I went on a photo excursion this morning in Banff National Park. My destination for today was Bow Lake, about 35 km (22 miles) up the Icefields Parkway in the direction of Jasper. I arrived and began shooting around 6:30 am. This is after sunrise but the light is very good. The skies were partially cloudy, casting shadows across the landscape, creating interesting light conditions for photography.
My first picture was taken on the shore at a point where a creek drains into the lake. A shallow pond has formed behind a small natural dam that separates it from the lake itself. The contrast between the smooth water and the rippled water of the main lake makes an unusual and appealing foreground. This arm of the lake lays between Crowfoot Mountain on the left and Mount Jimmy Simpson on the right. At the far end of the lake is the Bow Glacier which drains into the lake and is the source of the Bow River. From its source, the Bow River winds through the Alberta foothills onto the prairies and through the city of Calgary. Further downstream, it meets the Oldman River, the two then forming the South Saskatchewan River. These waters ultimately flow through the Nelson River into Hudson Bay.
From near the same location, I turned the camera ninety degrees, looking southward down the lake. This is a great view, offering a good look at Crowfoot Mountain (right) and the peaks beyond.
I left Bow Lake about an hour after arriving. On my way home, I stopped at a turnout on the highway with an excellent view of the Crowfoot Glacier. You can see the blue/green waters of Bow Lake through gaps in the trees.
I made a few other brief stops along the way home but didn’t get any pictures that compared to the great scenes available around Bow Lake.
Beautiful pics!