Mount Landale, Vancouver Island
| About two hours North of Victoria, and just past lake Cowichan, there are logging roads threading there way through the mountains. Some of these abandoned roads now serve as hiking routes. A relatively easy one (at least in the summer) is Mount Landale. This photo is taken from the lake near the top. The approach skirts the lake then heads straight up a steep snow-laden chute, seen on the left side devoid of trees. Midway up, an old and ominous mine shaft serves as a reminder of how men made their living two centuries ago. |
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A less flattering picture from
the same vantage point. I think the high contrast and difference in light
from the snow and darker trees are the reason. I have often been guilty of
trying to include too much of a scene in the frame. I wanted to include
the reflection in the water but should have used a neutral density
filter.
To see how to get here, look at this southern Vancouver Island map. |
| On the ridge near the summit the brilliant snow was blinding. Sadly, the panoramic views are composed mainly of clear cut hillsides. Long a mainstay of the island economy, the large brown scars do not lend themselves to photography. this was as high as we hiked this lovely day in May. |  |
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Dom took this photo of me at the summit. This was my 2nd attempt and Dom's 5th so we were both pretty happy to have finally accomplished our goal. The summit is snow covered for all but a few months of year. This trip was quite rewarding. We had tried to summit earlier in the year (the photos above) but a fast-melting and very unstable snow pack forced us to turn around. This time, in early September, was much more successful. |
