hannahJnc_Brand Marketing & Photography.png

Photography | Brand Marketing

welcome to my page

what are you looking for?

Photography

Do you need a photographer?

People

Product & Brands

Landscapes

explore your options

Brand Marketing

Are you looking for marketing support?

Brand Communication

Website & SEO

Funnel & Newsletter

learn more

Social Media

Do you wanna collaborate with me

Collaboration

UGC

see details

Hi I 'm Hannah!

I'm happiest somewhere on a trail in the mountains, ideally on foot, backpack on. I'm a German potato, but I moved to Canada in 2023, and ever since, I've had some of the most beautiful national parks on the planet basically in my backyard. The love for mountains was there long before that, though, it's basically the place where I get my inspiration from, but also where I can switch off completely.

After getting burned out in the corporate hamster wheel for too long, I decided to build a life that suits me better. That's why I offer a wild mix of brand marketing and photography today, which is easier to combine than you might think.

I bring over 10 years of brand marketing experience to freelance work with brands and small businesses across industries. Somewhere along the way, I also turned my love for capturing real moments into a photography business, mostly for people traveling through Canada who want to hold onto how a moment actually felt, not how it looked when everyone said "cheese." I also shoot products, services, and events for brands who want that same authenticity.

So whether you're after photos with no stiff poses and no pretending, or a marketing partner who's spent a decade in the industry and still gets a little too excited about how to make your brand pop: let's chat!

get in touch

follow me on Instagram

The answer is easy ☺️

Yet, I get this question almost weekly. But the thing is: the hike is always different. And so is the season, the conditions, the company, the people you meet on the trail, the wildlife, the unreal views.

So no, it never gets boring ☺️

_____
Videos were taken on June 3rd 2026
#hikingadventures #banffnationalpark #lakelouise #explorecanada #outdoorfun

June started with lots of mountain time, girl chats, and pika spotting before I flew to Germany for my sister’s wedding and some much needed time with friends and family 💛

My biggest highlight by far were all the hours I got to spend with my little nephew. He’s a tiny whirlwind with the biggest personality and the brightest little sunshine. 🥹

There were so many moments I’ll treasure. Like, my sister, who’s a mom now, got married?! Watching her marry the best man I could’ve imagined for her was pretty emotional for me. But also spending quality time with my parents (and their dog, who I love to bits), catching up with friends I’m incredibly grateful to still have, because long distance friendships aren’t something to take for granted and eating all the German food were definitely highlights in June.

Living between two worlds is strange sometimes. It means always missing someone and not being part of their every day life. But it’s also a gift to have people and places that make saying goodbye so hard ♥️

Do you know that feeling?

____
📍 somewhere in Canada & Germany
#longdistancefriendship #livingabroad #germanincanada #

you’ll probably never look at rockfields the same way again 👀 Most people hike right past these rocky slopes without giving them a second thought.

But for pikas, these rock fields (called talus slopes) are everything: their home, their garden, kitchen, living room, bedroom and shelter high up in alpine rocky sections. 🏔️

Pikas are small, furry relatives of rabbits that live in mountain rock fields called talus slopes. If you’ve ever heard a sharp little “eep” while hiking, there’s a good chance a pika was nearby.

The gaps between the rocks provide shelter from predators, protection from harsh weather, and a cool place to escape the summer heat. They even use the surrounding meadows as their pantry, spending all summer collecting flowers, grasses, and leaves to create “hay stacks” for winter, because they don’t hibernate (but apparently they have a feast 😅).

There are around 30 species worldwide, spread across Canada, US, parts of Japan, Russia, Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan.

