Join our guided Alpine tour set up for those who enjoy tenting and a good hike in a breath-taking venue. The tour will take place in and around Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park.
Join our photographer, David Buzzeo to learn how to choose the best location for a given day and time. How to work an alpine site. What special considerations there are for shooting in the mountains? Composition beyond the rule of thirds. An in-depth look at exposure strategies. Photographing in less than ideal conditions, (low light, overcast days, bad weather, extreme contrast etc.), post-production tips.
The Canadian Rockies are an extremely popular destination for walkers, hikers, sightseers, naturalists and photographers. As such, booking accommodations at lodges and campsites is always difficult. To address this I have chosen a wonderful site, the Magog Lake Campsite, which has ample campsites and several options.
Getting There:
It is the responsibility of the participant to get to the Mount Shark Trail Head. From there Mount Assiniboine has a few options:
You can hike into Lake Magog from the Mount Shark Trail Head (27 km)
You can hike into Lake Magog from the Mount Shark Trail Head (27 km) and helicopter in and out your pack. There is a charge for this.
You can take a helicopter from the same starting point in, hike out and helicopter out your pack.
You can helicopter in and out.
Once at Lake Magog there are three options for accommodations, tenting at the Magog campsite, staying at the B.C Parks Naiset Cabins or staying at the Mount Assiniboine Lodge. The helicopter flight can be arranged just before the tour, however, the cabins and the lodge fill up early. So if we are to have any hope of booking these, we need to know who is going and where you want to stay. The lodge rates and the helicopter rates can be found at: http://assiniboinelodge.com/assiniboine-lodge
Itinerary
Friday, September 24th, 2021
8:30 AM Congregate at the Mount Shark Trail Head. We will be hiking in via Assiniboine Pass. We will be taking the longer, but easier, hiking trail.
5:00 PM We should arrive at Mount Assiniboine Park allowing time to set up your tent and make dinner.
7:00 PM We leave for a sunset shoot. In Mid-September the sun sets around 7:35 pm and it rises
around 7:35 am. Our first sunset shoot will be around Lake Magog. The evening light can be
spectacular. We will be there just after the full of moon (September 24), if the air is cool and
the sky clear, we might get some wonderful moonlight images.
Saturday, September 25th, 2021
6:00 AM Bring your headlamps and hike up towards the Nub, about one hour. There we will be able to
photograph back towards Mount Assiniboine and Sunburst Peak. If the weather cooperates,
the morning light is special. After sunrise we can continue to the summit of the Nub for a
tremendous panoramic view of the entire valley.
3:00 PM Return to Lake Magog for tea at Mount Assiniboine Lodge.
6:00 PM The sunset shoot we will hike towards Wonder Pass. The larches at this time of year are
outstanding. We will return to the same area in the morning for our sunrise shoot. Not only do
we have fantastic views of The Towers and Terrapin Mountain but Gog Lake is a photogenic
gem.
The waterfall at Magog Creek
The larches
The Towers
Sunday, September 26th, 2021
8:30 AM Start our hike out via Wonder Pass. The hike is almost all downhill and takes about six hours.
4:30 PM Allowing for a couple of stops for photos, arrive at the trailhead.
Drive to Canmore for a beer and then home.
Cost: $624.75 (GST included)
In addition, there is your cost of transportation, accommodation and food. I have set the cost out this way so people can decide which of these items best suits their circumstances. Please complete the attached information form. Once returned, I will provide you with a quote. With a deposit, I can then make all the reservations on your behalf.
While we are fully insured, all participants are required to sign a standard participant’s release and indemnity agreement prior to the tour.
Cancellation Policy. You may cancel up to 30 days before the event with a 25% penalty. After that, there is no refund for cancelling. This tour will proceed regardless of the weather. (Sometimes the best images are produced during inclement weather.)