Yesterday morning, I ventured out for a morning drive with no particular destination in mind. I chose some areas I don’t often frequent in search of photographs, with the expectation I would find something interesting. After traveling west on the Trans-Canada Highway, I turned southward onto the Banff-Windermere Parkway, heading toward British Columbia and Kootenay National Park. Before I crossed into B.C., I came across the Vista Lake Viewpoint, offering a good view of Storm Mountain, a 3,161 m (10,351 ft) peak straddling the Banff NP/Kootenay NP boundary. It looked very striking in the light of the rising sun.
A little further down the highway, I stopped to photograph this next scene featuring the Vermilion River with the Vermilion Range of mountains in the background. This picture was a little challenging for the camera, a scene heavily shadowed by the mountains on the opposite side of the valley. It was also a little chilly and before long my fingers were getting quite cold. Time to move along.
After a couple of enjoyable hours I headed for home. Driving along between Banff and Canmore, I chose to stop at a location I hadn’t visited in many years. It’s a roadside camping/picnic area off the Trans-Canada, just a few kilometres before the park gate at Canmore. This location offers a splendid view of the Rundle Range, bordering the southwest side of the Bow Valley between Banff and Canmore.
A very nice outing and a nice way to spend the morning.