Mount Burgess

Mount Burgess is located to the southeast of the indescribably vibrant Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, BC. This area is renown for its beauty, but also for its distinct archaeological significance. The Burgess Shale formation was discovered in 1909 by researches from the Smithsonian Institute, where they discovered pristine preservation of soft-deposit tissues within fossils from the Cambrian period. The discovery of fossils in the Burgess Shale remains one of the largest repositories of early life in Canada. I visited this area in July of 2023 on a road trip from Montana with a few friends, stopping to hike around the lake in the late afternoon on a cool, mostly cloudy day. I consider this photograph to be the perfect example of what I strive for in a mountain landscape- eye-popping contrast, sensational textures, and minimal shadows.