Ever wonder where all those majestic images of the Canadian Rockies were taken? Pinpointing most of the iconic locations is relatively easy. However, being there at the right time and honing in with a stunning composition is another matter. It’s pointless to reiterate all the superlatives describing the vastness and grandeur of this area. To us, the Rockies are aptly named. It is, indeed, a large pile of rocks interlaced with streams, rivers, lakes and forests that house an abundance of wildlife that create an endless photography experience. Amazingly it’s also still relatively pristine. Despite the considerable infrastructure developed to handle the tourists and traffic that dominate activity during the summer months, it retains an almost surreal atmosphere from even the most easily accessible locations.
Seasonally, the Rockies can be characterized as having long winters with a short, wet spring and colorful, dry fall. If you’re looking for comfortable yet productive photography, there are definite times to avoid. June is wet and January bitterly cold. If you’re new to the area, we recommend the following times: WINTER - (December 1-15, February 21-28 and, March 1-7); SUMMER - (July 24-31 and August 1-7); and, FALL - (September 24-30 and October 1-7).
To begin, we define the Canadian Rockies loosely as encompassing five distinct but interconnected areas: Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Kananaskis Country, Waterton National Park and Yoho National Park. This synopsis will focus on the first two, with the emphasis on visiting during the three seasonal recommendations above. We’ve isolated locations that are safe and readily accessible, either roadside or a short walk from your vehicle. The narrative is skewed toward landscapes but includes birds and wildlife that frequent specific areas. Don’t worry that you’re missing something in the backcountry. It will take several years and many visits just to photograph the easy stuff. Off road locations that require overnight camping are usually a tough slog. At our age, these lung-burners are definitely not our cup of tea! If you want an exhaustive list of the definitive locations, including specific mileages that pinpoint exact locations with seasonal and time of day recommendations, visit Darwin Wigget’s website on "How To Photograph The Canadian Rockies". It’s absolutely the best overview of landscape and wildlife photography opportunities in the Banff and Jasper areas. Our synopsis is a little more pedestrian, keying on the more accessible sites that are a mainstay of Rockies photography. All are accessible roadside and easily fulfill what for the most of us are short visits with hopeful expectations.
Maligne River, Jasper National Park
Our objective was to begin to produce an anthology of photographs depicting specific locations in the Canadian Rockies from a seasonal perspective. What better place to start than winter as we felt the contrast from the summer months was at least a gauge from what we experienced during the high traffic tourist season. Notwithstanding, from what we had read, including the above definitive Rockies photography recommendations, nothing prepared us for the actual winter experience, especially as it applied to the conditions we found in October and the early part of December. During the former period, we found only a dusting of snow to contrast the open water creeks we hoped to photograph. We caught the odd wildlife roadside but nothing really grabbed our attention despite the miles we put in. Early December was another matter. Deep snow covered most of the popular locations and much of the open water that remained was clogged with ice jams. Snowplows created high roadside snow banks and at one location, the Quartzite Boulder Pile on the Icefield Parkway, splattered snow over what could have been an excellent opportunity to capture some abstract images. To our surprise, the Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise was clear. Baker’s Creek was completely snow bound and a bust but Morant’s Corner provided vistas mid-morning that took your breath away. If we had one recommendation to travelling through this area as December progressed it would be to carry a light pair of snowshoes as the off road potential to capture good sidelight with foreground objects is limitless. This also applies for the Icefields Parkway and the Jasper winter routes.
This is a relatively small area to cover in winter but requires time (a recurring theme throughout this synopsis). We have identified certain must stops such as the Castle Junction Bridge but there are many other viewpoints that can produce stunning winter images given the right conditions. Winter sunrise and sunset occurs roughly at 8:45 AM and 4:30 PM respectively, although we found the productive time within this period to be relatively short. The one advantage to this time of year is that the sun is low angle, creating good shadow detail. Most locations are roadside or within a short walking distance from your vehicle. This makes for a convenient and comfortable driving visit, stopping for photography only if the right weather conditions prevail.
A good place to start is CASCADE PONDS at sunrise. This is a local picnic area that can produce good winter scenes after a light snowfall if you can position to eliminate the odd building, bench and foot path. There are two bridges that make good foreground objects and can be striking as the early morning light casts shadows on the fresh snow. You can continue on the MINNEWANKA SCENIC DRIVE and try the waters edge that connects Johnson and Two Jacks lakes. We generally bypass this area as the lakes are snowbound in early December and there are better morning locations elsewhere. The road is closed just past the marina with no winter access to the Bankhead area. It is, however, a phenomenal summer area as you will learn in a later synopsis.
