For the last 2 or 3 years, my family and I have gone to Canmore, a small mountain town just outside Banff National park in the Canadian Rockies. Generally we go for thanksgiving in October, which can mean anything from a light dusting of snow to full on hardpack on the trails and iced up streams. The tradition is to do the little 45min hike up to the lake and back down again, the following serves to illustrate and explain.
I recommend getting there in the early morning, as the water will be quite still and you can capture the colours and reflections.
In the fall there can be some nice moss amongst the stream that flows from the lake down to the reservoir
(pardon the limited DOF, I did not have a tripod)
There are 2 options to climb up or down, one is a rocky single path with some rock staircases and stream crossings. Near the top the trail is on the rock, cutting through the conifers. The other option is a long fire road, which people of all ages can easily use to get to the lakes.
Grassi lake is actually named after Lawrence Grassi, an Italian Immigrant who settled in the area and climbed/explored some of the peaks and passes. This September a friend and I decided to scramble Ha-Ling peak, which adjoins Mt. Lawrence Grassi. The first photo shows Grassi peak from Ha-Ling, the following looks down off Ha-Ling into the Bow Valley
The preceding photos were grab shots, as in every case I was with other people (non-photographers), and only carrying minimal gear (1 camera/lens). I hope to do some more summits, but bring MF gear & a tripod when I do!
Canmore can be cheap, as you don't need to pay for a park pass, and there are many hiking/scrambling routes in the surrounding mountains. If you're going back country, I'd recommend carrying some bear spray, which can be purchased at some of the outdoor shops on main street. The town boasts some excellent restaurants, such as CrazyWeed, and isn't as choked with tourists as Banff.
Hope you enjoyed having a look, and maybe you'll consider it if you plan to head into the Rockies for some hiking or camping.
