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In July 2025 we made our second trip to the Canadian Rockies, mostly in and around Banff National Park. Our 2019 trip is documented in this Sustaining Images gallery. As we did previously, we stayed near Lake Louise and hiked trails in the area, including at Moraine Lake. In the middle of our stay we hiked to Skoki Backcountry Lodge, where we stayed for three nights, and at the end of our trip we stayed for three nights at Sunshine Meadows. We thought it would be difficult to top our 2019 trip, which was truly epic, but this year’s visit was a magnificent adventure, allowing us to both revisit favorite hikes from our previous time in Banff National Park and explore new trails and places.
It was both inspiring and humbling to be once again in the midst of this amazing natural beauty and to walk through the quiet forest, along the peaceful lakeshores, by the rushing streams, through the wildflower-filled meadows, and beneath the constantly changing skies. We are supremely grateful to the visionary people who dedicated their lives to setting aside these lands for protection before they could be destroyed, and to the Parks Canada administration for their careful stewardship of these fragile areas.
We respectfully acknowledge the indigenous connections to these parks and the continuous presence of people who cared for and drew sustenance from these lands for thousands of years before they were threatened by colonialization. We recognize that the mountains are sacred places, where we can find solace in troubled times and hope for the future. We also pay tribute to people today who are working hard to mitigate the intense pressure to remove protections from natural areas all over the world. We came away from our venture not only rejuvenated and grounded, but also even more committed to supporting the fight to keep our precious natural areas safe for future generations to experience.
I hope you will find meaning in the images in these accompanying galleries. They were taken during a series of 14 trail hikes and 3 shorter walks. In total, we hiked more than 120 miles. We had rain and cool weather during much of the first part of our trip, with warm and sunny weather during the final days. If we meet in person, I'll be happy to share stories and impressions from our walks within what the Stoney Nakoda peoples call Mînî hrpa meaning “Mountain Where The Water Falls”.
In each of the galleries below I have included the photos from each hike that I liked the most, and I apologize for the large number of images. I also include a description of each hike, and a link where you can learn more about them. I suggest that you only try to look through one hike at a time. It’s best to think of the galleries as a chance to walk along with us and enjoy the scenes that called out to my camera as we were moving along the trail. I appreciate your interest in our photos from these amazing hikes.
Update: In addition to our hikes in Banff National Park in July, we had a special opportunity in September to visit Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park. The Lake O’Hara area has limited access, carefully managed by Parks Canada to protect this sensitive alpine area. We were fortunate to receive an invitation to stay at Lake O’Hara, and we eagerly made the return trip to the Canadian Rockies. We took advantage of being back in Canada to also stay a few days in Waterton Lakes National Park, another place that we’ve long wanted to visit. This return trip took us on 6 additional hikes and a couple of shorter walks, adding approximately 50 more miles to our summer hiking. The two trips in July and September left us with an abundance of images that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. I hope you enjoy the scenes I’ve shared in these galleries, and please allow me to thank you in advance for taking time to join us on our hikes.
It was both inspiring and humbling to be once again in the midst of this amazing natural beauty and to walk through the quiet forest, along the peaceful lakeshores, by the rushing streams, through the wildflower-filled meadows, and beneath the constantly changing skies. We are supremely grateful to the visionary people who dedicated their lives to setting aside these lands for protection before they could be destroyed, and to the Parks Canada administration for their careful stewardship of these fragile areas.
We respectfully acknowledge the indigenous connections to these parks and the continuous presence of people who cared for and drew sustenance from these lands for thousands of years before they were threatened by colonialization. We recognize that the mountains are sacred places, where we can find solace in troubled times and hope for the future. We also pay tribute to people today who are working hard to mitigate the intense pressure to remove protections from natural areas all over the world. We came away from our venture not only rejuvenated and grounded, but also even more committed to supporting the fight to keep our precious natural areas safe for future generations to experience.
I hope you will find meaning in the images in these accompanying galleries. They were taken during a series of 14 trail hikes and 3 shorter walks. In total, we hiked more than 120 miles. We had rain and cool weather during much of the first part of our trip, with warm and sunny weather during the final days. If we meet in person, I'll be happy to share stories and impressions from our walks within what the Stoney Nakoda peoples call Mînî hrpa meaning “Mountain Where The Water Falls”.
In each of the galleries below I have included the photos from each hike that I liked the most, and I apologize for the large number of images. I also include a description of each hike, and a link where you can learn more about them. I suggest that you only try to look through one hike at a time. It’s best to think of the galleries as a chance to walk along with us and enjoy the scenes that called out to my camera as we were moving along the trail. I appreciate your interest in our photos from these amazing hikes.
Update: In addition to our hikes in Banff National Park in July, we had a special opportunity in September to visit Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park. The Lake O’Hara area has limited access, carefully managed by Parks Canada to protect this sensitive alpine area. We were fortunate to receive an invitation to stay at Lake O’Hara, and we eagerly made the return trip to the Canadian Rockies. We took advantage of being back in Canada to also stay a few days in Waterton Lakes National Park, another place that we’ve long wanted to visit. This return trip took us on 6 additional hikes and a couple of shorter walks, adding approximately 50 more miles to our summer hiking. The two trips in July and September left us with an abundance of images that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. I hope you enjoy the scenes I’ve shared in these galleries, and please allow me to thank you in advance for taking time to join us on our hikes.
Lake Louise & Moraine Lake
100 photos
Skoki Backcountry Lodge
130 photos
Mountain Lakes, Streams & Waterfalls
155 photos
Sunshine Meadows
104 photos
Lake O'Hara
127 photos
Waterton Lakes National Park
84 photos
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