Planning Banff/Jasper Canada Trip

[Big Mike]

Ah yes, another good suggestion. And if you go that way, it's worth stopping at Emerald Lake. There is a fancy lodge (hotel) there and you can walk around the lake...or just drive in, get a nice shot of the lake with Mt. Burgess in the background and then be on your way. You could even take that road all the way to the Town of Golden. That drive will typically give you a different look...it tends to be really green on that side of the continental divide...plenty of little waterfalls all over the place.

 

[WesternGuy]

here's my list so far, along with times to shoot them and reference photos....

Banff
- Moraine Lake (Sunrise - Moraine Lake | Flickr - Photo Sharing!)
- Healy Pass (Sunrise - "Magic Valley" Banff~Canada~Mountains~Nikon~D700~Landscpae | Flickr - Photo Sharing!)
- Lake Louise (Sunrise - Dynamic Serenity | Flickr - Photo Sharing!)
- Johnson Lake (http://www.flickr.com/photos/denemiles/4112250248/)
- Castle Mountain (Sunset - Castle Mountain Reflection 1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!)

Jasper
- Icefields Parkway (highway between Banff & Jasper)
- Mt. Robson
- Mt. Edith Cavell (Sunrise - http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattchamplin/2328742009/)
- Medicine Lake (Sunset - Rainbow Sunset (medicinelake.jpg) | Flickr - Photo Sharing!)
- Maligne Lake

and finally, there seem to be so many amazing spots in this area. maybe it will become more clear when i get there, like most of my photo trips, but how do i GET to all these spots easily? can i just drive to a parking lot most of the time and make a short hike or what? thanks

Some thoughts on your destination(s)...

Moraine Lake and Lake Louise can be easily reached by car and there is parking for your vehicle...since you will be going in September, you will miss most of the summer rush and should be okay. If you decide to hike (lots of trails of various lengths and endurances), you can run into snow in higher elevations at that time of year - so be prepared - evenings can also be cool so the layered approach is de rigeur. You can see both areas in the same day if you do not want to do a lot of hiking around in either area...if you want to do some hiking (both are great spots) then allow a day for each area.

Healy Pass is a major hike and would most likely require an over night some where along the trail. Check with Parks Canada before going - they can tell you about trail conditions, etc., and remember you are in BEAR country. Johnson Lake is a day hike or even half a day - not that exciting, and could be put on a low priority - it is something I would do only if I had time to fill. You might be better to explore the Vermillion Lakes - there are three of them. You can get a beautiful view of Mt. Rundle and Sulphur Mountain across the lakes (see my avatar - Mt. Rundle across Vermillion Lakes). Johnson Canyon, on the other hand is a good day trip - a couple of good waterfalls to see. It is accessible off the old highway from the intersection with the Trans-Canada just west of Banff and follow the signs. This old highway rejoins the Trans-Canada at Castle Junction where you can get a great view of Castle Mountain...

Castle Mountain is a must and may be best viewed from the Trans-Canada highway across the Bow River (I think that is where the picture you show was taken - somewhere in there). Mt. Robson and Edith Cavell - I would try for Edith Cavell first as it is closest to Jasper and Robson is only visible for good pictures if the day is fairly clear and sunny - it is one of those things that "you make the trip and you take whatever you get to see", but there is a good campsite there. When you are up at Edith Cavell, watch for Pikas and wolverines as they are known to be around there on occasion (bears too sometimes) - Pikas are fairly common whereas wolverines and bear are not. As for the Ice Fields Parkway, as I suggested in my first post, take at least two days to see this part of Alberta - it is absolutely beautiful. As well as the Ice Fields, be sure to stop at Athabasca Falls along the way.

Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake are along the same road...you come to Medicine Lake first and then Maligne Lake is at the "end" of the road. Allow the better part of a day to see this area and explore Maligne Canyon as well - lots of good picnic sites along the way and the photography is great.

Hope this helps...any more questions, PM me and I can give you some more scoop...have fun and enjoy your trip.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

 

[WesternGuy]

Steve, one other thought, seeing as you are coming into Banff from Calgary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary - don't lose sight of the scenery between Calgary and Banff. As you come into the mountains, on your right is a small mountain that looks like a big slab sticking out of the ground...that is Mt. Yamnuska a favourite spot for climbers ( http://www.peakfinder.com/showpeakbyid.asp?MtnId=525 ). As you start into the mountains just before Deadman's Flats (don't ask - http://www.albertacentennial.ca/history/viewpost.aspx~id=244.html) - you can see Mt. Lougheed on your left in the distance to the south ( http://www.peakfinder.com/peakfinder.asp?PeakName=Mount+Lougheed ) - named after one of our early Senators and pioneers. You will also pass mountains to the north side of theTrans-Canada where you will see signs of mining- the limestone here has been mined for over a century and processed into cement and shipped all over the world. As you approach the town of Canmore you will see the Three Sisters (three noticeable peaks very close together... Three Sisters (Alberta) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) on one side of Canmore (more easterly side) and the peaks of Mt. Rundle ( http://www.summitpost.org/mount-rundle-west-end/150365 ) to the west, both on the same side of the highway. The next major peak you will see in front of you after you have passed the Park gates and are getting close to Banff is Cascade Mountain, so called because, regardless of the time of year, there always seems to be a small cascade of water coming down the front ( http://www.peakfinder.com/peakfinder.asp?Peakname=Cascade+Mountain ). This will get you to Banff with some of the major landmarks along the way. Banff, Alberta, Canada - Official Website of the Town of Banff, Alberta and Banff, Alberta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hope this helps.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

 

[CraniumDesigns]

thanks a lot westernguy. this info helps a TON

 

[loopy]

Great advice here.

