Monthly Archives: September 2014

Hiking to Lake O’Hara and the Canadian Rockies’ best alpine larch trails

Brian Patton. September 19, 2014

Ask me about the best alpine larch hiking in North America and I won’t hesitate to tell you Lake O’Hara. And the best time to be there is the third weekend in September. But if you don’t have a booking for the Lake O’Hara Lodge, Elizabeth Parker Hut, campground or one of the rare day-use seats on the shuttle bus, you are likely out of luck for this weekend. Well, […]

After the snow—autumn hiking in the Canadian Rockies

Brian Patton. September 11, 2014

September snow used to be a regular event in Banff and the eastern valleys of the Canadian Rockies. Not so much during the past two decades. But conditions turned very “old school” this week when the Front Ranges experienced a major storm and freezing temperatures (minus 8 degrees in Banff on Sept 11). It certainly wasn’t a time to go hiking in the mountain parks or, worse yet, to get […]