The first hot weather of summer has descended on the Rockies, and as snow and icefields start to melt, most of the waterfalls start to roar. Athabasca, Sunwapta, Takakkaw and Bow are all impressive cascades that are visited by roadside visitors every summer. But for me, the real gems are those that I reach by trail. Some of these waterfall hikes are short, others are longer. And some are far enough […]
Monthly Archives: July 2014
Stanley Glacier trail closed for repairs in Kootenay National Park
One of Kootenay Park’s most popular half-day hikes, the 4.2-km Stanley Glacier trail (161), will be closed from Wednesday, July 16 to August 31 while the flood-damaged trailhead bridge over the Vermilion River is being replaced. Restrooms and the south half of the parking lot at the trailhead will be available for roadside day use during construction (see “Important Bulletins” on the Kootenay Park website). Following repairs to the Stanley […]
Read More...
- Categories: 2013 Floods, Banff National Park, hiking, Kootenay National Park
Wildfire triggers trail closures in Banff Park
The Spreading Creek Fire, ignited by lightning on Alberta forest land east of Saskatchewan River Crossing on July 3, has expanded into Banff National Park and resulted in the closure of several popular trails. Parks Canada has closed trails around Saskatchewan River Crossing, including Glacier Lake (63), Warden Lake (62), Mistaya Canyon (61), Sarbach Lookout (60) and Howse River (59). Remote trails in the Siffleur River watershed leading north from […]
Read More...
- Categories: Banff National Park, hiking
- Tags: wildfire
Hydrating with SteriPEN in the Canadian Rockies
This week’s warm weather brought memories of a day hike last summer during similar conditions. As has been my habit, I didn’t bring enough water for the day, and by the time we were halfway through our hike, my water bottle was empty. And has been my habit over many years, I ended up desperately scooping water from lakes and streams. I’ve never suffered any ill effects from drinking directly […]
Read More...
- Categories: hiking, technology
- Tags: hiking gear, SteriPen
Popular trails thawing in the Mountain Parks
The endless winter has finally loosened its grip in the Canadian Rockies, and high country trails are slowly opening up in all the Mountain Parks. Following are latest conditions from some of the most popular hiking destinations: Sunshine Meadows. The shuttle bus to the meadows has been running for over a week, and the trail to Rock Isle Lake, Grizzly and Larix Lakes (25) is in good shape (some snow […]
