Chances are you've heard of a little place in Canada called Banff National Park. There is even a better chance you've seen pictures of some of the natural beauty of this area. However, as many times as you've seen this area in pictures, there's nothing like exploring it for the first time.
Last Fall, my friends and I road tripped from the Colorado Rockies to the Canadian Rockies. We drove seventeen hours in one day, talked about life, joked around, listened to audiobooks, and finally made it to Banff the next morning. Our first stop was the famous Lake Louise and Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House. The 3.25 mile hike to the tea house was unlike any hike we had done before. Milky blue water, rock fields, avalanches roaring miles away, and fog flowing between the larches and pines made for a magical experience. Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks were next, where we battled the crowds to find a quiet spot to take it all in.
Next up, we trekked up Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park and explored the area between the two parks (Peyto Lake, Athabasca Falls, Columbia Icefield) and spent one night camping under the stars. The number of mountains piercing the sky was overwhelming, as it seemed that after every curve there was a peak more dramatic then the last. It's times like these that make you realize how small you are in relation to the universe and it definitely puts things into perspective.
Seeing Banff with my own eyes gave me a refreshing sense of wonder and hope. Sure, there will be many more people who will see the same lakes, glaciers, mountains, and waterfalls in the future, but it’s what you take away from your personal experience that really matters.
- Adrian Narvaez
ADRIAN NARVAEZ was raised in Southern California and now resides in Denver, Colorado (with previous stints in SF and HI), Adrian is a mechanical engineer and freelance photographer specializing in adventure, landscape, and brand photography. He loves to capture the “in betweens” of a moment which portrays natural movements of the subject in whatever surrounding they’re in. In his free time, chances are you'll find Adrian running, drinking coffee, taking pictures of food, or walking to/from the refrigerator.
Instagram: @anarvz