Earthquakes, solo ramblings in the Pisa, and a good friend realises a dream

It's a tad humbling to be posting benign photos as I look, right this moment, at the photos coming in from the unbelievably strong earthquake in Chile. Not for the squeamish!

My mundane story this week is that I set off yesterday with full bivy gear to push the boundaries of where I've been tramping before in the southern Pisa Range on my doorstep - to intersect the 4wd route explored with my cousin over the last few weekends, but this time on foot.

However at about 1200 m it turned cold and was very windy and unpleasant so I pondered my plan in the shelter of a low rock outcrop [self portrait - just love them: 10 secs. to get in position!]...


Making landscape photos is an excellent way to procrastinate, as especially as I realised I could do this one from the shelter I was snoozing in. I certainly spent sometime looking at the wrinkles and texture in the background and wondering what geological and weathering events caused them, and over what time-frame...


Once again in my outdoor's life, I realised the mountains were not at home to me for this trip - a night bivying even higher would have been miserable despite the full moon, so I made the descent to less windy climes and home - the return from whence I'd come [upwards sweating lots] an hour or two beforehand...


I reckon these cows know me, as I have a habit of doing this trip every year or so. I'm always a sucker for their kind and innocent eyes...



On another note I was recently pondering the very minor part I played in my friend Alexei realising his dream to coach at the Winter Olympics. Over two winters ago we [nordicnz.com] decided to aim for the stars for a new coach for the kids we help with cross country skiing at The Snow Farm, and so we posted a Situations Vacant on the web site I'd created and host. I think Alexei may have found it by accident and a few months later I found myself with a flat mate for the winter, and what excellent company he was! That was two good winters ago and look where he's ended up as the NZ Coach => www.wp.umpi.edu/ski/ [which is a excellent blog on his day-to-day experiences at Whistler]

It's tempting to think it was all cause and effect, but it's not that simple. We attract what we think about, and the salutary point I make here is, if we're not careful, we attract what we don't want also!

Rain and more rain, with more snow up high...

It's been a frustrating week weather wise, not only for skiing but living also, as a constant succession of fronts prevail on us. Westerlies keep continuing then tend back more northwesterly and then freshen again with rain followed by tending to colder west to southwesterlies with snow lowering on the mountains.

Some nice light was to be had for making landscape photos, just before the next bad weather to the west arrived...


Did I mention the snow? Above about 1500 meters there is more than you can wave a stick at - below this... well the inaugural Winter Games, while aspects such as the cross country skiing at the Snow Farm were on track as they were held over three successive days and the weather cooperated mostly, over at Coronet there have been delays due to storms for days. I've found it very sad too that TV coverage on the main NZ channels has been lacking for such a huge event that in essence leads up to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in several months time, and sets the tone that NZ can be a serious player in winter sports.

My fellow time keepers for my Winter Games volunteer day on Tuesday. We started in cloud and wind and ended in rain and a snowstorm...


Last chance for a few hours for seeing the sun on the snow - looking at the area where the Criffel and Pisa ranges intersect...


For press releases on the Winter Games events held at the Snow Farm, I've put together a collection of links on one page on nordicnz.com

A busy week, a short storm and the inaugural New Zealand Winter Games

In the week past I was able to relax again into some pretty steady work after too many diverse things going on over the last few weeks. Weeks before this I somewhat thoughtlessly volunteered to help for a couple of days right now on the cross country skiing aspects of the inaugural New Zealand Winter Games, and as the time grew nigh I was fretting a bit that I'd have to sacrifice a few things. However as it turned out yesterday I did not miss competing in the prelude event, the Snow Farm's Merino Muster - I simply did not feel the need to ski 21 Km to the tune of a clock.

As it turned out, just like last Sat., I really enjoyed pottering around town and home noting the first signs of spring, and having Dougal about. And besides, as forecast the high cloud moved in a bit and last night, to the consternation of friends organising the first Nordic ski event in the Games, it rained heavily in town - a warm rain too, which is not good, however the snow line was just low enough as it turned out.

I was away from home in the dark for my time keeping job at the Games this morning, and made these dawn shots when I arrived in the car park at the Snow Farm...




As my job demanded an alertness out of keeping with such an early start I contented myself with making photos of the start/finish area...


Not a rainbow as such, but more an ice crystal bow...


Helping on these events is both mentally and physically demanding, but I do find it's a really good way to get to know people, as we're often teamed up with another local for 3-4 hours, and during the quiet moments we can learn quite a lot. In this case it was one of my client/friends Andrew who has done many expeditions diving and camera work in Fiordland and Antarctica - two of my favourite places, so it was far from the "sacrifice" I've mentioned above. Andrew has been diving doing film work for more than 35 years around Fiordland, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands, Otago and the subantarctic islands. too and with such a broad knowledge of the natural world, is really interesting company.