A good early to mid-morning location is the CASTLE MOUNTAIN BRIDGE just off Highway 1 midway to Lake Louise. This area is side-lit in winter at sunrise and front-lit at sunset, exposing castellated peaks. By early December the ice jams and snow leave little open water but what remains makes a good foreground for an image of Castle Mountain, especially looking upriver. Downstream provides eastern views of Sawback Ridge or the Massive Ranges. Access is from a chained gate that can be opened on either side of the road. As you drive to this location on Highway 1, look for similar gates along the highway where access can be gained to similar scenes with a much broader perspective of the Bow River. We use these often and have never encountered any signage restricting access. Remember, park well off the road and secure the gates when entering and leaving.
A good way to complete the morning is to cross the bridge, turning left at the gas station and lodge. You are now on the last leg of the Bow Valley Parkway. We found BAKER CREEK snowbound with no open water but it is a good location if winter is not too far advanced. As you progress down the road, watch for an opening on the left that provides a tremendous perspective of Temple Mountain, especially if a recent snowfall is still clinging to the tree line. The real vista for this time of day is MORANT’S CORNER, so don’t doddle! It’s the classic iconic image of the Rockies railway if side light and cloud structure cooperate. You can’t miss it on the left as you descend a small hill near the access to LAKE LOUISE.
We usually stop for lunch in the village and take stock. It’s not worthwhile going north along the Icefields Highway as the locations along the early part of this route are morning events. While at Lake Louise, we recommend you try PORCUPINE CREEK in the town site to try and glean some open water images along the treed and the snow-clad shoreline. Again, you may find it snow bound as December progresses. If so, move on to the lake and try a panorama of the hotel from various walkway locations. A good location is the small creek that exits the lake next to the hotel if the edges haven’t been trampled. There really isn’t much left here in winter as the spectacular vistas at Morraine Lake are closed for the season.
If you hurry, a great way to end the day is to head for Banff and try the VERMILLION LAKES and the west face of MOUNT RUNDLE. This is a mid-afternoon to sunset location. Evening light creates a great setting for shoreline images from the three lakes. It is a must stop anytime but requires a scouting trip to determine where best to position for foreground and backdrop. Thankfully it is a short road minutes from the north end of town that will take little time to traverse. There is at least one warm spring on the second lake that creates a pocket of open water during the winter, providing a crystalline-edged reflecting pool and some feathered ice. Nearby is a canal that provides a good contour. The stumps at the end of the road offer a good panorama opportunity. Hopefully there will still be some open water and frost covered vegetation along the irregular ice-fringed shoreline.
If you manage to get all the above in, it will have been a full and tiring day where you have tried to use the time and light to your best advantage. Next day we take the same approach and start with a drive over TUNNEL MOUNTAIN in the early morning looking for vistas of Mount Rundle and Cascade Mountain. We leave the HOODOOS viewpoint for later in the day. Once we reach Highway 1, it’s off to Canmore to catch the early morning light on the east face of Mount Rundle. The best location is the Bow River (cross the bridge off 8th Avenue and park in the lot provided on the left). Trails provide access to the river and it’s simply a matter of finding an ice formation that makes an interesting foreground. We found Elk along the Three Sisters Parkway to complete our morning. We haven’t explored this area fully but understand there is an abandoned golf course behind Stewart Creek that provides good vistas of the valley. Also, there is winter access to the QUARRY LAKE area that we intend to explore on a later trip.
Heading back to Banff, we try to take advantage of a number of early to late afternoon and evening locations, although it’s impossible to fit them all in at one go. If there is a good cloud formation, we like the bridge at the end of Banff Avenue, especially at river level with a view of Cascade Mountain. Here you can play with the bridge stonework and use it's length to create various perspectives. Just down the road is Bow Falls. Here we like to walk the river looking for interesting ice formations where a water blur can create exciting abstractions. As mentioned earlier, the HOODOOS viewpoint on Tunnel Mountain is also a good late afternoon choice to capture the grandeur of the Bow and Spray valleys. Dusk is also a good time to visit nearby SURPRISE CORNER if you are looking for a classic winter image of the Banff Springs Hotel.
