Photos of "Brokeback Mountain"/Alberta! (ADDED MORE)

[tamarack]

I propose we all gather there next year, the weekend of the 22nd of June, two days later, (in the story) it will be thw 40th anniversary of Jack and Ennis's reunion.

As time progresses look for other posts from me on this.

Tell you what... I would really love to go out there with some other Brokies. I had decided after my second or third viewing of the movie that I was going to go next year. Then I kind of modified the plan and thought about Wyoming instead, but seeing the photos makes me more prone to want to see the actual locations. Then again, knowing there's a cache in the mountains in Wyoming (put there by some folks from Dave Cullen.com) with a visitors book to sign is also tantalizing. In any event, the important thing would be to be there with others who care as much as I do, whether it's Wyoming or Canada. Please do continue to post about this.

Msuamber, thanks for helping to keep this dream alive with your beautiful pictures.

[Ellemeno]

Thank you for sharing these!

[RouxB]

Brought happiness to my day-thanks for taking them, thanks for sharing them.

 

[Amber]

For those of you planning trips to the Alberta area here are some tips for you.

*  I recommend you camp.  The area is gorgeous and camping is MUCH cheaper compared to the pricey resort-area hotels!  There are a LOT of great campgrounds in the Kananaskis area and my husband and I highly recommend the Bow Valley Campground.  www.bowvalleycampgrounds.com

*  Whether you camp or not, remember to bring your raincoat!  It rained nearly everyday we visited.  It didn't rain hard, and it didn't rain for long ... but if you are on a trail and it starts raining both you and your camera are going to be upset.  The area is, if I am remembering right, a temperate rain forest ... so rain is just a fact of life.  That said however, the rainstorms are very spotty and disappear as quickly as they appear.  Just be prepared.

*  The visitors centers have great maps and are very willing to give you directions to particular spots.

*  Pack out your lunches.  If you're camping your cooler has to be in the car at all times anyways (it's bear country!!!) but this is beside the point.  Eat your lunches on the road in some of the beautiful places you'll see.  Some of our favorites were Forgetmenot Pond (off of Highway 66), Elbow Falls (off of 66 - also a filming location), Elbow River Boat Launch (off of Highway 66), Wedge Pond (off of Highway 40), King Creek (off of 40 - filming location as well) and Upper Kananaskis Lake (off of 40 and also a filming location).

*  Bring a decent vehicle.  There are some filming locations that are off of not so "improved gravel roads" in Kananaskis Country.  You won't be able to drive your RV up the steep hills and your 1974 bumper falling off POS car won't make it either.  We rented a Ford Focus ... it was new and it got the job done.  I would have felt safer in an SUV though.  The gravel roads are bumpy and some parts are extremely steep.  Don't skip the gravel roads though, you'll miss stuff you wish you would have seen!

*  Visit Banff, Lake Louise and Emerald Lake.  These spots have nothing to do with the film but are GORGEOUS!  There is an $18 park enterance fee but it is well worth the money.  Banff if super resorty and really pricey but they have some nice views and you can pick up postcards relatively cheap.  When going to Lake Lousie take highway 1A and you'll see a lot of wildlife right on the side of the road - totally cool!  Lake Louise is breathtaking and well worth the trip.  Emerald Lake is a tiny little lake with gorgeous views - there is one resort on the lake and everything else is wildlife. 

*  Canmore is where the cast and crew stayed and since my husband and I don't have a movie star budget we didn't spend a whole lot of time there, but there are some things to see in the area.  You get a REALLY great view of the 3 sisters (one of the commonly featured mountainviews in the movie) from Canmore - that alone is worth it!

*  Bring a good pair of hiking boots or shoes.  A lot of the locations are close to the road - but some of them are straight up a gigantic hill!  You'll want those hiking boots!  Sunscreen and water are also good ideas!

That's what I can remember off the top of my head.  If I have anything else I'll post later.  If you have any questions feel free to ask!! : )
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[tamarack]

Great tips, msuamber. I'm printing them out to keep with my ideas for planning.

Thanks.

By the way - how long were you there? Was it enough time or would it have been better if you could have stayed longer? (To enable you to not have to hurry to see all you wanted to take in, I mean. Not would it have been better to have had a longer vacation!)

[Amber]

Tell you what ... I could spend the rest of my life there and still not consider it enough time!  "Never enough time, never enough."  How hard is it to become a Canadian citizen?

Seriously though - we stayed in the area for a week.  We spent two days doing things other than looking at filming sites - if I had those two days to spend doing BBM stuff that would have been plenty of time.  Especially if you want to get out there and see a lot of the smaller stuff (the church, the drive in movie theater, grocery store, dance hall etc) it's a lot of driving but I think you could sanely do it in a week.  A lot of things are clustered together so it makes it easier to plan out your day so your not driving all over creation looking for things. 

If you want to see things like Banff and spend some time in Calgary I would suggest adding another 1/2 a week.

So - 1 week dedicated purely to driving around looking for BBM sites and 3 days to enjoy other Alberta sites would be ideal.

Hope that helped!

[mvansand76]

Hi msuamber, thanks 4 posting these, they are wonderful!

My boyfriend and I were planning (even be4 I had heard of BBM believe it or not!) to go to the Rockies in May of this year, but he had an accident in november and broke his leg in 8 places..... will make sure to contact you before we go for advice and tips!

[Amber]

We just got our film in the other day and I've added some more photos.  Most are just better shots of the places I already have posted, and some are just scenic views of the area.

I have one roll of film left to develop which has better shots of Ennis's ranch, the diner where he eats his pie and the parking lot where they meet.  As soon as I get those developed I'll post them!

Enjoy 

P.S. Thanks for the "plug" on the NEWS banner    That made my day!

[JennyC]

Wow, those scenery pictures are just gorgeous, simply gorgeous!  Keep them coming if you have more!

Thanks for the trip tips too, I know some people here who want to plan the trip will appreciate them.

[tamarack]

So - 1 week dedicated purely to driving around looking for BBM sites and 3 days to enjoy other Alberta sites would be ideal.

That helps a lot, Amber. I'm on the East coast but my brother lives on the Olympic Peninsula. Since I've never seen his place I will be spending a little time out there, too, so your info will definitely help with my timeline.