Mistaya Canyon, Icefields Parkway

Taken on 29 August 2013, when friend Sandy and I went off for a day in the Rocky Mountains, driving as far as Mistaya Canyon along the Icefields Parkway. This day trip included Peyto Lake, Mistaya Canyon, Bow Lake and Lake Louise. What more could one want? Though not as dramatic as certain other canyons, this smaller, narrow canyon is beautifully sculpted. I was surprised at how difficult I found it to photograph. You can see someone sitting on the rocks in the distance, above the centre of the image.

"Mistaya Canyon is a canyon in the western part of the Alberta province of Canada. It is formed by the Mistaya River. Tourists who are visiting Banff National Park often visit it because of its distinctive curvy canyon walls and because it is easy to access, being just off the Icefields Parkway. The 0.5 km trail to the canyon is located at a large parking area on the west side of the Parkway, part way up the long hill south of the North Saskatchewan River. The trail is an easy walk in summer but too steep for wheelchairs. The canyon is deep and there are no railings. The trail is icy in early spring." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistaya_Canyon