We can offer some advice on what to avoid. We tried MOUNT NORQUAY DRIVE in the afternoon, stopping at the stone wall and parking lot roughly five minutes from Juniper Way. The drawback at this time of year is simply too little light to illuminate the town of Banff. The snow along the wall is also well trampled, negating its use as an interesting foreground. The Bighorn Sheep that frequent the lower meadow are tough to reach due to the snow. It’s simply pointless to approach them as attempting an intimate image verges on harassment. There are much better places to view and photograph sheep in the Rockies. However, in the summer this is a must late day location as it has coughed up some classic images of Mount Rundle and the Goat Range. Notwithstanding, if there is a chance of alpen glow off Mount Rundle, this is a good place at any time of year.
Before leaving the town of Banff, we have been told that a good location anytime during winter is the CAVE AND BASIN. To our extreme disappointment, we found it closed, although it may have been a temporary situation. There are supposedly four short hikes (Discovery Loop, Marsh Boardwalk, Marsh Loop and Sundance Trail) that are a must to scout in winter as the condensing steam from the hot springs often coats the surrounding trees with ice, forming abstract shapes that can produce a plethora of interesting images. We encourage you to check it out.
It’s simply impossible to take in all the known locations along this 230 kilometer stretch in one day. Winter travel between Banff and Jasper can also be a nerve wracking experience. Although the road is well maintained, it can become a “skating rick” in places and should be driven at a slow pace. We set out only if the weather is relatively decent and stop as opportunities arise along the way. Road conditions are usually good and some parking lots are plowed and have toilet facilities (call 1-877-262-4997 or visit www.ama.ab.ca/road-reports/routes for up-to-date information). We recommend you carry snowshoes as you may want to get off the road if something catches your eye.
Progressing north from Lake Louise is definitely a morning event, so plan an early start. This can be a great stretch of road at this time of day as mist and fast moving fog often bring the peaks in and out of view, creating some surreal vistas after a heavy snowfall. We generally stop at MOSQUITO CREEK and explore the campground and creek area looking for shadows from snow-bound willow and spruce trees or walk the waterways keeping an eye out for open pools with ice detail. If you get here after an early snowfall, this is a great location for water blur images. As December progresses, however, this area becomes snowbound, leaving no open water and a difficult terrain to traverse. This is also the case at BOW LAKE. Here the Num-Ti Jah Lodge closes early and is boarded up, leaving little opportunity to include the building in its picturesque winter surroundings. The subalpine meadows between here and PEYTO LAKE are worth a look for some off road panorama opportunities as the sidelight can cast good shadows amongst the small conifers and moderately undulating terrain. If its early in December, you may want to try the Peyto viewpoint. Although the road up is closed in winter, it is an easier and safer walk than using the trail. Again, sunrise to mid-morning is best as Caldron Peak gets the first light. It’s also possible that the lake is snowbound, so ask at the parking lot if any returning hikers are getting ready to leave.
As this is a day trip with the objective of relatively easy roadside photography, it’s best to move on. From here to the north side of the Sunwapta Pass there are many winter vistas that will undoubtedly catch your eye. Most, however, are late November morning events, especially the UPPER and LOWER WATERFOWL LAKES where open water and ice formations can create exciting foreground objects. Don’t worry about missing the end of day potential along the Athabaska River. This area can be incorporated easily into your management of time and light as you visit Jasper and environs.
MISTAYA CANYON can provide good opportunities almost anytime and should be a must stop. It is a short walk from the parking lot to the bridge overlooking the slot canyon backed by Mount Sarbach. However, the signage recommends that you don’t progress past the bridge in winter.
From here on you may find it difficult to explore off road as the area may be snowbound and the snow plows have created barriers that are difficult to traverse. If there is a light covering, the area down from the NORTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER BRIDGE can be productive as the ice formations make an excellent foreground. The HOWSE VALLEY VIEWPOINT can provide either good panorama or telephoto opportunities of Mount Sarbach, Outram, Survey Peak and Erasmus. It’s worth noting for a later trip that the DAVID THOMPSON HIGHWAY is a scenic drive that can cough up a lot of wildlife as the shoulders are very wide and clear. It’s tough to fit it into a day trip if your objective is to reach Jasper in a timely fashion. The RAMPART PONDS is definitely worth the time to explore, especially on a sunny day. Here either the snowbound and backlit trees or open water of the North Saskatchewan River provide many opportunities. There are two or three access points along the road.
We generally don’t stop until we reach PARKER RIDGE. This is a good location for snow drifts and images of the peaks using small trees as foreground objects, especially if some sun and a few clouds are present. A small creek winds down the treed slope farther up the road. A walk down is worthwhile if open water is present.