Andrew gets a mention in this rather long page of text, but there are some great still shots

Firewood, reflections and more on snow

One of my favourite local spots is the NE corner of Lake Hawea, and as I've been burning firewood at an alarming rate this winter it's the preferred spot to not only gather some driftwood, but sample sunset, skip stones on the lake surface and do yet some more iconic New Zealand landscape photography...



Looking across the lake to Kidds Bush...


In between lots of yoga practice this week gone, and having the grief and shock of three deaths that affect me in one way or another, I've kept on keeping on doing ski tours at the Snow Farm late in the day and into the dark, being mindful that it's avalanche season. All good therapy!

You can see the severe loading in the middle to right of this hillside...


And here all slopes have a sort of pregnant pillow look...


I've never seen the head of the Roaring Meg stream here so choked up with snow...

Low cloud, inversions and frost and things

We've had a week now of inversion cloud sitting low over Wanaka town. It really is warmer up on the ski areas than down at lake level.

However traveling up a little to where the land meets the cloud is well worth the effort from a landscape photography perspective.

By the entrance to the Snow Farm, Cardrona Valley...


The Branch Burn up the Cardrona Valley...




A dead tree on top of the Crown Range pass. It's always intrigued me and I've made photos of it in the past. The monuments mark and record the early history of the use of this expedient high altitude road route from Wanaka to Queenstown...


This week's nice web site: Three days exploring Lake Manapouri, New Zealand, by photographer Bill Hatcher

The magic of winter

We've had some stunning days lately as a high pressure system sits over us. Usually when this happens we get an inversion - a low layer of cloud that excludes the sun from shining on our Wanaka town. However for whatever reason we've had the stunning frosts that occur sans inversion, and glorious days of bright and welcome sunshine. That is until today.

However the escape is to drive up one of the ski area roads and since the Snow Farm nordic area opened officially yesterday I [officially] began my 2009 ski season yesterday. My forty third it seems.

What an inversion looks like from above...


Vicky and Eric were there - old buddies from my Mt Cook days. Vicky and I often ski together, so it was great to get back into the swing of things...


Vicky at the Bob Lee hut. It's not often we can sit in here and relax as it's exposed and at high enough altitude to catch whatever wind is about...


From the Bob Lee hut, looking towards Lake Wanaka, you look right across the Criffel Range. I've done a lot of wandering down there amongst New Zealand's highest altitude gold workings. It's a fascinating area overlooked by all and sundry...


Late today the inversion was still sitting over Lake Hawea...


This morning driving up to the Snow Farm I was keen to do some landscape photography of a particular shot I had in mind. This one I eventually made is looking across at Mt Cardrona [inc. ski area] and was not quite what I had in mind, but landscape photography is often like that...


This weeks recommended blog is by my good friend Geoff - on Sat. he was across the valley from the Snow Farm ski touring behind Cardrona Ski Area, and he made some nice photographs >>

Mist clouding the future of the Clutha

Following on from last week's post about a series of dams on the Clutha, it's obvious there are attempts to fog the real intention as locally we've been asked to indicate for or against.

Autumn fog and river mist on the Clutha in the early early dawn near Albert Town...


...because in the last week I've learnt that a guy who rents a cottage and land from one of the big energy companies such as Contact Energy or Electrocorp beside the river down Luggate way has been told he will not be able to renew his lease or renting deal!



So it seems there is real intent for one dam at least! And it's interesting, alarming and ominous that this information is being withheld.

Typical Clutha river bank between Lake Wanaka and Luggate...


If you've missed last week's links and post there are a number of links to check out re aspects of the river and walkways/park that are planned.

Meanwhile I've had a pretty busy but worthwhile and fun weekend [bit late with this my Sunday post 'tho] because I was involved helping run an Outdoor First Aid Course with the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council

A scenario down by the Wanaka Yacht Club building...


As one of the students remarked it was a good weekend for it, what with the early onset of winter weather prevailing. I see from my New Zealand landscape photography files that a few of us started Nordic skiing [touring] at the end of May last year, so it looks like climate change for us means earlier and earlier snow falls!

Mt Aspiring from the Snow Farm...


This week's link to a good blog with a winter theme: Bob McKerrow and others aiming to be the first to reach the North Pole without outside help back in '86.

An interesting start to the New Year what with some varied outdoor activities

New Years day started for me watching fireworks down on Lake Wanaka's lake shore at midnight. I've always found Eely Point a good vantage point as it's not over-run by people. Before the day was out though I was deep in the heart of our Southern Alps on a Search and Rescue mission: an Aucklander of Uzbekistan descent was tramping alone from the Aspiring Hut to the Dart Hut over the Cascade Saddle, a tough alpine tramping route near Mount Aspiring, and not turned up at Dart Hut well over the other side.

A few light moments shared in the helicopter over the Matukituki river before arriving at the saddle...


