by Brian Patton | Apr 2, 2024 | Home page News, Jasper National Park |
Backcountry campsites have become more difficult to reserve on the most popular trails in the Mountain Parks. An increasing number of hikers are resorting to long-distance day hikes to experience the Rockies’ most scenic trips. We explore the advantages and... by Brian Patton | Mar 6, 2024 | Home page News, Kootenay National Park |
In 2020, Kootenay National Park marked its centennial. We published several postings that year celebrating the park’s backcountry past. We called for submissions for more photos from the park’s past. John Cuddeford, who worked on Kootenay Park’s... by Brian Patton | Dec 7, 2023 | Backpacking, Home page News |
Backpackers often carry a lot of sophisticated and expensive technology these days. But they are notoriously frugal when it comes to their food, often subsisting on a variety of grocery store concoctions when they head to the backcountry. So, what better way to... by Brian Patton | Oct 18, 2023 | Backpacking, Kootenay National Park, Trip reports, Yoho National Park |
Kootenay Park’s Ottertail Pass trail is a route frequently ignored by backpackers bound for the Rockwall. Because the pass is wooded and of little scenic interest, we barely mentioned the trail in early editions of our trail guide. Back in January, we received a... by Brian Patton | Sep 4, 2023 | Canadian Rockies Trail Guide, Great Divide Trail, In memory |
Jim Thorsell, an old friend, who inspired the first edition of the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide and contributed to the first six editions, died on August 30, 2023. “Thor” was an avid hiker who authored one of the first backcountry user surveys in 1967, A...