This is The Digital Story Podcast 1,051, May 12, 2026. Today's theme is, "Traversing the Canadian Rockies." I'm Derrick Story.
There was one moment, while immersed in the magnificence of the Icefields Parkway, I realized I had never seen anything like this before, not even in Alaska. We were 5 days into our trip with more to come, but at that moment, I just wanted to stop time. I'll cover it all, from Vancouver to Calgary, in today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.
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Traversing the Canadian Rockies
In this first segment, I'll cover the journey stop by stop, starting with boarding the Rocky Mountaineer Train in Vancouver. I also want to mention that we worked with Fresh Tracks Canada to build our itinerary and arrange for our various connections. They were instrumental in the success of our adventure.
- Rocky Mountaineer Train from Vancouver to Jasper - The first two days we were aboard the luxury train during the day, then would disembark in the evening for hotel stay. The first night in Kamloops, and the second in Jasper.
- Two Nights in Jasper at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge - Nestled within Alberta's magnificent Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hotel is surrounded by stunning mountain scenery and the rooms are designed with a nod to the property's Canadian backcountry heritage.
- Exploring Jasper National Park - We spent our time hiking, the the motorcycle sidecar adventure and nosing around the town of Jasper.
- Icefields Parkway - Jasper to Lake Louise - Now we're traveling by motor van on Highway 93N, known as the Icefields Parkway. We had many stops along the way, each one stunning. We arrived at Lake Louise that evening.
- Overnight in Lake Louise - The lake was frozen, which was an impressive foreground for the surrounding mountains. Hiking was difficult because of the abundant snow, so one night and a morning was plenty of time for this stop.
- Yoho National Park Tour to Banff - And amazing day crossing the Continental Divide, hiking at Emerald Lake, visiting Natural Bridge, and exploring Marble Canyon before arriving in Banff.
- Two Days in Banff - Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for sweeping views of six mountain ranges, hiking along the trails in the National Park, exploring the lakes, and loving the town of Banff. What an amazing two days.
- Head to Calgary to Catch Our Flight - We weren't quite ready to go home yet, but thankful for each day of the adventure.
Here is the photo gear I used for the trip.
- Nikon Zf full frame mirrorless camera.
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR zoom.
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 lens.
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 (SE) lens.
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens.
- OM System TG-7 Tough Camera.
- Panasonic Lumix FZ300 with Leica 25-600mm DC Vario-Elmarit f/2.8 zoom lens.
- Apple 13" MacBook Air with 24GB RAM and 1TB SSD.
- Samsung T7 Portable SSD, 1TB External Solid State Drive.
- Apple 8.3" iPad mini 7th Gen, 256GB, Wi-Fi + 5G LTE, Space Gray.
All camera gear and portable electronics is being packed in a Think Tank Retrospective 18L backpack. For my luggage, I'm trusting the Solgaard Check-In Closet Original.
This Week in the News
Sony teases May 13 event with one obvious clue as featured on DPReview.com
Now Canon's teasing something new, too as featured on DPReview.com
OM System Survived Its Split From Olympus: Who Expected This? as featured on FStoppers.com
HP FilmScan 7" Touch Screen Film Scanner review: scan your negs, transparencies and slides with touchscreen simplicity as featured on DigitalCameraWorld.com
Virtual Camera Club News
Workshops!
The 2026 TDS Photography Workshop Season. We are featuring webinars, online workshops, and in-person events focused on creating impactful images in the company of those who love photography as much as you. Our workshops are like no others, and we think you will throughly enjoy the camaraderie and the tips and techniques.
Stop by The Nimble Photographer Workshop Page and reserve your spot today.
Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me.
Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view.
If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at dstory@gmail.com.
The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear.
Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout.
The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address.
Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation.
Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.
See you next week!
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