Artist: Derek Turcotte

For thousands of years, First Nations People beaded, danced and sang to the beat of nature. Leaving pictographs and petroglyphs; rock art for those to find in the future. It’s only in the last few hundred years, photographers came. In the beginning to record the mountains, create maps, and attempt to bring back and share what ultimately STAYS HERE.

We don’t know where exploration might lead us or the growth we will incur along the way, but what we do find is change and an abundance of imagination.

Banff’s first official tourist was Sir James Hector, a Scottish geologist, naturalist, and surgeon. In 1857, James Hector was employed with the Palliser expedition to survey and scrutinize the Canadian Rockies, documenting if these western mountains were worth anything? Is there potential for agriculture? Is there gold? As it turned out - There was neither! But perhaps what James uncovered was worth more than gold.

Sir Hector occupied his days scrambling alpine tarns. He sat high on the slopes of Cascade Mountain, of which he named, enjoying the wildlife and sketching the land. His eyes were torn from paper to alpine scene. The mountains, as he began to see them, were no longer an evil existence, no longer considered just a barrier. In those moments of scanning the surrounding peaks, the first westerner pronounced these mountains as beautiful.

One only has to watch the western anemone peak out, bloom and then flourish to find inspiration in nature.

Painting: Derek Turcotte

In 1888, Cornelius Van Horne, manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway wanted to attract tourists to the Rockies, famously saying, “If we cannot export the scenery, we must import the tourists.” He invited artists from all around the world, offering them a free train ticket and a free stay at the newly opened Banff Springs Hotel, with the only condition being he could use and multiply any work they created during their stay. Mr. Van Horne knew that wherever there is beauty such as this, there is creativity. (And free advertising) I imagine an influx of artists would have found their way here eventually, but Cornelius discovered a route. Many of these artists stayed and captured the charm with photos, painting, sculptures and words.

One such woman was Mary Schaffer Warren, at first aiding botanical research in the Canadian Rockies with her talent of illustration. She moved from Pennsylvania to Banff, riding into hidden valleys and upon dazzling blue lakes which had never before been revealed to a non-aboriginal.

Like many prior and after, Mary was inspired by this land. She became a photographer, painter and ultimately left us literary record with her book, Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies, published in 1911. This “rather silly little book” as she wrote to her friend, is in fact a great addition to Canadian Rocky Mountain history.

Jocey Asnong, an author and artist whose mediums include chalk, pastel and mixed-media-collage came to Moraine Lake as a young adult and knew within her first few days amongst the surrounding ten peaks that she’d never look back. She felt like she was home. It’s hard for Jocey to define how living here changed her style. One way she put it was everything became an influence. She attempted to explain it as, “The life force - The shapes in the mountains, the colour of snow and brilliance of water. The skies.”

From flat land to this whole other planet of vertical sky lines. Everything is kind of out of proportion. “Many of my illustrations are out of scale and I find the mountains like that. They’re in my face. I feel a connection.” While living at Moraine Lake, Jocey created personalities for each of the peaks. She still goes there when she feels out of balance. “I then feel like I am surrounded by Mentors.” She told me and then laughed, “Mount Temple is such a show-off.”  

Jocey is admittedly cautious by nature, and in her Nuptse and Lhotse Children’s book series about two adventurous cats, she created a character similar to her own. Her art and stories encourage young children, and us adults reading to them, to open our eyes wider, planting the seed within us that even if we believe we’re not brave, adventurous, or sporty, we can still have adventures. She wants kids to be curious about the world. Sometimes, when Jocey is feeling stuck, it’s this curiosity to get out and go for a walk that inspires her creativity.

Jeweller Savannah, also loves going for a walk. She likes to look at flora and identify the medicinal property of plants. With a Bachelor of Science and Ecology, Savannah did her honour thesis in Kananaskis, Alberta, and said,

“Spending so much time outside, one can see micro changes every season.”

By trying to capture these changes, she translates into another medium, striving to embody that same feeling as when she’s out there. The art Savannah creates with jewellery and moccasins intertwines the land and culture. Savannah’s mom is Cree Metis and they learned how to bead-work together. Every single bead is hand sewn, often taking six hours for a pair of earrings. By using traditionally died and smoked leather, porcupine quills and locally sourced beads, Savannah has shaped a circular community which brings her and her art a connection to the land and a bridge to the past.