Just wanted to add that, you may want to check out everytrail.com, great info on hikes and many of them have photos. (there is an iphone app too)

 

[CraniumDesigns]

ok, so i'm staying at this lake luise hostel for 6 nights.

Lake Louise Hostels | Lake Louise Backpacker Hostel > HI-Lake Louise Alpine Centre

i'm looking to stay at another one of their hostels for the 3 nights in jasper.

do u guys think i should do this one? beauty creek. it's kinda in the middle between banff and jasper...

HI Beauty Creek in Jasper, Canada | Hostel

the scenery looks amazing and it's right on the icefield.

or should i stay at the central jasper hostel?

HI-Jasper in Jasper, Canada | Hostel

which would be more ideal for getting to all the good spots? beauty creek i think would give some amazing shots right from the hostel. but jasper seems like a better hub for all the spots around there i wanna hit.

 

[CraniumDesigns]

OR..... should i change my reservation to do 3 nights in banff, 3 nights at beauty creek, and 3 nights in jasper? cover south, middle, and north?

how would YOU divy it up?

 

[Big Mike]

I think that the 6 nights at Lake Louise should be great, that is a great location for a base camp. I'm not too familiar with Beauty Creek, but it looks cool. It does seem to be 'in the middle of nowhere'....albeit, a spectacularly scenic nowhere....but that whole region is really scenic. I'd personally suggest going right into the town of Jasper (or close to it) for your 3 day base camp. Jasper is a good sized town with all the amenities....so you won't have to look hard for a gas station, a restaurant, a bar etc.

I don't know what your plan for eating etc. is....but it's nice to be able to get up and make a quick stop at a restaurant or coffee shop for breakfast...then get on the road. You will certainly want to be up early, as you don't want to miss the early morning light.

 

[CraniumDesigns]

Jasper is a good sized town with all the amenities....so you won't have to look hard for a gas station, a restaurant, a bar etc.

I don't know what your plan for eating etc. is....but it's nice to be able to get up and make a quick stop at a restaurant or coffee shop for breakfast...then get on the road. You will certainly want to be up early, as you don't want to miss the early morning light.

really good point. i'm not really taking any food with me, so will be just getting stuff locally. i guess i'll stay in jasper. thanks mike!

 

[Big Mike]

Another good tip is to pack yourself a lunch or snacks each day. While there will be places where you can stop for lunch, it would take some planning to really hit them at the right times because of all the driving that you will be doing.

If you pack a lunch, you can stick to taking photos (or driving to/exploring) the locations. Not to mention that it's much cheaper to buy food at a supermarket than at a restaurant or gas station. I guess you could eat prepackaged food for breakfast as well, giving you more time to get to your morning shoot location. It does suck when you're sitting in a restaurant, waiting for your food/bill and you can see that the light is awesome. But I also love having breakfast out...so it's a toss up.

Do keep in mind that you may be hiking and you will be in bear county. So you probably don't want to go out into the woods and make yourself a salmon sandwich

And of course, please don't feed the wildlife and don't litter in our National Parks (or anywhere).

 

[CraniumDesigns]

thanks. yeah i usually stock up the night before, after sunset shooting, and then maybe again after sunrise shooting.

 

[Big Mike]

Oh, and another thing. Make sure to budget plenty for gas money...and maybe choose a fuel efficient rental car.

Gas prices are typically pretty high in the mountain parks but a bigger factor is the general price of gas up here. Here in Edmonton, it just went up to about $1.22 CAD per liter, which is $4.87 US per gallon.

 

[CraniumDesigns]

ouch. yeah it's about $4.30 right now in california. i got a compact rental car, and staying in hostels, so should be fairly inexpensive.

 

[SpeedTrap]

There is lots in Lake Louise town site, which is where the hostel is.
There is a great restaurant in the hostel and a grocery store just around the corner. Everything you need will be there and you can access Banff, as well as the Parkway from there.
Depending on the timing I am willing to bet you may end up with some local TPF Members meeting you to show you around.

 

[CraniumDesigns]

Hey Guys, some updates. I am now renting a minivan and will be sleeping in that. That will allow me to camp right next to the spots I wanna shoot, and have some privacy. Should be quite the adventure. My photographer friend, Kevin McNeal, from Washington is gonna drive up and meet me a few days into my trip. I'm starting to really polish up the itinerary and prioritize all the spots I wanna hit.

Here's my schedule, rough so far... And subject to change as weather and other conditions change... Lemme know what you think...

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MG1RfkOTaKtbdbSjsPPTDfZzgI6i9165cy2lXSIeIBE/edit?hl=en_US