Jailbreak – 2019

This nature photograph was taken in Jasper National Park, Alberta. In January 2019, a close friend and I planned a three-day trip into Tonquin Valley in Jasper National Park, Canada, for the fall of 2019. As the days got shorter and colder, we started to dial into some of the details of our trip. It wasn’t until I looked at the long-term forecast that I had the realization of exactly what we would be up against. Rainy weather was expected every day for the two weeks leading up to and including our trip. The trail was going to be a nightmare. It was an absolute toss-up as to whether we would even go. Ultimately though, we decided to suck it up and cross our fingers for a window of opportunity to see the famed Ramparts rising out of Amethyst Lake.

We arrived late the night before and slept in a hostel nearby. The rain was persistent from my home in Saskatchewan to Jasper, leaving some of the most impressive mountains in the park socked in with clouds. I had hopes of photographing the massive Mt. Edith Cavell that morning, but upon waking, we saw quickly that the mountain was shrouded in clouds. Ditching that idea, we hopped into the car and drove to the only area that appeared to be getting any light, Pyramid Mountain. After catching some beautiful sunrise light on the mountain, we made a quick stop at an aspen forest along the road. After hiking for a short while, I set up a composition with these aspen trees framing the lone conifer in the morning light. I couldn’t believe my dumb luck when several deer began to wander through my scene. I snapped 20 photos or so with this being the winner.

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