A Bridge

Howdy.  On Tuesday evening I returned to the Midwest from a two-week trip to New England; I split my time more or less evenly between Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.  Spoiler alert:  the fall color was jaw dropping.  I was a bit early for peak color when I was in Maine (though the color there was still excellent).  But I hit absolute peak in both Vermont and New Hampshire, and it was breathtaking.

I won’t be able to begin editing work on the images until early next week.  I hope to have a preliminary post from the trip at some point next week, and then begin a series of chronological posts after that.  In the meantime, I thought I’d produce a brief interim entry.

The twin themes of this post are perseverance and luck.

Lake O’Hara Canoe Dock, Yoho National Park, British Columbia

If you’re a regular, long-time reader of the blog, you’ll recall my experiences at Lake O’Hara, in the Canadian Rockies.  If you missed my pieces on the Lake O’Hara area, you’ll find them at the links below.

https://lightscapesphotography.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/the-canadian-rockies-day-two-lake-ohara/

https://lightscapesphotography.wordpress.com/2015/12/01/canadian-rockies-day-6-scratching-the-itch-part-i/

https://lightscapesphotography.wordpress.com/2015/12/15/canadian-rockies-day-7-scratching-the-itch-part-ii/

Mary Lake and Lake O’Hara from the West Opabin Trail, Yoho National Park, British Columbia

If you haven’t read these entries, I urge you to check them out.  My Lake O’Hara experience was one of second (and third) chances and ultimately receiving impeccable weather (and other conditions).  During the copious hours of time I spent driving around New England, any time I thought that conditions were less than ideal, my first day at Lake O’Hara, in the fall of 2014, popped into my head.  Now those were less than ideal conditions, and at the time I thought it would be my only chance to photograph the place.  Subsequent events proved otherwise, fortunately.

It just goes to show that given sufficient opportunities, things often do work themselves out.  If at first you don’t succeed, try again…assuming you have the available time.  The Lake O’Hara experience serves as a healthy reminder to approach opportunities without a fatalistic mindset.

Cascade Lakes Reflections, Opabin Plateau, Yoho National Park, British Columbia

Weather conditions in the Lake O’Hara area are frequently miserable.  I’ve seen it myself (twice) and I was recently reminded of how often the conditions are poor when a friend of mine spent a less-than-ideal weekend there last month.  But I got lucky on back-to-back days last year.

Hungabee Lake and Cathedral Mountain, Opabin Plateau, Yoho National Park, British Columbia

Indeed, I often do have pretty good luck on these photo excursions.  It happened again on this trip to New England when, after a very warm September, a series of cold nights just as I was arriving kick started an epic fall color season in the northern part of the region.  I was there for all of it and areas were just slipping into the “past peak” stage as I was departing.  You can’t ask for much more than that.  And the experience in New England made me think of O’Hara and the opportunity I ultimately had there.

Hungabee Lake Outlet Stream, Opabin Plateau, Yoho National Park, British Columbia

I’ll be back next week with a New England post.