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jeeping through the Rockies


In light of a smattering of far-flung posts documenting this trip, and more for my own purposes than anyone else's, below: a comprehensive list of links to posts from that best of camping trips, jeeping through the Canadian Rockies. I am also including a section on LOGISTICS, for those wishing to plan a similar trip, with my tips/observations/suggestions having done so myself.



// GENERAL //
overview
flora of the Canadian Rockies

// JASPER NATIONAL PARK //
Maligne Lake
Athabasca Falls
Mount Edith Cavell, Cavell Glacier & environs, and the Columbia Icefields

// BANFF NATIONAL PARK //
Johnston Canyon
Ink Pots
Lake Minnewanka & general mountainous splendor & a visit to town
Peyto Lake via Bow Summit
Lake Louise + en route
Frost at Midnight // Lake Moraine
Lake Moraine

// KOOTENAY NATIONAL PARK //
Marble Canyon
Paint Pots

// YOHO NATIONAL PARK //
Emerald Lake + environs

 . . . . 
// LOGISTICS & OBSERVATIONS //

While it is the digital age of Google maps and cell phones, when planning any sort of activity in the backcountry, it is advisable to have analog backups (and to know how to use them). My reasons are manifold:
• spotty or non-existent cell phone service in the mountains and wilderness areas
• even in areas with service, if one is camping, access to charging capabilities may be uncertain
• you might drop your phone in a lake, and then where would you be?
• unless you have exact coordinates (and even on occasion despite having such), GPS is not always reliable for reaching trailheads or campsites
• if you're traveling out of the country (Canada uses different wireless networks), your phone data may be turned off in which case you are at the mercy of local public wifi networks (again, no promises when you're camping, although we had luck with wifi at most, if not all, visitors centers in the Rockies)

My analog backups generally include a map and a copy of our itinerary and any relevant details (I also printed off confirmation of our campsite reservations. We used the previous/no-longer-needed pages as kindling :), along with more detailed instructions/directions if needed. I typically store these documents in a ziploc bag in my gear for easy reference and to avoid water damage. National Geographic makes great maps that are durable and water-resistant; they carry many of the national parks as well as numerous international destinations.

With the proliferation of Instagram and thus the casual travel blogger, destinations like the Canadian Rockies grow more and more popular, often outpacing the adequacy of their facilities. If you hope to visit, it is advisable to plan ahead—both to minimize your impact to these natural resources, as well as to ensure that you have appropriate accommodations and lodgings. I planned my trip for July and booked my campsites on the opening day for reservations in January of the same year. I wasn't sure how competitive the campsite reservations would be, but rather than risk it, I planned well in advance. It was easy to book through the sites and I had a great experience with Parks Canada. Due to the length of my trip, I also purchased a Canadian National Parks Pass—based on the duration of our trip and the number of parks we planned to visit (we visited four and camped in two of them), it ended up being much more cost-effective to purchase a pass. I ended up using my pass again later in the year during a trip to Montréal and visited Parc de la Mauricie in Québec.

Even visiting in the summer, there are ways to minimize your touristic footprint and the broader impacts on the parks and local community. Be sure to research local regulations on things like firewood, food storage, bear precautions, and more. Many areas of Alberta, Canada, provide firewood at their campsites, due to issues in recent years with invasive species from imported/non-local wood. Many locations within the park offer shuttle services between popular sites; utilizing these cuts down on air pollution from more drivers and traffic jams in the park. Plan to visit the most popular sites early in the morning—that will likely help you avoid crowds which can push people off-trail as well as cause traffic jams in the parking lots. Planning your day strategically not only minimizes the stress of your trip, but makes for a better atmosphere for all park visitors. It's also helpful to strategically pick your campsites for proximity to areas of the parks where you plan to spend the most time, rather than traversing the large parks multiple times over the course of a few days going between camp and your day's activities.

Perhaps much of this is common sense—as someone who is detail-oriented and planning-minded, much of this is second-nature for me. I realize, though, that not everyone has my patience for this kind of planning minutiae, so hopefully these tips are of benefit to you and your camping crew! ¡Viva la camping!

Canadian Rockies camping trip


My 2016 camping trip in the Canadian Rockies remains one of my very favorites, to date. Angie and Laura were the perfect camping buddies and we are arguably very overdue for a repeat adventure. Having shared many highlights of the trips in individual posts related to specific areas of the parks, I wanted to share an overview of the trip as a whole.

I've written a little more here about the philosophical differences between Parks Canada and the United States' National Parks Service. It may be less a difference in philosophy, as both organizations are conservation-minded (and colonial in their origins...), than a difference in founding philosophies that resulted in the beginnings and genesis of the respective organizations.

The photo above was taken at our Lake Louise campsite in Banff, which gave me the odd feeling like we were living in a Jurassic Park movie. The road leading into the campsite had super-sized cattle-guards, presumably to ward off bears. It was comforting, though, knowing that the campsite as a whole had so many precautions, as I hope to never encounter bears in the backcountry or otherwise. 


