A Photographer’s Guide to
the Canadian Rockies
by Howe Sim,
published in Apogee Photo Magazine, Feb 2008
It was my fourth visit
to Canada’s immensely popular Banff and Jasper National Parks, but in a way it felt
like my first. My earlier trips here took place before I became interested in
photography, back when I would go on leisurely 6-8 hour long hikes with few
expectations of what I might see and even less regard for time constraints. With this trip, I had just over a week to
capture with my cameras the natural beauty and essence of the Canadian Rockies.
This took advance planning, with detailed itineraries and rainy day
contingencies. The focus of our daily outings would be photographically rich
hikes and trails that were not overly time-consuming or physically
demanding.
Our previous visits here
took place in the late spring/early summer, when the days are at their longest
and roadside wildlife is plentiful. This time we decided to visit at the end of
September, with its brilliant fall colors, thinning crowds, and foggy mornings.
Should we return again, I would consider the mid-winter months of January
through March, when days are short but snow and low-angled lighting make for
crisp winter landscapes. That said, I believe that there is no bad time to
visit these beautiful parks; experienced photographers know how to make the
most of what they have to work with.
Based on past
experience, I packed items that I could wear in layers: layers that can easily
be removed when it gets too warm or thrown on when it cools down. Remember to pack outerwear for inclement
weather conditions, both rain and snow. You may find yourself at several
thousand feet above sea level on some of your hikes, so snowfall can occur
almost any time of the year.
In terms of camera gear,
pack only what you expect to use. There’s little point in bringing along a
heavy, full-size tripod if you don’t plan on taking it with you every day. In
fact, keep your backpack as light as possible, especially if you plan on
tackling longer hikes. Pack at least one extra set of fully charged batteries
for your camera, particularly during the winter months when cool temperatures
can dramatically reduce battery life. And if you’re shooting digitally, buy a
couple of extra memory cards to minimize the possibility that you might run out
of space during an intensive day of shooting.
BUSTLING BANFF
Since our flight landed
in Calgary, our first stop was Banff National Park, less than two hours west on
the Trans-Canada Highway. Canada’s oldest national park attracts over five
million visitors a year. Because its popularity seems to run year-round, book
your accommodations in advance. We’ve stayed at various hotels in Banff
Townsite, but suggest its cheaper and less touristy neighbor Canmore. A mere five minute drive from Banff Park’s
eastern gate, this former coal-mining town offers a more authentic “mountain
community” feel as well as many fine restaurants, shops, and accommodations.
Here are several of my favorite photo ops in the park:
1. Sulphur Mountain. Ride the Banff Gondola to the mountain summit in
just over 7 minutes. From the upper gondola terminal, take the 1 km boardwalk
to the stone weather observatory atop Sanson Peak. Here you’ll enjoy unobstructed
panoramas of Banff Townsite, Lake Minnewanka, the Bow Valley, and the
surrounding mountain ranges.
2. Johnston Canyon. This is one of the best places in the Rockies to
appreciate a limestone canyon. Try to get here early in the morning before the
parking lot fills up. It’s approximately 20 km west of Banff Townsite, and
consists of both a paved walkway and a suspended catwalk that takes you up
Johnston Creek past two waterfalls. Along the way, you’ll see sheer cliffs,
gnarled trees, and the effect of swirling cascades of water on canyon walls.
This also happens to be one of the few hiking trails that remains open in the
winter in Banff, so don’t miss the opportunity for some unique snow and
ice-based photography here.
3. Lake Louise. One of the most popular stops on virtually every
photographer’s itinerary, Lake Louise is just under an hour by car from Banff
Townsite. The glacier-fed lake measures 2.4 km in length and 500 m in width,
and has at its doorstep the imposing Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. It is always
teeming with tourists, except at the crack of dawn when the rising sun paints
warm hues on Mount Victoria. Popular spots for photographers are the outlet
stream and the boat dock, often encircled by bright red canoes.
