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... by Brian Patton | Jun 10, 2014 | Wildlife
A minor miracle this spring with wood ticks in the Canadian Rockies. I’ve hiked three notorious “tick” trails and returned without any of these annoying little critters crawling on my body or in my hair. Now that trails on southerly-exposed slopes are opening up... by Brian Patton | May 18, 2014 | Jasper National Park
There aren’t many places you can hike on dry trail at this time of year. But if you find yourself in Jasper, the lowest community in the Canadian Rockies (1060m/3,480ft), you can get a jump on the season by hiking around the townsite on the Discovery Trail. The...