Have you ever spotted a pika on a hike? ☺️

#pika #americanpika #canadianwildlife #hikingadventures #wildlifephotography

Being over 30 comes with terms and conditions 👀😅

I am not great at this, but I’m trying to get better, because if I skip it after a long hike, my body sends me a strongly worded complaint the next day 😭😅

While stretching won’t magically prevent all soreness, it can help maintain flexibility, improve your range of motion, and reduce that stiff, rusty feeling after spending hours climbing up and down a mountain (for me? The soreness usually comes from
the descent 🥲). It also gives your heart rate a chance to come back down and your body a moment to recover before jumping back into the car for the drive home ☺️

The best time to stretch is right after a hike when your muscles are still warm. Just a few minutes for the calves, quads, hamstrings, hips, and lower back can make a big difference. ☺️

Do you stretch after hikes, or are you still living dangerously? 👀

_____
P.S.: don’t be like me and take your backpack off 😂 I switched my shoes but that was it 😁
#hikingadventures #outdooradventures #hikingincanada #hiking #stretching

Peyto magic ✨☺️

When I saw photos of Peyto lake before I went for the first time, I always thought someone overdid the saturation in their editing big time. And then I stood there for the first time and was like, okayyyy how is this real?! 😅

it’s said to resemble the shape of a wolf’s head when you’re standing at the famous viewpoint, which is just a short walk from the parking lot, and it took me a while to see it, but now I can’t unsee it 😅🐺

The lake is named after Bill Peyto, an early guide and trapper who lived in the area. But tbh, the only thing that counts is soaking in that deeeeep turquoise, the surrounding mountains and all the beautiful trees around the lake ☺️

Do you see the wolf? 👀

#banffnationalpark #peytolake #landscapephotography #glacierlakes #explorecanada

One of the coolest locals in the Rockies? 😎🐏

Most people drive past them without a second thought because they are just “roadside sheep”, but they are actually pretty cool animals. I see them almost every time I’m out in the mountains, hanging around right in the middle of the road, insanely unbothered licking the salt or standing on some impossible rock 😅

And of course I had to go down this rabbit hole, and they really surprised me. 🤓 They are so much more interesting than I gave them credit for.
In my opinion the coolest fact: they have hiking trails, and obviously they don’t use maps like we do today, but learned the most important routes and spots from older generations, generation after generation. If a population disappears, the route disappears with them and I’ve been thinking about that for days (still glad we have @alltrails , because my ancestors had no clue about hiking trails, lol).

Swipe through if you want to know what else most people drive right past, and let me know which fact surprised you the most. 🐏☺️

____
#canadianrockies #bighornsheep #wildlifephotography #canadianwildlife #rockymountains
*Sources: National Wildlife Federation (nwf.org) | San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Fact Sheet (ielc.libguides.com) | Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan (animaldiversity.org) National Park Service (nps.gov) & more
📍 all these were taken in Kananaskis country and Banff national park

what about murqoise? 👀😅

The snow & glacier melt is in full swing in the Rockies, which means: the glowing colours of the lakes are back and shine in incredible shades of turquoise, blue and everything in between. 🥰

The reason why these lakes are so blue is “rock flour”, which is tiny particles of rock that were ground down by glaciers. When sunlight hits the water, those particles scatter the blue and green wavelengths more than the others, which is why glacier lakes get that bright turquoise colour that almost looks photoshopped. 😍

The more rock flour suspended in the water, the more vibrant the colour can appear. 🩵

#glacierlakes #canada #banffnationalpark #travelalberta

the pink 🤯💕

I couldn’t believe my eyes, when I saw the sky above us turning pink, when we were already 10.000 m above the ground. I was like: there can’t be clouds up here, so what exactly is turning pink there? 😍

After landing, I had to look it up of course. 🤓
Pilots and aviation enthusiasts sometimes refer to this as the “belt of venus” or a sunrise line, when pink and purple bands appear near the horizon. 💜

when the sun is close to the horizon, its light has to travel through much more of the atmosphere, which means: the shorter blue wavelengths get scattered away, leaving behind the pink, orange, and red tones we get to see. And from high above the clouds, you get a pretty spectacular view of it all 😍

This is why I’d always pick the window seat 🥰
What about you? 👀

_____
#greenland #mountainlove #livingabroad #sunrise #beltofvenus
This was taken on my @klm flight from Calgary to Amsterdam on June 7.

be nice to the people who work there 🥰

I happened to be at lake agnes on June 3rd, just one day before the tea house opened for the season on June 4th (yess, it’s officially open now 😊).