4. Moraine Lake. Just south of Lake Louise is the equally popular but
more austere Moraine Lake. You can rent canoes here or hike the interpretive
trail to the top of the Moraine Lake rock pile. From the top of the rock pile
you’ll get a panoramic view of the lake with the imposing cliffs of the
Wenkchemna Peaks in the background (this view once graced Canada’s $20 bill).
Around mid- to late- morning, when the sun is up, you’ll get a nice deep
emerald color to the lake. Popular foreground options include the outlet stream
and the canoe dock.
INCREDIBLE ICEFIELDS
Just north of Lake
Louise, the Trans-Canada Highway heads west into British Columbia. If instead
you continue northwards towards Jasper, you’ll find yourself on the stunning
Highway 93, also known as the Icefields Parkway. This 230 km stretch of road
snakes through the eastern portion of the Rockies, alongside fast-flowing
rivers, turquoise-colored lakes, and glacier-topped peaks. Take at least a half
day to slowly traverse this seemingly extra-terrestrial terrain, and make use
of the many turnoffs that dot the highway to look for bighorn rams and other
wildlife. Most of these popular
viewpoints are best photographed before mid-morning.
1. Peyto Lake. Named after a former park warden, this turquoise-colored
lake is approximately 40 km north of Lake Louise. The main viewing platform is
always packed with tourists jostling for a photo op. Fortunately you can take
one of several different footpaths that run up the open side of the mountain to
less crowded rocky outcroppings. Don’t venture too close to the edge of the
rock piles as you try to the capture the Mistaya Valley with your wide angle
lens or the adorable resident hoary marmots with your telephoto zoom.
2. Columbia Icefields. This is the largest icefield in the Rockies and
consists of six main glaciers, some up to 350 meters deep. Conditions here are
much the same as during the last ice age, and will help you appreciate the
natural history and geology of the Rockies. The most accessible glacier is the
Athabasca, which sits directly across the road from the Columbia Icefields
Information Center. Several hundred thousand tourists come here every summer to
take a Brewster Ice Explorer-guided tour onto the glacier. Tours leave every 15
minutes, and your best bet is to arrive early in the morning or late in the
afternoon. Alternatively, you can drive up to a parking lot located a kilometer
from the foot of the glacier, then hike up a rocky moraine to its lowermost
point. You’ll come across markers indicating how far the glacier has retreated
since they first measured its extent 120 years ago. Avoid walking onto the
glacier itself, as deadly crevasses are impossible to spot, and can be located
just meters from the glacier’s edge.
UNTAMED JASPER
The second half of our
trip was spent in Jasper National Park. Despite its larger total area, it draws
half as many tourists as its southerly neighbor. The town of Jasper is
similarly less touristy and commercial than Banff. For new arrivals, here’s
where to start:
1. Athabasca Falls. A short drive south of the Town of Jasper, this
popular stop affords nice views of the thundering 23-meter-high waterfall with
Mount Kerkeslin in the background. Don’t miss the short walk down to the
Innukshuk-ridden beach alongside the emerald-hued Athabasca River.
2. Mount Edith Cavell. One
of the best interpretive trails in Jasper National Park, access to the base of
Mount Edith Cavell is via a 14 km winding, narrow, and pothole-filled road.
After you get to the main parking lot, hike the 1 km Path of the Glacier loop
trail, which will take you to the base of Angel Glacier. There are signs posted
here warning against getting too close to the base of the glacier; heed their
warnings. Just below the edge of the Angel Glacier lies Cavell Pond, usually
filled with photographically interesting icebergs of various size and shape. In
the spring, you’ll be rewarded with a fantastically colorful wildflower
foreground, particularly on the longer Cavell Meadows hiking trail.
Hopefully my suggestions
will give you a starting point for your trip to Banff and Jasper. It is not
intended to be a comprehensive list of sights worthy of your camera. Those who
are fortunate enough to have more than a couple weeks in the Canadian Rockies
will quickly realize that you can point your camera lens in almost any
direction and shoot memorable images.