by Brian Patton | Jul 15, 2014 | 2013 Floods, Banff National Park, Kootenay National Park
One of Kootenay National Park’s most popular half-day hikes, the 4.2-km Stanley Glacier trail, 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... by Brian Patton | Jul 14, 2014 | Banff National Park, Wildfire
The Spreading Creek Wildfire, ignited by lightning on Alberta forest land east of Saskatchewan River Crossing on July 3, 2014, has expanded into Banff National Park and resulted in the closure of several popular hiking trails. Parks Canada has closed trails around... by Brian Patton | Jul 11, 2014 | Backpacking, Technology
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... by Brian Patton | Jun 22, 2014 | Technology
Hiking in running shoes is nothing new. We started using Nike and Adidas runners on day hikes when we were preparing the second edition of the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide. As they say, one pound saved on your feet equals 10 pounds in your pack. On one occasion, we... by Brian Patton | Jun 16, 2014 | Jasper National Park
I don’t get to Jasper National Park nearly enough these days, especially for spring hikes. Time was we would spend a good chunk of our summers hiking and backpacking in the park. And one summer we worked in nearby Mount Robson and made frequent day trips there. That’s...