Traveling to Banff National Park in June 2017, surprised me due to how much snow and ice was still prevalent everywhere. Even though I arrived on the outskirts of their “spring” season, it felt a lot like the end of winter with 30-degree weather every day and a half frozen Lake Louise. Despite the brisk air, and snow everywhere, this was a welcome change since I was coming from the tropical humid weather of 80 degrees. Being surrounded by endless mountains everywhere was a sight that I will never forget and the turquoise waters of Lake Louise, becoming ever more vibrant the further up I traveled, is an experience everyone should have on their bucket list.

After obsessing over the magnificent views of Lake Louise (with hundreds of photos filling up my camera’s memory card), it was time for the teahouse hike. As much as I love nature, hiking is not exactly something I do often… or at all for that matter. So this was going to be an experience. Before even reaching the hiking trails, I was already out of breath and grasping for my water bottle. Did I mention that I was at an elevation of 5,249 feet and I came from about 6 feet above sea level? Yeah, it was definitely an adjustment. The halfway point of the hike was a sight to see. We came across the Big Beehive mountain overlooking Mirror Lake. It was the perfect spot for a break to admire nature with birds chirping all around us. The mountain does indeed look like a beehive as it protrudes from the surrounding trees. Admiring the vibrant color of the lake against the untouched white snow and ice that floated on the calm water, I knew I had to take a photo. The stillness of the water made the scene so tranquil despite the many tourists that surrounded me.

During most of the hike many tourists surrounded us, which can sometimes be an obstacle when trying to do photography. However, I always make the extra effort to eliminate any individuals from a nature photo. My favorite photos to take are shots of locations with no one in my scene, or at least to give the viewer the illusion that no one is around for miles. We live in an overpopulated world and bombarded by so much noise everywhere that I tend thrive in moments of solitude. In those small moments of solitude I’m able to block out the noise of this world and just focus on what’s in front of me. Whether it is a scene in the middle of a city, or at the top of a mountain surrounded by a bunch of tourists, I always frame my photos to focus on the details that people may overlook, such as the photos in this post. Memories of the breathtaking views of nature, moments of quiet reflection and admiration, were the highlights of my Canadian trip and that is what I tried to capture in my photos.

When we finished our break at Mirror Lake, we knew the top of the trail was not very far up ahead. It was a strenuous uphill hike and extremely difficult with melting snow and mud everywhere but after much exhausted efforts I finally made it to the top. The view of Lake Agnes made all of the soreness in my body worth it. At 7005 feet in elevation, it was a sight I was not expecting to see. The mountains were still filled with snow, which trickled into a valley of knee-deep snow, and blended perfectly towards the half frozen lake. What surprised me the most was how calm the waters were yet right behind you is a raging waterfall pouring over the cliff. I took in the view with my friends in awe as we enjoyed hot tea, soup, and a chocolate brownie at the famous teahouse by Lake Agnes. The teahouse just opened for the season and it normally has no electricity or running water. Supplies are usually packed and brought up the mountain by the staff members on a weekly basis. And there are no trails that staff can just drive up the mountain to bring these supplies; they have to actually hike up and down this 4-mile trail on a regular basis.

While enjoying my chocolate brownie, I couldn’t help but admire how peaceful it was. Birds were chirping cheerfully (including the beautiful Steller’s Jay that kept following us on our hike), the soothing sound of the waterfall in the distance, the crisp breeze of cool air while the sun warmed us up, and the smell of fresh pine all around us. Lake Agnes’ water was so fresh and so pure, that the teahouse staff members walked down with jugs and filled it with water from the lake to be used for tea. We never wanted to leave.

It was incredible experience that everyone must do at some point in his/her life. As hard as I tried to capture every awe-inspiring sight with my camera, it will never match the emotions and memories that I will forever cherish of the adventure to the teahouse.