Canadian Rockies Hiking Blog
Search the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide blog
New Gem Trek maps – Kootenay and Bow Lake
Gem Trek Maps has just released a batch of revised titles including Bow Lake & Saskatchewan Crossing and Kootenay National Park. Printed on waterproof material and with topographical contours and attractive relief shading, they are welcome revisions to what we...
Bug Wars: DEET Alternatives?
For over 50 years outdoor folk have been using insect repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), but there are alternatives. In concentrations of 15% or more, it has been the most effective and reliable barrier against mosquitoes, ticks, and other...
Sunshine Village gondola opens for summer
After an absence of 20 years, the Sunshine Village gondola will once again transport hikers to the Sunshine Meadows on weekends and holidays for the 2016 season. The gondola will commence its summer operation on July 1st with the bonus of a free ride on the Standish...
Akamina Parkway closure
Hikers bound for several of Waterton Lakes National Park's most popular trails won't have the luxury of driving to trailheads on the Akamina Parkway this summer. Parks Canada has closed the popular 16-kilometre roadway from Waterton Townsite to Cameron Lake while...
Early season hiking in Banff and Waterton Lakes
It's been one of the earliest springs on record. But if you've ever wondered why we don't recommend for our readers to hit the high country trails, all you have to do is check out Waterton Lakes National Park trail conditions and you'll see that at the time of writing...
Trail running in the Canadian Rockies
There is a notion that trail running in the Canadian Rockies is relatively new. Actually, it's been around since the first recreational running shoes were created by Nike, Adidas and New Balance in the mid-1970s. I recall camping at Twintree Lake on Jasper's North...
Howse Pass: The disappearing trail
Of a number of trails that have disappeared since the first edition of the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide, Howse Pass may be the most famous. The trail up the Howse River to Howse Pass and the Columbia Valley beyond was first travelled by North West Company fur trader...
Measuring the length of Canadian Rockies hiking trails
When we set out to create the first edition of the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide, we needed a way of accurately measuring the trails, many of which had never been measured before. Professional surveying wheels with their small wheels and substantial weight were out of...
Backpacking with Luci® lights
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...