by Brian Patton | Feb 28, 2014 | hiking, National Parks
My Canadian Rockies Trail Guide co-author, Bart Robinson, recently received a query from American friends about the feasibility of backpacking the Rockwall or Sawback Trails in early July....
by Brian Patton | Jan 11, 2014 | Jasper National Park, National Parks, Waterton Lakes National Park
I’m not a big social media fan. I don’t maintain a Facebook page or have a Twitter feed. But lately I’ve been checking out some Facebook pages linked to Parks Canada or created by local support groups. Without exception, I’ve discovered some great current news posted...
by Brian Patton | Jan 4, 2014 | hiking, National Parks
When Bart Robinson and I first published the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide, we wanted to provide information on all the known trails in the mountain parks. In addition to the primary day hikes and backpacks we surveyed and measured ourselves, we also collected snippets...
by Brian Patton | Dec 23, 2013 | Books, National Parks
Books are always a good gift at Christmas time, and here are some suggestions for anyone on your list who loves mountains, and particularly the backcountry of the Canadian Rockies. My first two recommendations are classics, but still readily available throughout the...
by Brian Patton | Nov 4, 2013 | Banff National Park, hiking, National Parks
Peter Monod celebrating the anniversary of my arrival in Banff on November 1st I arrived in Banff in a snowstorm on Halloween night 1967 to prepare for my first job in the Canadian Rockies as a ski patrolman at Lake Louise. The next day I headed for Monod’s to look...
by Brian Patton | Sep 28, 2013 | hiking, National Parks
Canadian Rockies Trail Guide contributor Jim Thorsell sends along this photo of fresh snow and golden larches at Brewer Lakes in the Purcell Range. He comments that “about 1/3 of larches as of 25 Sept had turned so our larch season is later here with a peak this...