She admits that it’s really flowers and plants that inspire her and also said, “From science to my grandparents, being in the wilderness marries these two worlds for me.”

Land shapes traditions and expressions. Bradley Bischoff, singer songwriter, and member The Wardens Band, shares his expression with a goal to take all of us on a journey from mountain top to valley bottom. He said, “I’ll scan the audience, searching for that person who taps their toes, sways, or wraps their arm around a lover. Absolutely immersed in the moment what we are doing.”

 When I spoke with Bradley, he was beside the Bow River with the tall grass waving, smoky valley and no traffic. “It clears the mind,” he said, “When I was a park warden, I’d spend weeks in the backcountry, cleaning the slate of everything that’s a burden. Wide open spaces allow us to explore. It facilitates the pen.”

A place where the mind is free and spirit is vibrant, Bradley has managed to bring all this feeling into his music.

Derek Turcotte, owner of Electric Grizzly Tattoo in Canmore, translates the influence of the land, nature and animals into incredibly detailed paintings and tattoos. I tried to explain to him what it felt to look into the eyes of his animal creations. After I fumbled with the words, he laughed and said, “Some call it the window of the soul.”

Turcotte likes the vibe in the mountains. “It’s where I feel most connected with people. I just want to learn new stuff and to try and learn that better. It keeps life interesting.” He explained how as an artist, you are searching for that something that inspires you.

 When I spoke with Bradley, he was beside the Bow River with the tall grass waving, smoky valley and no traffic. “It clears the mind,” he said, “When I was a park warden, I’d spend weeks in the backcountry, cleaning the slate of everything that’s a burden. Wide open spaces allow us to explore. It facilitates the pen.”

A place where the mind is free and spirit is vibrant, Bradley has managed to bring all this feeling into his music.

Photo: Jeff Bartlett

There is something that feels so rugged and wild in the rockies that many of us appreciate, including photographer Jeff Bartlett. He explained how the bucket list for photographers to shoot in the Rockies might be ten places, but the more he explores by foot and bike, the more he finds endless motivation and the bucket list expands. Jeff’s photos continue to capture what we all want out of the wilderness; that feeling of being free, pure and clear. Jeff leads Big Nature's Photography Programs, constantly expanding how much we can experience with the camera and story.

Whether the expression is writing, photography, painting, pottery, tattooes, dance or music; at the core route, it resonates. AND it’s full of impact.

One more thing is for certain... This place is our Muse. And it can be yours too. Are you searching for inspiration in the rockies? Book With Us

* Big Nature Guides are Awesome! But we learn from other incredible guides AND guides sometimes embellish. I know! Crazy Right?! We try to get it correct, but really?? A free stay at the Banff Springs Hotel??? - Actually, that seems like the truth to me. Want to find out? Call us

In a remote valley, just north of the bustling town of Banff, a bison takes another step forward. It’s hoof sinks into the wind-blown snow, rocking its massive weight forward. Sweeping its head back and forth, this largest land mammal in North America shovels away enough snow to nibble on some sweet frozen grass.

Bison must eat all the time, even during the cold winter when grass and sedges don’t bring in enough calories or nourishment. Swinging her muzzle, covered in wintery white, just the act of eating helps keep her digestive track going.

The herd follows, for she is the matriarch, leading the way for a safe feed. It’s new land she navigates, tentatively exploring her surroundings, but as the heavy herd pounds the ground, by deep summer they will uncover more history buried beneath their hooves.

For it wasn’t too long ago when their ancestors traversed what we now call Banff National Park, following the Bow River valley after spring melt.

No one really knows how many Bison roamed the great plains and mountain rivers before westerners but estimates often reach over fifty million. Can you imagine? Millions of an animal weighing between one thousand and two thousand pounds, standing taller than our refrigerators and longer than our dining room tables.

Unfortunately, in less than a hundred years of squandered slaughter, bison populations were eradicated, and by the late 1800’s, only a thousand bison were left. In Canada, Bison are an endangered species. This is a disastrous part of North America’s history, which makes it a massive success that Banff National Park can bring positivity into this story.

