The Alberta Rocky Mountains near Banff. I was so amazed at the beauty and the immensity of the mountains, that I took images while I was driving. Although this did not improve my safety record, at least I got some very lovely images out of it.

This image was taken in July, 2004, during my first road trip, which took me from Ottawa, through the Midwest U.S., to California, up the Pacific Coast to B.C., and east through the Prairies. This image marked the the beginning of the home stretch back to Ottawa.

Click any of the images below to see more images of my trip to Alberta!

	When I was staying in Canmore, Alberta, I decided to try to take an image of the Milky Way with my Nikon 4500 CoolPix digital camera. As soon as I stepped out the door, I saw an amazing aurora sweeping across the sky! Since Canmore is much closer to the North Magnetic Pole than Ottawa is, it is not surprising. The doorman at the lodge I was staying at was not surprised either, but for a different reason. "We get these all the time" he said. It was if this was just another normal event for him. Amazing! The Big Dipper can be seen in the center of this image, but it might take a few minutes to pick out amongst the splendid aurora!
	Another gorgeous image of the Canmore aurora. This image was of the Eastern horizon. The constellation Andromeda is shown to be rising in this image. The Andromeda Galaxy is the fuzzy object near the top center of the image.
	Another gorgeous image of the Canmore aurora. This image was of the zenith, showing the constellation Lyra bathed in an eerie highway of aurora. When I was seeing the aurora, this highway seemed pulsate in brightness and colours, sometimes disappearing, the reappearing again in the same pulsating way.
	Another gorgeous image of the Canmore aurora. This image was of the Big Dipper, but strikingly different than the preceding image of the same constellation. This time, it seems a vast arc is sweeping through the asterism, almost as if a vast curtain is sweeping through as well. Aurorae often are seen as vast arcs (I used to call them night rainbows), reaching from Northwest to Northeast, with the highest point at due North, near Polaris.
	Another gorgeous image of the Canmore aurora. This image was in the Canes Venatici region of the sky, very near Bootes, which is just to the left of the image boundary. The next image features Bootes. In this image, you can clearly see the neighbouring lodge, as well as the breathtaking mountaintops in the distance. The lights of Canmore can be seen at the lower right of the image. It does give off some light pollution, but not nearly as much as Ottawa!
	Another gorgeous image of the Canmore aurora. This image was in the Bootes region of the sky. Its brightest star Arcturus sits near the center of this image, and is also enshrouded by aurora. The beautiful mountains of Canmore can be seen in the background.
	Another gorgeous image of the Canmore aurora. This image was in the Bootes region of the sky. Its brightest star Arcturus sits near the center of this image, and is also enshrouded by aurora. The beautiful mountains of Canmore can be seen in the background. The only difference between this image and the previous one is that the aurora has changed its shape and appearance. The stars are exactly the same, as are the mountains in the background.
	Another gorgeous image of the Canmore aurora. This image was in the Lyra region of the sky, nearly at the zenith portion of the sky at that time. The beautiful rayed aurora was easily seen in Canmore, and looked more like a massive nebula than an aurora.
	My uncle's pet Chihuahua. I visited him on the way to Edmonton. Cute isn't it?
	The Rocky Mountains on the way to Banff National Park. I parked the car to take this image. Although it was the month of July, the snow prevails at the high altitudes.
	The Rocky Mountains on the way to Banff National Park. I took this image while driving to get the road centered in the image.
	The Rocky Mountains on the way to Banff National Park. I parked the car near a truck stop to take this image.
	The Rocky Mountains on the way to Banff National Park. I parked the car near a truck stop to take this image.
	The Rocky Mountains on the way to Banff National Park. I parked the car at a rest stop to take this image.
	The Rocky Mountains on the way to Banff National Park are in the background. My 1998 Hyundai Elantra is in the foreground. After about 12,000km, the car was still going strong, and has another 6,000km (or so) to go. The only casualty up to that time was the front driver's side tire, which completely wore out. I had to buy a new tire in Northern California.
	The Rocky Mountains on the way to Banff National Park. I took this image while driving to get the road centered in the image. The car had a problem with the high elevations and the steep inclines, but performed marvellously once the overdrive kicked in.
	The Rocky Mountains on the way to Banff National Park. I took this image while driving. This mountain was right in my passenger side window!
	Mount Jasper and the first quarter Moon. I was in Banff National Park, very near Lake Louise when I took this image. I was resting near a souvenir store.
	Mount Jasper towers highly above Banff. Canmore and Banff are not too far from each other, but there are a lot of mountainous regions to cross between them.
	A 180 degree mosaic of the lodge I was staying at in Canmore. Canmore is not a large town, but it is a haven for tourists, because of Banff nearby.
	The majestic Rocky Mountains within Canmore, Alberta. I woke up to these mountains for three days, and I never forgot that amazing scenery.
	A zoomed image of the Rocky Mountains near Canmore, Alberta. This is a subset of the center region of the previous image.