BT Edmonton Blogs

It’s all too common: tragic news of sledders killed in avalanches throughout BC’s backcountry. This past weekend, 33-year-old business partners Shay Snortland and Kurtis Reynolds lost their lives when an enormous wall of snow (approximately 150 metres wide and 10 metres deep) roared down Boulder Mountain outside Revelstoke. The two men were taking part in the annual Big Iron Shootout, an unsanctioned “high marking” event.

Greg Painter is the man behind Mountain Mod Mania, a series of high-octane sledding videos produced out of Helena, Montana. His 16-year-old son Quay is an extreme sledder. Both were near Boulder Mountain when Saturday’s slide came crashing down. We caught up with both of them via Skype to find out more about the mindset of these thrill seekers and the machines they push to the limit. We asked for their take on who should ultimately be responsible for preventing future tragedies in BC’s backcountry. Click on the video link below for more…

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Bow Falls at Banff

Murray’s picture captures it all.    If you look long enough you might even be able to feel the spray of that cold cold turquoise water, and hear the power as it cuts through rock.    You can walk to these Bow Falls from downtown Banff - it’s even shorter stroll from the Banff Springs Hotel.    Don’t expect high towering falls – but do expect roaring rapids.    A set of stairs takes you to a platform above the water-but beware, it is slippery when wet. Height 30 feet (9.1 m)
Width 100 feet (30 m)
Longest drop 30 feet (9.1 m)

DID YOU KNOW?    Several classic Hollywood films of the 1950s depicted famous movie stars being swept over Bow Falls, including Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum… even the son of Lassie.    Marilyn Munroe’s movie was called:  “River of No Return”.

PLAY SAFE WHILE YOU ARE OUT THERE IN MOTHER NATURE’S PLAYGROUND, BUT DON’T FORGET YOUR CAMERA.    FRESH AIR PHOTOS AIR EVERY MORNING ON BT AND ARE FEATURED RIGHT HERE ON THIS BLOG.    UPLOAD YOUR PIC(S) TODAY!!

Berry cold day

Roxanne has a pretty nice view.    This tree and visitor are right outside her living room window.    That’s the kind of Fresh Air Photographer we like, comforts of home – camera at the ready!    The tree?    One of the most recognizable in our province - the Mountain Ash.    You probably recognize the bird from this pic ‘and’ its call - the Magpie.    

DID YOU KNOW?    The Mountain Ash’s persistent little red berries feed alot of birds and animals:  robins, jays, ruffed grouse, moose, deer, and squirrels.    It is not toxic for humans … but  not recommended.    Having said that – some people have made wine from the berries & here’s the recipe:  http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/mtnash.asp .

ENJOY THE WEEKEND BUT FOR PETE’S SAKE (& FOR MINE) DON’T FORGET YOUR CAMERA.    CAPTURE MOTHER NATURE OR HER CREATURES  -OR PLANTS-  AND BECOME A FRESH AIR PHOTOGRAPHER.    UPLOAD YOUR PICTURE TODAY!

Former Bachelorette Jillian Harris is back on TV, this time utilizing her professional skills as an interior designer. Sunday night at 9pm on Citytv, she’ll join Ty Pennington as a guest designer on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

We caught up with the Peace River native via Skype to ask about the week-long experience. Of course, we also had to ask for an update on her wedding plans with Ed!

Click on the video link below to check out our full interview with Jillian Harris. The wedding talk starts right around the 4 minute mark. Have a great weekend!

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Cascade from Canmore

Definition of happy place – thank you Rebecca!    This is what her view was from Canmore one morning.    The yawning sun splashes pink hues onto the peaks of Cascade Mountain.    You can throw on your hiking boots and climb Cascade, but be warned that even in June – there is snow up where the waterfall ‘cascades’.

DID YOU KNOW:   From the history books 152 years ago, there was a doctor, geologist, and naturalist named James Hector.    He  was part of an expedition to explore and map out our wild west.    Here’s what he wrote about Cascade Mountain in 1858:   “a beautiful little prairie at the base of the ‘Mountain Where the Water Falls,’ or the Cascade Mountain.”     You can also see Cascade Mountain at the end of Banff Avenue in that pretty little mountain town.

WHEN YOU UPLOAD A PICTURE OF  MOTHER NATURE OR HER CREATURES, YOU BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR FRESH AIR PHOTO NATION.   BUT WAIT – THERE’S MORE!    YOUR PIC WILL AIR ON BT, AND BE FEATURED ON THIS VERY BLOG.

In case you missed the forecast this morning…

Beam me up!

Fantastic!    This kind of snuck up on Terri in the south west corner of Edmonton.    She was watching the sunset through the patio window and noticed  – not only the beauty – but the sun’s ray, beaming high into the sky.    Pastel yet vibrant colours of purple and blue are layered above the orange, pink and yellow.

DID YOU KNOW?    The red and orange hues at sunrise and sunset are caused by scattering of sunlight by dust, soot, and aerosols in the Earth’s atmosphere.    And as you can see in Terri’s picture, the best sunsets are through clouds.    The last of the sun is illuminating those clouds perfectly - creating that beautiful beam.

PICK A DAY, ANY DAY AND YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING OF MOTHER NATURE’S TO PHOTOGRAPH.    AS SOON AS YOU SNAP, SEND.    OPERTORS ARE STANDING BY.

A Vole,..a what??

Yessir, this little guy is a Vole — not a mole but a vole.    Rebecca is the one who captured said rodent  – while at the Devonian Botanical Gardens.    I love how he is so content on lunch while warming his backside in the sun!    Voles look like mice but are stouter, have a shorter-hairy tail, and smaller ears.

DID YOU KNOW?    The lifespan of a vole is very very short.    The longest recorded is 18 months.    So much to do…so little time eh, Mr. Vole?

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL ARE WELCOME.    SNAP, SEND AND SEE YOUR PIC ON BT AS WELL AS THIS BLOG.    ON OUR MAIN WEBPAGE YOU WILL FIND “CONNECT WITH BT”, THEN LOOK FOR “SEND US YOUR PHOTOS”.

Namibia

I have seen many glorioius sunsets – but none like this.    I am in awe of the vibrant, reach out and touch, deep, shades of purple.    Murray was the lucky one to see this first hand in Namibia, in Southern Africa.    Far from the city lights and ‘light pollution” – as soon as the sun was completetly out for the night … it became a very dark night.    Murray was happy to report, he did not get eaten alive that night … it was not yet mosquito season.

DID YOU KNOW?    For many years it was known only as South West Africa, but it adopted the name Namibia, after the Namib Desert.    The Namib Desert is regarded as the oldest desert in the world.

OUR FRESH AIR PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKE YOU TO THE 4-CORNERS OF THE EARTH!    SEND US A PHOTO FROM YOUR COLLECTION .. ANYTHING SHOWING MOTHER NATURE OR HER CREATURES.    UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO TODAY AND SEE IT ON BT TOMORROW.