One of the places I have certainly missed exploring over the last year has been the Canadian Rockies. Spread across the border between Alberta and British Columbia, two mountainous provinces of Canada, these rocky mountain ranges seem even more impressive than their cousins south of the border. Towering snow-capped peaks rise high above glaciated valleys, where a low treeline provides easy accessibility to stellar views. The expansive nature of its untouched wilderness more than makes up for the limited road access and short hiking season, and unexplored regions still await the determined outdoor hiker.
Spread across this extensive wilderness area are five spectacular National Parks: Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho and Waterton Lakes, along with countless provincial parks, each holding their own unique attraction. It is certainly daunting to try and cover these gems of the Canadian Parks system in one single trip, and I would recommend sticking to one or two parks each visit, unless you have an entire summer to travel around.
Here is one alpine scene from Spray Lakes Provincial Park near the town of Canmore in Alberta. Far less crowded than its neighbor Jasper National Park, it is just as beautiful and definitely worth a visit.
Spray Lakes Provincial Park
AB Canada
Getting High in Canada
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds…
Edward Abbey
O Canada
Why is one part of your country nothing but magnificent snow-capped peaks, glacier carved valleys and glistening blue lakes?
Why do you make it so photogenic and expansive?
Why do you make it so easy to immerse oneself in nature?
A weeklong trip to the heart of the Canadian Rockies near Banff yielded these and many more questions as I worked my way from one scenic location to another. I wish I could go back and check out these rocky monoliths one more time.
Canadian Rockies
Return to Nature
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
Nothing connects me with nature more than witnessing an alpine scenery like this one, a boundless vista of mountains, lakes and greenery. Here is to one last whiff before winter takes over this life-giving landscape.
Banff National Park
AB USA
Regrowth
The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. And up here, high in the alpine terrain of the Canadian Rockies, where large icefields give birth to glaciers, spring starts in July, and summer only lasts a month. Yet, plants thrive in this harsh environment, albeit barely. And reward us with beautiful pastel colors on a soft green carpet.
Canadian Rockies
AB Canada
Cold Reflections
The silent shores of Lake Minnewanka were eerie on that cold dreary morning. The clouds sucked away the sunny disposition of the Rockies, leaving behind the still waters of the lake, with only the green conifers to give me company.
It was supposed to be colorful sunrise in the mighty Canadian Rockies, but with the sudden change of weather, I had to make a sudden change of plans, and I found myself shooting the ghostly cold shores of Lake Minnewanka.
Lake Minnewanka
AB Canada
After the Storm
I was driving through what seemed like the most uncooperative of weather: moody grey skies, thundering rain and freezing winds. And in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, it was a travesty that I couldn't step out even for a mere moment to enjoy the remarkable landscape all around. And with sunset approaching, I was losing hope of getting a good shot.
And then in a few moments, the storm passed by, and I was in driving through the wet aftermath: glistening trees on a sun-drenched landscape under glowing billowing clouds. I found a small turnout where this beautiful creek wound its way through the mountains. It was then I wished I had more time to explore this beautiful part of Spray Lakes Provincial Park.
Hopefully another time.
Spray Lakes Provincial Park
AB Canada
Ice Age Remnants
There was a remarkable change in terrain. Gone were the thick conifers on rocky slopes with gurgling creeks carrying fresh snowmelt. The slippery scree of the glacial moraine was unmistakable, and up the U-shaped valley, I could spot the tail of the Victoria Glacier and the thin icefield it originated from.
Time and climate change had definitely taken its toll at the Valley of the Six Glaciers in the heart of Banff National Park. Where the six glaciers used to converge was now a vast debris field left behind by the glacier as it had retreated. Barren hillslopes sans vegetation were evidence of where the glaciers had originally risen up to.
While it is unfortunate that this glacial terminus won't revert back to its glorious self in my lifetime, I do hope that other glaciers around the world won't reach this same fate.
Banff National Park
AB Cananda
Seeking Light
There are times when light lines up. And when that happens in the mountains, it can lead to an explosion of color like nothing else. And as a photographer, you have to be at the right place at the right time to capture nature's showtime.
I was fortunate to be at the right place to capture this one. The summer days in the Canadian Rockies, during the week I spent exploring the nooks and crannies of the montane terrain, were 16 hour long days filled with vibrant moments like these inbetween long periods of cloudy weather. But these vivid interludes more than made up for the exhausting week in the beautiful Rockies.
Saskatchewan Crossing
AB Canada
Alone in the Rockies II
The meandering river led my gaze through the lush green forests carpeting the seemingly endless range of snow-capped peaks. Clouds passed by slowly, foreshadowing a thunderstorm for the future, but a dramatic sky for the present. The sounds of civilization were far away, and except for a few other hikers, I had seen nary a soul.
Such places hold a special attraction. And despite the challenges of ultra-long days of hiking under unpredictable weather conditions with little company, these few moments of grandeur more than make up for the hardship involved. And the Canadian Rockies, and the remote regions away from the Icefields parkway continue to be a draw for the magical landscapes they present.
Banff National Park
AB Canada
Happy Canada Day
Happy (belated) Canada Day Canada
In my mind, your country will always be symbolized by endless snow-capped mountain ranges separated by beautiful glacier-carved valleys, all drenched in copious amounts of conifers and maple syrup, and with bears, moose and the French living in perfect harmony.
Sure, there are dark spots in the country, just as it is in every country, and yet, the memories I have of this northern neighbor has been anything but. Here is an image of one of the more beautiful parts of the country in Jasper National Park in the heart of the Canadian Rockies.
Jasper National Park
AB Canada