In early 2017, sixteen bison were brought from Elk Island National Park in Northern Alberta down to Banff’s remote Panther valley. Panther valley, only twenty miles away from the busy town of Banff as the golden eagle flies, is still a remote area of the park.

It turned out to be the perfect place to reintroduce the Bison to the land. Of the sixteen bison, ten of them were pregnant females and the first calf was born in April on Earth Day.

For the matriarch of her herd, she knows that once the mothers have calved in a place, it becomes to feel like home. Now, a few years since reintroduction, Banff’s Bison have doubled in numbers!

Remarkably, Songbirds which we’ve not seen for a long time are coming back to build nests out of this rich warm fur.

In some migratory songbirds this thick fur increases their survivorship by thirty percent!

The matriarch, even with a bird perched on her fur, barely pauses her slow purposeful movements as she donates another gift to the land.

Our new Banff herd is now creating over ½ a ton of poop in one day! **** ****

They will each deposit fifty pounds of these nutritious nuggets between sun-up and sun-down. Well, nutritious if your one of the 300 species of bugs now living large. Over 1000 insects can feed on a patty.

Yummy.

By Reintroducing Bison to the park, Banff has created space for this keystone species to help our park thrive. I know I look forward to learning a lot more in the upcoming seasons.

Banff National Park has put together some outstanding videos of the bison in our park. Well worth watching! And we will see you in our Canadian Rockies soon.

* Big Nature Guides are Awesome! But we learn from other incredible guides AND guides sometimes embellish. I know! Crazy Right?! We try to get it correct, but really?? 1000 insects on a pile of poo??? - Actually, that seems like the truth to me. Want to find out? Call us

There is a lake tucked into a bowl of mountains named Larix. The Loons are wailing and a soft autumn breeze blows. Big Nature guests take a break, sprawling out on a rock beside a slope dressed in gold.

Let me introduce you to the Larch Tree. Not everyone gets to be friends with the Larix Occidentalis, so take advantage, you’re going to want to shake its hand. Reach out and stroke the needles. They are soothingly soft, especially when they’re new and bright green in the spring.

The Larch tree is one of my favourites because it breaks all sorts of rules. * This is a deciduous/coniferous! A what? The Larch tree has cones, like an evergreen, but instead of pulling in moisture and keeping its needles all winter, Larches lose their needles in autumn.

Every September in the Canadian Rockies, this incredible specimen turns brilliant gold, bringing hikers from far and wide to enjoy this seasonal change.

When Larches lose their needles, new ones are already in their nodes. Which means, as soon as warmer weather comes, they take advantage. The tiny needles grow in bunches of 15-40 per node, and as you comb your hand along a branch, you can feel how flexible and gentle they are.

Larches are found on mountain slopes, a hike up from the valley floor, often along the tree line where just beyond is bare rock, wind and a heck of an amount of weather. This incredible tree grows in areas susceptible to massive amounts of wind, avalanches and snow loads. How do they survive where other trees cannot?

There are two ways they could do this! They can either be super bendable like a yogi or stand strong like a sumo wrestler. In fact, the Larch tree is both! Take a look at the young ones, they can bend right over with the tip of the tree skimming the ground, as if it was touching its toes.

Then as the trunk grows and get older, it gets so strong they can resist the harsh environment by being rock solid.

The Larch can grow up to two hundred feet (60 Metres) BUT Larch’s grow so SLOW. Only one foot in thirty years! So, the next time you are out hiking among these beauties, take a guess at how old they are. Thankfully, the larch can resist fire as it gets older because it has no needles or branches near the bottom of the trunk.

We are not the only ones in love with this tree. Pine Siskin's and White-winged Crossbill's are two species of birds that adore the nutritious seed of the Western larch. These seeds help them stay through the frigid winter of the Canadian Rockies.

Locals go bonkers in the third week of September, waking up at 3 am to get a spot at popular trails. Call us if you'd like to sleep in, go with a guide and find a place less crazy! Why You Should Hire A Guide.

Connect with nature

Stay grounded

Embrace change

Be flexible when needed

Don't let one storm break you

Grow slowly and always

Know you're beautiful

* Big Nature Guides are Awesome! But we learn from other incredible guides AND guides sometimes embellish. I know! Crazy Right?! We try to get it correct, but really?? A tree like a yogi??? - Actually, that seems like the truth to me. Want to find out? Call us

Today’s story literally comes straight out of the Mountains. 