The SUNWAPTA PASS leads to the entrance to Jasper National Park. The Columbia Icefields is a spectacular area anytime. Try walking the road looking for snow drifts and cracked ice formations as foreground. As you complete the drive through this area, Sunwapta Canyon, Tangle Falls and the Stutfield Glacier are worthwhile stops. Try the upper reaches of Tangle Falls for more intimate images if the paths are clear and free of slippery sections. It’s worth noting for a later trip that BEAUTY CREEK is a good fall location, especially if you take the shot 1.4K walk to Stanley Falls. As you leave the area you can’t miss the QUARTZITE BOULDER PILE. If the snow plow hasn’t decimated the rocks with snow splatter, it’s a good location anytime, especially for the abstract minded searching for snow texture and patterns.
We didn’t stop at any of the prominent road access points along the ATHABASKA RIVER as we planned to take these in later in the trip. It’s actually best sunrise to mid-morning for images of Mount Christie and Fryatt. Moreover, we found both SUNWAPTA FALLS and ATHABASKA FALLS closed in the middle of December. They are both good locations for candelabra ice and cool water hues, best under overcast conditions or mid-afternoon to sunset, especially at the latter location if you want to try and catch Mount Kerkeslin at last light. This is a must stop on our next trip.
There are areas in Jasper that we found disappointing during the onset of winter, specifically the Pyramid Lake Road and Highway 16 east to Hinton. The summer and fall locations that we found exciting were drab and had little appeal. To us, Jasper is a three road adventure in winter focusing on Maligne Lake, Highway 93A and the Icefields Parkway south to roughly Mt Fryatt where there is easy roadside access to the Athabaska River.
Our recommendation is that you devote the morning and early afternoon to the Maligne Lake Road. Here we found the best winter photography of our entire trip as the trees were snow frosted and many of the waterways still had open stretches of running water. The weather was also with us as the sun and cloud structure cast great sidelight shadows. Again, we drove the road looking for opportunities, keying on locations that were known to us from previous visits. There are several must stops beginning at the PICNIC AREA. This is easy to spot on the right as tables and a toilet facility is visible roadside. Here you should find the Maligne River cobblestones and trees drenched in snow. It’s a great location so take your time and try not to disturb the area as you look for good compositions. It’s a low light location and perfect for HDR exposures using a wide angle zoom lens in the order of 25-105mm. Watch for similar images at BEAVER CREEK as you approach the southeast end of Maligne Lake.
A short way down the road you will come to the MEDECINE LAKE pull-off. A fresh snow and sidelight can cast shadows amongst the boulders that dot lakeside, creating a pristine perspective of the Queen Elizabeth and Maligne Ranges. If you were unable to glean any abstractions at the Quartzite Boulder Pile, try the stone formations just at the base of the hill. You may find a well worn path at the top of the road next to the washroom facilities.
Last stop is the bridge next to the lodge. Here you may encounter either mists that coat the shoreline trees with hoar frost or a reflecting pool mirroring the nearby peaks. It’s a must stop so take your time and explore the entire area. The only good opportunity we omitted is the famous “canyon crawl” beginning at the FIFTH BRIDGE. This requires crampons and some stamina but is a great trek for those interested in hanging ice and snow formations.
Our recommendation for the afternoon is to drive the 93A artery south off the Icefields Parkway to both OTTO’S CACHE and MEETING OF THE WATERS. The attraction here is twofold. First is the opportunity to capture Mount Hardisty or Kerkeslin from the icebound foreshore of the Athabaska River, especially at dusk. Alternatively, both are good locations to look for interesting ice and open water formations.
As mentioned earlier, next morning is a good time to revisit the Icefields Parkway looking for road access points to the Athabaska River to frame Mount Fryatt and Christie. As the day progresses, try a walk to the ATHABASKA FALLS, especially if it is overcast. Although we found the road closed, there was no signage restricting access to the falls area. We took a pass as it was very late in the day. If you do encounter any warnings, beware and heed the advice, as this can be a treacherous and slippery location.
This concludes the winter synopsis of the Canadian Rockies given our experience to date. We plan to try again during the late February, early March winter period. You can view our early winter images in Gallery 69.
Crowfoot Mountain At Bow Lake
The locations we suggest here are best tackled in either the summer (late July and early August) or fall (late September and early October). Spring days, roughly defined as those in May and June, are predominately wet and overcast with the forests and scrub filled with annoying wood ticks. It’s best to plan two trips to take advantage of the summer flowers and fall colors.
