by Brian Patton | May 9, 2020 | backpacking, COVID-19, hiking, Home page News, National Parks, Provincial Parks
Hiking and backcountry access in the Canadian Rockies during COVID-19 Updated June 1, 2020 Parks Canada began lifting COVID-19 restrictions and closures in the National Parks on Monday, June 1. Most trails and day use areas are now open throughout the Mountain...
by Brian Patton | Mar 24, 2020 | Canadian Rockies, hiking, Home page News
In these uncertain times, it’s hard to guess what the 2020 season holds for hikers. But snow pillows are predicting one of the latest hiking seasons in recent years. Since I started writing this blog back around 2014, I’ve tried to predict when the first...
by Brian Patton | Mar 17, 2020 | backpacking, Canadian Rockies, canadian rockies trail guide, gear, hiking, technology
A veteran solo backpacker looks back to a decade of exploration on the remote trails of Banff, Jasper and the Willmore Wilderness and provides useful tips for today’s wilderness travellers. Back before there were text-enabled GPS units, solar panels with power...
by Brian Patton | Jul 22, 2019 | Banff National Park, Canadian Rockies, hiking, Home page News, Lake Louise
The expansion of shuttle bus routes at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake this summer promised to ease some of the congestion and improve access to these two popular destinations. But things haven’t been running smoothly. Here are some comments that were sent to my...
by Brian Patton | Jul 9, 2019 | hiking, Home page News, Waterton Lakes National Park, Wildfire
A lot of restoration is underway in Waterton Lakes National Park this summer as crews work to rebuild facilities, clear hazard trees, and restore roadways and trails in the wake of the devastating 2017 Kenow Wildfire. But limitations to motor vehicle access is...
by Brian Patton | Sep 28, 2018 | gear, hiking, review
When Mark’s suddenly released a line of permethrin-treated clothing under its WindRiver label this past spring, it came as a huge, personal surprise. For several years, I had been questioning why Canada was reluctant to approve insect-repellent clothing while it...
