Banff Mugs

It doesn't get much better than going to somewhere that is packed during the day and finding it completely deserted for sunrise. I had the entire Bow Summit lookout to myself for much of this morning, and that made it feel even more special when the peaks all started to glow in orange, their reflection in the water below. Sure, the water is a brighter blue at midday, but this is truly the way to see Peyto Lake.

Wow. There are some places that take the words right out of your mouth, and Moraine Lake is one of them. The Valley of the Ten Peaks may be one of the most crowded places in the Rockies, but a visit there is so worth it -- particularly if you get there early enough to see the lake look like glass, reflecting the mountains and the sky above.

I headed out from Cave & Basin with a small group of fellow hikers on an overcast morning, but by the time we made it to this spot on the Bow River, the weather had turned. The river was calm, Cascade Mountain was white with fresh snow, and the sun was warm. Perfection!

What a day this was. We started by hiking 10km through Paradise Valley to the stunning Giant Steps -- a place that was worth every step of those 10km to reach. From there, we climbed over Sentinel Pass, reaching the top right around the time a blizzard bore down on the area. As we made our way down the (much easier) path down the other side of Sentinel Pass, the larches peppered gold across the Larch Valley below while the Ten Peaks stood imposingly behind. Having spent the day surrounded by breathtaking scenery, I wouldn't say it was a sight for sore eyes -- I think it's a better description to say it was a sight for sore feet!

Snow and ice battling to cover the Bow River at Lake Louise in mid-November. It did eventually win in sections of the river, but the Bow was still flowing strong on this day. The thing I noticed most in this scene was how the snow covered the rocks on the island, turning what would have been pristine, flat snow into white blobs all along the riverbank.

Golden hour in any part of the world makes everything look just that little bit more beautiful. Golden hour in the mountains is spectacular and seems to make for completely different scenes every few minutes as the light catches different parts of the mountains. This is one such scene, with the craggy slopes of Mount Rundle, covered with a recent snowfall, lighting up in pure gold.

The Ten Peaks reflected in a perfectly calm Moraine Lake early on an autumn morning. Even though the crowds were already building, it was still possible to find a piece of the lakeshore for myself and just soak in the serenity of it all.

Clouds scatter above the Ten Peaks on a perfectly still September morning in the Rockies. Despite the crowds that flock here in September to see the autumn colours in the nearby Larch Valley, I still can't think of a better place to start the morning.

Doesn't this look like a scene right out of a Christmas card? Lake Louise was gorgeous under a blanket of late October snow. I love early season snows that pepper the trees in white while the lakes are still unfrozen!

I woke up on the last official day of summer in Banff National Park to a winter wonderland. Even though the snow all melted by noon, it was fun while it lasted! I captured this image of the mountains surrounding Lake Minnewanka as the mist started to clear around mid-morning.

The Bow River doing its best to fight off the freezing effects of winter. Its shoreline was partially frozen, but the river itself -- despite having chunks of ice floating down it -- was still running strong.

The trees of Lake Louise are always an amazing sight to see, and by far my favourite time to see them is at night -- when you can look up past the snow-encrusted branches to see the stars glittering above. Add in a moonrise to light up the trees and a halo around said moon and you get a memorable sight indeed.

The Larch Valley track, which climbs to 8,000ft above Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks, is one of the most popular hikes in Banff National Park in autumn. It's no wonder, since the pine trees turn to golden larches as soon as you hit 7,000ft and you're absolutely surrounded in autumn colour. What a place!

I went to Morant's Curve early one afternoon looking to capture a timelapse that perhaps featured a train. 45 minutes later, no trains had passed, but in that time, this cloud crossed the entire sky -- just a single streak with hardly a cloud around it. It was truly unbelievable to watch...and very exciting because I managed to capture the entire traversal in my timelapse, which you can watch at https://vimeo.com/202296789.

I'd driven past Herbert Lake a number of times on windy days where the lake was rough, but on this morning, all was still and it was absolutely perfect. I called it Herbert Lake's Last Hurrah because this was only days before all the lakes in Banff National Park began to freeze; on my next visit two weeks later, it was frozen solid!

The crags of Castle Mountain lit by the sun of an early November morning in Banff National Park. I find this mountain to be one of the most fascinating on the drive between Banff and Lake Louise; with every corner turned, it reveals a new face more interesting than the last.

MORANTS CURVE - Rocky Mountains Canada , beautiful crisp Fall Day.

A stream fighting the good fight against the ice of a winter in Banff National Park.

MORANTS CURVE - Rocky Mountains Canada Snow, with the cargo train passing by.

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Waterfowl Lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Elk roaming around Field in the Kootenay National Park, Alberta, Canada

The reflections of Emerald Lake, Alberta, Canada

On Tuesday morning, I was lucky enough to make it to the Moraine Lake Road entrance just after the road was opened for the season. I arrived at the lake to find I was only the third car parked in the parking lot! It was fantastic exploring around the Rockpile in the wintry conditions, and it proved that Moraine Lake is well worth visiting even when the water isn't shining brightly blue like it does later in the summer!

That feeling when you have the Rockpile all to yourself, knowing that within days it will be swarming with bus after bus full of people. It was pure serenity; that is, until a snow removal truck arrived and filled the air with constant BEEEEP BEEEEP *BEEEEP*s. Oh well, you can but try.

Unbeatable beauty of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Herbert Lake early in the morning or during at sunset you can enjoy incredible reflection of Mt. Temple.

Castle Mountain is in the Banff National Park, Alberta. Canon EOS550D, ISO 200, f/11, 1/200sec, 210 mm 26 August, 2013

Lake Louise Ski Mountain - Banff - Canada

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Stunning Blue Ice Falls Create A Stunning Winter Scene At Johnston Canyon At Banff National Park In The Dead Of Winter.

Canadian Rockies, Icefields Parkway beautiful fresh mountain stream.

Stunning Blue Ice Flows Create A Stunning Scene At Johnston Canyon At Banff National Park In Alberta, Canada.

Canadian Rockies, Icefields Parkway beautiful fresh mountain stream.

Moraine Lake is 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) southeast of the hamlet of Lake Louise with glacier-fed, its brilliant blue-green colour of water which provide a breathtaking view

Canadian Rockies, Icefields Parkway from the Big Bend lookout.

An elk doing his best "majestic" look on a hill above Surprise Corner in Banff. It's only slightly undone by the big number on his ear tag!