Banff National Park October 25, 2024

After hiking up Sulphur Mountain yesterday to get a grand view of all Banff, today I stayed low visiting many pretty locations.  I enjoy winter at Lake Minnewanka when I can skate and when the ice formations and methane bubbles are plentiful making for a photographer’s dream. That’s only in my dreams right now. It could become a reality in two months.  I walked a portion of the shore and admired the views.

It has been ages since I was here in another season other than winter.  I forgot what it looked like without ice. In a couple of months, I should be able to walk from where I am standing to that little island with the trees on it.

the sun catching the mountain peaks with the glow reflecting in the water 

a Black-capped Chickadee 

The picnic tables, shelters and food storage cabinets are available for use read round.

It’s rutting season and there are warning notices throughout the Park.

Luckily there were no Bull Elk close to where I was walking but I did have to stop to let this one cross the road. It was walking in my direction on the road so I backed up and pulled to the wrong side to give it a wide berth.  When it got to this spot, I rolled down the passenger window to snap this shot.  There were two more of these guys further along the road that were behaving erratically, I zoomed on by,

Two Jack Lake is another location that is so dreamy in winter.  While the Lake is still open water, ice lined the shore. I broke a piece off to play with.  This slice measures about four inches in height.

reflections at Two Jack Lake

a female Common Merganser 

Time came to venture into downtown.  Even at noon it was very quiet.

Tomorrow could be a different story as it’s the first day of the Banff Mountain Film Festival.  I looked in many shops but my heart was not into shopping today.  I do better at that in December during the spirit of the season.

The walk along the river was beautiful!

squirrel with lunch 

female Mallard

I eventually made it back to the free parking lot near the train station.  This was the view from my vehicle just before leaving to head back to my home away from home.