A rarely seen perspective of Helmcken Falls in Wells Gray Provincial Park taken Jan. 3, 2021 by photographer Chance Breckenridge.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Chance Breckenridge
January 05, 2022 - 6:00 AM
A Vernon man captured some icy photos of the Helmcken Falls in Wells Gray Provincial Park on Monday, Jan. 3, and it took a lot of effort to get them.
Chance Breckenridge is an outdoor adventurer who grew up in Clearwater with a deep love for the provincial park and the 141 metre waterfall.
He has been to the base of the falls many times over the years but only recently started trekking in during the winter.
The adventure required skilled friends, ropes and ice climbing gear.
“We rappelled into the canyon,” Breckenridge said. “It was a technical endeavour and I would warn against anyone attempting it without proper skill and equipment."
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The photo was taken with a cell phone from a natural bowl behind the falls that has been eroded by water spray over time.
"It is a huge inset, it is hard to see the scale of it," he said. "The icicles hanging down are the size of busses. The weather was warming up and things were melting so we didn't spend much time there for safety reasons."
Breckenridge enjoys doing landscape photography in the park.
"I love photography," he said. "No matter how many times I go I see something a bit different. I like sharing my experiences and promoting Wells Gray park, it is a pristine area."
He plans to go again in February.
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