This weekend was an enjoyable. I had gone to Banff and hoped to take some pictures at Columbia Icefields. Unfortunately, when I was the Columbia Icefields, rain was coming down hard. The parking lot, usually filled with tourists, was almost completely empty. So no pictures of the Columbia Icefields. I did, however, take a few pictures along the Icefields Parkway, a highway that connects Banff and Jasper National Parks. In addition to the overcast sky and clouds, the sky was hazy because of smoke from forest fires in Washington and British Columbia. Although I rarely was able to smell the smoke, I could certainly see the grayish haze.
The above picture is hosted at Flickr. If you click on the picture of Bow Lake, you will be directed to a larger version at Flickr.
i have to get to banff one of these years. Always looks amazing
Hi Adam, yes, Banff and Jasper are both spectacular. Because Jasper is less touristy and more rustic, I prefer it over Banff. But I think Banff has some of the more easily accessible sites, such as Lake Louise. Both locations are very worthwhile seeing.
I highly encourage anyone vacationing in this region to drive along the Icefields Parkway, a highway connecting Banff and Jasper. It's an amazing drive with all the terrific scenery along the way. Another option is to take the Rocky Mountaineer train between Calgary and Vancouver.
http://www.rockymountaineer.com/default.aspx
Although I have never traveled on the Mountaineer, I have heard others rave about their experience.