Hiking Mount Harvey
Interactive 3D map of the hike via Relive also available
I completed this hike on October 7, 2020 but didn't post until Feb 2022. I guess I'm a little behind in my site updates. Mount Harvey sits between The Lions and Brunswick Mountain and is a significant peak close to Vancouver. I have been up all three peaks and they are all worth climbing for the stellar views and the challenge. In this post I'll cover part of the route and show some images from the summit No hardcore scrambles but there are technical sections, good boots and decent fitness are necessary. The profile is shown below, with grades in excess of 30% it will give even experience hikers a challenge.
I knew I wanted to hike Harvey when I saw it from the top of Brunswick, seen here (below) looming over the valley.
Harvey, Brunswick, and the Lions can all be accessed via the same trail starting at the end of Sunset Drive in Lions Bay. Parking is limited, get there early and make sure you pay or you will get a ticket. The trail to Brunswick peels off first (to the left), but stay on the trail marked for The Lions/Harvey.
It starts fairly easy, a nice wide trail through the forest.
After a while you will find another set of signs, but these are not as well marked and the trail for Harvey is not that obvious (quality of the photos isn't great either, sorry). Here, the big trail carries on to the right and will take you to the Lions but to the left (and up) you start your climb of Mt. Harvey.
The next while is a fairly steep slog though the forest following what is, at times, a poorly marked trail.
You eventually come out of the timber, trees give way to a meadow.
Views are spectacular, despite still needing to cover some vertical to reach the summit. You get a good view of The Lions, and the peaks beyond.
The summit is spectacular, definitely worth the climb.
A view of Brunswick Mountain, the tallest peak in the region. This angle makes it look relatively tame but the summit is amazing.
A few more images from the summit. It was such a nice day, I didn't want to come back down.
One more shot as I started my descent. The hike took 8 hours start to finish, with at least an hour on the summit to refuel and enjoy the panoramic views.
![Comet Neowise - C/2020 F3 [50mm, f/2, 10s, ISO800]](https://photo.photokaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-07-14-Neowise-Comet-MKH-12853.jpg)
Comet NEOWISE in Vancouver
We have a surprise celestial visitor right now, comet NEOWISE (named after the observatory that discovered it: Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer). The comet's visit is fleeting, it will be gone by the end of July and not return to earth for 6800 years! If you want to catch a glimpse, find a dark area and look north just over the horizon after sunset. It's faint but visible to the naked eye, and easily viewable with binoculars. Here are a few shots from West Vancouver taken on July 13th.
My first few shots were with my longest telephoto lens, a 500mm. Not that easy to find and frame at this focal length but I did manage to get some shots of the comet with it's long tail (click for larger).
![Comet Neowise - C/2020 F3 [500mm, f/5.6, 2.5s, ISO6400]](https://photo.photokaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-07-14-Neowise-Comet-MKH-12833.jpg)
A more expansive view, showing some of the landscape and what could be some aurora. I think I even managed to catch a small meteor in the shot.
![Comet Neowise - C/2020 F3 [50mm, f/1.8, 10s, ISO400]](https://photo.photokaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-07-14-Neowise-Comet-MKH-12869_1.jpg)
The comet with a passing ferry.
Wider still, with the big dipper and most of the little dipper in the frame.
![Comet Neowise - C/2020 F3 [15mm, f/4, 10s, ISO1600]](https://photo.photokaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-07-14-Neowise-Comet-MKH-12847.jpg)
Moon shot with Nikon Z7 and AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF
Just a quick post showing the great performance of the Nikon Z7 combined with the AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF lens. Significant crop from the full frame, edited in Capture One and Photoshop.
1/500s, ISO 200, f/8, 500mm
British RAF Red Arrows North American Tour
I was sad to miss this year's Abbotsford Air Show, but did manage to see the enhanced fly over by the British RAF Red Arrows team. They have been on a North American Tour this summer and yesterday did a fly by in Victoria and here in Vancouver. Great to seem, my first time seeing this team in action.
I only had my 500mm f/5.6 PF Nikkor so getting some wider shots was just not possible. Still, it was fun to watch the team perform and I managed to get a few nice shots from the all too short event. I hope the Red Arrows team can make it to the Abbotsford Air Show one year, they would be a great additon.
Nice formation flying.
Coming right at us with trailing red and blue smoke.
Close up of the BAE Hawk T1 aircraft with modified tail. Used to inject diesel and dye to create the coloured smoke trails.
Laying down smoke
A few extra shots.
Birds, Bunnies, and Bugs with Nikon Z7 and Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF
Not my usual post as I just want to share the images and not write too much about an otherwise uneventful day. These images were shot at Jericho Beach in Vancouver, BC using the Nikon Z7 and Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF lens. The rabbits are feral and while technically wild they let people get fairly close. You certainly don't need a 500mm lens to get decent shots here. A few of my favorites from the day first then the rest.
Vancouver Aquarium with the iPhone X
Some photos from this weekend using the iPhone X. Captured in RAW (dng) using Adobe Lightroom Mobile (a free app) and edited with Lightroom on the desktop.
The Aquarium presents especially challenging conditions for any camera (shooting through glass, reflections, low light). Though the quality still pales to that from a camera with a larger lens and sensor I'm impressed with the photos the phone can produce. The future looks bright if this is how far we have come in only a few years.
