The onset of autumn in the Rockies is recognizable by changes of colour and the return of snow to the mountain peaks. They occur at about the same time, mid to late September. The snow is on time this year; the change of colours is lagging a bit. We’ve yet to see the best. This morning was a beautiful one, clear to partly cloudy skies and beautiful light. I got off to an early start, catching the sunrise from the bridge crossing the Bow River in the middle of Canmore. My first picture focuses on the Three Sisters, Canmore’s signature landmark. The sun is coming from the left and from behind these mountains so only part of them is coloured by the light.
The next picture was taken at the same location with a wider angle, taking in a number of peaks on the south side of the valley. These mountain faces are exposed to direct sunlight and colourfully illuminated.
Before leaving Canmore to go on to Banff National Park, I crossed the road to get this next shot on the other side of the bridge, facing westward. You can see the entire Rundle Range on the left and at the far end of the scene, Cascade Mountain.
I chose to do a loop through the park today, traveling west to Castle Junction on the Trans-Canada Highway and returning on the parallel Highway 1A, the Bow Valley Parkway. I took photographs while driving in both directions. By the time I got into the park, it was approaching mid-morning. The light on the mountains had lost its colour but that was replaced by the colours of the foliage. Rather than offer a lot of narrative, I’ve chosen to present the remainder of today’s pictures as a slideshow. The slideshow features a number of my favourite areas and mountains and this is among the best times of the year to photograph them. The snow is still sparse and serves to highlight (rather than obscure) the rugged features of the peaks. Although not yet as colourful as I’d like, the leaves on the aspens, the needles on the larches, the shrubs and the grasses are all changing to their autumn hues. Without further ado, here’s the slideshow. Click on the right side of the photos to advance, on the left to back up.
