I’ve been on a bit of a Leica kick as of late. For a solid two-plus weeks, I was reading reviews, watching videos, and lusting after everything the boutique camera company was coming up with. (Up to but not including the Leica M10-D, mind you. I can’t get onboard a camera like that.)
And it all started with this photographic look at the Leica M10. What an insanely beautiful camera. Insanely expensive, sure. But insanely beautiful. Rask has a way with product imagery unlike anyone else on the internet.
It’ll have to wait a few years, but this camera is a bucket list camera. Alongside the venerable 50mm Summilux, this would be one formidable camera kit.
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This panorama of Moraine Lake — a five-photograph stitch — is widely recognized thanks to its heralded Windows 7 default desktop wallpaper placing.
In all likelihood, about 95% of people who stumble upon this site have previously seen Moraine Lake. Between the millions of travel photos on Instagram and the Windows 7 default desktop background, Moraine Lake is surely the most recognizable mountain lake in Canada.
Moraine Lake is set in the Valley of the Ten Peaks amidst mountains, rock piles, and Rocky Mountain forests. The vivid blue lake comes as the result of light bouncing off “rock flour”, which are small particles of rock floating in the water.
Like every mountain range in the Rockies, there are numerous hiking paths to discover in and around Moraine. The Rockpile Trail runs along the back of Moraine and is home to the “Twenty Dollar View”, which was artistically featured on the back of the Canadian $20 bill between 1969 and 1979.
Despite the incredibly popular and instantly-recognizable mountain range, Moraine Lake is surprisingly difficult to visit. From Banff, you head up the Trans-Canada Highway to Lake Louise. As you venture through the town of Lake Louise toward the lake itself, you have to take a quick left off the regular road to visit Moraine Lake. After that, it’s about a 10 to 15 minute drive up the side of the mountain to the tiny parking lot housing all Moraine Lake visitors.
This doesn’t sound bad, if not for the fact you have to make this trek at 5:00AM in order to secure a parking space. Moraine Lake’s parking lot fills infamously quick — even during our stay in mid-September, the parking lot was filled by about 6:00AM. Should you be lucky enough to secure a parking spot, the magical sunrise over the lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks is one of the most ethereal images to see on this planet.
The Moraine Lake/Lake Louise dynamic duo are the absolute highlight spectacles of a visit to Banff National Park. There are many, many mountain ranges and wonderfully blue glacial lakes to visit — Peyto, among the ones which I wish we had visited — but Moraine is the most mind-bending visage imaginable.
On the Vermilion Lakes Scenic Drive, you’d be hardpressed to capture a bad photograph.
There’s Banff, like the town of Banff. And then there’s the entire Banff National Park, which encompasses the town of Banff, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and on, and on. The natural beauty extends for hundreds of miles through the highest peaks and lowest valleys in the Canadian Rockies.
Just outside Banff Town, for example, is the Vermilion Lakes Scenic Drive. The drive winds along the lake, with spectacular views of Mt. Rundle. We took the drive right through the middle of golden hour, so conditions were perfect to snap a few unforgettable photos.
You can also visit Johnston Canyon, about 45 minutes or so from Banff. After hiking the canyon and viewing the two sets of waterfalls, you can continue on the path to the famous ink pots at the end. Or, you’ll venture around to find the not-so-secret “Secret Cave”, where many Johnston Canyon photos are shot. It was closed when we came through. The limestone and stunning glacial stream that winds through Johnston Canyon is worth the workout.
Or you can take the scenic drive past Lake Minnewanka, Johnson Lake, Two Jack Lake, and more. Johnson Lake, in particular, caught our attention as the place to get away from all the tourists in town. There’s ample parking wherever you go on this scenic drive, so don’t be too concerned about arriving early.
Of course, there’s lots more to Banff National Park. Even beyond what I’ll be sharing over the next few weeks. The beauty to this National Park is endless and is worth ten times the price of the rental car you’ll need to explore. Should Banff National Park not be enough to satisfy your thirst, there’s Yoho, Glacier, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke, and Jasper National Parks all effectively surrounding Banff National Park.
Each are worthy of their own lengthy visit. And each houses a lifetime of exploration.
