to describe or not to describe

Every time I sit down to churn out a blogpost, I am confronted by cognitive dissonance. Didn't take Communication and Social Science? Don't care about psych terms? Translation: my head throbs as two opposing desires battle it out inside. Half of me wants to let pictures do the narrating, while the other half wants to accompany them with words. Add a pinch of PIS (Perpetually Indecisive Syndrome), and voila! we've got yet another excuse not to post. How to deal?

After many a sleepless night tossing and turning in bed, I have brought in the UN. Much diplomatic negotiating later, the civil conflict has finally reached a ceasefire; both tribes will be honored, albeit on separate platforms. A wordless outlet is coming soon to a screen near you... as well as a comprehensive website to hold it all together. In the meantime, commence a (verbally) untold story of Moraine Lake.

lake agnes tea house hike

There's still a ton of shots from Canada I have yet to share. It's growing increasingly tempting to keep them to myself - a keepsake for when I need to pretend I'm not living and breathing the meanest smog the atmosphere has yet to witness.

They will come, though, whenever the timing feels right. Today's set contains details from a hike to Lake Agnes Tea House. The 3.6 km trail starts at Lake Louise and takes about 3.5 - 4 hours to complete, depending on a number of variables like your fitness level, that of your party's, and if and when you drop your phone on the way up and how far you wind up backtracking to retrieve it. Overall, the trail is a(n uphill) walk in the forest with a few photo opp spots, clearly demarcated by lines of hikers pausing for a selfie.

Mirror Lake is one of those, a little ways past the halfway point.

In about another 20 minutes lies this vantage point. You're welcome for the detailed guide. What's the fun in knowing exactly what is coming your way? Am I right or am I right. 

My apologies. I have returned to earth. 

Continue climbing, and when you hit this waterfall, take a moment. 

Stand there, and remember how small you are.

Then high five your buddy, because you are in the final stretch. This waterfall actually cascades from Lake Agnes.

At the top, you'll see - no; I leave no frontal image of Lake Agnes nor the Tea House. God forbid I steal the awe of novelty from you. It's up to you to discover what is up there for yourself. A gift of mystery from me to you, dear stranger online. 

Speaking of which, if you run into strangers up there, make sure to say hello. I promise Canadians are nice, and the clear air up there transforms tourists, too, into superior human beings.

If you wish really hard upon a star, you might, like me, run into a professional ____________ (fill in the blank with dream job of choice). This is Marko, a kind soul who let me admire his adventure-filled, oh-so-fulfilling occupation and even let me look through his viewfinder.

Who would have thought I'd have my first Hasselblad encounter atop a mountain? All I've known is trial and error point-and-shoot, mobile, and entry level DSLR, and here I was, face to face with a medium format. Thanks, Canada, for a sweet surprise, and thank you Marko! It's always a treat running into friendly folk while traveling. A conversation goes a long way. 

gr8ful

Sometimes I wish that cameras never went digital. That way I'd be limited to 24 shots, or better yet, whatever was left on the roll I happen to have on hand. Being perpetually shutter-happy means I lose all control when something catches my eye. In just a few moments, I rack up more pictures than I can handle.

Images are everywhere and I don't know what to do with them. Cue the overwhelmed "oh God... ooh God" face, which in turn perpetuates my fatalistic view on this destructive hobby. A white flag, waving in the air, signaling forfeiture. There's just too much - albums on albums of photos I have yet to process - dating back to last November. And more a-comin' by the day. What do I - how should...?

So I let it all just sit on my hard drive (the poor lad gets more constipated by the day) and move on with the hustle and bustle of life. It's at times like these that I am reminded of a huge blessing, in the form of a friend who holds me accountable with this addiction passion of mine. So today's post is dedicated to this beauty,

who checks up on me and prods me to wake up. Everyone needs a friend like this who pushes you when you don't want to.

 Cheers to your faithfulness! 

Thank you Helen. I appreciate you so.

these moves

Football is like dance. Unchoreographed, freestyle, groove however you want kind of dance.

the crossover

the beauty of the game

Perfect pass down the line... unbelievable. There he goes. All the way down... past first down... 30 yards...  50... touchdown, Trojans!

Football is rarely the glam and glory it appears to be from the stands or on TV. Sometimes - most times - football is messy. When you freeze the action at 1/1000 of a second, you get the real picture of what the game is made of: dog piles, human knots, wrestling, group hug sessions, Fight Club, 300 lbs flying around, bruises forming, the Heimlich, and sometimes on accident, illusions like little guys pushing giants by the gluteus maximus. Chaos, savagery, and testosterone overload. 

can I stay here forever?

I find myself always wanting to explore the unbeaten path. Maybe it's the inner underdog supporter. Or the pioneer. Whatever the case, I'm always on the lookout for locals' favorites and insider's tips. Naturally, I was a bit weary of the infamous Lake Louise. Could it really live up to its hype? 

One glimpse and I knew.

Being one of the most well-known spots in Banff, Lake Louise gets noisy with tourists coming in by the bus. The 47-seater charter bus. Thankfully, gazing at this beauty never gets old. Unpredictable weather creates views that keep changing - it's like watching a slow time lapse movie unfold before you. With the fog and clouds playing hide and seek, the lighting never stays the same. Stand there for awhile and see it in

 partial shade, 

backlit,

behind other admirers,

shrouded in mystery,

a bit darker,

and drinking up rain.

Climbing the main trailhead for 15 minutes provides a tiny glimpse from higher up. By the time we got up there, the sun had come out, making Louise radiate a blue I thought only existed in Powerade.

You can also stay on the ground and take a walk along the loop for different angles.

If it gets too cold (or rainy like it did for us), take shelter inside the Chateau.

 And go down to the lower level to a boutique named Goodies Candy Shop for some locally made MacKay's ice cream. I picked maple walnut because - when in Canada. It didn't disappoint.

I believe in fighting cold with cold. And indulging multiple senses at once. So take your tastebud treat outside, and enjoy it with some eye candy. P.S. Ice cream tastes really good in the snow. 

For round two, I got the Alberta Saskatoon Berry. Om nom nom.