Arrived last night to one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. Now I know I’m prone to hyperbole. Hell, I might exaggerate more than anyone on the planet, but this time it’s the honest truth. Emerald Lake Lodge in Yoho National Park. If you know where Banff or Lake Louise are, just head a little west, cross into British Columbia, and you’re almost there. Most of these images are not from here. I’ll do some today and this evening. But right now I’m drinking coffee in front of a large fireplace thinking about the 9500 kilometers I’ve just driven and how close I am to home. Just crossing the border into BC made me smile and last night I had a celebratory glass of bourbon in front of the fireplace, and fell asleep to the deafening quiet of a mountain lake under 5 feet of snow.
In a couple days I head home to Vancouver. Corwin, my manager and best friend, has found me a live/work loft apartment in a building I’ve known and loved for years. My friend Kevin Clark has a studio there. Close friends have lived there, too. (Daniel, remember that lady above you? The one in the steel-on-concrete stiletto heels? She’s moved out and I’m moving in.) And with any luck and the appropriate prayers to the patron saint of border crossings, I’ll soon have what I need to get back into the nation to the south of me, with whom I am not on speaking terms just now. 🙂 In the mean time I think I’ll head to Tofino and see Pacific Rim National Park.
Anyways, just a note to say hello. I’ll do my best to get a desktop wallpaper to you today or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow. I’ve not forgotten, just hoping to get you something fresh and right now I hear breakfast and my snowshoes calling me. Speaking of getting things to you, I’ve just finished the edits and layouts for my next ebook – Forget Mugshots, 10 Steps to Better Portraits. I love publishing books from my friends, but there’s something different when the book is my own. Can’t wait to release it. It should be ready for you on March 13th.
Comments
Welcome home, bro.
Stop in Qualicum Beach to see some of the world’s best tides – right here on the Island.
Now that’s a red face… the bourbon or the cold?
Glad to see you are smiling and coming home after a year of crazy happenings.
Hope to see you sometime in San Francisco you aren’t persona non grata with your southern neighbor. 🙂
Ha – I just posted it to your wall….cracks me up 🙂
normally I noticed naked dudes in the trees…
Hooray! I feel a scotch party comin’ on soon 🙂
Safe journey to Vancouver – watch out for Hwy 1 after Langley – it’s a bit of a war zone right now….
Cheers, Ellie
Just like I said when you were on the East Coast and moaning….you need to head west to Pacific Rim and Ucluelet and “Storm Season”. you are there for the perfect time. Hope you have your wellies, sou’wester, toque, camera cover-ups, and all that other water proof garb. We are looking forward to seeing some of those brooding stormy shots.
Bye the way next time in Yoho Park you must visit Lake O’Hara…It is more spectacular even than Emerald Lake.
Take care.
David, I’m trying Ardbeg for the first time, partly based on your endorsement. Started with the 10 Year (tax return wasn’t that big, ya know, and I need a flash and some triggers…), and I find it to be ridiculously complex. Taste explosion that lingered for what seemed like hours! Cheers!!!
I’m glad you’re back in the west!
I’m happy to see your smilin’ face!
I’ll celebrate what’s right with the world!
looking forward to the new book!
Love the old snowshoes – stories of many miles trekked there. The warmth of the bourbon image also resonates; nice after a long, cold day. Not so sure about the dead deer… but very cool pov! Enjoy the journey!!
Have fun, empty that Bourbon an have a good night! Hopefully you’ll soon be able to cross the border to the country that ‘mustn’t be named’ 🙂
Joel – Get the folks at VanArts to touch base and I’d be happy to show up 🙂
Eve Hannah – I want to see that photograph. Definitely a lack of naked dudes in trees here at this time of year!
Chris – Might just be time for a coffee, though I’m thinking once I’m moved in I’ll do an open-house and let the mob show up at my new place!
my favorite place in the world is Emerald Lake…I would have happy hour down at the little down with my little bottles of Captain Morgan…(i know you are shocked at this behaviour) and I have a picture I took at my little happy hour world and didn’t notice until I downloaded the pictures the naked guy in the trees to the side of me. Cracks me up every time I look at it…. Be safe 🙂
Thought your comment about the high heels was funny, particularly when today here in the UK, there was a report of a court case on that specific subject!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2108880/Owner-5m-London-penthouse-taken-High-Court-neighbour-couple-got-sick-neighbours-clicking-heels-wooden-floorboards.html
Glad to hear it was a safe journey across the prairies… which are being hit by snow and blowing snow with 50km north winds… so here is one you did escape… and I told you Emerald Lake was a wowser!
David, glad you’re almost home. That portrait book sounds great, coming from you! Safe travels.
I love how you embrace the unplanned, unavoidable change of plans. it makes me chuckle and try to be more patient with my own predicaments.
As long as you are, against all your inclinations, re-rooting a bit in the Northwest — consider a little workshop session in Vancouver or Seattle – I’d love to meet and study with you!
Welcome home… if you can pull yourself away from the Rockies 🙂
Hey since you’re in the area, you should drop by VanArts!
Book idea for you. C&V’s guide to world travel. Little write-ups of the cool places you’ve been to, photographs and if you want to give away secrets best way to get there (Obviously attending a WTF trip would be the best way to get here).
Well don’t you look happy! Glad to hear and see it. Safe travels and I’ll send some good ju-ju to the border gods…
Darn, I missed you by a week at the lodge! Enjoy the stay it really is a beautiful area. I still can’t get over how fast you got from the east coast to here :).
Paul – It’s truly amazing. Magical in every sense. Want to come back and see it in Spring, Summer, and Autumn too!
This post resonated with me more than most (and that’s saying a lot). My wife and I had our honeymoon at Emerald Lake. We returned in 2011…here’s a few shots.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkman/5983941288/in/datetaken/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkman/5983941848/in/datetaken/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkman/5983941968/in/datetaken/
Good luck in your travels. Think you’ll come thru Seattle?
Nick
The photo of the lodge you posted on Twitter last night made me think this would be a great place to visit, nice warm lodge tucked into the mountainside; looking forward to the new ebook
What a nice feeling: going back home, new place, old friends… good luck with everything and thanks for sharing with us your thoughts and photos 🙂
That’s a happy face. Enjoy!
Can’t wait to see shots of Emerald Lake Lodge – it’s such a special place! Get yourself an address, get over the border grudge, get your camera ready – Yosemite, Big Sur, Muir Woods, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, the Badlands, etc., etc. It will all make your heart leap!
Good to see you made it so quickly and (apparently) smoothly! I was worried you’d be turned back at the BC border for trying to defect to the USA 🙂 Sounds like you’ve got a great situation lined up in Vancouver, surely a relief after all you’ve been thru of late. Good on ya!
Ahh Bulleit! Good stuff. Dave if you’re ready to try some really smooth whiskey pickup some Revel Stoke or Spicebox. Both made right there in Canada.
I’m envious of your adventures, have a safe drive home 🙂
Lookin’ good there, boss! Stay safe!
Congrats on the trip, on being safe, and treating yourself to a nice slug of the brown. Looking forward to the images of Yoho.