Banff/Jasper Trip Report

[arthuryeo]

Thanks to all who responded to my <a

href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Lcqw">previous post

</a> about Banff/Jasper NP. I am still there but I thot I pen down what I

recommend before I forget them.

<p><p>

Restaurants at Banff:<p>

<li>[Recommended] Bumper's Beef (steak house) - try their prime ribs

<li>[Recommended] The Kegs - good escargot and tender prime ribs

<li>[NOT Recommended] Grizzly House - super expensive and really bad food - I

can cook better foods than them

<li>[NOT Recommended] Old Spaghetti Factory - doesn't even come close to the

idea of Italian food --- but, it's inexpensive compared to other stores

<p><p>

Wildlife: head for Jasper --- Banff has very few wildlife and not worth the time

looking for them. I tried 2 early evenings and found NONE! At Jasper, on the way

to Maligned Lake, we had 2 encounters with Black Bears, multi-family group of

Mountain Goats and Bighorn Sheep

<p><p>

If you like mountains, this is the place to visit. They are everywhere. On the

Icefield Parkway, the way from Banff to Jasper, they are simply incredible.

Sunsets or sunrise will make your heart-beat race.

<p><p>

Costs: It appears that the Canadian National Parks (NP) are a lot more geared

towards tourism and not really a nature preserve. There are major freeways

(truck routes) cutting thru their NPs. Hotels and hotels and hotels are

everywhere! Cafeteria and restaurants all over the NPs. They are highly

commercialized and they are teeming with tourists. So, with so much competition,

I would expect prices to be well under control but no, they are sky high ---

ridiculously high. My kids' wireless headphones for the van's DVD player went

out of AAA batteries and we bought one single 4 pack for C$19 !!!! Meals with

substantially lower quality were more than twice the price I pay in the Seattle

area. Just Be PREPARED for a price shock if you are going there from the US.

[bruce_margolis]

Thanks for the report, Arthur. I will be in Banff next month. Sounds like I may have to sell one of my kids to pay for this trip. :-)

[Leonard-just-Leonard]

try Waterton Lakes National park in Southern Alberta. year round population 90 people. grizzly bear warning and traps right in the townsite for the last couple weeks, deer, moose, mountain goats etc wander through town and dine on people's lawn. no bank, no ATM and they close everything except 3 or 4 buildings from Oct to May. Now THAT's a park.

 

it is probably expensive to buy stuff, but it costs nothing to roast a weenie over a campfire anywhere. and personally the kid would do without $19.00 worth of batteries for a wireless headset when the whole idea is to enjoy nature :)

[lheusinkveld]

Arthur, it seems that your experience is somewhat coloured by your choices of route and location. Of course major freeways cut through the NPs in the Rockies, you will see on a map that those NPs form a solid barrier with only one alternative route well to the south of the country. By visiting Banff and Jasper you have hit the tourist towns, you also ate in 2 chain restaurants and one that has always been notorious for high prices and substandard food. Any park struggles with the balance between protection of nature and bringing in tourists, everything I have read suggests that Yellowstone has similar issues of too many people and high prices/poor quality. Get off the main roads, get out of your car and hike, get out early before the hordes, all would have improved your photographic opportunities.

 

For anyone planning this trip, beg, borrow, or steal a copy of "How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies" by Darwin Wiggett. It tells you where to be and when.

 

I was in Banff NP last week, to catch some of the major tourist spots that I managed to miss while living there. Moraine Lake near Lake Louise was extremely busy, but walk a few minutes away from the main centre and it is all but deserted. We took the boat trip on Lake Minnewanka, incredibly expensive tickets, but for a 1.5 hour trip with an excellent and informative commentary it was well worth it. Also, what you see from the dock is nothing like what you see once the boat moves down the lake.

 

We also noticed that one part of a drive may be teeming with tourists, and another may be all but deserted. Drive on Highway 1A, which parallels the main "freeway" between Lake Louise and Banff, and you have a good chance of seeing wildlife, plus there are many minor roads that take you further in. Just avoid the "honeypots" and you will have a much more satisfying experience.

 

Arthur, if you are still in the Jasper area, Wiggett suggests the following, although in most cases he says get there between sunrise and noon, and at sunset:

Moab Lake Road,

Leach Lake,

Fryatt Ponds,

Geraldine Fire Road,

Patricia Lake,

Pyramid Lake: parking at the end and hiking along the shore for ten minutes,

Highway 16 east from the Maligne Lake junction to the Jasper Park Gates, especially at sunrise and sunset.

 

Hope this is somewhat helpful, for those planning visits if it is too late for you Arthur.

[joseph_smith3]

Take the old highway from Banff to Lake Louise. On Icefields parkway, stop at Bow Lake at the Num Ti Jah lodge and hike the north shore of the lake. Make sure you have your wide angle lens with you. Stunning shots of mountains from the waters edge and a lot more.

 

If you like waterfalls, macro opportunities and few people, stop at Beauty Falls and Stanley Creek, unmarked stop at kilometer 142.5 on the Icefields parkway. Best photographed on overcast days and with a tripod. Hike is short. About five different waterfalls.

