A VISIT TO THE HEART OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES
by Dan Austin
When the publishers of THE FAMILY ADVENTURE TRAVEL DIRECTORY asked if I would be interested in writing a short article about family adventures in the Canadian Rockies, I have to say, I was intimidated--not at the thought of writing an article, but more at the challenge of articulating the incredible beauty and grandeur of the region. Our family has traveled extensively throughout North America. Specifically, we have spent many vacations exploring the Rockies of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, and we are not easily overwhelmed with rugged beauty. Visiting the Canadian Rockies did just that. It is truly overwhelming.
The heart of the Canadian Rockies is considered to be the area around Banff-Jasper. Canada's National Park system is quite similar to that of the United States. Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, and Yaho National Park, are all an easy drive from the busy western city of Calgary. It is here that the mountain range offers the most dramatic and scenic views, as well as, the most accessibility.
It is a good idea to start your adventure in Calgary. Calgary is a historic town with much to offer. It began as a mounted police fort in 1875, and has grown from a pioneer boomtown into a mature western Canadian city. Known as the "Gateway to the Canadian Rockies," Calgary is home to a large university, a variety of museums, cultural sites, a world-class zoo, Botanical Gardens, and much more. Just outside of town you can visit the Canada Olympic Park, site of the 1988 Olympic games.
The Canadian Rockies are a simple structure, rising up to well over 10,000 feet. They average only 80km. wide, and are bordered on the east by the Great Plains and to the west by the Rocky Mountain Trench. Every range to the east of the "trench" is part of the "Rockies".
Approximately 70 million years ago, the Canadian Rockies came into being, thrust upward along a fault called the Rocky Mountain Trench. Following the uplift, erosion by wind, water, frost, and, finally, glaciers came to create the incredible landscape we see today.
This area is called Kananaskis Country. Peter Lougheed Provincial Park has some of the best hiking in the world. This area, just south of Banff, along the east side of the Divide, offers unlimited recreational opportunities. It is a good idea to plan to spend a few days in the area known as the "playground of the province," by the locals.
One of my favorite "family trails," and a great way to kick off your adventure, is an alpine hike to Ptarmigan Cirque, a glacier-carved natural amphitheater. Aromatic spruce, cascading waterfalls, mint green lakes, and yellow heather, splash this expansive mountain wonderland with an array of color, textures, and alpine scents. If you're looking for more of a challenge, stop in at the visitor's center just off the highway in Canmore. Here you can get maps and trail condition updates for each of the dozens of trails in the area.
After a day of hiking, give your feet a break and challenge the Kananaskis River. The Class 2-3 rapids are perfect for a family float, and are exciting and safe. Join one of the local outfitters and let them introduce you to "paddle rafting." Your guides will share with your family a bit more about the region, from the local flora and fauna, to how the area was first discovered.
No trip to the region would be complete without a "stop and shop" in Banff, a bustling business district where you can buy everything you need and much that you don't. Restaurants, motels, lodges, and trinket shops can be found up and down Banff Avenue. Once you have fulfilled the shopping urge, head outside of town to Sulphur Mountain. Take the Gondola to the top for unparalleled views of the Rockies and Banff, below. This is a great chance to see Dall sheep, up close and personal. These all white sheep have made a home at the top of Sulpher Mountain and are undisturbed by the hundreds of daily visitors to the mountain.
An hour north of Banff is the famous Lake Louise area, which is probably as well known for its grand hotel, Chateau Lake Louise, as for the recreation opportunities. An afternoon canoeing the azure blue waters of Lake Louise will give you a peaceful break from the crowds and a different perspective on the landscape and the majestic hotel. A tour of the hotel will render an impressive show of architecture and grandeur from a bygone era.
Just east of Lake Louise Village is the Bow Valley Parkway. It offers an excellent opportunity to peddle your bike through the countryside and spot the beautiful Rocky Mountain elk, grazing in the meadows alongside the parkway. You can then bike to Johnston Canyon and take the short hike through the narrow canyon to the thundering falls.
North along the Ice Field Parkway (the main highway north and south through the center of the Rockies) the landscape becomes even more dramatic. The Continental Divide is to the left with its glaciers and ice fields that feed the rivers and lakes in the lush valley floor. The peaks to the east are just as spectacular with their towering summits. The road continues north along Saskatchewan River to the Columbia Ice fields, which border Jasper National Park.
In Jasper National Park you can explore a glacier, not from the air or from the edge, but on it! At Athabasca Glacier you can don crampons and be lead "on to" the glacier by experienced mountain guides (do not try this on your own). It is great to spend the day peering into crevasses and gazing at seracs (ice towers that form on icefalls), and submerged rivers, which flow under the ice.
Kananaskis, the Columbia Ice fields, and the Athabsacan Glacier offer landscapes that just don't get any better. It is easy to get so overwhelmed with the grandiose beauty that the small details get overlooked. Focus in on that small mountain lake, the meadow full of life, or the edge of the ice field as it recedes and exposes fresh life. The Canadian Rockies have what family adventure is all about--something for everyone.
Dan Austin is an avid traveler, father, and an adventurer.