Our trusty Jeep rental (this rental experience forever solidified my trust in Enterprise. I always use AutoSlash for booking rental cars, and Enterprise is routinely the least expensive, and in my opinion they have the best customer service. They really helped us out of a scrape when our original rental car with a different company fell through right when we were planning to leave town) and my beloved Marmot tent. I love my tent almost as much as I love my vacuum cleaner (which is a lot) and it has served me well on many a camping trip. During this particular trip in the Rockies, we weathered several nights of heavy rain and thunderstorms, and we stayed snug, dry, and cozy. The Marmot logo on the rain fly is also reflective, so it's easy to spot your tent on a nighttime walk back from the latrine. There are many other thoughtful details I've no need to bore you with in this post, but I will say it once more: my Marmot tent has been a dream, and many other camping buddies who've stayed in it have echoed this sentiment. I bought it on an end-of-season clearance, and I highly recommend you do the same, should you be in the market.

stopping at every scenic overlook, obviously

reading in hammocks—how we spent many a light-filled summer eve, while our dinner cooked.

The scale of the Canadian Rockies was so impressive and massive. I love gaining a more complete perspective of the lay of the land throughout the continent, as I feel it adds to my understanding of the natural history and geology of the area. The glacial valleys running the lengths of the parks were beautiful areas to drive through and admire.

We pulled our best Walk-to-Remember for this iconic and obligatory photo-op at the Continental Divide. We got a few self-timer shots before some kind soul took pity on us.

pigtail braids—my M.O. when camping or spending any amount of time out-of-doors. I've found it's the only foolproof way to prevent my hair from turning into a tangled mess of impossible snarls.

On this hike in Banff, signage along the trailhead advised hiking in groups of at least 4. At certain times (I assume when rangers have issued bear sightings), the trail is closed, or the group-of-4 rule is mandatory and enforced. On this particular day, the rule was not in force, but we joined a darling mom and daughter from Minneapolis, Jessica and Ali, and hiked with them. They were the lovely, like-minded kind of people that I love to meet on outdoor adventures of this sort. And our lively meandering conversation was effective in warding off any bears, as we thankfully saw none.

I cannot ever get over the brilliant turquoise and blues of those glacial lakes. On this particular hike, we ran into a couple of friends of Laura's—WHAT ARE THE ODDS?! We hiked with them for a while and enjoyed the sunshine after so much rain earlier in the week.

fossils and geologic specimen of the Canadian Rockies—my inner childhood-aspirant-geologist was delighted.

Lake Moraine <3 <3 <3 I still feel so lucky that we visited it on two days of perfect beautiful glorious summer, full sunshine sparking those most brilliant of hues.

Peyto Lake

Never one to miss a parks-themed photo-op.
  
Nanaimo bars—when in Canada.

My narration and writing of this post has been all over the place, but suffice it to say, in this penultimate post from the Canadian Rockies, that it was one of the absolute best trips I have ever been on. Oh that every camping trip could be as wonderful as this.

Lake Moraine // Banff National Park


Lake Moraine is arguably one of the most spectacularly beautiful places I have ever beheld with my own two eyes. The lake itself is enormous, but backed by forests and mountains, its surroundings almost play an illusion on its true size and scale. Even with photos, it is difficult to get a grasp on its relative size.

My photos of the lake originate from three separate occasions to its shores on two different days, representing two mornings and one midday. We visited Lake Moraine briefly in the early morning towards the beginning of our stay in Banff. This first visit, in particular, was when I had Coleridge playing through my mind and the lake was glassy and still.

The other visits occurred in bookend fashion before and after a morning hike which originated at the lakeshore but took off in the opposite direction. Upon arrival, we walked the shores again before setting off on our hike. Upon our return to the trailhead, the lake had taken on an entirely different aspect, its color all the more saturated and vibrant (I would not have thought it possible!). We scrambled up some rocks and boulders at its far end for a birds-eye vantage point and it is these views of the lake which are forever instilled in my mind's eye.
While planning our trip, I had looked up kayak rentals at several locations in both Jasper and Banff, so we could make an informed decision as to where we chose to go kayaking. In the end, we chose Maligne Lake in Jasper, which boasted the most cost-effective rentals and equally beautiful scenery. On another visit, I would strongly consider having rented our kayaks (or more accurately, canoes, à la the above photo) at Lake Moraine, simply for the excuse to spend more time there.

These colors!!

I've been trying to figure out what causes the difference in lake color (besides mineral content/glacial silt) as the very same body of water looks entirely different just days apart. I suspect that it may be in part due to the cloud cover—in the photo above, you can see the overcast sky and I suspect the lake thus takes on more of the colors reflected in its immediate surroundings—in this case, green forests. In the two photos below, the skies are clear, lending more blue tones to the watery depths. I think the overall vibrancy is a result of the glacial runoff, but the sky seems to account for some extent of the color formula at play here.

On our first visit to Lake Moraine, these frequent glimpses through breaks in the trees never ceased to draw exclamations of awe from us—that and the barely ruffled reflections of the neighboring mountain peaks.

At the far end of the lake, water flowed into the lake from other sources which created small islands of trees and dry ground. From afar, we didn't even realize this was the lake's source, but closeup, individual trees and root formations were much more spread out. It was unlike anything I have ever seen and so much water rushed through at every moment.

Without seeing some of the earlier photos, I would be inclined to doubt the veracity of the two immediately above—they seem fake!?! But if you look closely at the bottom right of the photo directly above, you can catch the slightest glimpse of the lake's surface in motion. Lake Moraine—too beautiful to be real, and yet it is. <3
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