Again, Banff is a good area to begin as you now have access to locations that were unavailable during the winter months. A good beginning to a day outing is along the LAKE MINNEWANKA SCENIC DRIVE. As you’re likely to come across Bighorn Sheep along this route, it’s best to expect delays as not only the sheep but also automobiles and people can clog the highway. Our advice is to move on as any meaningful photography is impossible. There are much better and more photogenic alternatives for this and other species along the Icefields Parkway.
A mainstay of this route is CASCADE MEADOWS, good sunrise to mid-morning and evening to sunset. Here you are almost assured that the open meadow will be punctuated with ox-eyed daisies and perhaps the odd Elk, making a colorful and dramatic foreground to Mounts Rundle and Inglismaldie. You’ll need to make a location decision here as sites at JOHNSON LAKE and TWO JACKS LAKE offer similar sunrise to mid-morning opportunities. Johnson Lake is a good choice as it is sheltered and usually placid. Try either below the parking lot to frame the Fairholme Range or walk roughly one and a half kilometers to the end of the lake to capture Cascade Mountain. You also have two choices at Two Jacks, either by boat across from the campground to frame Cascade Mountain or at the picnic site for a good look at Mount Rundle. A good plan is to scout all the above locations and plan a couple of early mornings to capture your favorite vistas. There are few compelling locations from here to Lake Minnewanka and the dam. If time strapped, we recommend moving on as there are two interesting locations just minutes up the road.
The UPPER BANKHEAD can be reached from a small side road to the right that leads to an old coal mining town. Here you may be interested in walking the four kilometer C-Level Cirque trail to a rock pile housing Pika and Hoary Marmots. This latter species is difficult to find at the best of times without straining your legs so here is an opportunity to cross them off your list (there is an alternate location on the Icefields Parkway in the Sunwapta Pass that may prove a better choice as the walk also encompasses vistas that include Bighorn Sheep). A little down the road is the LOWER BANKHEAD. This is a must stop if you are looking for something more than just scenery. Here an abandoned anthracite operation offers lines of disintegrating coal carts and old pilings that make interesting foreground objects to frame the distant mountains. There are also many meandering streams where you can focus on water blur images in meadows strewn with wild flowers that frame majestic views.
There are also good locations within the town of Banff to either begin or cap-off a day. Although vistas of Mount Rundle and the Bow Valley can be gleaned sunrise to mid-morning from several locations along Tunnel Mountain Road, we feel it is best at the HOODOOS in late afternoon from the third platform along the walkway. A must is CASCADE GARDENS, either mid-morning or evening. It’s just over the bridge at the south end of Banff Avenue. This is a sculptured rock garden with mountain views where flowers make a good foreground in spring and summer. Alternatively, late afternoon to sunset can produce stunning images at the meadow, known as the “green spot,” on the MOUNT NORQUAY SCENIC DRIVE. Use the rock wall at the parking lot as a foreground to Mount Rundle and the Goat Range. This is also a good location for Bighorn Sheep in the summer and fall. To us, VERMILLION LAKES is a winter location, but many photographers love the late evening light along this route at this time of year, especially if the west face of Mount Rundle is encapsulated in any kind of dramatic cloud structure.
We feel the BOW VALLEY PARKWAY can be disappointing. There are better locations in Jasper if you are looking for abstracts of, say, aspen groves or moving water. As such, we generally bypass the opportunities offered at the Muleshoe or Johnson Canyon. There is a gem, however, sunrise to mid-morning just west of Hillsdale Meadows at Pilot Pond. Use a wide-angle lens to capture placid images of the lake framing the forest and Pilot Mountain. Although the bridge at Castle Junction is a must winter location, try it in early August as you may catch Osprey fledging from the nest on the center span. If you are a train buff and want that classic Rockies image framing the Bow Range, visit Morant’s Curve near the end of the road. It’s best mid-day for side light and can be a killer location for winter images.
No trip to the Banff area is complete without a stop at MORAINE LAKE. A side road to the left midway to the hotel at Lake Louise leads to a parking lot and short walk up the “rock pile” to what is the classic and much photographed view of the Wenkchemna Peaks. It is best mid-morning and requires a 17mm to 24mm wide angle minimum to gain the full vista. Shadows darkens much of the forest, lake and lower slopes, demanding a bracketed HDR approach to reveal enough detail to produce a good image. Watch for a haze produced by wind and forest fires as the summer progresses.
