Photographing in The Tonquin Valley, Jasper National Parkby Dr. Robert Berdan
The Ramparts mountain range at sunrise with Amethyst Lake in the Foreground photographed from the North side of the
To access the Tonquin Valley , drive from Jasper up to the ski lodge - Marmot Basin or Head to Edith Cavell Lake If you wish to visit the Tonquin Valley you will first need to drive to Jasper which you can use as your base. There are two trails leading into the Tonquin Valley and you can walk or ride on horseback. There are a number of backcountry campgrounds you can stay at or if you prefer comfort you can make reservations at one of the two lodges located on Amethyst Lake. The Tonquin Valley is a true wilderness experience and you won't run into any crowds like in Banff or Jasper. The trip in via the north route is 23 km and takes about 6 hours on horse back. Hikers carrying a full pack usually require two days, but our cook (Sarah) hiked into the lodge in one day. The North route follows Portal Creek over the Maccarib Pass which is a scenic route, but also traverses through bear county. The south route is via the Astoria River. Which ever route you take you will need to be in good shape, have a good pair of worn in hiking boots with gaters as the trails can get muddy. If you visit during the summer make sure you also bring insect repellent as the valley is famous for its mosquitoes, horseflies, deer flies and blackflies. One reason I like to visit around the end of August and early September is that most of the pesky bugs have been killed by frost. If hiking in late summer be sure to bring bear repellent with you as Grizzlies frequent the area and their have been several bear attacks reported in the Valley over the years. If you plan on camping make sure you hang your food up high and avoid food smells near or in your tent.
Grizzly bears may be encountered in the valley in late summer so its a good idea to bring bear spray. In open areas they are easy to spot, but when hiking the trails surrounded by thick bush or trees be sure to make lots of noise. I have made two trips into the valley with my father and we chose to go in on horseback. Both times we stayed at the Tonquin Valley Backcountry Lodge (north lodge) and choose to visit in early September. Neither of us had any previous experience with horses, but it was one of the most enjoyable trips we have ever taken. The cost was affordable compared to other guided tours and included our meals and accommodation in comfortable cabins. On the next trip I will consider staying at the south lodge to get a different view of the lake around sunrise. Our hosts were terrific and took great care of us. During the day you can choose to take a horse trip, or go wandering off on your own. Some guests prefer to take a boat out and try their luck fishing. The scenery is so spectacular that we enjoyed just sitting on our porch and watch caribou wander through camp.
Tonquin Valley Lodge at the North end of Amethyst Lake, main Cabin, dinning room and kitchen.
Top Left: Main cabin and walk ways. Top Right: one of the guest cabins. Bottom Left and Right : inside view of When we first rode in and stopped for lunch we got off our horses and could barely walk. It took most of us about 10-15 minutes to straighten our legs again so we could walk upright and it brought a smile to our guides. In places the trail can be very muddy and we also travelled through some wet areas which made us appreciate being on horseback. Hiking up into the mountains with a heavy backpack requires a decent level of fitness, however on horseback almost anyone can access this beautiful part of the park. The horses are well trained and easy to control even for city folks like ourselves. The use of horses in the parks has recently been criticized, though many park rangers use horses to access the back country to help hikers and keep an eye out for poachers. I enjoyed riding horseback as I could concentrate on the scenery while the horses did the work climbing up the mountain pass. I also like the high vantage point on a horse which let me see further and provides a greater sense of security in bear country.
The ideal camera and lens to have with you on horseback is an 18-200 mm VR lens carried in a chest pouch so you can grab it quickly and shoot. The 18-200 mm lens lets you take wide angle views of the trail and mountains, and also allows you to zoom in if you encounter wildlife. The vibration reduction feature (VR) is especially helpful when trying to shoot from a moving horse.
Three landscape views at different focal lengths taken with the 18-200 mm VR lens. Our cabin was a stone throw from Amethyst Lake. The lake is surrounded by mountains and on the east side there is a vertical rock wall called the Ramparts. The best light usually occurs at sunrise though we often stayed out late into the night taking pictures. There are no city lights to interfere with your view of the stars. The Group of Seven artists Lawren Harris and A.Y. Jackson painted in the valley in 1924; and 1928. The famous landscape photographer Ansel Adams also photographed in the valley. It's hard to describe the beauty of the Tonquin valley I can only show you these pictures.
Sunrise over Amethyst Lake - I used a 2 stop neutral density grad filter to darken the sky and lighten the foreground.
On both trips we experienced clear sunny days most of the time and in both instances we had fresh snow on our last day. If you travel in the Fall make sure you bring warm clothing.
Mountain caribou wandered right by our cabins so I followed them a little way and then just sat down to watch them for a while. . They didn't seem bothered by my presence and grazed as took pictures from about 100 feet away.
Mountain Caribou fighting near our cabins at the north end of the lake In addition to viewing Grizzly bears from a safe distance, we was also photographed a small herd of mountain caribou that wandered through our camp. We looked and listened for but did not see or hear any wolves.
Evening camp fire where folks spilled their beans and told stories.
Cowboy (my father) with tent and lantern in front of the Ramparts at dusk.
View of the Ramparts through my tent near the north side of the lake. The tent was only used as a prop as we choose to
We hiked to this small lake about 2 km north of Amethyst Lake - 14 mm wide angle lens.
During the day we also took horse back trips into the surrounding mountains - in this shot my father is looking over
Spires of Bastion Peak - Looking North West from behind the North Lodge
Photographer in the foreground - colourful clouds at sunset
Looking East from the North side of Amethyst Lake at Mt. Clitheroe before sunrise. Blue-gold polarizer, 12-24 mm zoom lens.
On one morning we woke up to about almost a foot of snow while clouds hide the Ramparts,
One of many ponds found around the north side of Amethyst Lake east of the cabins.
Fresh snow in early September made for some spectacular landscape opportunities around our camp site.
Spruce Grouse and fresh snow photographed from horseback on the trip out with my 18-200 mm zoom lens.
Riding out via the Maccarib Pass after an Autumn Snowfall. 18-200 mm lens. If you visit the area and stay at one of the cabins, keep in mind there is no electricity and no phone reception so be sure to bring plenty of spare camera batteries and enough storage media to last you for the duration of your trip. A lightweight tripod is essential if you want to photograph around sunrise and sunset. I already mentioned the ideal lens to bring is a zoom lens with 18-200 or similar combination of lenses. Also consider bringing a lightweight set of binoculars to spot wildlife and maybe your favorite pocket book to read though the lodge has a small collection of books. Weight is an issue as you are only allowed to bring 25 pounds of gear per person, extra gear will cost you $3\pound. If you plan to go hiking I also recommend bringing bear repellent available in Jasper or various sports stores in Calgary. If you plan to ride in on horseback make sure the guides adjust the straps correctly to avoid knee pain and do some leg stretching exercises before you go and\or bring Tylenol. In my opinion late August or early September is the best time to visit. If you are sharing a cabin or tent with someone that snores be sure to bring along some ear plugs. The Tonquin Valley is a relatively unknown treasure and though I am promoting it in this article, my hope is because it's more then 20 Km in the backcounty this feature will keep the majority of visitors out of this scenic valley. If you are a photographer and looking for something different and spectacular landscapes - then this is a photographers paradise. For more information about the Tonquin Valley lodges see the links below. RB Links and References
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