While we were up there, a helicopter was flying back and forth delivering supplies, and it was a good reminder of how much work happens behind the scenes before visitors arrive 🚁

Places like this don’t magically appear each morning stocked with coffee, tea, food, and everything else needed to operate. Someone has to get all those supplies up the mountain somehow (and the trash down too).

If the staff asks you (they do it from time to time), if you can take a bag of trash down to the shoreline with you, please say yes, because you’re helping not only them but everybody to have a smooth experience here. 🫶🏼

In other mountain huts around the world, supplies are sometimes carried up by staff, pack animals, or volunteers. I’ve seen people hauling loads to alpine huts in Austria before, and it’s an incredible amount of work. 😅

So next time you’re being served a drink or snack with a mountain view, it’s worth remembering the people whose hard work makes experiences like that possible. ☕🏔️♥️

Had you ever thought about how remote places like this get stocked? ☺️

_____
#lakelouise #lakeagnesteahouse #banffnationalpark #mountainhuts -#explorecanada

170 meters can be the difference between summer and winter in the Rockies. 👀
On June 3rd, I visited three of the Rockies’ most iconic lakes:
- Lake Louise (1.731 m)
- Peyto Lake (1.860 m)
- Bow Lake (1.920 m)

All three are within a 30 minute drive of each other.
While Lake Louise and Peyto Lake were already glowing in their famous turquoise colours, Bow Lake was still partially frozen. ❄️

And I was like: whyy?! 😅

Elevation is definitely part of the answer, because higher elevations are generally colder, which means snow and ice tend to stick around longer. But Bow Lake also sits closest to Bow glacier, receives a constant supply of ice cold meltwater (also from the wapta icefield region), and holds a much larger volume of water than the other two lakes (Bow Lake = 3,2 km², Peyto = 1,4 km², Lake Louise = 0,8 km²).
Together, these factors can slow down the thaw and keep winter hanging on a little longer.

It’s definitely one of the things I love most about the Rockies: you can drive 30 minutes and feel like you’ve travelled through three different seasons. 🥰

Have you ever seen two nearby lakes look completely different at the same time? ☺️

____
#banffnationalpark #icefieldparkway #explorecanada #summerincanada #lakelouise

picking one wildflower isn’t as harmless as I thought 👇

A few years ago, someone asked me if I’d ever thought about what would happen if everyone picked “just one.”
And I had to admit: I hadn’t. 👀

So I did my homework, and I thought it was worth sharing with you, especially because wildflower season is just about to burst into full bloom. 🌼

And yeah, I know, one single flower usually isn’t the problem, because nature is very resilient.
But many trails are visited by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people every season, and if everybody thinks, “I’ll just take one,” wildflowers can get picked before they have the chance to complete their life cycle.

What we don’t see when we take one is that every flower is part of a much bigger ecosystem.

What actually happens:
🌼 Fewer flowers = fewer seeds
🌱 Fewer seeds = fewer plants next year
🐝 Fewer plants = less food for pollinators
🌿 Less pollination = weaker ecosystems

When plant populations decline over time, the effects can ripple through the entire ecosystem.
It happens slowly, so it’s easy to miss.

Some of the most beautiful things in nature aren’t meant to come home with us, but there are so many ways to appreciate wildflowers without picking them:
- take a photo
- learn their name
- watch the pollinators visit them
- or simply enjoy knowing they’ll be there for the next person too 🥰

Feel free to share this post with a fellow outdoor lover or somebody who should learn about this ☺️

_____
#wildflowers #canadiansummer #naturefacts #leavenotrace #outdooradventures

May photo dump 💛📸

It started differently than I hoped, with a few slow days sick in bed, some unexpected news from back home (with a happy ending), an emotional geese rescue mission (with a happy ending too), and weather that couldn’t decide whether it was winter or summer. 🎢😅

But that’s also what I love about this time of year in the Rockies: one week you’re hiking through knee deep snow, and the next you’re on a trail that feels like the middle of summer. It’s like a surprise box 😊