From here there are three hikes that can produce stunning images. The best, but most strenuous, is a three kilometer trek up the Larch Valley in the fall. An easier venue of similar length is the walk to Consolation Lakes along the Babel Creek trail. Here on the lower slope you will encounter moss and lichen boulders surrounding small pools that frame Mount Babel. Lastly, you can walk to the end of Moraine Lake to the inlet stream and capture water blur framing the forest and peaks as background. To us, if you have the stamina, it’s the Larch Valley all the way to the bank! Wait for a group as you may encounter bears.
This section is well covered in the winter synopsis. As such, the prime focus here is locations previously unattainable (included, however, are some familiar stretches of road that can house some interesting perspectives during this time of year). If you visit earlier than summer or fall, be cautious of bears during May and June munching greenery roadside. It’s best to move along if more than two or three cars have pulled over as bears are almost impossible to isolate even with a long lens if crowds begin to gather. Getting out simply disturbs their foraging.
HERBERT LAKE is worth a stop if the water is calm, sunrise to mid-morning, for panorama images reflecting the Bow Range. Look for sunken logs at the south end of the lake in the clear shallows for use as foreground objects. Don’t linger if the conditions aren’t right. The real sunrise and early morning events are at BOW LAKE and the PEYTO LAKE SUMMIT. Both offer good sidelight, recommended sunrise to early morning. Focus first on water reflections of Crowfoot Mountain. A good location is the shoreline near the bridge at the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. This also makes a good foreground object. Later, frame the mountain using fireweed along either side of the highway or from the lodge parking lot. The viewpoint at the Peyto Lake Summit is another Rockies icon, framing Calderon Peak and the Mistaya Valley. A must stop, best shot sunrise to mid-afternoon. Walk the bus road rather than the trail as fireweed is prevalent and can make good foreground. Often overlooked is the Observation Pond directly across from the highway entrance. You’ll need high rubber boots but a walk around usually results in a good frame of the pond, reeds and reflection of Observation Peak to the east. Try a panorama or widest angle possible. Now is a good time to back track about eight kilometers to the BOW VALLEY OUTLET. This is another must stop but hard to locate. Watch for surveyors tape on the west side of the road that marks a one kilometer pathway to the river outlet of Bow Lake. This is a classic Rockies vista best shot in sidelight mid-morning. This can also be a good winter location if the snowfall is relatively light.
Progressing north from Peyto, another overlooked location is SILVERHORN CREEK. This is best shot evening to sunset. Look for a water blur framing Mount Weed. This is also a great place to end the day if you are staying at Lake Louise.
Start at UPPER WATERFOWL LAKE the next day. The shoreline is a very short walk from the parking area. If the lake is calm, sunrise to mid-morning, try either a wide angle or panorama framing Mount Chephren using the rocky shallows, reeds or flowers as foreground. The campground a short distance down the road is a good place to watch for bears. The two or three roadside viewpoints of the Lower Waterfowl are best late morning but wind can be an annoyance. Look for the OXBOW as a surreal image is possible in early summer if high waters from the Mistaya River have flooded the inner channel. This is best sunrise to early morning as mist often frames Epaulette Mountain, the Kaufmann Peaks and Mount Chrephren.
Another must stop is MISTAYA CANYON. One of the best slot-canyons in the Rockies, it is best photographed when overcast due to the wide tonal range produced by the deep crevices. Look for the BEAVER POND about sixteen kilometers up the road. This is a hard to get species at the best of time. Here they are accustomed to human traffic and should be observable in the open either early morning or late evening. A scant two kilometers further on are several roadside access points to the RAMPART PONDS. This is a good location anytime except mid-day but must be scouted for shallow ponds, submerged rocks or wildflowers that can anchor your images. Watch for bear and moose. From here on the wide alluvial gravel channels and beds along the North Saskatchewan River can also be walked to isolate interesting locations. Again, look for ponds or wildflowers that can frame Mount Avery.
You are now close to what can be best described as “waterfall alley.” Before you get too excited about the eight waterfalls and six canyons that dominate this area, two are steep and can be dangerous (Panther and Nigel Falls) and one will likely be dry in the summer and fall (Weeping Wall). If this is your first blush and time is a factor, we recommend the “wimps” tour, focusing on Coleman Creek and the Nigel Pass Trailhead. These are safe and take relatively little time. If you want a good location to explore, take the road on the left side of the highway that leads to the first of three small bridges. Here you will encounter a deep limestone crevasse. Look for interesting compositions from here to the third bridge at Nigel Creek (watch for the old abandoned car wreck as you approach). Nigel Falls is a short walk upstream.
