Mount Andromeda

Located between Athabasca Glacier and Saskatchewan Glacier on the border of Banff & Jasper parks, Alberta Major headwaters Athabasca & Saskatchewan rivers, Mount Andromeda is located within the Columbia Icefield. The mountain can be seen from the Icefields Parkway (#93) near Sunwapta Pass and is directly southwest of Mount Athabasca. This peak has two summits, the southwest and northeast. Although older guidebooks said they were approximately equal height, BC Basemap clearly shows that the Northeast summit has one more 20m contour line. This summit has many technical snow and ice routes. All routes to the summit are exposed and subjected to considerable rockfall or avalanche danger. 

Mt. Andromeda was named in 1938 by Rex Gibson, former president of the Alpine Club of Canada, after Andromeda, the wife of Perseus.

Athabasca Glacier

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the six principal 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield, located in the Canadian Rockies. The glacier currently recedes at a rate of 2-3 metres per year and has receded more than 1.5 km in the past 125 years and lost over half of its volume. The glacier moves down from the icefield at a rate of several centimetres per day. Due to its close proximity to the Icefields Parkway, between the Alberta towns of Banff and Jasper, and rather easy accessibility, it is the most visited glacier in North America. The leading edge of the glacier is within easy walking distance; however, travel onto the glacier is not recommended unless properly equipped. Hidden crevasses have led to the deaths of unprepared tourists.

The Icefield Interpretive Centre, closed during the winter (mid-October to mid-April), stands across from the glacier. It is used as a lodge and for ticket sales for sightseeing on the glacier. Standard buses transport tourists to the glacier edge, where they board specially designed snow coaches for transport over the steep grades, snow and ice part way up the glacier.

The glacier is approximately 6 km (3.75 miles) long, covers an area of 6 km² (2.5 mi²), and is measured to be between 90 metres (270 ft) and 300 metres (1000 ft) thick.

Some cold hard facts

* It is 6 km squared in area.

* It is 6km long.

* Its depth is 90-300m (270 – 1000 feet) – The ice is as thick as the Eiffel Tower is high.

* It has icefall movement of 125m / year (400ft)

* It has turn around movement of 25m/year (80 ft)

* The icefalls elevation is 2700m (8900ft)

Once, the Athabasca Glacier flowed north to the present site of Jasper before joining other glaciers and cruising south east past Calgary. This journey, much like trying to get through Vancouver in rush hour, took many centuries. The Athabasca is slowly flowing downhill from the Columbia Icefields similar to the flow of a river.

Columbia Icefield

Midway between Jasper and Banff is one of the most popular attractions in Western Canada.

Athabasca Glacier is part of the masssive Columbia Icefields which are a vast reservoir of ancient water. The Icefields are the source of the headwaters of three rivers that flow to three different oceans (Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic). Nowhere else on Earth can you find such a phenomenon.

As the glaciers melt they are also sliding down the mountain sides and as they do so are crushing vast amounts of prehistoric rock into a fine powder, called rock flour. This powder floats into nearby lakes and rivers. It becomes suspended in the water and reflects light to our eager eyes. The colors are stunning and are different shades of blue, green and grey. Colors vary at different times of day and from lake to lake. It is a remarkable display that nature puts on for lucky travelers to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. 
Some cold hard facts. 
* It covers 325km squared – making it comfortably the largest body of ice in the Rocky Mountains
* Its highest point is Mt. Columbia at 3745 m (12,284ft)
* The average elevation is 3000m (10,000 ft)
* The greatest estimated depth is 365m (1200 ft)
* The average snowfall is 7m (23 ft) every year.
* Uniquely it drains into the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

The Columbia Icefields are considered one of the largest accumulations of ice and snow south of the Arctic Circle, and can reach depths of 2,000 feet. 

Rock and Colors

A view on highway AB 93 South on way to Jasper National Park, combining the chaste color of the rockies and plush shade of autumn. Artlessly A-OK!!! =)

Fall Driving

Driving to a beautiful scenery as this, who wouldn't FALL?! =)

Lost Paradise

An empty space filled with beauty and grace. A lost paradise waiting to be captured. =)

Long Drive (Cross-Province)

Drove 8.5 hours from Yorkton, Saskatchewan to Edmonton, Alberta. From there, it took 3 to 4 more hours to go all the way to Jasper. This was our first stop - over from Edmonton to Jasper. The view is breathtaking. One of the longest and best road I've ever driven on so far. :)

Surrounding the area are the Rockies which would make your hours of driving amazingly incredible. You'll definitely be in awe of God's creation. Absolutely a must-do on summer time. =)

Canadian Rockies

This is what Canada is famous for, the Canadian Rockies. :) Drove 8.5 hours from Yorkton, Saskatchewan to Edmonton, Alberta. From there we had to drive 3 - 4 more hours to go to the Jasper. On the way would be all these Rockies that would make all the driving worthwhile. :) It is indeed the best long drive I ever had and I would definitely come back next year. The temperature around that time was between +4 to +8, almost ready for winter, but if you would dress up in layer, this wouldn't be too much of a problem. So now, let's enjoy The Rockies =D

The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA. The northern end is at the Liard River in northern British Columbia.

The Canadian Rockies have numerous high peaks and ranges, such as Mount Robson (3,954 metres (12,972 ft)) and Mount Columbia (3,747 metres (12,293 ft)). The Canadian Rockies are composed of shale and limestone (unlike their American cousins). Much of the range is protected by parks and a World Heritage Site.

The Afterglow

An afterglow is a broad high arch of whitish or rosy light appearing in the sky due to very fine particles of dust suspended in the high regions of the atmosphere. An afterglow may appear above the highest clouds in the hour of deepening twilight, or reflected from the high snowfields in mountain regions long after sunset. The particles produce a scattering effect upon the component parts of white light.

Taken in York Lake, Saskatchewan. This might be one of the few shots that I have left for Fall season as it is now beginning to get freezy getting ready for winter.

Don't FALL

Title speaks for itself :)

Loboc Church

The Church of San Pedro in Loboc is the second oldest church in Bohol. It was originally built in 1602, but soon reduced to ashes. In 1638, a stronger one was build. Located near the river, it has survived a number of floods. Inside the church, you can admire some remarkable naive paintings on the ceiling. A Spanish coat of arms can be found in the stone wall near the entrance of the convent. The bell tower of Loboc is about 100 meters from the church.

How do you FALL?

How do you FALL? Slowly..? Fast..? Deep..? Insane..?
For this tree, he FALLS from green to orange to yellow. :)

His Imminent Grace

Crescent Lake, Saltcoats Saskatchewan. You wil never get tired of taking it's photo especially on fall. :)
The leaves are yellow, the water is blue, and the sky is just a reflection of God's imminent grace. :)

Sisiman Bay Lighthouse

This photo taken in Sisiman Bay, Mariveles Bataan was one of the last few shots I took during my vacation home this year 2010. With almost 3 hours of travel from Manila, I met up with a new found friend to guide us in our travel to Brgy. Sisiman to this abandoned lighthouse. This place is very famous to every Filipino landscape photographer there is and there is no way I could let time passed by without taking some beautiful coastalscape shots. :) Taken with 30 seconds exposure using an ND400 filter. I stayed there from 11am till about after sunset. It was indeed a magnificent sweep of God's power. :)

Special thanks to Nina Escaler and to her friend Mr. Eric Sioson for making this shot possible.. :)

Lakeshore

This is another shot I took of the Crescent Lake giving emphasis on the trees. Using an ND8 filter, if I remember it correctly, with exposure of 3.2 seconds. Enjoy :)