Experience The Mountain Parks Blog

Filmmaking: What it takes to shoot in extreme environments

Have you ever wondered what it takes to shoot these extraordinary films?
Sit back, learn, enjoy, and appreciate the incredible work of these new adventurers.

"Creating stunning, cutting-edge adventure films hasn't gotten any easier. There's still plenty of sweat and swearing. It has gotten a little cheaper, and, with YouTube, a viral video is only a few clicks away. Filmmaker and adventurer Bryan Smith has been at the forefront of this grassroots movement."
~National Geographic

Please don't try at home, unless fully prepared!

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Real cool Whistler mountain biking videos shot with "GoPro"

If you're an avid mountain biker, you'll certainly appreciate these high-end videos we found for you! They've been all shot in Whistler.

Make sure to check our Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park section pumped with maps —dowloadable and interactive—, gorgeous photos of Garibaldi Provincial Park, and lots more videos of Whistler. Enjoy!!

So, back to (extreme) mountain biking, first video is called "Whistler Mountain bike experimental array"

Whistler_MTB_Experiment?al_Array.mov


Second one is called "Craig Sanchez rips Whistler A-Line"

Craig Sanchez rips Whistler A-Line

Third one is the inspiring and impressive "Kokanee Crankworx 2011 Red Bull Joyride"

Kokanee_Crankworx_2011- Red_Bull_Joyride.mov

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2011 Experience The Mountain Parks Contest

Some of you have been asking how to submit their best shots or/and videos...Please go here!
Remember, there are no limits on how many you can submit. Last year's competition was harsh though, as we got 1463 submitted photos, and 2 videos!
Want to get a look at what the winners submitted? See by yourself here!

But make sure to check out our great prizes and guidelines before entering.

Lastly, you might have seen we changed our top banner. We're now using some of your submitted photos. All the credit should go to you, and your support for submitting such great experiences. We'll be adding more as time unfolds. Stay tuned.

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Off topic but seen everywhere, a little story about the apostrophe

You've recently seen this Sobeys ad everywhere.



We suppose any promotional material has been proofed by a myriad of eyes before going to press... But guess what? That's a bad use of the apostrophe, but displayed everywhere across Canada! Ouch!
It should read "Savings on 1000s of items!" instead.
There are only a few cases in which it is acceptable to use an apostrophe to form a plural, purely for the sake of clarity, as mentioned in the Oxford dictionary. For example it might be acceptable to write "Find all the number 7’s", but one would prefer "Find all the number 7s" nevertheless.

It's so confusing that the original Tim Horton's franchise (name of the famous hockey player) changed its name a decade ago to Tim Hortons. One might think it's mainly  to avoid any further confusion. Well not exactly, this one is another story. It appears it was to comply with Québec French laws, back in 1993, and to provide common signage across Canada.
Where this story collides with history; knowing the apostrophe was introduced into English in the sixteenth century in imitation of French practice!!

Further entertaining reading on apostrophe issues, and misuses can be found on this website called "Apostrophe Catastrophes".

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Parks Canada launches new programs

Parks Canada released on August 30, 2011 their "Visitor Experience Bulletin" announcing:

Lake Louise, Alberta, August 30, 2011 – Just in time to witness Banff National Park’s opulent yellow-gold larch needles, the Lake Louise Fall Festival will return for its second year from September 1 to October 10. 

At a time of year when the weather is still warm and the rich colours of larch needles, pristine glaciers, alpine lakes and high mountain peaks dot the landscape, the fall experience for hikers, photographers and nature lovers in Lake Louise, Banff National Park, is truly unforgettable.



To mark the occasion, this year Parks Canada is offering free photography workshops and a Circle of Life Series aimed at exploring the park during this transitional season. The Top 5 Larch Hikes in Lake Louise brochure will also be available at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Lake Louise for those who want to add a local’s recommended hike to their bucket list of conquered trails. 

Also continuing into September is Parks Canada’s new and wildly popular Xplorer Program, providing kids and their families the opportunity to discover cool facts about Canada’s first national park via a bevy of fun activities, events and programs in Lake Louise. After completing six activities, kids receive a souvenir and a certificate recognizing them as an official Xplorer Club for Kids member.

Don’t forget to take your camera while sightseeing this fall in Lake Louise to be able to enter Parks Canada photo contest! Submit your 2011 best fall snapshot by October 5 for a chance to win great prizes, including the opportunity for your picture to be featured in the 2012 Lake Louise Fall Festival. 

Visitors to Lake Louise may also come across roving Parks Canada interpreters. Armed with animal hides, horns, antlers, rocks and other gems, interpreters are ready to answer questions about the wildlife and geology of the Lake Louise area. Program times during the Fall Fest are:
• Bears Around Lake Louise, September 10, 2 p.m
• A Bug’s Opinion of the Water Quality in Banff National Park, September 17, 1 p.m.
• It’s All About the Composition Photo Workshop, September 17 and 24, 9 a.m.
• It’s All About the Light Photo Workshop, September 25 and October 2, 9 a.m.

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