I'll be going on a family plus photography trip to Banff, Jasper and Yoho for 8 days at the end of June. While photography won't be the absolute focus of the trip, it will be a part of it.
The short version - I have three questions:
- what are the can't miss locations - either the well known ones or the lesser known ones. I've done some research so know about the big spots.
- do I need something in the 100-400mm range?
- thoughts on filters - are they nice to have? need to have? not necessary?
Some more background...
We are staying in Canmore for the Banff portion, a cabin outside of Jasper for that time, and were lucky to get a place on Emerald Lake in Yoho.
We've never been, so planning on hitting the big attractions early and hoping to get a bit further off the beaten track mid day.
For camera gear, I'm planning on carrying an R5, EF 16-35 f/4, EF 24-105 f/4 and thinking of filling in the tele range with a zoom. I own the EF 100-400 vii, which is great but a bit heavy for longer hikes. Was thinking of renting an RF100-400 to lighten the load. And I'll have batteries and extra cards.
I have ND and CP filters for the 16-35 and 24-105, but don't know if they are going to be necessary for landscapes.
For a first time visit with family the answer is, IMO, straightforward: if this is a family trip where you won't be hauling ass up significant slopes then your main options are
a) The trans-Canada highway between Canmore (3 Sisters) and Yoho
b) The Icefields parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper
c) If you have time Kananaskis Lakes, Spray Lakes, and the Dorrien Trail
d) Not sure how the heli flights to Assiniboine are in the summer and whether it is feasible to fly in on a morning flight and fly out in the evening
If you can find the old Darwin Wiggett books you are going to get plenty of suggestions in these corridors. Getting "further off the beaten track" in a place like that involves hiking up steep slopes and substantial distances. Even places like the Sarrail Ridge, Tent Ridge, Mt. Smutwood and Mt. Jimmy Simpson - which involve thigh-busting effort - are well on the "beaten track".
Lens selection is fine, depending on your shooting style wider than 16mm may be helkpful.
It has been a long time since I have used a polarizer. ND filters are mostly useful if you will also bring a tripod.
Don't forget to pack the Deet, the bugs will probably be out in full force. Last but not least, plan a photography visit in a more productive time. IMO summer is the worst photography time in this area. Sure, you have turquoise lakes, but you also get green forests as foreground to gray rock. My favorite times for this area is December-January or last week of September when the larches turn.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.
As long as we are all healthy when we get there, we aren't afraid of doing longer hikes and scrambling. Our kids aren't kids anymore (29 and 25) and they are in better shape than us. So there will be some longer / steeper hikes in our plan.
Thanks for the suggestion on places - some new ones for our research. And I'll look for the Darwin WIggett books.
And thanks for the reminder on Deet. We will probably pick that up locally- along with bear spray.
Thanks again!
Bob.
GroovyGeek wrote:
For a first time visit with family the answer is, IMO, straightforward: if this is a family trip where you won't be hauling ass up significant slopes then your main options are
a) The trans-Canada highway between Canmore (3 Sisters) and Yoho
b) The Icefields parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper
c) If you have time Kananaskis Lakes, Spray Lakes, and the Dorrien Trail
d) Not sure how the heli flights to Assiniboine are in the summer and whether it is feasible to fly in on a morning flight and fly out in the evening
If you can find the old Darwin Wiggett books you are going to get plenty of suggestions in these corridors. Getting "further off the beaten track" in a place like that involves hiking up steep slopes and substantial distances. Even places like the Sarrail Ridge, Tent Ridge, Mt. Smutwood and Mt. Jimmy Simpson - which involve thigh-busting effort - are well on the "beaten track".
Lens selection is fine, depending on your shooting style wider than 16mm may be helkpful.
It has been a long time since I have used a polarizer. ND filters are mostly useful if you will also bring a tripod.
Don't forget to pack the Deet, the bugs will probably be out in full force. Last but not least, plan a photography visit in a more productive time. IMO summer is the worst photography time in this area. Sure, you have turquoise lakes, but you also get green forests as foreground to gray rock. My favorite times for this area is December-January or last week of September when the larches turn.
Thanks - and yes - I was thinking the 100-400 for wildlife. I'm just considering renting (or buy then sell) the RF since it's a lot lighter than the L.
kylebarendrick wrote:
I'll second the Icefields Parkway. Beautiful views around every corner and there is at least some opportunity to avoid some crowds.
I'd also recommend bringing the 100-400 to take advantage of any wildlife that you come across.
volyrat wrote:
Thanks - and yes - I was thinking the 100-400 for wildlife. I'm just considering renting (or buy then sell) the RF since it's a lot lighter than the L.
If it was me and I was bringing an R5 and planning to rent a long zoom, I'd go with the RF 100-500. I'd expect you'd have a hard time letting it go when done.
volyrat wrote:
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.
As long as we are all healthy when we get there, we aren't afraid of doing longer hikes and scrambling. Our kids aren't kids anymore (29 and 25) and they are in better shape than us. So there will be some longer / steeper hikes in our plan.
Thanks for the suggestion on places - some new ones for our research. And I'll look for the Darwin WIggett books.
And thanks for the reminder on Deet. We will probably pick that up locally- along with bear spray.
Thanks again!
Bob.
If you are willing to sweat, I would prioritize Mt. Smuttwood and Mt. Jimmy Simpson. The views from both are very photogenic. Smutwood in particular has a view from the top that is probably in 10,000+ IG posts but IMO is worse that the views from just below the summit. The Sarrail Ridge and Tent Ridge are, IMO, mostly stiff hikes, without nearly as nice of a scenic quality, The Sarrail Ridge in particular is a thigh buster - 300m+ elevation gain over the last 500m of the trail. To make matters worse the trail is often muddy so you take one step forward and slide 3 steps back. I would not do this trail without trekking poles.
Here are some pics from peak larch season
Smutwood
Tent Ridge
This is the lake at the base of Sarrail Ridge. From this point on you have 500m trail with 300m+ elevation gain.
I don't have any pics from the top because I did not find the views particularly compelling. Maybe in better light I would change my mind, but it is A LOT of work to get up there.
Thanks again for the additional information - and I forgot to say earlier - amazing photos! Your gallery is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
GroovyGeek wrote:
If you are willing to sweat, I would prioritize Mt. Smuttwood and Mt. Jimmy Simpson. The views from both are very photogenic. Smutwood in particular has a view from the top that is probably in 10,000+ IG posts but IMO is worse that the views from just below the summit. The Sarrail Ridge and Tent Ridge are, IMO, mostly stiff hikes, without nearly as nice of a scenic quality, The Sarrail Ridge in particular is a thigh buster - 300m+ elevation gain over the last 500m of the trail. To make matters worse the trail is often muddy so you take one step forward and slide 3 steps back. I would not do this trail without trekking poles.
I don't have any pics from the top because I did not find the views particularly compelling. Maybe in better light I would change my mind, but it is A LOT of work to get up there....Show more →
Thanks - I've heard great things about the 100-500. I was thinking of the RF 100-400 to save a couple of pounds in the backpack - I might just carry my EF 100-400 V2. It's a great lens but is a couple of pounds heavier.
kylebarendrick wrote:
If it was me and I was bringing an R5 and planning to rent a long zoom, I'd go with the RF 100-500. I'd expect you'd have a hard time letting it go when done.
