Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies LPH Tour 2018

Payto Lake

In early September 2018 I got a last minute opportunity to join a tour group driving around the Canadian Rockies. The stunning scenery was a given; what surprised us all were the changes in weather we experienced as early winter storms crossed the region during our time in the province.

First Day Highlights - Into the Rockies

The group met up in Calgary on 8th September before starting our trip into the Rockies. The first day took us into the south of the area, visiting Barrier Lake, Porcupine Creek and Wedge Pond before reaching the Highwood Pass at 2206 metres above sea level.

Two Jack Lake (left) and Highwood Pass (above)

Our first overnight stop was in Canmore, a lovely town just a short distance from the entrance to Banff National Park.

Sunrise at Two Jack Lake was wet and raining before the clouds began to disperse.

Soon the conditions were much more conducive to photography.

Before gorgeous light was working its magic above Lake Minniewanka.

After a late breakfast we visited the River Bow overlooking Banff

..........and the iconic Banff Springs Hotel

The rain soon returned causing us to retire back to the city of Banff for some retail therapy.

Aspens are a familiar sight in the area.

Day three was spent around the Lake Louise area, with Moraine Lake being a highlight.

The incredible colour of the water is caused by the glacial flour, fine deposits in suspension that cause the light to be diffracted differently through the water.

The height you view the water has a bearing on the strength of the colour.

This area around Moraine Lake is also known as ‘the Valley of the Ten Peaks’

The strong colours in the earlier images were seen from the rock pile on the right of this image.

We visited Vermillion Lakes in the afternoon

Still travelling out from Canmore, day four took us to various locations along the Bow Valley Parkway (the original road from Banff to Lake Louise and beyond).

Early light at the start of the parkway

Before the beautiful autumn colours at Hillsdale Meadow

And the ever shifting clouds around the higher peaks

Providing tantalising glimpses between the layers of clouds

The waterfalls of Johnstone’s Valley

Before finishing off at Morant’s Curve, named after a photographer commissioned to take iconic images of the railroad.

As keen photographers we’d been keeping a close check on weather conditions.

Day five started to unfamiliar conditions.

And our first encounters with some of the wildlife of the Rockies

Before more snow started to fall.......

........during our visit to Cascade Ponds,

Then a visit to an old mining area at Bankshead

And a return visit to Hillsdale Meadow

Day six was moving day heading up onto the Columbia Icefield

After passing Lake Louise we came across these conditions at Herbert Lake as we joined.........

..........the Icefields Parkway

And then onto Payto Lake where some of the visitors were taking in the grandeur of the views.

Bow Lake

Increasingly snowy scenes as we headed higher.

Before reaching our destination of the aptly named Glacier View Inn

We were staying for two nights at the Inn. We decided to concentrate on the moraine field in front of the glacier, giving large views............

......and some on a smaller scale.

The ever shifting clouds around the mountain summits.............

.......provided plenty of opportunities for different photographs...........

........with beautiful light............

.......highlighting the rock faces..............

.............before heavy clouds started rolling down the glacier towards us.

It proved a stunning day and all done without needing to get into the bus.

Our final destination would be Jasper, but first we had what was billed as a ‘waterfalls’ day.

Our first stop of the day was Tangle Falls, which looked magical with the snow, ice and cloud shrouding the mountainside.

Before moving on to the Sunwapta Falls

Isolated Rock, Sunwapta Falls

Our lunch stop was alongside the Sunwapta River........

.......before reaching the equally impressive Athabasca Falls.

Athabasca Falls

We finally reached Jasper in the late afternoon to be faced by the first traffic jam of the trip, caused by ............

......your typical elk encounter!

Our first full day in Jasper was taken up visiting the seemingly innapropriately named Maligne Lake.

Starting from the southern end of the lake we travelled north......

......until we turned into a rocky inlet and this view north across the magnificent peaks of the Queen Elizabeth Range.

But the highlight for us all was Spirit Island (although it is only an island during periods of high water).

The following day we had a mix of locations including Maligne Canyon, and Miette Hot Springs.

Before our final day in Jasper on a glorious day’s weather.

Even before the day started properly I’d hoped to see the aurora but all we got was trains and stars.........

Our main trip for the day was up the Sky Train to Whistlers Mountain

One of the saddest things we’d seen was the impact of the pine beetle on the conifers that cover much of the area. Unfortunately, no solution has yet been found to their impact and large areas of woodland are irretrievably damaged.

On reaching the cable car station the area above was snow covered and icy.

Some of the group headed up to the summit......

While the rest of us looked down on Jasper and it’s surroundings.

Our final stop and overnight hotel was at the aptly named Paradise Lake.

After travelling north for almost two weeks, we retraced our steps on the final day of travelling back to Calgary. Even before leaving the hotel we stopped for our first photo shoot of the day.

We made a further stop at the Glacier for a mid morning break.........

And then on the descent towards the Bow Valley

Even finding a partly hidden waterfall.

We had a fantastic time during the two weeks, taking in stunning scenery throughout the trip, but the thing that really made it were the other people on the trip.

Appreciate

Credits:

Photography by Graham Colling

Canadian Rockies LPH Tour 2018

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