Four of Canada’s great river systems originate in the Canadian Rockies just to the West of the city of Calgary.

• The Athabasca
• The Saskatchewan
• The Fraser 
• The Columbia

Today we are going to focus on 2 rivers that are part of the Saskatchewan basin that are important for Calgarians.

The Canadian Rockies have been called one of the water towers of the Earth.

People all across these watersheds rely on rain and melt waters from the winter’s snowpack and glaciers within the Canadian Rockies, especially 1.4 million Calgarians, like me. 

The Elbow and Bow Rivers are an important part of the South Saskatchewan basin, and supply all of Cal;gary’s drinking water. 

The Bow rises on the continental divide in Banff National Park at Bow Lake and Bow Glacier (show a picture of Bow Lake), and is joined by the Kananaskis river where the Eastern Slopes and Foothills meet west of Calgary before flowing eastward to the City. 

The Elbow river originates in the Front ranges of the Canadian Rockies in Kananaskis country, with the dwindling Rae glacier and Elbow Lake as its source. 

40% of our water supply comes from the Elbow River through the Glenmore Reservoir and Water treatment plant, which supplies most of South Calgary, while 60% comes from the Bow River via the Bearspaw reservoir and water treatment plant supplying most of North Calgary.

So why do we care about this water supply? Water is obviously important. The only known life forms in the universe exist because of water. That’s you and me! 

So obviously we need a clean source of drinking water. But these river systems also supply us with water for generating power (about 3% in Alberta and 87% in BC), agriculture and industry. We wouldn’t be here without the Bow and Elbow rivers

And of course recreation. Our headwaters create beautiful scenery for hiking in areas like Lake Louise and Moraine lake, and provide excitement on the Bow and Kananaskis rivers while in a canoe, kayak or raft. 

Nearly 4 billion people worldwide rely on High Mountain water, like that trapped within the snowpack and glaciers of the Canadian Rockies.

Drought

The Bow and Elbow Rivers recorded their lowest flow rate in 125 years during the summer of 2022 and the Bow Recorded its lowest levels ever in Calgary during the summer of 2023.

The Rockies have been called the epicentre of our current drought conditions, which have been attributed to our warming climate induced by human activity.

Typically glaciers provide just 3% of the water entering Calgary’s water supply, which acts as an important source during the late summer when most of the snowpack is gone. 

But during recent extreme heat events that number has climbed to 20%, which has resulted in some main glaciers like the Athabasca shrinking by 9 metres in depth last summer! It is estimated that almost all of the glaciers in the Canadian Rockies will be gone by the end of the century, and with them, the fabulous blue-green colour of mountain lakes like Louise, Moraine and Bow. (Cut to images of lakes)

Combine that with several seasons in a row with lower than average snow and rainfall and you can see a problem. 

The snow-cover period in the Canadian Rockies has declined by anywhere from four to six weeks since the early 1970s. Less snow, later beginning to the snowfall and earlier start to the melt.

Industry

Most of the unprotected areas of the Bow River headwaters fall within Kananaskis Country and the Ghost Watershed where logging, oil and gas and mining activity can still take place and contribute to pollution of our headwaters. 

Although coal mining does not pose a direct risk to Calgary’s drinking water, there are significant threats due to proposed open pit coal mining projects and pollution that comes along with it in the Old Man river basin, which makes up an important part of Saskatchewan river watershed. Thankfully, these projects have been paused for the time being. 

Deforestation can cause higher risk of flooding, especially on the steep mountain  slopes surrounding the headwaters relied upon by Calgarians, as well as an increase in erosion, which can directly affect our water quality. 

There is also evidence that deforestation can increase drought conditions making the problem of low water in our rivers worse.

Thankfully much of the headwaters that supply Calgary are protected within Provincial and National Parks (long may they be). But not all of them are protected and some still face threats from industry, while all of them face the threat of drought caused by our changing climate. 

The threats facing our headwaters all boil down to human activity whether that be through climate change or misuse of land. 

If we can’t protect the headwaters, the source of the source of our water, there isn’t much hope to protect our waters further downstream.