Last July 1st, blog correspondent Jim Shipley and his buddy Frank hiked to the top of The Nub in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park to celebrate Canada 150. As Jim’s photo attests, it was a little bit snowy backpacking into the park via Bryant Creek and Wonder Pass at that time of year. But what a great way to celebrate the country’s birthday! If you went somewhere special this Canada Day, […]
Update July 31, 2017—Trails in the Sunshine Meadows and north along the Bow Valley Highline (Simpson Pass, Healy Pass, Egypt Lake, Whistling Pass) reopened Wednesday, July 26. But increased fire activity prompted Parks Canada to close the trails and Sunshine Village again on Monday, July 31st. For the latest on fire activity and closures, check Parks Canada’s daily Verdant Creek Fire Update. A lightning-ignited wildfire in Kootenay Park’s Verdant Creek valley has forced Parks […]
Once again, tick season is upon us. For most in the Rockies wood ticks are an annual nuisance that we suffer for a couple of months. The only defence is to tuck our pants into our socks and check ourselves carefully for the beasties following every hike. But in many parts of Canada, including British Columbia, Lyme disease has long been a serious threat, and the deer ticks that transmit the grim […]
Technology continues to bloom in the backcountry, but one of the best and simplest I discovered this summer is the Luci solar-powered light. LED lights are nothing new on the trail. LED light output and reliability is used in headlamps and even strip-lights to illuminate tent interiors. The only drawback is the same as with most technology, playing with batteries and, sometimes, weight. Along comes Luci by MPowerd, an innovative, inflatable, solar […]
The Red Rock Parkway in Waterton Lakes National Park was closed early this season (Sept 8), which cuts off access to several popular hikes in the park’s northwest sector. The closure will facilitate major reconstruction of the roadway, the lower parking lot at Red Rock Canyon, and viewing platforms at Blakiston Falls. Access to the following trails will be affected. (All trail numbers referenced to the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide): 191—Tamarack Trail […]
Banff National Park’s Johnston Canyon trail will close on Tuesday, September 15, so Parks Canada can tend to restoration and infrastructure upgrades on the 2.7-km trail leading through the heart of the canyon to Upper Falls. Johnston Canyon is easily the busiest trail in the Canadian Rockies, traversed by hundreds every day during the summer months. Infrastructure in the canyon includes numerous catwalks, or artificial walkways, that hang from the […]
Ever since the Syncline Ridge Fire scorched the Breccia Creek section of Jasper’s South Boundary Trail in 2003, travel there has been iffy at best. Parks Canada didn’t have the resources to rehabilitate the trail, so nature was left to take its course. Last week, Rogier Gruys, a Jasper Park Visitor Experience Specialist, decided to spend a long weekend investigating the trail’s condition. “It may be better than expected,” wrote […]
