A Point and Shoot Camera in the Canadian Rockies
Cameras are expensive, and they’re only increasing. Sure, you get a lot for your money, but 7 years ago while my wife and I were back packing around the world we just couldn’t afford it. We were gifted a small Canon 1XUS point and shoot camera as a farewell present from friends, and now looking back, it was the perfect camera for the trip! Lightweight, fits in a pocket and no time wasted having to constantly change lenses! Yes, the photo quality is not amazing compared to newer, heavier cameras… but who cares! This is about memories, about being lost in wanderlust!
Having spent a few weeks in Vancouver to purchase a van, building it out as our home on wheels, we set off for the Rockies! We timed this trip at the very end of winter and felt ready to survive the coming cold! Heading north from Kamloops on the Yellowhead Hwy, we aimed to start our journey coming in through Jasper, then down into Banff. Our first stop was Wells Gray Provincial Park just outside of Clearwater. This whole area is covered in beautiful falls and dense woodlands, which made us pretty glad it was hibernation season! The famous Spahats Falls were crashing down into a basin of snow and ice, and ultimately it is here the lack of dynamic range shows most in a small camera.
The following day, crossing the Fraser River, we turned right and were immediately faced with the imposing peak of Mt Robson (which we hiked the following summer). The drive into Jasper, passing such epic mountains, left us with a resounding feeling of being quite tiny amongst these giants. The town of Jasper was stunning, and it only got better as we continued north to Pyramid Lake. Pyramid Mountain stands above the rest with the lake at its base, covered in electric blue ice. I found taking photos here with an overcast sky helped the camera sensor not get over exposed, framing the wintery peaks of the mountains perfectly.
Leaving Jasper, heading south, we hit the Icefields Parkway. This is easily the most beautiful road I’ve ever driven. Adding hours to our trip in the following few days as we constantly kept pulling over to just take in the beauty. The Athabasca Pass Lookout was the first stop, and we just couldn’t have imagined a more spectacular sight, with snow covered peaks as far as the eye could see. Athabasca Falls gave us a chance to explore around the winding river and is where I took my first real tumble. Seeing a set of icy stone steps, my curiosity got the best of me, but halfway down my feet went out from below and I began a cold and painful slide to the bottom! Now, with my current camera, this could have been an expensive fall… but with the trusty little point and shoot, it simply slid down with no damage!
As we continued our drive, the snowbanks got higher than our car roof along both sides of the highway. Each time we stopped to take a photo, the echo clap of thunder from the distance, or the million warning signs, made it clear we were in avalanche territory. After topping off our water reserves fresh from Stutfield Glacier, we made our way to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. Walking out high above the river below, the Rockies disappear off into the horizon in all directions.
The Athabasca Glacier is one of six major outlet glaciers on the Columbia Icefield and was the next destination. Markers posted along the trail show the retreat of the glacier over the past few decades, and we were left wondering how much longer it would be around… a slightly depressing first visit to a glacier up close, seeing less of the striking blue and white glacier you see at a distance and more dirt than snow. Making our way to the tourist hot spot Lake Louise, we stopped at the Weeping Wall catching a glimpse of adrenaline fuelled ice climbers making their ascent, and at the Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint. Like two lost tourists searching, it was a difficult glacier to spot, as it camouflages itself against the white snow-capped peaks between the valleys of the Rockies.
After a week in the wilderness, getting into Lake Louise was an assault on the senses. It was so busy! Traffic, detours and full car parks meant we didn’t stay long. Chatting with some locals at a hostel allowing us to use the showers it became apparent, to see most of the sites like Moraine Lake, you needed to be there as the road opened at dawn. Knowing we planned to return during the summer, we pushed on in an attempted to escape the crowds.
As we drove towards Banff, the busier it got. Banff is an absolutely beautiful town, but it’s not designed for tour buses and heavy traffic. To escape the chaos, we hiked up Tunnel Mountain just outside of town and got a stunning view of the town and its wintery picturesque backdrop , perched between the mountains. Settling in, we found a place to park up along Vermilion Lakes and were treated to a perfect sunset as we ate our camp dinner. A brilliant way to finish the trip!
