Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada - Landscapes

Banff Springs Hotel with Orion and Sirius the dog star in the sky above.  I was hoping for a media from the Orioniod meteor shower that was occurring, but did not see any.

The second day of the workshop started somewhat later in the morning, because, we will going to photograph a world known landmark in the town of Banff, the Banff Springs Hotel.  This hotel was built because of the vision of the general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, William Cornelius Van Horne.  He recognized the tourism potential of the Canadian West and built hotels to accommodate tourists that would ride the Canadian Pacific Railway.  The Banff Springs Hotel was open to the public.  In 1888, and in 1926, the original wooden hotel burned down.  The hotel was rebuilt in its present appearance starting in 1928 and remained open until 1942, when it was closed because of World War II.  The hotel reopened in 1945, and remained on the auspices of the Canadian Pacific Hotel until 1999 when it became a Fairmont Hotel.

We observed and photographed the stars above the hotel and the lighting of the hotel as dawn approached.

Banff Springs Hotel

Banff Springs Hotel and the Bow River Rapids

After breakfast, at a great restaurant The Wild Flour, we traveled back by Lake Herbert, stopped there are to take some more pictures.

Herbert Lake and the moon with reflections in the water

We then went up to Peyto Lake.  The first trail from the parking lot was ice covered and the upper parking lot was closed due to some snow, which was very minimal.  It still was a steep uphill climb, and I wish to thank E.J. for making and helping me climb up there to get photographs of this extremely beautiful location. The best time to view Peyto Lake is mid-to-late morning and when the sun is shining to light up the lake, because the sun has to be high enough to clear the mountains that surround the Lake.

Peyto Lake Panorama

Peyto Lake

Peyto Lake

After we finished at Peyto Lake, we traveled back to the hotel to eat, rest and download pictures.  My group stopped on the way to take a few pictures of Bow Lake and Crowfoot Glacier.

Bow Lake and the Crowfoot Glacier

In the afternoon, we photographed Lake Minnewanka, which means " Water of the Spirits", and is the longest lake in the mountain parts of the Canadian Rockies at 17 miles long.  This is the result of a power dam at its West End.

Lake Minnewanka

We then traveled to Lake Johnson and photograph that beautiful site also.

Grasses in Fall Color at Lake Johnson

Lake Johnson

We finished the day again at Vermillion Pond, catching the sun set, as the sun lit up the mountain peaks as it slowly set.

As the Sun Set, It Is Lighting up the Peaks of the Mountains Overlooking Vermillion Pond

That concluded another wonderful day in Banff National Park.