Fitting for Valentine’s Day 2016 in Edmonton, this huge declaration stomped in the snow on the frozen surface of the North Saskatchewan River:
A Couple of Muttart Pyramids
A Place for Two in Cloverdale
Who Needs Roses Red
A Couple Strolls
winter
It was a beautiful sunny and warm, mid-February afternoon in Edmonton and I got my cross-country skis out and over to the Riverside Golf Course. Warm weather in January had made the snow conditions deteriorate and had it not been for the 10 cm of fresh snow a couple of days earlier I probably would not have even tried skiing.
The conditions weren’t bad (in some places) but not good (in other places). The bad places were those where the trail had been getting direct sun for a good part of the day. As a result these trails were a sticky semi-frozen slush. On the other hand, trails that lay in the shade all day (like the southside of the East-West running fairways) were superb. Even with +5C temperatures the recent snow was very nice and the skis glided along effortlessly.
Being already late in the season, in an warmer than normal winter, I don’t expect a lot more opportunities to get out skiing but do hope to get out at least one more time this long weekend.
Skiing in the river valley – another of the things that makes life in Edmonton so enjoyable.
An unexpected bonus while out at Riverside was having a close encounter with a coyote. We passed about 20 meters apart, briefly stopping to look each other before carrying on our ways. (Sorry no photo of it).
Here are a few more images (perhaps not often noticed) from Edmonton’s river valley in early February.
Muttart Pyramids Tucked Away
Curved Bridge (James MacDonald)
Bridge Shadow on River Ice
Low Level Bridge (from below the James MacDonald)
Riverside Promenade in Winter (Louise McKinney Park)
The first set of images from this photo-walk can be seen on the prior blog post: Different Perspectives.
A walk this afternoon (2016 February 6) through the river valley, revealed a few perspectives of Edmonton that I usually don’t see. For the record, it was a beautiful afternoon – mostly sunny with temperatures well above seasonal averages and well above zeros. There were however very gusty winds and I was worried that if I was standing on ice (of which there was a lot) when a gust peaked I could have gone sailing. Alas I found good footing at the times of the worst of the winds, so no falls and photos that I am pleased with:
Stairs through Louise McKinney Park
Under the Low Level
Under the James MacDonald
Walterdale Bridge Replacement Construction
Skyline, Park and Frozen River on a February Afternoon
Watch for an upcoming follow-up post for more Edmonton photos taken this afternoon.
Late afternoon in late January in Edmonton and the sky across the river valley was looking good:
It was early morning, just before sunrise, but with the heavy overcast sky and light snow falling how would you know?. Overnight, this part of Edmonton had 5 to 10 cm of the lightest, fluffiest snow you can imagine. For a few hours we were living in a winter wonderland.
and finally an image from the same morning, which is interesting even though not featuring the snow:
Yes, what a difference a day can make – weather wise in Edmonton. The temperature swings in Edmonton can be especially dramatic. Yesterday, Saturday January 9th was cold. Even though the sun came out int he afternoon the -18C temperature and a bit of wind made me want to stay inside. I did venture out for a little while to clear snow off of my sidewalks but within 20 minutes my fingers were frozen, numb and my ski gloves were not helping.
Today however the temperature swung up to near freezing and with the sun out it was very pleasant. It enticed me to go out for a nice photo hike in the river valley. I was out for an hour in a light with jacket with light gloves and was actually too warm and had to take my toque off to moderate my temperature (love when that happens).
Anyway here are a few images of the beautiful North Saskatchewan river valley in central Edmonton:
The last day of 2015 and a beautiful day it was. After a couple of weeks of cool seasonal temperatures, December 31st featured the relative warmth of temperatures near freezing and sunshine – a bright, low-in-the-sky sun and blue skies. It was a great day for a walk in the river valley.
Here is a bit of what I saw as I wandered around the Buena Vista Park area:
Red Berries Against a Blue Sky
Winter Sun Through the Trees
Road Through the Trees
Winter Color
Contrasts
Bridge Over Ice and Water
I was wandering through downtown Edmonton at noon one day this past week, just getting some fresh air and capturing images of a few things that caught my eye:
Narrow Alley
On Saturday (2015 March 14) I attended the Crashed Ice Championship on the bank of the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton. Problem was that with the huge crowds I couldn’t get anywhere near the race itself. Nonetheless it was a very interesting atmosphere with the lighting and the crowds so I turned my attention to just capturing photos of that atmosphere.
Ice in the Night
On the Slope
Distant Big Screen
This was as close as i was able to get to the live racing action:
Live Action
Blue Trees
The Edmonton Queen in the Ice
Bridge in the Night
