dark skies

After four years in Light Pollution Central, I was dying to see stars.

October granted my wish in Banff, Canada. I stared in awe, mouth dropped wide open except for the release of elongated "ooh"s and "aah"s. This was only the appetizer. A triple whammy of clouds, scattered rain, and a full moon (as the second brightest source of light next to the sun, Mr. Moon is public enemy no. 1 in stargazing circles) prevented the naked eye from seeing much twinkle, twinkle littles.

Then came November, taking me to Joshua Tree, California.

No words.

To my great dismay, however, the method I used back in Canada didn't work out this time as the genius of a brain in my head forgot to set focus to infinity. Incredible sights, blurry photos. Tears.

December brought redemption on a silver platter semi-broken tripod. Despite the forecasted rain and clouds throughout the night, neither stinker showed up. God is the sweetest.

I've got a long ways to go, but here's to gazing at sparkling celestial beings more often, from various geographic coordinates.

Sorry Disneyland, but World of Color got nothing on this.

joshua tree

On an unusually cold, overcast SoCal morning in mid-December, seven Angelenos packed into a pickup truck and headed southeast.

Rewind - three in a coupe, and four in the pickup. In 30 minutes, they would make a pit stop in Diamond Bar and hop into a single vehicle, an SUV spacious enough for families and sturdy enough for off-roading (although they sadly did not venture off the pavement).  

Eventually, they wound up at Joshua Tree National Park.

After a day of exploring and sky-watching, they followed a rainbow home.

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. 

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.