An Unexpected Winter Photography Weekend in Banff National Park- Tales from my Drive.

The last weekend of March, I was fortunate enough to stay in Banff at Buffalo Mountain Lodge. I had arrived on the Friday, and the weather was grey, overcast, and not so nice. The night before, it had snowed and apparently wreaked havoc on the drive to the ski hills, where skiers were desperate to hit the slopes at opening time. We haven't seen many snow dumps this year, so with little time left in the season, the skiers were making the most of it.

This was the picture I was able to take on Friday when I arrived at the hotel, from my patio. I felt very lucky to have a room that looked out onto Tunnel Mountain Reservoir and Mt. Rundle. For a few moments, Mt. Rundle appeared, and I was able to say a little "hello."

Mt Rundle appears for a brief moment

I, however, am not a skier. I had come out because I was given the opportunity to hang out and spend Saturday driving around taking pictures in Banff National Park. I thought maybe I would head up the Icefields Parkway and visit Peyto Lake. But, to be honest, I didn't check the weather forecast for the weekend—I just figured it would be nice.

Well, I woke up Saturday morning to snow. It had been snowing for a while. It was really pretty, but the visibility was low and the snow just didn’t stop. So, I had to change my plans because I was not going to go driving around in that weather to take pictures of not much.

Now yes, I know the best time to go out and take wildlife pictures is during times when the weather isn’t the greatest… but I had decided that my confidence in driving in the snow with my four-year-old all-season tires was not the best. So, I hung out at the hotel with my dog, Kona. We went on several walks and just enjoyed the area around us.

My room had a wood fireplace, which I enjoyed on Friday night. The hotel has a hot tub (I didn’t go in this time), but it’s a big one and really nice. They also have a fabulous restaurant called The Prow. They serve breakfast, lunch, Happy Hour and dinner. For dinner, Thomas and I shared Game Meatballs, Breaded Calamari, and Canadian Rye Whiskey Ribs with extra fries. So delicious! I even tried their Caesar, which is called "West is the Best." The ingredients were Crown Royal Rye, Clamato, Grade A Maple Syrup, house BBQ sauce, spices, and bacon. Now, for being a traditional Caesar gal who likes it with vodka... the Crown Royal Rye gave it a new kind of flavour, and I have to admit, it was pretty good.

Breakfast was delicious too—as I had an omelette that was delivered in good time after ordering.

So, what pictures did I take on Saturday?

Snowing at the campground. Making new trails.

A snowy tree top

An unimpressed Kona

Fast forward to Sunday morning. I woke up and the snow had stopped falling. Some of the clouds had receded, and the mountains surrounding the reservoir started to appear.

I had the day to myself, as Thomas had left with Kona, and I knew I just wanted to hit the road to Lake Minnewanka.

My first stop was Cascade Pond. It’s one of my “go-to” spots for pictures, and I thought maybe Rundle might give a peek. I walked through the pine trees, trekking through the fresh snow to reach the other side to see what Cascade Pond had to offer.

I was in complete awe, as before me was a winter wonderland. All of the trees were covered in beautiful, thick snow. I was at a loss for words. I am not always a fan of winter, but looking at this sight—how could you not be?

Cascade Pond with a glimpse of Mt Rundle in the background

A closer view of the bridge

Another view of a bridge at Cascade Pond

The sun was starting to appear, so I decided to continue on my journey up the road.

Lake Minnewanka's road is not fully open in the winter. You’re not able to travel the whole loop. From Cascade Pond, you take the road that leads to Two Jack Lake and the turnoff to Johnson Lake. The road will take you as far as Lake Minnewanka, and then you must return the same way.

Rumour has it that, one day, the road will be closed to cars in the summertime, and you’ll only be able to travel by shuttle—like at Moraine Lake. However, that’s still under consideration, and from what I’ve read, it wouldn’t happen for a few more years.

Continuing on the road toward Two Jack Lake, I saw a couple of cars parked along the side and a few people with long camera lenses pointing to my left. As I approached, I saw a small gathering of bull elk eating breakfast against a beautiful snowy backdrop.

Wow—the scene was pretty epic… almost like something out of a Christmas movie. The elk couldn’t have cared less about us; they were more focused on getting some calories in. This worked out nicely for our little group of observers. I took many pictures, but I’ll only share five here. :-)

Bull Elks in winter wonderland

"Are you looking at me?"

"Where to Next?"

Here you can see the Preorbital Gland: This gland produces secretions containing pheromones, chemical messages that are used to communicate with other elk.

"Mmmm, grass"

Well, my day had just gotten even better with that encounter. I decided to say goodbye to my elk friends and head up to Two Jack Lake. The sun was really starting to shine, the sky was turning blue as some of the clouds began to lift, and it was getting warmer.

I arrived at Two Jack Lake, and once again, I was presented with more artwork from Mother Nature. It wasn’t just the frosted trees that caught my eye and filled my heart—but also the clouds, which were slowly disappearing, revealing the mountains I’d been hoping to see.

An opening!

Two Jack Lake as Mt Rundle starts to appear

The Three Amigos

Another beautiful tree

I sat on the hill for a while as the sun was shining, and it felt so warm. Just being there quietly, looking out onto this magical scene, I could feel my cup filling up after a few grey days. I jumped in the car to explore just a little more.

As I headed around the bend, I saw a car coming toward me that had stopped because of a group of Bighorn Sheep. I just love that the sheep truly rule this area—you need to wait for them, not the other way around. I was lucky they had stopped right by a pull-out area, so I was able to watch them and, of course, take some pictures.

"I want to eat alone!"

The Gang

"Well, hello there!"

Now, you're probably assuming that my next stop was Lake Minnewanka itself. Well… I didn’t even make it. As I was approaching the lake, I realized that the sun was way too high, and after such a beautiful morning, I figured I wouldn’t be happy with the pictures I would take there.

However, here’s one last picture I took on the way back to the highway. This scene caught my eye, and since I was in a safe place to get out of the car, I figured it was meant to be.

"The Mountains are Calling"

After such a grey start to my weekend, Sunday made up for all the hours I didn’t explore. Once again, I made a photography trip out to the mountains, ditched the plans and expectations, and allowed for moments I could not have dreamed of. I really didn't expect it to be "Winter Photography in Banff" trip. Looking back on my pictures this winter, I realized I did need a few more winter scenes to add to my collection.

Being April and living in Alberta, I’m very aware that this won’t be the last snow dump of the season. But being in the right place at the right time, I welcomed the white stuff—and I was happy to be given the opportunity to play in this creative space.

I know this route is way more popular in the summertime, and there’s a lot to offer along the way. But it’s very busy as well. Off-season in Banff National Park is my favourite. There are times when I find myself alone with the elk or catching the view over frozen Two Jack with very few people—and watching the skaters playing on the wild ice.

Ice Skater back in December

I hope you enjoyed my "Unexpected Winter Photography Weekend in Banff National Park: Tales from my Drive."

You can purchase my Greeting Cards at the front desk at Buffalo Mountain Lodge. At their sister property Emerald Lake Lodge you can purchase Greeting Cards, Magnets and Prints featuring my work.

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