I have been to so many incredible places in Canada: from the mouth of the Mackenzie River to the north end of Newfoundland and countless places in between. But the most impactful place for me is Lake Louise.

I found myself living in the Rocky Mountains right out of high school, escaping a relationship that didn’t work out, and falling in love with the West’s wild beauty. I lived in Banff for a year working as a ski room attendant and spent the following summer in Lake Louise painting houses. It was during this time I was starting to delve into music and play in front of people. Almost every night after finishing work, my friends and I would play our guitars and drink and laugh. I have a vivid memory of my friend Mike and I walking up a road from a campground, and though it was an arduous uphill trek, we were singing “Late for the Sky” by Jackson Browne at the top of our lungs.

The Rockies are invigorating. They’re enlivening. The last time I was at Lake Louise, my wife and I were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. We fell asleep to the sound of the rushing river. The mornings brought a crispness to the air I could smell, and a cold that didn’t bother us at all. We swam everywhere we could — from Moraine Lake to the Bow River — despite glacial temperatures. We spent time mountain biking, too, coming across signs warning us of bears in the area. The mountains have a way of waking up your senses and making you conscious of every moment.

—as told to Samantha Pope

Banff National Park is located within the territories of Treaty 6, 7 and 8 and the Métis Homeland.