Vancouver Aquarium with the iPhone X : 2018-09-09 : Emerald Tree Boa
Last one, not from the Aquarium but I just liked the shot :) Still an iPhone X shot.
Abbotsford Air Show 2017
I had a post about the Abbotsford Air Show, but my blog decided to act up. There were a bunch of other photos and a description of each but I had to restore from backup and now I don't want to rewrite the content. Here is a random selection instead :)
Taken with a Nikon D810 and Nikkor 200-500 f/2.8 VR and Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8.
October Flowers & Mushrooms
Today, when I took the dogs for a walk I decided to bring my camera along. I haven't had very much opportunities to use it recently and needed to get my photo fix in somehow. We have had a very mild fall in Vancouver and there are still plenty of flowers in the neighbourhood. I also came across some mushrooms, and even a few critters.
My route with the dogs
The flowers, I can't believe we still have this many at the end of October!
Some mushrooms
These flowers are still growing in my yard. Maybe this global warming thing isn't so bad ;)
Some of the critters.
Perseid Meteor Shower
One shot from the Perseid Meteor Shower. Taken on August 12 near Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver, BC).
Canada Day Fireworks At Canada Place
I haven't had time to process my photos from last night and given my backlog it may take some time :)
I did want to get a few posted though, for those that missed the festivities at Canada Place. These shots are taken from Waterfront Centre with the Vancouver Convention Centre on the left and Canada Place on the right. Before the fireworks started, I managed to get a couple of short Hyperlapse videos of the crowd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3quo9ba0CM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=893YIYYIw-c
This was my vantage point, couldn't ask for better (iPhone panorama).
A few photos from the evening, I'll try to get some better edits and more photos up soon.
Vancouver Long Exposure Black & White
A few long exposure black and white photos from a night in Vancouver.
Cypress Mountain Snowshoeing
On the first day of spring, I had the chance to hit the snowshoe trails at Cypress Mountain. Despite some initial clouds and light snow, it turned out to be a beautiful day on the mountain. Here are a few photos from the day, apologies for the lack of information but I don't have a lot of time for a write up :)
Fondue time at Hollyburn Lodge. Food was great and our guides made the day!
On the way down the mountain, we stopped the lookout and were treated to a beautiful view.
Vancouver May Flowers
Apparently the May long weekend is a busy time for gardening in Vancouver. Our tulips have already come and gone, but there is always something in bloom. I took a few shots while my wife was busy in the garden. Nikon D800 with a 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro lens.
Gastown Photo Walk
I took a short walk around Vancouver's Gastown with friends recently. Here are some photos from my walk which started at the Irish Heather and ended at the Pourhouse.
Vancouver Aquarium : February 20
The first photo is not from my trip to the Vancouver Aquarium, but it was taken during the same weekend when my brother was in town. We decided to visit the lookout at Cypress Mountain at sunset, and lucky for us it was a fairly clear evening. This photo is taken looking south east, the sun is setting to the right of the frame and Vancouver is in the foreground. Mount Baker (which is in the USA), is visible in the background. The use of a zoom lens (@ 155mm) provides the compression in the scene. I have used zoom lenses for a few landscape shots in the past (Mountains at 400mm) and they can certainly provide an interesting perspective.
I also created a panorama from the same location starting just to the right of the image above. I'm not that happy with the processing but I'm posting the image anyway. If you want to see this image much bigger, you can do so here.
Now the photos from the trip to the Vancouver Aquarium. Photos from previous visits are also online. I have a new favorite tank, the cuttlefish! Those guys are fascinating to watch.
Also got a great shot in the frog display area, these little guys were lined up like they were on duty.
A few other shots from the day.
Saint Patrick's Day in Vancouver
I was coming back from taking some sunset photos in Lions Bay. On my way home, I saw that BC Place Stadium was lit up green for Saint Patrick's Day. It was a clear night, so I had to stop to get a few extra shots.
New Wheels : 2013 Acura MDX
I picked up a new set of wheels yesterday, a 2013 Acura MDX Tech Edition. My first vehicle purchase in 9 years, and it's a nice upgrade. The car is Dark Cherry Pearl, which looks good on this car. A quick shot I took at the dealership, which is just meh.
Since it was a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver, I decided to go for a short drive on the Sea To Sky Highway to Brighton Beach. I found a nice place to pull off and get a few shots.
Vancouver False Creek Fog
It was a foggy afternoon and I decided to venture down to Granville Island to see if I could get any interesting shots. I couldn't get inspired, so I just watched a few street performers to pass the time. I thought the evening light would make a difference but again, things just didn't come together as expected. I took a few shots but didn't get anything great. After sunset, I walked around the seawall to Science World and took a few shots in the area. It was one of those nights where I went out to get a specific shot and just couldn't get it. Some people things you can just go out and get a good shot, but in reality I may have to visit the same site 10 times before I get a shot that I'm happy with. Here are a few shots from that night.
A Frosty Morning - Nikon D800 Macro with Focus Stack
I was waiting for a frosty morning to get some macro shots. Today, I got a few in my back yard. I also attempted some focus stacking with Zerene, though results are mixed. Shots are all taken with a Nikon D800 and Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro lens.
Lynn Valley Hike - North Vancouver
I took a very short walk in Lynn Valley just after Christmas, it was a break from shopping hell. I went to the suspension bridge, then down to twin falls. I also wanted to try out the 10-stop ND filter. Results are promising, looking forward to trying a bit more of this.
