photos

(January and) February: photos post

Posted by Patrick Lam on Sunday, March 1, 2026

January was a bust in terms of photo processing, so there was no photos post for the 1 set of photos that I processed. February was more reasonable, though I surely took more pictures than I processed, especially with the Cascade Saddle hike. There is still the set of January 2024 pictures from Te Papa, and then the Travers-Sabine in February 2024, which is substantial, and yet not atop my queue. I try to mix recent pictures and archives.

Picture logs available, and, as always, pictures are clickable to go to the full gallery.

  • Sets of pictures processed: February=10, January=1, December=27
  • Total pictures selected: February=276, January=27, December=919
  • Total pictures in selection pool: February=1210, January=91, December=3092
  • Accept rate: 23% (min 14%, max 47%)
  • Pictures posted on this page: 73
Sunset simulation at Light Cycles; yellow-billed chough from the Alps; Mont Blanc etc; me and blossoms; Guardian Angel ice climb at Diamond Lake; grebe number 8 (Wānaka); do not feed the kea (except wood); kea saying something.

Commingled flora and fauna:

Kowhai moth on hydrangea; kererū; rose and moon; yellow-billed chough and Mont Blanc; chough; descending ibex; blossoms and flowers; tūī; bee; bellbird/korimako; NZ scaup; paradise shelduck and coot chick; scaup and scaupling; two keas.

Next: greater Wellington, Nelson (NZ), and then the start of the Cascade Saddle, ice climbing in Ontario, and another day on the Tour du Mont Blanc.

Wellington and Aston Norwood Gardens (various)

Here we have pictures from Light Cycles (June 2024); the cherry blossom festival at Aston Norwood Gardens (a bit beyond Upper Hutt, kind of arguable whether it’s still Wellington); and Wellington proper.

View from Wrights Hill; red-lit ferns; Wellington over Kelburn Park; purple crystal grove; towards the (fake) sunset; red bridge and guy texting; among the blossoms.

Judo NZ camp in Nelson (January 2024)

Just some pictures from the 2024 Judo NZ camp.

No one on the mat; drills; Nelson College marae; Nelson College Fell House; bike retrieval from Locky Dock.

Cascade Saddle, finally (February 2026)

This trip definitely needs a trip report, but that requires time. Here are two sets of pictures from the trip.

There were heaps of kea at Aspiring Hut and Dart Hut, but those pictures are in flora-fauna above.

Sunrise at holiday park in Arrowtown; apricots and other stonefruit; public road ends at Raspberry Creek; line of people walking; Aspiring Hut.

Madawaska Ice Fest (February 2026)

Occasionally I go ice climbing. Thanks to ACC Toronto for organizing this. I also have indoor pictures but those need processing.

Track across Diamond Lake; cliffs; Guardian Angel etc; trail out; becs on the ice.

Another TMB day: around Lac Blanc (July 2025)

There are still a lot of TMB pictures but for some reason I processed this day, including ibexes and choughs.

Peaks from Lac Blanc; looking at Mont Blanc; ibex looking at Mont Blanc; behold! a glacier; MP; tents around a lake.

The List

Again more than two years of backlog.

2024:

  • Various (7)
  • [February] Travers-Sabine (7)
  • [June] Nairn St Cottage
  • [June/July] Old Ghost Road (4)
  • [July] Melbourne/Cairns (7)
  • [August] Catlins (4)
  • [September] Skyline
  • [September] Japan (6)
  • [October] Rotorua (2)
  • [October] Ontario (5)
  • [October] Pasadena (5)
  • [November] Johnston Hill and Zealandia
  • [November] Gisborne (3)
  • [December] Cascade Saddle attempt (5)
  • [December/January] French Polynesia (8)

2025:

  • Various (1)
  • [January] Montreal
  • [January] Regina (almost none!)
  • [February] Japan (7)
  • [February/March] Kingston (2)
  • [March] Edmonton (4)
  • [March] Peterborough and Ottawa
  • [April] Lima (3)
  • [May] Escarpment Track
  • [June] Korean Festival in Wellington/WJA (2)
  • [June] Australian Nationals (4)
  • [June] PLDI (8)
  • [July] TMB (13 days, 4131 pictures) (9 left)
  • [August] Grenoble (3)
  • [August] Auckland (2)
  • [September] Auckland SCAM (2)
  • [October] Whitehorse WFR (2)
  • [December] Wellington (1)
  • [December] Quebec (6)

2026:

  • Various (1)
  • [January] Quebec (3)
  • [February] Madawaska Ice Fest (1)
  • [February] Cascade Saddle (9)
FEATURED TAGS
academia advocacy airport aotearoa au birds ca climbing covid ecology engineering europe hike hiking huts immigration japan judo mtl nz on overland overseas photos qc refugees retrospective reviews tech tips transit trip-reports us walk
FRIENDS