We’ve posted the best photos of our trip to Banff and Jasper here.  See the captions of the photos to learn more about them.  Some semi-organized thoughts about the trip...

Overall

The parks are probably the most beautiful parks we’ve ever visited.  Incredible mountains, dozens of glaciers, beautiful glacier-fed lakes with the most wonderful shades of blue, plentiful animals...it was truly a nature-lover’s and photographer’s paradise.  I lost count of the number of waterfalls, lakes, and glaciers that we saw, and we hiked everywhere from lakes to mountains to glaciers.  Robin and I would definitely go again.

My only complaint about the trip was that it was a bit more expensive than I’d like.  The US and Canadian dollars are almost at parity, and some things (like the rental car) were twice as expensive as what we’re used to in the U.S.

Food was really hit or miss.  One day we’d have incredible pizza, then the next we’d have the worst pizza of our lives, and then the next I had the best chicken dish I’ve ever had in my life.  Surprisingly, cost was not always a predictor of food quality.  Next time we go we’ll do more research ahead of time to figure out where the good restaurants are.

Photography

I have never seen so many SLRs in my life.  Seriously, it seemed like each group had at least one SLR, and in some cases both husband and wife had their own SLRs.  I think SLRs have finally come down in price enough such that a substantial number of families can afford one.

In terms of gear, I brought three lenses: the 10-22, 24-105, and 100-400.  Surprisingly, the 24-105 was hardly ever used.  I used the 10-22 for all the scenic shots, and I used the 100-400 for wildlife shots.  If I could only take one lens on the trip, I’d take the 10-22 and give up any chance for a good wildlife shot.  If I were to go again, I’d leave behind the 24-105.

Just as with our trip to Yellowstone, the polarizer was worth its weight in gold.  It was superb at giving the sky a great shade of blue and reducing glare on the lakes and foliage.  In some of the shots where the mountains are reflected in the water, the polarizer helped to remove some glare and enhance the reflection.

The LowePro Slingshot 300 bag was terrific throughout the trip.  It has two great features:  first, it easily rotates around to give you access to your gear without having to take the bag off your shoulder.  I could change lenses without setting anything on the ground.  Second, the bag has a waist belt that, when used, allows you to carry the bag in such a way that it hangs away from your back.  We did a several-hour hike in hot, full sun, and with the bag and a Nike DriFit t-shirt, it was surprisingly comfortable.

Why have I never heard of a Tilly’s Hat?

Midway through the trip we signed up to take a three-hour guided hike on the Athabasca glacier.  It was an incredible experience, but one completely unexpected happy result was the purchase of a Tilly’s Hat.  It was pretty hot throughout the trip, and during long hikes we kept passing people with great sun hats.  I got sick of the sun beating down on me all day (and having to slather up my head in sun tan lotion all the time), so in Jasper I checked out all the hats in the sporting goods shops and bought a Tilly’s T3 hat.

I can’t say enough about how great this hat is.  On the glacier hike it kept my face and ears protected from the sun, it shielded my ears from the cold wind, and when it rained at the end it kept me dry.  On hikes later in the trip it did a great job of protecting me from the sun while not being hot to wear.  Definitely recommended.

We hope you enjoy the photos!