Once you reach the COLUMBIA ICEFIELD you are roughly at the midpoint of the Icefields Parkway and entering Jasper National Park. From here on we tackle our recommended locations from a base in Jasper. To begin, we generally cruise the highway looking for compelling images from Sunwapta Pass to the Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint. Exploring this area takes time and requires several visits to locate and photograph the surroundings to good advantage. We strongly recommend the Wilcox Pass Trail, especially the first four kilometers during the fall. The high alpine meadows house flowers, berry bushes and dwarf trees which make a wonderful foreground to Mount Athabaska, Andromeda and the Snow Dome. It’s a great area for Bighorn Sheep (the rut begins late October), Mountain Goat, Hoary Marmot, White-Tailed Ptarmigan, Pika and both species of Ground Squirrel. You’ll need both a wide angle and telephoto lens.
There are two good locations just up the road. If you visit TANGLE FALLS, be sure to try the footpaths to garner more intimate images of the falls and layered limestone formations. There is a trail and short walk at BEAUTY CREEK that leads past eight waterfalls, culminating at the picturesque Stanley Falls. As you progress a short distance north, watch for a large reflecting pool jammed between the highway and the Sunwapta River. It’s an iconic shot! From the campground at HONEYMOON LAKE, you can glean a good eastern view of the Endless Chain Ridge, mid-day to sunset. Watch for moose.
As in winter, try roadside access to the Athabaska River sunrise to mid-morning to frame images of Mount Christie, Brussels Peak, Mount Fryatt and Whirlpool Peak. Again, watch for Mountain Goat near the Kerkeslin rest stop. Be sure to check the hoodoos behind the ridge as they frequently relax on them in the early afternoon. This latter location is also a good place for a panorama overlooking the valley. As this is close to Jasper, plan to end the day at ATHABASKA FALLS, mid-afternoon to sunset or anytime that it is overcast.
A hidden treasure is HORSESHOE LAKE. It’s deep metallic blue water, thin pine forest and colorful slanted rocks all offer great opportunities for abstract images, including reflections. Try the north end during the evening to frame Mount Kerkeslin. Finally, the WHIRLPOOL VALLEY VIEWPOINT can be a tremendous panorama location. We use the top of our trailer or the canopy on our truck to gain a better perspective.
Summer and fall offer significantly more access to this area than the winter months. As with our initiation to Banff, we’re looking for comfortable photography that hits the highlights until we get a better feel for the area. As such, we’ve again chosen late July to early August and late September to early October to avoid the rain and wood ticks prevalent during the earlier months. An exception you may find exciting is early June when bears are prevalent along the Marmot Basin Road. Notwithstanding, the 93A artery is a good route to start any visit at this time of year.
Cavell Pond, which is roughly thirty minutes south of the town site, is also a morning site but requires a short walk on a well established and maintained path. Here the attraction is Angel Glacier, a small waterfall and picturesque pond with floating ice. MOUNT EDITH CAVELL is, of course, a definite icon of the Canadian Rockies. Getting close is another matter! The access road off 93A is steep with switchbacks and a bit of a nerve racking drive but worth the effort. You’ll find two good viewpoints of the Astoria River Gorge and headwaters up the road roughly four and twelve kilometers respectfully from the junction. It’s a short hop from this last stop to the Astoria River and the Tonquin Valley trailhead. From the parking lot, it’s a short walk to the shoreline of Cavell Lake and a footbridge. Plan some time for this location. It’s good anytime except mid-day. If you continue on to the end of the road, the Path of the Glacier Trail can be rewarding if you take the short and less strenuous lower loop where flowers make a great foreground to the mountain scenery.
Upon returning to the junction, try several access points to the Athabaska River, framing either Mount Kerkeslin or Hardisty. This is best late afternoon to sunset and later in the year when the low water exposes more shoreline. Otto’s Cache and Meeting of the Waters are good locations to start. Alternatively, you can try the MOAB LAKE ROAD. This is an isolated gravel road but good late afternoon to sunset. There is a viewpoint roughly four kilometers up the road that frames Mount Hardisty using the Whirlpool River as a foreground. At the lake, walk the shoreline path past the boat dock looking for a strong scenic point. As you return to 93A and continue south, stop at the bridge for sunrise or sunset images of Whirlpool Peak.
