A subalpine lake in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia on a blue sky day.

Fall is without a doubt my favourite season as a landscape photographer. It’s vividly striking, with dramatic clouds, constantly changing weather, bright colours, and so many diverse conditions. The subjects to photograph are endless, while the time to do so is limited as we shift into the winter season.

One of those subjects I love to highlight (like many other photographers and hiking enthusiasts) is the golden larch trees. A deciduous conifer, the larch tree loses its needles during the fall to prepare for winter, but not before turning to a vivid shade of yellow.

I try my best each year to take advantage of the fleeting conditions and to get outdoors with my camera while the colours of fall remain.

Here’s a collection of images from recent adventures and past years that celebrate this golden time of year, across the West Kootenay region.

Sunrise light over Jumbo Pass, which straddles the East and West Kootenay regions in the Purcell Mountains of BC — *Sunrise at Jumbo Pass, Purcell Mountains. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

Sunset light in the Purcell Mountains, with bright clouds illuminated in front of a glacier. — *Sunset light in the Purcell Mountains. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

Sunrise lights up golden larch trees at Jumbo Pass in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia — *A dramatic sunrise at Jumbo Pass, Purcell Mountains. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

A stand of golden larch trees above a lake at Monica Meadows in the Purcell Mountains of BC — *A sea of gold in the Purcell Mountains, British Columbia. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

A hiker looks out at a lake in the Purcell Mountains of BC — *Fall colours at Jumbo Pass. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

Huckleberry bushes and larch trees at Monica Meadows, a hiking destination in British Columbia's Purcell Mountain Range — *A vivid fall scene in the Purcell Range of British Columbia. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

Recognise the above image? It’s the cover of Abby Wilson’s new “West Kootenay Hiking” guidebook. It’s been a constant companion on my fall hikes, and I’d highly recommend picking up a copy for all your hiking adventure planning. The West Kootenay Hiking website is also a great resource, but having a detailed physical copy when out of cell service is invaluable.

A cloudy day at Jumbo Pass in the fall, with vivid larch trees — *Fall colours of Jumbo Pass, Purcell Mountains. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

It doesn’t take long for snow to arrive in the mountains, and it brings a whole new dimension to the scene. I love it when I can line up a day photographing the contrast of vivid yellow larch trees set against fresh snowfall.

Larch trees reflected onto an alpine lake in the Purcell Mountains — *Larch reflections at Monica Meadows, Purcell Mountains. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

Larch Trees covered in snow in the Selkirk Mountains of BC's Kootenay Region — *Between snow storms in the Selkirk Mountains. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

Hikers exploring a larch meadow, in British Columbia's Purcell Mountain Range — *Hiking amongst the larch trees. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

Larch trees covered in snow and amongst the clouds, in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia — *The morning after a heavy snow. Selkirk Mountains, BC. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

Larch trees in a snowstorm in the Purcell Mountains of BC — *Larch trees and a snowstorm, Purcell Mountains. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

A trail leads to a stand of yellow larch trees after a snowfall, in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains along the Carpenter Pass hiking trail — *The trail continues. Selkirk Mountains. Photo: Ashley Voykin*

All above images are available as stock, reach out to info@ashleyvoykin.com for more information or fill out our form.

Larch Magic in the Kootenays

Shale Pass