Behind the Image: SkyFire 📸
Behind the Image: SkyFire 📸
+ Win a spot on The Intangibles, my creative photography retreat at Bow Lake!
I would venture a guess that perhaps 10 human beings had ever passed through the area where we pitched our tent, ever, and we happened to be there on a night when the northern lights are visible to the south.
Some images you really pay the price for. "Skyfire" was one of them.
Earlier this month, my friend Kris and I ventured out on a short overnight adventure. The objective was to document a part of Banff National Park that has gone almost completely unnoticed over the years and to make the ascent of a remote mountain: Arctomys Peak.
After parking at the Glacier Lake trailhead on the Icefields Parkway, we happily set off around 11AM under sunny skies. Five hours and 25 kilometres later, we arrived at the head of the valley and established one of the finest, most photogenic bivouac sites we had ever experienced. Directly ahead loomed the incredible Lyell Icefall, and next to it, a stunning string of waterfalls - some of the highest in the park. I had passed through that area four times before but had always been on a mission to go elsewhere. I had never had the chance to take a closer look at the icefall, camera in hand. That opportunity alone warranted the excursion for me, but there was much more to look forward to.
We had originally planned an attempt on Arctomys Peak early the next morning before packing up and exiting back to the road, but given the weather seemed to be holding and that we still had five hours of daylight, we opted to quickly set up the tent in that idyllic setting, then to immediately set off with lighter packs towards our objective.
That's when the adventure really started. From camp, we had located a drainage that looked promising as an ascent route to the peak. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, it turned out not to be a viable route and we were quickly forced into a tightly-packed forest that made uphill travel quite challenging. Upon finally reaching the treeline, my comrade Kris called it a day and chose to stay back while I pressed on in the dwindling daylight. After scrambling up a few rock bands and some loose terrain, I topped out on the summit ridge of Arctomys Peak around 9PM, just as the sun was setting.
There is always something a little unsettling about being that high up at such a late hour, but as a photographer, I have to say it's also very exciting to be at those vantage points in beautiful light. But beyond the beautiful light, the clouds were building in ominous fashion and less than five minutes after reaching the top, I hurriedly started making my way down the mountain.
By the time I got back to Kris, we had about 15 minutes of daylight to work with, the pitter-patter of the rain started. As the light finally faded, the skies unleashed torrential rains upon us, and thunder started reverberating all over as we started tackling the treed descent.
The next two hours were among the most miserable travel I've ever done in the mountains. It rained relentlessly, we occasionally got disoriented in the pitch blackness, and the terrain (thick bushes, downed timber, devil's club, slippery "can't see where I'm stepping" shrubbery) was just about as nasty as it gets in the Canadian Rockies.
We stumbled into camp around midnight and made it a priority to warm up. Warm liquids, hot meals, and sleeping bags were most welcome that night. One issue, though, was we barely had any dry clothing left. So we took everything off, stuck the clothes outside the tent and took stock of the few dry garments we had.
Kris had literally nothing left to wear, so I volunteered to go hang the food before we finally settled in for the night. Upon exiting the tent I was immediately blown away by the utter transformation in the skies. Thirty minutes prior, the rain had been falling heavily. And now, there was not a single cloud in sight. Not only that, but to my complete surprise, the sky was now full of aurora!
At the latitude of Banff National Park, 99% of northern light displays materialize in the northerly portion of the sky (which was completely blocked for us because of the hulking mass of Arctomys Peak). And so to be able to witness aurora at all that night was nothing short of miraculous. I would venture a guess that perhaps 10 human beings had ever passed through the area where we pitched our tent, ever, and we happened to be there on a night when the northern lights are visible to the south.
Once I got over my disbelief, I excitedly told Kris why our much-deserved sleep would have to wait a little longer. Because he had no clothes left, Kris shot from the comfort of his sleeping bag inside the tent the entire time (and got amazing images!). As for me, I spent about 30 minutes shooting the aurora wearing underwear and sandals (the beauty of being in a location where you'll never bump into anyone you know!) before I realized how cold I was getting and decided to throw some damp pants on.
We actively photographed and marvelled at the aurora until about 3 in the morning, set up time-lapses, and drifted into slumber, feeling like Mother Nature had more than rewarded us for the punishing hours experienced on Arctomys Peak.
The next morning, immediately after waking, it took me a minute to come to my senses and realize that that aurora event had actually happened. The day dawned clear, windless and warm. We enjoyed our coffees while staring at the icefall across the valley, and then spent a couple of hours investigating it with our cameras. It was then time to start the 25km slog back to the road. After five visits, this may have been my last one in that area. Considering the sendoff I was given, I'm fine with that.
World Photography Day
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I’ve partnered up with 500px to create a unique competition that will land a lucky photographer a spot on my next creative retreat at Bow Lake!
📸 The Intangible Moment Quest with Paul Zizka is your chance to showcase your landscape photos that convey technical skill while telling a story. The ultimate prize is a spot on our The Intangibles photography retreat in beautiful Banff National Park, coming up in May 2025!
Here’s what we’re looking for:
Unique Perspectives: Capture scenes that might be easily overlooked, showcasing the beauty in the ordinary.
Storytelling: Your photo should convey a clear message or emotion, showing thoughtful intention behind the shot.
Visual Excellence: Submit only your best work, with attention to detail in composition, lighting, and post-processing.
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Thank you for taking me along, metaphorically speaking, on such a great adventure! I am on the sidelines hiking & witnessing incredible sights at a much slower pace! Great read. 👍
Beautiful story telling Paul, making me also wanting to be living in the rockies, the more I follow you the more I see my self in there. Thanks for sharing!