guy--that's him in the top image--and I only stopped when gawkers began to get way too close to the bull. What happened was eventually he retreated into the woods fromt he road to beddown. I moved to a close but respectable distance from him and stayed motionless. I did want to disturb him. Gradually a small cluster of folks descended on me and my subject. Now I was close, close as anyone should be, but these gawkers got closer and closer. As soon as it looked like none of these visitors had any common sense, I decided my nature shooting was done and got my gear and departed. I stood on the road amazed the folks were brazen enough to get within 30 feet of this full scale 800+ lb moose with their P&S cameras. Next time I'm going to think twice before standing near a bull with my bright red jacket. I'm firmly convinced if the gawkers didn't see me that would've missed the bull.

That was pretty much the end of the day except for an amazing sunset--the one you see below. It's a panoramic of four images stitched together in Photoshop--see my article here on how to do this. I used my 80-200 to make the image.

Overall, a really great day.

Cheers

Tom