18 where.ca CANADIAN ROCKIES

In the Canadian Rockies we take our cues from the mountains—we go big. We also get creative. Our tour operators offer activities that allow everyone to explore our wild alpine playground. We’ll get you to the summit; you choose whether you want to ride, fly or climb.

Backcountry Horse Trips Horses provided essential transportation for Indigenous peoples, European settlers and early Banff and Jasper tourists. Visitors can still sightsee by saddle and horse-drawn car-riage. Today’s horseback rides link people to our western heritage.

Take a trail ride for an hour or a day (p 83, 146), or join a multi-day pack trip through remote mountain terrain with tent camp stays. At the end of each day satisfy your appetite

with hearty campfire-kissed cuisine. New this year are Banff Trail Riders’ (p 83) custom fish-ing trips to alpine lakes teeming with trout.

“The cool thing about these new trips is the solitude at the lakes and rivers. The opportu-nity to explore that area is pretty unique. My favourite place is Elk Lake,” says Banff Trail Riders’ owner Jonathan Welsh.

For added comfort, book a horseback vaca-tion with backcountry lodge accommodation. Brewster Mountain Pack Train (p 83) rides to the Ghost River area near Canmore explore mountains, and log cabins await at Brewster Company Ranch by Meadow Creek. In Banff, Sundance and Halfway Lodge host Banff Trail Riders’ guests along the peak-studded wilder-ness route to 2,440-m/8,005 ft Allenby Pass. Tonquin Valley Adventures in Jasper runs horse trips to its lodge by Amethyst Lake back-dropped by the rugged Rampart Mountains.

Bus or Fly to Alpine Trails Typically it takes hours on foot to get to the goods—high meadows where yellow col- PH

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By Afton Aikenswith notes from Where writers

Activities you’ll cross off your bucket list with ease—plus a few as challenging as they are rewarding

Iconic AdventuresMade Attainable

SUMMER 2016 where.ca 19

umbine, red paintbrush and purple fireweed bloom mid-summer. In this picturesque, cov-eted wilderness, blue-green lakes gleam and expansive vistas abound.

But Sunshine Meadows (p 82) is attainable in minutes via the summer shuttle bus that ferries hikers to 2,159 m/7,082 ft and the Sun-shine Village Nature Centre. Try our favourite day hike, the relatively easy 7-km/4.3-mi loop past Rock Isle, Larix and Grizzly lakes. The route straddles the Continental Divide, tra-verses rocky ridges, crosses streams and skirts stands of larch trees that glow gold in autumn. Lonely Planet designated this one of Canada’s top five hiking areas.

While you can hike on your own at Sunshine Meadows, tour operator Gord Stermann says, “this high alpine environment is so interesting, it’s worth exploring with a guide.”

For a bigger thrill, take a helicopter past gla-ciers, waterfalls and peaks to your alpine hike. Rockies Heli Canada (p 78) pilot Ralph Sliger suggests a hike at Lusk Hill overlooking Kanan-askis mountains, and on a clear day ranchlands and the Calgary skyline beyond. Combine your hike with heli-yoga or even a heli-wedding. Rockies Heli also offers flightseeing over the massive Columbia Icefield.

West of Jasper, fly with Yellowhead Helicop-ters (p 144) past Mount Robson, the Canadian Rockies’ highest peak, to a 23-km/14-mi hike back to Hwy 16. See Berg Lake where the gla-cier descends to the water, aptly named Valley of a Thousand Falls and lovely Kinney Lake.

Glide to Gorgeous Views Above treeline, peaks stud the skies and wild-life bask on slopes. Hop a sightseeing lift (p 84, 149) to the mountaintop and watch the

terrain below expand. Observation decks, hik-ing trails and interpretive programs await.

After a $26-million renovation of the upper ter-minal, the Banff Gondola (p 84) is back in full operation August 1. Marvel at views of Cascade and Rundle mountains, and the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. Bighorn sheep greet you on the boardwalk stroll to the historic Cosmic Ray Sta-tion. “With an expansive interpretive area and immersive theatre (p 48), plus new food offer-

Gondolas and helicopters access alpine meadows in minutes.

The cool thing about fishing pack trips is the solitude at the lakes and rivers— there’s nobody else there. The opportunity to explore that area is pretty unique.

“

”–Jonathan Welsh, Banff Trail Riders

20 where.ca CANADIAN ROCKIES

ings (p 119), this is a premiere family destina-tion,” says the gondola’s Michelle Gaudet.

At Mount Norquay, take the refurbished 1952 North American Chairlift (p 86) to boardwalk views of Mount Rundle and the Banff townsite. Visit the Cliffhouse Bistro at 2,133 m/6,998 ft where Marilyn Monroe once dined. Thrill-seekers can embark on a guided Via Ferrata climb (p 72), a former Where magazine Best New Attraction award winner.

Farther west, ascend Mount Whitehorn over grizzly habitat aboard the Lake Louise Gondola (p 86). At 2,088 m/6,850 ft get a stunning bird’s eye view of Victoria Glacier, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and its aquamarine

namesake. Gaze across the valley at massive Mount Temple, stop at the Wildlife Interpretation Centre and take a guided walk.

In Jasper National Park, take the seven-minute SkyTram (p 149) ride to the top of Whistlers Mountain. On Canada’s highest aerial tram, ‘flight attendants’ chat with up to 26 guests about the park’s history, geography and ecology. At 2,227 m/7,306 ft see six mountain ranges and walk the Summit Trail. “You’ll be hiking above treeline in the alpine,” says manager Todd Noble. Fear not—the trail is enjoyed by all ages.

Does altitude give you an appetite? All lifts have dining at the top (p 119, 122, 166). Heading to BC? Try the gondola at Kicking Horse Moun-tain Resort (p 37) with grizzly bear refuge.

Via Ferrata Guided Climbs Safely tackle steep mountain terrain previously only accessible by seasoned climbers thanks to via ferrata (‘iron road’) anchors that support fixed cables, ladders and bridges. Guided climbs at Banff’s Mount Norquay (p 72) are suitable for all including first-timers with an appetite for thrills. Walk the suspension bridge over an impressive chasm and marvel at panoramic views; the six-hour Mountaineer Route travers-es an alpine ridge to the 2,450-m east summit.

“I love returning from a tour and listening to participants excitedly discuss the stunning views and their sense of achievement,” says Mount Norquay via ferrata guide John Thornton.

Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) operates luxury, helicopter-accessed backcountry lodg-es in BC. CMH’s guided Mount Nimbus via ferrata is North America’s longest; a suspen-sion bridge between two spires is situated a mind-blowing 600 m/1,968 ft above the valley floor. Vacations that include both via ferrata and heli-hiking (p 38) are CMH favourites.

Can’t get enough via ferrata? Kicking Horse and Fernie mountain resorts (p 37, 45) also beckon.

Discover Amazing Glaciers The Icefields Parkway (p 49, 134) that con-nects Lake Louise to Jasper traces the spine of the Continental Divide. Of the 100 glaciers that grace its edge, the Columbia Icefield’s Athabasca Glacier is most famous (p 84, 146). PH

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Via ferrata guided climbs are safe yet adrenalin-charged adventures.

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