HOODOOS AND HOBNAILS - week of November 22nd 2009

In this second edition of Hoodoos and Hobnails: another photo composition tip but first, Mount Norquay, as we continue our tour of the peaks of the immediate Banff area:

• Climbing history:
• It is not completely clear who first set foot on the true summit of this diminutive mountain, but it appears that Banff educator Henry Greenham first reached the west (highest) peak by himself during the summer of 1917. He followed the length of the easternmost of Norquay's two south ridges and eventually connected with what is known today as the "normal route".
• After the road to the ski resort was constructed, the easily accessible east face quickly gained in popularity.
• A few technical rock routes are now established on the west face of the horseshoe-shaped peak.

High on Mount Norquay, just below the true summit. Banff can be seen at the far right of the image.

• Of geological interest:
• Like all the mountains of the Banff area, Mount Norquay is made up of a succession of tilted layers of rock. Looking at a bird's eye view of the mountain, one notices that it is made up of two prominent, parallel ridges separated by a wooded valley. This is a great example of what geologists call differential erosion: the ridges are made of tough limestone that resists erosion well, while the valley in between was carved out of recessive (easily eroded) layers of shale. Those particular shale layers belong to the Exshaw and Banff Formations and wherever those rocks occur, it is common to find more gentle and eroded slopes, such as midway up the steep face of Mount Rundle (click the image below for a better view).
• It is likely that prior to glacial erosion, Mount Norquay and Sulphur Mountain were one same mountain.

• Other interesting facts:
• Mount Norquay was named after John Norquay, a former premier of Manitoba who, around 1887, actually came close to making the first ascent of what would become his namesake mountain.
• The Mount Norquay ski resort boasted the first chairlift in the country back in 1948.

Polar panorama of scramblers on the summit of Mount Norquay, with neighbouring peaks.

Photo suggestion for this week:

When on the hunt for a great image, keep an eye out for repeated features, be they entirely natural or man-made. They occur everywhere and on all scales and can make for a simpler but interesting composition. Here are two examples:

Sources: Archives Society of Alberta, Canadian Alpine Journals, www.banffnorquay.com.

PRINTS FROM THE FUTURE

Great new display options are now available, including really cool, new, futuristic MetalPrints. All images are also available as ready-to-hang ThinWraps and can be finished as increasingly popular watercolor giclée art prints.

Here is a selection of the best-selling images of 2009.

Paul

2010 Calendars have arrived!

These high-quality calendars are size 9 x 12 (18 x 12 when open), borderless, spiral-bound and digitally printed on 12 pt stock. They are available in both English and French. Check out the content here.

HOODOOS AND HOBNAILS - week of November 15th 2009

This first Hoodoos and Hobnails post discusses famous Cascade Mountain and image composition:

• Climbing history:
• It is likely that the summit was first reached by Canadian packer Tom Wilson in 1887. Wilson largely followed the route that is today's popular "scramble" route up the west and north sides of the mountain
• By 1919, the peak had been ascended by its steeper south-facing slopes
• Pioneer Lawrence Grassi made the first ascent of the east face in 1934
• Many rock and ice routes lie along the lower cliffs of the east face

Morning sunlight hits the upper south face of Cascade Mountain. The route taken by Wilson and most scramblers roughly follows the skyline

• Geological history:
• The rock that makes up Cascade Mountain was formed 325 to 375 million years ago, although it was moved to its present location between 45 and 145 million years ago. The rocks were largely formed in a warm, shallow ocean basin. 
• The east face displays good examples of large-scale folds; at its base lie several of the coal seams that were mined over a hundred years ago
• Like its neighbour Mount Rundle, Cascade Mountain is a typical front range peak, characterized by gentle SW slopes and a steep drop on the NE side 

The impressive east face of Cascade Mountain is reflected by the ice of Lake Minnewanka

• Other interesting facts:
• The south face of Cascade Mountain commands the town of Banff. Early superintendent George Stewart can be credited for the fantastic views that can be had from Banff Avenue: he is the one who decided to position the town's main street in a way to get the best possible views of Cascade Mountain
• The peak was originally called "mini-ha-pa", which means "the mountain where the water falls" in Stoney Indian language; it was then given its current name by early explorer James Hector in 1858
• With a summit elevation of 2998 metres above sea level, Cascade Mountain towers 1615 m above the town of Banff and is the highest peak one can see from the townsite, with the exception of Mount Aylmer which can be viewed from some parts of town

A full moon sets behind the summit of Cascade Mountain

Photo suggestion for this week:

When composing or cropping your image, consider not centering your subject. The scene often "works" best if the subject is placed one third of the way into the frame. Here is an example:

The composition above is acceptable but is definitely not as pleasing to the eye as the bottom one, which balances the elements better by placing the deer away from the centre of the frame.

Launching the Paul Zizka Photography Blog!

Welcome! I am an adventure photo-
grapher and ACMG hiking guide based out of Banff, in the heart of the majestic Canadian Rockies.

This blog is not only dedicated to photography, but also to the geology and history of our dear Canadian Rockies, and to wilderness-related topics worldwide. My aim is to have a weekly posting called "Hoodoos and Hobnails". The name aims to represent what will be the general content of the blog: hoodoos are geological features found widely around the world, while hobnails are short nails that used to be installed on early mountaineering boots. The typical format of those entries will feature a particular mountain and a quick photo tip.

You are encouraged to comment on any of the content and to visit frequently. Thanks for your interest. Expect the inaugural post in the next few days!

Paul