My highlights:
😍 I saw my first pika of the year 💛
🚲 biked Moraine Lake road for the first time
🧊 experienced candle ice for the first time
🐣 watched goslings hatch from my balkony and helped rescue seven of them 🫶🏼
🥾 made new hiking friends
📸 spent more time working on my photography and other exciting projects

It may look different here, but m life isn’t always a highlight reel. But there’s usually plenty of wonderful little moments in between. 💛

What were your little and big May highlights? 🥰

_______
#explorecanada #springincanada #morainelake #explorecanmore #travelalberta

Tell me a better way to spend a date night, I’ll wait. 👀

I don’t really mean the sunset, but the activity itself, because for a few hours, it’s just you, the trail, and the person you’re with. No distractions, notifications, to dos or scrolling. It’s just about quality time. 💛

So if that’s not enough, here are 4 reasons hiking might be the ultimate date night:

1) trail conversations 🥾
walking side by side often makes conversation feel easier and less pressured than sitting face to face.

2) nature helps you be present 🌲
being in nature can reduce stress and mental fatigue, helping people feel more present. Out there, there’s no endless scrolling, emails, or distractions.Your chance to spend a few hours focused on the people you’re with and the world around you.

3) it boosts your mood ☺️
fresh air, movement, sunshine, and a little adventure are a pretty great combination for feeling good.

4) you create shared memories 💛
shared experiences and adventures can increase feelings of connection and relationship satisfaction.

And it makes sense, because you won’t remember every dinner date. But you’ll remember the sunset you chased, the trail you almost turned around on, the massive mountain goat you saw that day and the view that made it all worth it.

And by the way, this isn’t just true for couples ☺️
If I had to choose between a girls’ night out in a club vs. this, you know what I’m going for 😅

In the end, our moms were right: playing outside is the real deal (or the real date 😎).

_____
#datenight #mountaindate #outdooradventures #hikingadventures #canadianrockies
*sources available upon request because apparently my date night opinions are peer reviewed 😜
📍 Canmore, AB

hikers will understand: the party starts when the headlamp comes out. 😎

whoever decided the parking lot needed this many reflective signs absolutely cooked, because all it takes is one flashing headlamp and suddenly the entire parking lot turns into a mountain nightclub🕺🏼

I’d take this over a sweaty nightclub any day. What about you? ☺️

____
#sunsethike #explorekananaskis #outdooradventures #hikingadventures #canadianrockies

these facts are part of the reason I keep coming back 🥰

Kananaskis is my go to spot when I need to touch grass and escape the city. While most people who don’t live here drive straight to Banff, they’re missing out on a 4,200 square km big outdoor playground of mountains, wildlife, and trails right next door. 👀

This post only scratches the surface of all the stories Kananaskis Country can tell, but I guess it’s a start.

🤓 a few practical things if you’re planning a visit: you’ll need a Kananaskis Conservation Pass to park your car in the park. It’s 15 CAD per day or 90 CAD per year, and the first wednesday of every month is free (they call it Wilderness Wednesday, wohoo). If you enter on foot, by bike, or on horseback, no pass needed.

Have you been to Kananaskis already?
Or is there a fact you think I missed? ☺️

_____
#kananaskiscountry #travelalberta #explorecanada #explorekananaskis #landscapephotography
*Sources include: Alberta Parks (albertaparks.ca), Travel Alberta (travelalberta.com), Explore Kananaskis (explorecanmore.ca), Frontiers in Conservation Science (frontiersin.org)

the quietest you’ll ever see Moraine Lake 🥹

Going here by bike before the road opens on the first of June has been such a special experience. 😍
On June 1st the road to Moraine Lake opens for shuttles and tour buses again, and the place is BUZZING. During the season, Moraine Lake sees more than 2 million visitors, with around up to 6000 people per day on average 🤯

That’s why this short window at the end of May (just before opening day) feels so special. @parks.canada has already cleared the road from winter leftovers, but it’s still closed to vehicles, meaning runners and bikers get a rare chance to experience Moraine Lake without the crowds. And that’s exactly what we did 😊🚲