 

In Jasper, go to Mr Edith Cavell and spend the whole day if you can, at least the whole morning. Hike the trails there. Don't miss shots from the footbridge at the north end of the lake--best in early morning. It is near the hostel. Then drive to main parking area and hike the glacier trail, upper and lower. I prefer the lower first. Once you get to the lake in front of the two glaciers, you will need a wide angle lens. Very wide. If the snow has melted, hike the meadows trail too. This is one of the most beautiful spots I have ever been to in my life.

 

The trails in the Maligne canyon form the first bridge to the sixth bridge are easy to hike and produce great photos. They lead you right to the Athabasca river and lots of great photo ops. Any road in Jasper can take you to great locations. Joe Smith

[sandor_a._feher]

Good report, Arthur. I wish more like this be posted so we can avoid the "valtures".

[bosse de nage]

Not really a nature preserve? I have hiked and rode horseback for a week straight through Banff without ever encountering another human being. Things are quite different if you leave the highway behind - Banff is a huge preserve, and very little of it can actually be seen off of the Trans-Canada.

[arthuryeo]

****** DISCLAIMER *********

 

These are just my one time experience at Banff and Jasper and so, it may not reflect the true reality of what it is actually like there. I am only sharing what I had experienced there personally.

 

***************************

 

 

A little more to add ...

 

I *only* saw 2 highway patrols both on the way back: one was helping someone who had car problems and the other was waiting at the shade ready to pounce. I did not see them giving out speeding tickets like the ones we usually see in the US. That's nice for a change! I assume they are busy working on investigation and tracking the real criminals.

 

I also noticed that there are way more mosquitoes in Alberta than in British Columbia. I have no idea why but as soon as we travel further away from Alberta, the mosquito population density dropped markedly. So, bring your insect repellants. I have never been to Alaska in the summer but I can imagine how it is like because I saw my arm with several of the stingers right after I took those shots of the Mountain Goats. :) DEET is your friend.

 

And, yes, I traveled on Highway 1A (between Lake Louise and Banff) on 2 early evenings and it was quiet as a graveyard. Not a sign of any wildlife and we were moving at a "strolling" pace of about 25 MPH, stopping to the side every once in a while to let other vehicle pass. Yes, Highway 1A is significantly quieter than Highway 1. I also tried looking for Moose at both the Vermillion Lakes and I had no luck even though it was around 7-8:30P: it was significantly cooler and the sun was just low but not setting yet. The mosquitoes were definitely out. May be I have been spoiled by my last Alaskan trip. I was almost certain that I saw a Moose every 1/2 hour or so (sometimes more often) along the highway while I was traveling from Anchorage to Homer. Seriously! :)

 

We also tried a 2-hour horseback ride at Warner Stables (at Banff) for $260 (4 persons). It was fun and quite entertaining. Very tourist-sy ... I know I know ... but it's fun, trust me on that.

[arthuryeo]

Oh, BTW, the DVD and headphone thingy was used on the way there and on the way back. In our family, DVDs are banned once we arrive at the national parks.

[vivek iyer]

Arhtur, Banff stands for: Bet'r A&& Nothing's For Free!

 

You can even buy T-shirts and sweat shirts showing that for a premium price! ;)

[harryo]

There are two versions of both Banff and Jasper national parks. The 1st version is made for the armchair tourist that wants to see the main tourist areas ( Lake Louise, Banff, Jasper etc... ) and want all the luxury to go along with that. The other version of the parks are for those that are willing to get off the beaten path and experience the true outdoors. There are countless hiking trails which within 1/2 hour of hiking get you back away from the crowds into the "real" Rockies. Majestic mountains, flowering meadows, cascading waterfalls and abundent wildlife ( too much sometimes ) are just 1/2 hour away from the usual tourist areas. It's too bad the vast majority of people visiting the parks don't ever get to really see the parks.

 

Next week I am going into the Lake Ohara region of Yoho National Park. Probably pound for pound, one of the most spectacular accessible areas in the world and I venture to say that the majority of people reading this post do not even know it exists. The majority people visiting the parks will taking in Banff, Lake Louise and then quickly drive to Jasper to round out their time.

[bill_oneill]

First off, this is not an ideal time of year for photographing wildlife in the Canadian Rockies. Spring and especially fall are way better.

 

Stay away from Banff. It's just a waste of time and money. It reminds me of being in a subway at rush hour.

 

Jasper is much better, and there are reasonably priced places to stay in the area, even in the park. Do not buy food or other supplies in either Jasper or especially Banff. Just outside of Jasper Park to the east is Hinton. It's a full service town and prices for everything are reasonable there. Canmore can be found just south east of Banff, but it's not as good a deal as Hinton for prices. Besides, stay away from Banff.

 

Another good drive from north to south is along Hwy. 40. It is quite a bit longer and a completely different experience. I usually arrange for some sort of accommodation along the way and make it a 2-day trip. Again, summer is not the best time. The Best time is late fall or early spring. In those times, be prepared to be snowed-in for one or two days. Know what to do and bring food and warm bedding.

 

Waterton Lakes is good, very good. Lots of wildlife (you might have to go look for it) and fewer crowds, but there is not a lot in the way of amenities. It depends on whether you want convenience or good wildlife photography.

 

Yoho is so-so. I have not had a lot of luck there.