Adventure Session in the Canadian Rocky Mountains | Banff Elopement Photographer | Alberta Canada Adventure Elopement Photography
This trip to the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Alberta was one of my favorite’s this year, and I’m so happy it got to include this adventure session!
Megan and I met this past February at the Adventurer’s Workshop, and a few months later when I was planning to be in Alberta to adventure around Banff
National Park, I knew I had to reach out to her. I asked her about the do’s and don’ts of visiting Banff National Park in the summer and she gave me a ton of tips - but she also invited Chad and I to come along with her and her boyfriend Ryan, and another couple she was shooting, fora hike and adventure session with them!
We drove south of Banff National Park to Kananaskis, which was jaw droppingly gorgeous. Like seriously. We hung out by the bottom of the trailhead which had a glacier lake that Chad and Ryan plunged into (yup. no thank you). Megan let us know that we were in grizzly country, and that it wouldn’t be a shocker if we came across one, but I felt WAY better knowing that she knew the area, and had a can of bear spray holstered to her shoulder.
After the lake, we hiked up a fairly short, but STEEP trail, which had all of us out of breath but in awe as we reached the top. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more beautiful view - honestly. It was incredible. Megan packed a bunch of snacks for everyone, we hung out at the top as she shot her couple, and then she changed and I shot her and Ryan for a bit.
On our way back down the trail, we were joking about how we were in grizzly bear territory, but how when we got to the bottom of the trail head, we’d be back onto the human side where there’d be no bears. We reached the bottom of the trail, acknowledging that we made it out of bear country, and turned the corner.
Waiting for us around the corner was A FREAKING GRIZZLY BEAR.
Now I’ve been told my whole life, and reminded that day, to not run when you see a grizzly, but to calmly just keep walking. But when you see a grizzly 30ft in front of you hopping up on its hind legs, your booty kicks it into gear. As I’m processing this, Megan already has her bear spray out and aimed at the bear, while calmly walking away and shouting WALK, DO NOT RUN, as her boyfriend Ryan runs past us! I turn to look at Chad behind me and his eyes were about to pop out of his head as his legs quickly propelled him forward.
I’m here to say that we made it out alive - it would’ve been a real bummer if that bear chose us over his berries, but it was a crazy, terrifying and incredible experience. And it definitely made this adventure session an adventure!
Looking to have an adventure session or elope in the Canadian Rocky Mountains? Get in touch below and let’s chat!
Megan and Ryan’s canadian rockies adventure session in the mountains | adventure elopement photographer in banff | calgary elopement photographer