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Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies – Gold Rush is on !

There is a Gold Ruch every year at this time in Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies.  It is Fall and the famous Larch trees, the only deciduous tree (with needles) that turn colour, turn to a mesmerizing warm golden hue.

It is frequently asked – When is the best time to visit the Canadian Rockies and Banff? There are many answers, all of which are valid, but for the Gold Rush and to see the Larch trees; “The magical colour conversion begins around the middle of September and lasts only a few weeks. As autumn is a hugely popular time for visiting the Canadian Rockies, it’s essential to plan your trip. If you can make it work, go mid-week, early in the morning for fewer crowds.”  

This is the time when the Banff National Park landscape is awash in the Alpine with Golden hues of Larch trees. There are multiple places to go and here are two posts with a fine list of suggestions:

Hike the Canadian Rockies 

9 Best hikes to See Fall Colours in Banff National Park

Bear in mind, that most of these hikes are quite popular and each year the “Gold Rush” grows, so be prepared and follow trail etiquette so all can enjoy. Also, the Larches can be found in the Alpine and you can go check other guidebooks like “Canadian Rockies Trail Guide ” ( my personal favourite to use ) and choose a hike and trail that suits your taste.

 

And you don’t have to only shoot the Larch Trees as the Birch, Poplar, and Aspen are very much part of the show. In the Banff National Park landscape, there are numerous opportunities to capture images with Fall colours that dazzle. While the Canadian Rockies may not have the hardwoods ( Oak, Maple, Elm) you will find, if you go looking, there will be a mountain landscape for you to capture and show the Fall palette of the Canadian Rockies.

 

 

Canadian Rockies Gold Rush
Collision of the Skies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Banff National Park landscape has a vast selection of subject matter to capture and create landscape wall art for your pleasure. Larch trees are just one element, albeit a most beautiful element, that exists in the Canadian Rockies and Banff mountain pictures. You can find my Banff National Park and Canadian Rockies Landscape Wall Art on my website – www.gitaphotos.com.

With all that is available to see and experience in Banff and the Canadian Rockies – Why are Larch Trees so special? “One of the most distinctive features of larch is that it is a deciduous conifer, meaning it sheds its needles annually in the fall, unlike most evergreen conifers. This trait allows larch to conserve energy during the winter months when photosynthesis is not possible.” Simply put this is a once-a-year phenomenon, the scarcity of viewing as well as at prime time, brings the sense of “special” and “discovery” and “rarity” into your psyche.

All those things may well describe the Art of landscape photography in Banff National Park. Banff Art stores are full of landscape paintings and images because, while there are many paintings and images out there, there are precious few that both capture your heart, and emotions and engage your attention. Larch trees in full colour are one of those scarce, special, and rare moments the Canadian Rockies and Banff landscape provide.
The list of special things to see in Banff and the Canadian Rockies is extensive: snow-capped mountains, huge glaciers, expansive icefields, stunning coloured lakes, rivers, streams, huge forests of trees, varied and wonderful wildlife, wildflowers, waterfalls, sunrises and sunsets, multiple species of birds, and now add to your list “Larch Trees” – they are Candian Rocky Mountain Gold!

My Tag line is “Special Moments in the Rockies, Captured in a Print Forever” and for a small time in September, Larch Trees may provide a Special Moment for you!

Published by Ron Hallam

Gita Photos is a Landscape Photography Studio based in Banff, Alberta and Banff National Park a World Heritage Site. Hi, my name is Ron Hallam. I am truly blessed to be able to live in and work in this stunning location; Banff, Alberta. I closed in and renovated the deck of my condo to be an editing studio. The studio is paneled in Alberta cedar. The main part of the ‘studio’, though, is the Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies! My work invloves hiking through the Park to find locations where the natural wonders of the Rockies are illuminated by the natural light of the moment. As one client testimonial put it, I want to offer you “ an instant escape to someplace magical” ( Jane Fedosoff, Toronto, Ontario) Another client commented “Ron's photographs are not just beautiful images of the Canadian Rockies. They are Ron himself – his life experiences, his love for this place and his eye for detail- that show a depth and unique understanding of this special place we are lucky to call home.” (Phil Monod, Banff Alberta) I’m in the second half of my life. I spent the first half running a ski shop and skiing and hiking in and around Banff National Park. I tinkered with photography for a long time - first with disposable cameras in the 70's. Needless to say the disposable left everything to be desired and I walked away wanting more, much more. Then, for one special hiking trip to Nepal, I purchased a proper SLR camera. The SLR provided better images, but I still needed time to learn and study and work at the craft of image making and film processing. Meanwhile, the time commitment necessary to run a shop (and my shop was a passion) meant work gave me limited spare time. That translated into playing when I could, took precedence over study of camera, technique and processing. So, upon retiring - for my second half, I wanted to stretch and work my “creative muscles”. I got down to focused and dedicated photographic endeavor. That started with a new DSLR. Then I began to study image making seriously. I learned about the digital way of image capture and developing (editing). The Rockies Landscape is so grand that larger Panorama shots are a favorite for me to create while, but as you can see from my work, everything in this magnificent place draws me to capture images of all kinds of landscapes. I like to work in both Color and Black and White and would love to hear which you prefer as your format of choice, and why. Every time I make an image, it is the direct result of letting the “something” inside me come up to the surface, and compel me to record that moment of what I’m seeing and feeling. I want to engage you to see the Rockies, and feel the Rockies exactly the way I do. I want to try to have you try to understand and engage with my perspective, and point you to the exquisite, intricate and profoundly intelligent designer - the God who created this natural world. Then, if you are awed by creation but also perturbed by economic disparities in the world, I hope you will browse the Art Battling Poverty Gallery dedicated to Poverty Relief and assistance for the marginalized. While you and I enjoy the beauty of the Rockies, many are struggling simply to survive. When you purchase my Art from the Art Battling Poverty Gallery (or indeed any image purchase) just tell me to donate to either of the NGO's I work with, at time of checkout. A portion of each sale, 15% – read the ABOUT Art Battling Poverty Tab) will be donated to in your name. Have a browse and find “ A special moment in the Rockies, captured in a print forever”. And when you purchase you won't only have a special print, but you will also be giving Hope to the marginalized.