I was far too busy after landing to photograph and admire the amazingly tough environment of Cascade Saddle and Dart Glacier we'd just been transported into as if by magic at over 1700 meters, until waiting to be picked up again in failing visibility with snow flakes. It was good to be "out-of-there" a few minutes later knowing darkness and a "weather bomb" were arriving...

Jan. 2nd as anticipated was a shocker for weather, and so no searching occurred. The next day I'd committed to helping with the half marathon "Souther Muster" being held at the Snow Farm. At 1500m we did get some left-over snowflakes from the big storm, but it was a lovely day, be it cool with the freezing level at about 1600m.

My camper beside Meadow Warming hut where we ran a drink station for the runners and bikers for the morning...




Runners calling in for drinks, bananas or jelly beans...


After the job was over there was time for a 3 hour walk and some serious landscape photography of the typical New Zealand high-country variety...






As of finishing this my weekly dispatch, the weather remains unsuitable for further searching for the tramper. It may be days before an outcome is achieved which will be hard for the search management team and the victim's family members.

PS just as I posted this the ph. rang and I find myself getting ready for another flight to Cascade Saddle [perhaps!]. Watch this space.

Ducks and more snowy landscapes

Anyone got a suitable caption for this photo?


Spring is in the air these days in Wanaka and since I love the changing of the seasons, this is just a wonderful thing. There is still a lot of snow on the mountains though, and skiing to be done, but now sun block is going to be a fundamental requirement. However this weekend I've been happy once again to potter about the house, and also go to a huge birthday party out at Hawea last night.

I got this nice shot during the week, and applied some of my slowly gathering photo enhancing skills on it, as I learn that digital images can hold a wealth of information that you can use to make the image closer to the eye's memory of the moment, or use in the quest to bring the concept of art out in a photo. Again from the road coming down from the Snow Farm - one of my favourite winter landscape spots around Wanaka, as well as where I ski cross country/Nordic...

My favourite winter landscape close to home

Over the last few years I've tried to have sea based expeditions to Fiordland most winters, and that's a favourite landscape, but for close-to-home in Wanaka it's hard to beat the landscape photography and art potential up at the Snow Farm on the Pisa range.

Looking up a gully from the River Run, which is my favourite cross country ski trail, and is actually beside the headwaters of the Roaring Meg river, which eventually meets the mighty Kawarau River that drains Lake Wakatipu, at the Roaring Meg power station on the Cromwell to Queenstown road...


This one is taken from the Snow Farm looking across the Cardrona valley, with Wanaka to the right. You can see the tip of Mt Aspiring just right of center above the lower cloud...


We have had some very unsettled weather this winter, but it's what makes the art potential of landscapes worth while and interesting.

Yesterday [Sat], by contrast was a rare perfect day. This year I decided to not compete in the Snow Farm's Merino Muster however. Since up-skilling my fundamental Nordic skiing technique, I've felt more playful than racy, so with a fair bit of work piling up I've had the weekend around the house, walking about Wanaka, and doing some minor shopping. I even washed my truck, which indicates just how muddy this winter has been - because it's quite high off the ground it never catches much mud most winters.

Snow - an irresistible landscape

Snow seems made for fun, but only when it's on the hills, and we don't have to live with it day-in day-out, with attendant shoveling etc. It also seems made for art!

I can never resist this landscape that I drive down beside every time I visit the Snow Farm for cross country skiing...


Dougal is pretty patient with me as I stop for my landscape photography, and on this occasion got out for a play in the snow...


I had amazing lesson on Sat. from one of the top coaches of world cup athletes etc., a Russian in fact now living in the US - he's my house guest, and a pretty good one at that, in fact he and his family totally impress me in terms of wonderful human beings and ambassadors. Anyway the lesson totally redefined how I'll be skiing from now on - I have much to practice!.

Here he is demonstrating where to have your shoulder, but underlying the lesson was the principal of how to get from A to B in the most efficient and fastest way. No one has ever tackled things for me in this way before...

Back into cross country skiing

I've not had much time to sort the numerous photos taken on my holiday, of landscape and sea in Fiordland. Preservation will have to wait to be blogged as skiing is on the scene and nice low temps. make for a great snow pack, [and there is a lot of it this winter].

I've been up both days over the weekend and probably logged over 30 Kms at about an average speed of 7 Km/hr and my top speed was 22.5 [for those wondering I ski with a GPS sometimes]. So all-in-all quite a good start for the season, and over the next 3 weeks I can make up my mind if I want to race in the Merino Muster again in the 21 Km category.

While New Zealand's north island is being ravaged by some of the worst storms for a decade or more, we've escaped the comparatively warm moist air these systems can bring to our delightfully cold snow pack, and instead over the weekend a number of user friendy SW to SE fronts arrived at the Snow Farm with attendant cold Antarctic air. Here we see an ice crystal rainbow out by the Bob Lee hut, on the leading edge of such a front...