Hi folks!
After many delayed trips to the mountains due to the fire hazards , I'm happy to say we finally got to go spend some time in our hills. We generally go in the summer because it's warmer , the days are much longer and makes it easier to go on hikes and take our time exploring each local area. Winter sets in early in the mountains and each elevation has it's own climate. I can't say I have ever encountered so many changes in temperature in one week-end! We did some hiking but mostly drove up, down and around the mountains checking out all side roads we found and to what spectacular view they led to.
Being in a somewhat northern part of Canada, we have tons of daylight in the summer but lose significant light in the winter months. Canmore (near Banff) is still a few hours away for us by the time we got there, it was already dark. We knew there were mountains but all we could see in the darkness was the snow blanketing the peaks. As disappointing as knowing there are huge mountains and you can't see them may seem, it builds up anticipation for waking up, walk out to the balcony and see the rosy sunrise behind the snow covered peaks of Canmore for the first time( in the summer they have no snow) . The new mountain adventure began.
Shot 1/250 sec. f/10 10mm, ISO200
The first destination of our road trip was to the famous Lake Louise along the Albrta/Brittish-Columbia border. I have been there a few times, last time I was there we canoed on the lake but this time of year all that touristy rental stuff is closed until summer. This time we decided to walk the trail that surrounds the majestic emerald colored lake towards the Lake Agnes Tea House to get a different view ,It's so large ,I have never seen the back side of the lake hidden between mountains. It was a cool day but not too cold or stormy , with warm clothing and buzzing with excitement, we were comfortable enough for a few hours of hiking. Each twist and turn around the lake offered a different view, added elements, slowly revealing the lake's true colors.
Shot 1/250 sec. f/10 10mm, ISO 250
The trail is very crowded, it's a tourist hot spot for Asian visitors. Overall it's an easy hike around the lake that anybody could enjoy, it's mainly a flat walk until the the other side. Knowing the Tea House was most likely closed for the season, we continued walking passed the end of the lake just to enjoy the perfect afternoon and the quiet mountains away from the tourist traffic. We eventually had to turn around to avoid walking back in the darkness and we could see a storm rolling in the distance with winds picking up. The tea House will be for a warmer time of year, it's a few hours walk in elevation.
Shot 1/250 sec. f/10 12mm, ISO 200
For the rest of the day, we drove passed the BC border and up the mountains, towards the storm, enjoying the scenery in the warmth of a vehicle. As much as I dislike snow, it adds a dramatic effect on mountains,makes them grandiose, more so than they already are. Makes a person feel small in the world ( in a good way). No pictures can ever come close to truly representing the size and beauty of what I see all around me during road trips in the Rockies, it's a lot to take in at once. As many times as I have been there, it always feels like the first time!
Castle Mountain,Ab. Shot 1/125 sec. f/5 15mm, ISO 400
As you can see, winter is in full swing at elevations while the valleys offer enjoyable fall temperatures. We have a joke here, it's hard to dress for the different temperatures in Alberta or if you don't like the weather...wait 15 minutes. The struggle is real in the wild wild west!
All images were taken with Nikon D7000 paired with Sigma lense
Well I hope you enjoyed the sight and stick around for day 2&3 coming in the near future.
Cheers xox