We arrived later in the day and had the entire rockpile almost to ourselves, sharing the view only with a couple curious chipmunks and pikas 🥰

the lake is still mostly frozen tho and not that deep turquoise colour yet. Moraine Lake sits at high elevation, so it takes time for snow and glacier melt to fill it and create that turquoise colour it’s famous for 🩵

Also, I know the chipmunks are ridiculously cute, and they’ll come over to you, but pleeease, share the view with them only, not your snacks 🐿️

If you’re planning to visit after the road opens, I can recommend @bignature.adventures and @into.the.wild.tours by heart. Both are local companies, incredibly knowledgeable, and great at making the most of the experience 🥰

How would you want to experience Moraine Lake and who’d you take with you? 😊

____
#outdooradventures #banffnationalpark #morainelake #travelalberta #explorecanada

this is called a ‘gang brood‘ 🐥

Canada geese are very social birds, and sometimes they raise their young together in big groups, called gang broods. It’s similar to what we know in our human world as babysitting or daycare.

Multiple families combine their goslings into one larger group, while several adults take turns watching, protecting, and guiding them, while other parents have time to feed and rest.

This makes the goslings safer from predators, allows the adults to share “babysitting duties,” and helps the young ones learn and socialize within the group of goslings of different ages. 🥹

So next time you see a big group of goslings and geese, you know it’s a gang. 😎

____
#canadagoose #birb #outdooradventures #canadianwildlife #naturefacts

This time I REALLY think it was the last real winter hike for a while… 👀

I was looking back at pictures from our outdoor adventure from last weekend (May 16/17), when we were caught in a little snow storm, and I’m veeery excited to see what this weekend’s adventures will look like just one week later. ☀️

[gifted] Very happy I had my cozy @jollyinkcanmore sweater to keep me warm and guide me through zero visibility 😅 Emily, the artist behind JollyInk, is the creative brain behind the cutest mountain designs you’ll find in Canmore, Banff and beyond. Make sure to check her out. 💛🥰

#mayincanada #hikingadventures #outdooradventures #kananaskiscountry

I used to see only $170 floating by, but then it clicked..

Every time I was at Lake Louise in summer I stood there doing the math in my head, how much money is just floating on the water. because 170 bucks for 1h canoe rental is A LOT of money. But I’ve also watched people paddle out onto that turquoise water with the biggest smiles on their face 🥹 and then it clicked…

For some people, that moment is the whole trip. It’s their once in a lifetime experience and they may have been saving for this for a long time. If it’s worth it or not is up to you and your bank account 🤷🏼‍♀️

If you are planning to visit this summer, here are a few things you should know before you go:
🛶 canoe rentals are run exclusively by the @fairmontcll . It’s $170/hr (+GST) for day visitors, or $110/hr if you’re staying at the hotel (price per canoe). They allow up to 3 adults per canoe, so splitting the costs definitely helps. ☺️

⏰ first come, first served: no reservations. The boathouse opens around 8:30am, so the best advice is to arrive early if you want a shot at getting one without a long wait.

🚘 parking adds another $42 to your day

☀️ Fairmont guests can also book a sunrise canoe experience, which sounds pretty epic to me.

💸 why is it so expensive? The lake is only ice free for a few months a year, so the entire season’s costs get packed into a short window (and when there’s zero competition and a lineup every single day, prices go up and stay up)

can you bring your own? as of 2025, whirling disease (a parasitic infection that can devastate trout populations) was detected in Lake Louise itself. @parks.canada has been tightening watercraft regulations across Banff as a result. Please check current rules before you pack your kayak or paddleboard.

💡 cheaper alternatives: Emerald Lake (Yoho National Park) has its own boathouse and lower rates. Or rent a kayak or paddleboard from the @banffcanoeclub in town and head to Two Jack Lake. Beautiful Mount Rundle views, less crowds and a very different vibe.

