Canadian Rockies Hiking Blog
Backpacking to Maligne with Mary
Five intrepid backpackers celebrate the end of a hot, smoky summer with a soggy ten-day trek from the North Saskatchewan River to Maligne Lake on the Great Divide Trail. Fog, drizzle, rain, sleet, snow! Jim Shipley and his buddies did something this summer that I...
Finding the trail to Castleguard Meadows
The old trail to Castleguard Meadows via the Alexandra and Castleguard Rivers is a tough slog. But those who make it there, either by the fading trail or over the Saskatchewan Glacier, will never forget this remarkable region. Finding the way on this remote route,...
Canada’s Great Divide Trail revisited
It has been 18 years since Dustin Lynx released the first edition of Hiking Canada's Great Divide Trail. This summer he published a totally revised third edition of the guidebook, which remains the best source for intrepid backpackers who want to tackle this daunting...
Testing Mark’s permethrin-treated clothing
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 was...
Banff’s Sawback Trail: The Fitch Variation
Every once in awhile, one of our contributors comes up with a better itinerary than what we feature in the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide. That happened this month when Gavin Fitch sent us a report on his seven-day trip this August along Banff's Sawback Range. We...
Wildfires close trails in Kootenay, Banff
Parks Canada has closed a number of trails in Kootenay and Banff National Parks due to wildfires that have been burning and expanding since late July. The Mount Wardle Fire in Kootenay Park has had the biggest impact, resulting in partial closure of Highway 93S, and...
Canada Day—Take a hike, eh!
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...
Permethrin-treated clothing arrives in Canada
After years of frustration, Canadians are now able to purchase clothing that is commercially treated to protect against mosquitoes and ticks and the diseases they can carry. Using "No Fly Zone by Burlington" technology, Marks (aka Marks Work Wearhouse) released a line...
Visiting Waterton Park in 2018
Update July 1, 2018—Parks Canada trail crews have been hard at work in Waterton, and several trails have reopened west of the townsite in the wake of the Kenow Fire. These trails include Bertha Lake, the Waterton Lakeshore to the U.S. boundary, Crandell Lake from Red...