There is so much to photograph in this area that you may want to devote several days to explore and plan your time. There are locations between Moab and Athabaska falls that are definitely worth exploring. LEACH LAKE is worth a try, especially from the north end where you’ll find good opportunities for reflections of Whirlpool Peak and Mount Fryatt if the water is calm. Down the road you’ll encounter the three small FRYATT PONDS, again reflecting Whirlpool Peak and Mount Fryatt to the east and Mount Kerkeslin to the west. Note that the third pond, roughly two kilometers beyond the first two, is a dangerous location as the meadows and foreshore are really a deep, spongy quagmire that require not only knee high boots but also slow, cautionary steps as they may swallow you alive!
Unlike the town of Banff, we feel the Jasper environs offers little in the way of compelling photography. There are two exceptions. The Tramway can be a worthwhile experience if the cloud structure dictates the possibility of an exceptional sunset. The other is the Pyramid Lake Road. This gem leads to some great locations (access is off the Connaught Drive main drag). Patricia Lake and Pyramid Lake are best sunrise to mid-morning for reflections of Pyramid Mountain, especially in the fall as the aspen groves change color (wind can often reek havoc so have patience as several visits may be necessary to capture a good image). There is always the potential to play with abstracts of the aspen grove at the picnic area. Pyramid Island is a good walk-around just over the small connecting bridge for views of the Trident Range. Best, however, is the outlet stream just past the parking lot at roads end. A short walk takes you to a sheltered bay where a reflection of Pyramid Mountain is are much easier to attain than along the earlier roadside locations.
As you leave town travelling west on Highway 16, give the Maligne Lake Road a quick peak. Although we consider this a winter must, it can cough up some good images during the summer and fall months. This is especially true of MEDECINE LAKE. Many good spots can be found just down the wooden stairs from the parking lot. Here you can use the boulders and shallow shoreline as foreground to frame views of the Queen Elizabeth and Maligne Ranges. Watch for Pika and Short-Tailed Weasel scampering around the rocks that dominate the hill at roadside. In our opinion, the much vaunted Malign Lake, which is a little farther down the road, is worth missing at least from a photography perspective. The cost of the boat trip to Spirit Island is simply extortion, $55.00 CDN per person. It’s a forty five minute trip both ways and you are given a scant ten minutes timed to the last second to take in the dynamics of this setting. We’ve seen herded cattle receive better treatment! There was little interest in our request to take a later boat back.
In summer and fall it’s best to revisit the winter locations along Highway 16 in the mornings and evenings. A must stop sunrise to mid-morning is the ATHABASKA RIVER BRIDGE for a great look at the De Smet Range (Gargoyle, Esplanade and Chetamon Mountains). Lastly, a drive along the MIETTE HOT SPRINGS ROAD, although narrow and tree lined, offers interesting opportunities at the Collieries, Punchbowl Falls, Ashlar Ridge and the hot springs themselves at road end, especially Sulphur Creek. Watch for Bighorn Sheep at the parking lot.
As you leave Banff and head towards Waterton, the Kananaskis Country houses many good locations and can be a veritable treasure when the weather changes rapidly. The MOUNT LORETTE PONDS in late morning produces wonderful reflections and is crystal clear with great potential for combining interesting foreground objects with mountain backdrops. WEDGE POND is an early morning site where alpenglow, mist and Mount Kidd reflections are all possibilities. Peter Lougheed Provincial Park houses two good late morning locations. The first is PANARAMA POINT overlooking Lower Kananaskis Lake and the second is the left trail from the parking lot of Upper Kananaskis Lake. If the latter location is calm, the trail walk should cough up some good reflections of Hawke Island and similar potential as you reach the lower access points to the shoreline. Again, if the weather is sunny and calm, a spectacular afternoon site is the reflection of Mount Kidd from the GALATEA BEAVER POND. You can't miss this from the main highway. Finally, if you want to try waterfalls, CAT CREEK, although not large and a long walk, is an interesting stop. Photographers at this site told us TROLL FALLS is a better location, especially in early Spring and Winter when snow is still prevalent.
The last stop on this journey is Waterton Lakes National Park. Your best bet here is the rock and water formations at RED ROCK CANYON, especially above and below the bridge at the parking lot. CAMERON LAKE, overlooking MacDonald Mountain, can be good if the weather cooperates, especially from the rocks at the bridge to the left of the visitor center. Both locations are not dependant on time of day. The drive between Kananaskis and Waterton is typical Alberta foothills farming country so be on the lookout for old machinery, buckboards, fresh hay bails, dilapidated houses and barns. All make for great fare if public access is available.
You can view the results of our first trip (mixed with natural landscapes from other locations) in Gallery 49.