Tag Archives: travel

Why Not Have More from BC Ferries?

Since we have left the Pacific Northwest, there won’t be too many encounters with the BC Ferries fleet for a while. I have taken a couple of ferry rides up there in the recent past and got a few shots of the boats as we went along. Some were the passenger ferries, but I also got one of the other operators that only does freight movements. I’ll stick them in anyway, even if they aren’t BC Ferries. I shall now get to see a whole new selection of ferries in the UK so stay tuned for more ferry action before too long.

Asiana A380 Takeoff

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While at LAX, I did see two Korean A380s depart in close proximity. Korean Air is buying Asiana (or may have done so by the time this appears) so I imagine this won’t continue for long. The Asiana colors will, presumably, vanish before too long. I decided a bit of video was in order so shot the take off roll and climb out. Below is that video.

Some Unusual Maintenance Vehicles from CPKC

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While we were staying in Canmore, we got plenty of train traffic passing us by. Most of the time, it was just the regular freight train movements but there was some maintenance work underway in the vicinity and we had a train come by that was not like the others. The locomotive was a different looking beast and it was pulling some flat cars including one with a backhoe loaded on it. I assume that they were heading to or from a work site, but I don’t know where it might have been. They train did look pretty clean so maybe it was not that old?

A Little Time with Some LAX Arrivals

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A while back I posted some shots from a hotel at LAX that I took at night. The next day, I was also able to work from the rooftop terrace at the hotel which allowed the occasional arrival to make their way into my viewfinder. LAX is a great airport to see some different airlines and types but, like a lot of major airports, it does get a ton of movements that are the same airlines and types. Consequently, you can afford to be picky about what you shoot.

This also means you can get other stuff done most of the time and just keep an eye out for something more interesting when the opportunity presents itself. Even so, I didn’t have a lot of time there with the various other things I had going on so it was not the full selection of interesting arrivals and departures that LAX can offer. Despite that, I was happy to get a few shots of things that interested me at least.

Bow Falls

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A short trip from the heart of Banff takes you to Bow Falls. The Bow River runs through the town, but it makes quite a drop shortly afterwards before continuing on its way towards Canmore. The falls are a short distance from the Chateau although you can barely see it from the river.

There is a trail that runs up the side of the falls with a long set of steps to get you up to the higher levels. It is not a tough climb, but it does get the heart rate up. That doesn’t stop plenty of people checking it out. From the bottom, the view up the falls is very nice whereas, on the climb, the views of the river can be a bit restricted in places. The noise of the water is most impressive and, as soon as you go behind an outcrop of rock, the quiet can catch you by surprise. While I took a bunch of photos, it felt like the noise and the motion of the water meant video was a better option so here is an edit I pulled together of what I saw.

What You Need to Go on the Glacier

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Go up the icefield parkway in Alberta and you see plenty of glaciers around the mountains that tower over you. You can do a trip out on to the glacier while you are there, and a special vehicle is provided to get you out there. It required more time than we wanted to give up to do the full tour but I did want to see the buses that they use to go out on the ice. Giant tires, loads of clearance and very tough looking construction. These things look immense.

There is one in the parking lot by the visitor center so you can get an up-close look. I don’t know whether this is the same as the ones currently in use or if it is an old version that has been superseded. We did see the active buses out on the roads and heading up on the ice. I bet they are not the most comfortable ride but a fantastic way to get to somewhere special.

Alpine Helicopters – Part One

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When we made our trip to Kelowna, we were driving into the city as we came off the hills and stopped at an intersection while we waited for the light to go green. On our left was a place called Alpine Helicopters. Moreover, a Huey was powering up while we sat at the light. I figured I needed to check this out before we left. I managed to get back there at some point over the weekend. Sadly, things were rather quiet unlike the weekday on which we had first arrived. A selection of nice-looking helicopters was on the ground, and I do wish I had been able to see some of them at work. Some other airframes seemed stored so a bit of a missed opportunity.