Would you do it? Or have you done it & was it worth it? 👀

_____
#lakelouise #banffnationalpark #explorecanada #glacierla

tiny, fluffy, and able to swim before they can properly walk 🐥 there’s so much more to Canada goose goslings than ‘their shit is everywhere’

Swipe through to follow their journey from egg to first flight. Hope you’ll remember a couple of facts when you get to watch a goose family this spring. ☺️

A few things worth knowing if you cross paths with a goose family this season:
🥚 Once eggs are laid, don’t touch or move the nest (it’s also protected by law)
🪿 even though their hissing says otherwise, geese aren’t mean. They are just veeery protective parents. Keep your distance and you’ll be fine. 🫶🏼
🍞
🐣 If you spot an injured gosling or a family that needs help, reach out to @albertawildlife (or your local wildlife authority), they can help you out.

This goose family took their first steps at a balcony in downtown and had to be rescued. 🫶🏼
_____
#canadagoose #goslings #birb #canadianwildlife #wildlifeadventure

I feel betrayed… 😅

either my ability to read the forecast completely sucks, or I’m just way too optimistic to think the sun will give us a show, but somehow I’m never out there when the sky burst into crazy colours 😭

But on the other side: a sunset is a sunset, and I’ll never get tired of watching the sky slowly change colours, no matter where I am 🥰 and also, I have to admit: sunsets in Calgary are pretty special, especially when chinook clouds are hanging over the city 💛

Anyone a good sunset forecaster here? 👀

______
#rockymountains #canadianrockies #sunsetlover #mountainlife #hikingadventures

Don’t be fooled, higher elevations can still look like this 😅

Make sure to 👇
- check trail conditions @alltrails
- check avalanche risk (avalanche.ca)
- take extra layers
- take spikes
& be prepared for winter wonderland to make the most of your “spring trip” 🩵☺️

#springintherockies #springincanada #explorecanada #hikingadventures #outdooradventures

that’s what we call “a bit of snow”, right? 👀
Every spring, I talk to tourists who are surprised by the “spring” conditions in the canadian rockies. 😅❄️

A lot of people arrive expecting flowers, dry trails, and warm spring weather, because that’s what this time of year looks like in many places. 🌼 But in the rockies, spring works a little differently, especially at higher elevations 😅 (and even lower elevation hikes can still be snowy, icy, muddy, or hit by sudden winter storms).

we’ve had an unusually snowy season this year, and the melt will take time. Snow can stick around well into June (sometimes longer) depending on elevation, aspect, and recent weather. ❄️

a few things that can make your hike safer and help protect these beautiful places 👇

🥾 check current trail conditions before heading out (apps like @alltrails can help, but also check local reports)

❄️ check avalanche conditions if you’re entering avalanche terrain (avalanche.ca)

🦔 bring spikes/microspikes, because snowy and icy sections are still very common right at higher elevations

👕 pack layers. It can feel like spring in the valley and turn into a snowstorm higher up surprisingly fast

🛑 respect trail closures. Some areas (like parts of Spray Valley) are temporarily closed during melt season to protect muddy trails and fragile soil from damage while everything thaws.

And don’t be surprised if your spring trip to the Rockies turns into a winter wonderland expedition. 🩵☺️

_______
#springincanada #rockymountains #explorekananaskis #travelalberta #wildplaces

Do I need to say more? 👀

Maybe I became a little too emotionally invested with this young goose family. I witnessed the hatching and how they took their first steps, and it’s been the cutest hing ever. 🥹

I know many people are not a big fan of them, but they are wonderful animals, and smarter than you think. If you wanna learn more about them, check out the post about geese in my feed @hannahjnc 🥰

#canadageese #canada #wildlifelover #birbs

POV: you accidentally became emotionally attached to a goose family living on your balcony. 🥹🐥

What started with two very loud parents and a nest outside our window somehow turned into me checking on mama goose and her eggs every day like a proud auntie. 😅 And when the little fluff balls finally hatched and I got to witness their very first steps into the world, I didn’t want to leave the house to go on outdoor adventures anymore, because THIS was right in front of my balcony . 😭💛

I know they’re ‘just geese’ to some people, and tbh I used to be quite annoyed by their loud honking, but I learned so much from and about them, and in the end it felt like such a gift from nature. 🥹 Watching tiny new lives explore the world for the first time and taking their first steps was something I will never forget. 🐣

Also, safe to say I was way too emotionally invested in this storyline, but I’m not sorry about it. 🥰

______
📍 Calgary, Alberta
#canadagoose #goslings #ducksofinstagram #wildlifephotography #lifeincanada

One of the most underrated nature phenomena of the Canadian Rockies in spring✨

As lake ice begins to thaw, it separates into thousands of individual crystal columns. And when they drift apart and clink against each other it sounds like someone filled a pool with crystals. 😍
It only lasts for a couple of days in spring, and once it’s gone, you have to wait a whole year.