Angel’s Flight Railway

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I first heard of Angel’s Flight Railway in one of the early Harry Bosch novels that was named for it. Prior to that, I had never heard of this funicular railway in Los Angeles. More recently it was also the subject of a TV series that I started to watch but never continued with. In my many trips to LA, I had never actually seen it. Work took me there a short while ago and my hotel was only a few minutes walk from the railway and, since I seem to have sought out some funiculars recently, I figured I would head to this one after work before it got dark.

I ended up arriving at the top of the railway. Apparently, it has undergone some rehabilitation and modernization, and it certainly seemed it great shape. The top station still has a vintage feel to it, though. There is a stairway that runs down the hill parallel to the track so, rather than ride down, I walked down the stairs to watch the trains as they passed me. The cars are on separate tracks, but they are only spaced to pass halfway up the hill. At the top and bottom, the alignment comes closer together. As the cars approach each other, they move to the side and them come back towards the middle once clear of each other.

The loading is done through end doors at the top and bottom so no need to worry about complex platform issues. Everything seems to be managed from the station at the top. When I got to the bottom, it seemed that people would board freely, having to pay when they made it to the summit. It does provide a good way up the hill, but it isn’t that big of a hill, and I wonder why the railway was necessary when it was built. Now it seems to be a tourist attraction as opposed to a key element of the transit system. Good to have finally seen it, though, and another funicular to visit.

Early Start at Moraine Lake

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Departure from Canmore before the light was up was necessary for us to get to Lake Louise early enough for a slot on the shuttle bus into the town. We got there in good time and took the bus down to the lake, but we immediately switched buses to get a ride down to Lake Moraine. This was about a 15-20 minute ride down some pretty interesting roads – particularly in a large bus. It dropped us at the bottom of Lake Moraine (by which I mean one end – not at the lowest point of the lake) and we walked the short distance to the lake itself.

There were quite a few people around but, given how beautiful the location was, it was surprising how few people were there. A large pile of rock at one end of the lake did provide a spot to climb and some were taking advantage of this. I assume this is the moraine that results in the name of the lake. Instead, we decided to take the trail that went up the side of the lake towards the falls entering it at the far end.

There were definitely a lot of people doing the same thing, but it never felt like there were too many people around. The early morning, the soft light and the low temperatures might have made for an uncomfortable time but instead it felt tranquil and beautiful. No one was crowded and everyone seemed to be in a friendly mood. The trail provided plenty of lovely views of the lake and wound gently along the shore until we were up at the location of the shallow falls where the water ran into the lake from the surrounding hills.

The whole place was absolutely stunning. I experimented with some straight shots and some HDR brackets because the shadows of the hills were deep compared to the sky above. It was hard to believe that it could be so lovely. (When we headed back to Lake Louise, the contrast between the peace of Moraine Lake and the mayhem of Lake Louise was jarring.) By the time we retraced our steps along the shore, we were feeling a little chilly so a stop in the café was in order. (I did chuckle to myself when one of the staff casually turned down the volume of the music during an Alanis Morissette song at just the right moment to avoid causing any offense!) With Nancy reinforced with a warm drink, we continued on our explorations.

Pinal Jets

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During the Arizona trip, Mark and I swung by Pinal Airpark in Marana to see what was stored on the airfield. There are aircraft that are operational here and some come in for maintenance but there are also a lot that are stored, either indefinitely or until the demand for them returns. Lots of the older types are ones that you know will not be going anywhere again. The 777s and A330s do have a good chance of finding another use. There were a ton of American Eagle EMB145s lined up near the fence. Not sure what will happen to them. The smaller regional jets are not so popular at this point, but they could find a role at some point.

All planes cease to be of use at some point. It is a bit sad to see them when that time comes but they may well contribute parts to those that remain so that is a plus. Additionally, it is interesting to see such a wide variety of different operators represented in the collection of planes stored. Some of them have replaced the jets with something newer and better while others failed as airlines and the planes became surplus. It is a change from seeing the same operators all the time.