Turn your volume up and enjoy some satisfying candle ice ASMR. 🎧🕯️

#candleice #natureasmr #kananaskis #explorecanada #wildice

One of the coolest spring experiences in the Rockies 😍

Candle ice forms under certain conditions each year in spring, when the lakes are thawing. It’s a rare phenomenon, as it only lasts for a couple of days.
If you miss it, you gonna have to wait for another year.

Basically it’s ice that forms as vertical ice columns during the melting process. Those columns make incredible tinkling sounds when they move against each other, which sounds like a pool of crystals. 💎

I knew it would be a cool thing to see, but actually touching and listening to it is an incredibly satisfying experience. ☺️

______
📍 Kananaskis Lakes, Alberta, Canada
⚠️ please wear a life jacket. The water is cold and can be fatal if you fall in while exploring.
#explorecanada #candleice #canadianrockies #natureasmr #outdooradventures

I knew it would be special, but this special? 😍✨

I had never seen candle ice before, because Iwas never around or came too late and it was already gone. on this day, we went out, hoping to find some candle ice, but not quite sure if it was still there, because it only lasts for a short window in spring. ⏳👀

When we arrived at the lake, we could hear it before we saw it: a quiet tinkle coming from the lake. 🎶
What followed was one of the most unexpectedly magical afternoons I’ve had in the Rockies. We got our paddleboards out and onto the water, and the first time I touched the ice with my paddle: 🤯🤯🤯
picking up columns that felt like glass, watching them drift apart on the water, and then seeing the underwater shots for the first time was just incredible and SO satisfying.🧊

⚠️If you ever come across candle ice, please remember: It may look solid, but is NOT. It can collapse without warning and offers nothing to hold onto if you go through.

🛶 If you go by paddleboard, canoe or other kind of watercraft: wear a life jacket. the water is colder than you think and can be fatal if you fall in 🙏🏻
🤓 and: always check the launching rules for your lake before you go, because not every lake allows private watercrafts

Hope your remember this when you get to experience it one day 🥰❄️

_____
📚 Sources:
Britannica: Ice in Lakes and Rivers: Melting, Formation & Decay (britannica.com)
Minnesota Sea Grant: Lake and River Ice: Formation and Classification (seagrant.umn.edu)
📍 Upper Kananaskis Lake (May 2026)
#candleice #travelalberta #kananaskis #explorecanada #wildice

the magic only exists for a couple of days each year ✨ and only when the conditions are right 👀

Candle ice forms when sunlight penetrates the surface and breaks the ice down into long vertical crystals that cling together like a chandelier about to fall apart. The surface often looks stable, but it’s not (that’s why it’s also called ‘rotten ice’) Many people and animals have learned that the hard way. 🥺

you really have to get close to experience it, and even though we see a lot of footage from Canada every year, it’s not unique to Canada. But Alberta gets the right conditions more than other places. ☺️

Sitting at the shoreline and just listening to the sound is already worth it. But diving underneath was even better. 🥰

Have you ever seen or experienced candle ice? 🧊

______
⚠️ If you go out there on a paddle board, make sure to wear a life jacket. The water is cold and falling in can quickly be life threatening.

#candleice #wildice #kananaskis #explorecanada #glacierlake

Welcome back ✨

I love watching everything slowly burst back into colour right now: plants, trees, the whole landscape waking up again. After April kept teasing us, I can’t wait to bring a little more colour into my hikes with every day in May. 🥰

_______
#outdooradventures #hellomay #springincanada #travelcanada #explorecanada

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

Explore my content full of nerdy nature facts, thoughts inspired by mountains and landscape photography.

hannahJnc