Tour-Details:
Day 1: Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Arrival in Calgary, transfer the hotel. Light snacks and pre trip information in the hotel with the guide.
Day 2: Banff National Park - Board the bus for the ninety minute drive west into the mountains of Banff National Park. On a campground (showers) under pine trees you pitch your tent for the next four nights. This afternoon you go for the first hike, perhaps following the shore of Lake Minnewanka. Dinner on the campground. Hiking time 2 to 3 hours.
 | | photo: K. Flamand | on top of the world |
Day 3: Banff National Park - Today you hit the trails on a mountain bike on some of the best cross country trails in Rockies. After a one hour skills course you are ready to spend the day exploring the trails and single track. The bikes are first rate and the trails offer such variety everyone will enjoy this day. An evening of stories around the campfire makes the perfect end to a Canadian mountain day.
4.Tag: Banff National Park - Fun and thrills with an optional 5-hour white water rafting adventure on the Kicking Horse River in eight person rubber rafts. Or join the guide for a day hike into the mountains. For example an 8 km hike into a wide alpine meadow for scrambling and exploring. From here you can ascend into a pass at 2330 m elevation. Hiking time 4 to 6 hours.
Day 5: Banff National Park - Don't you wish you were as sure footed on the rocky slopes as the mountain sheep and goats you saw during yesterday's hike? Today is your chance to learn. During a mountaineering course with expert instructors you practise abseiling and climbing skills, using ropes and harness.
Day 6: Jasper National Park - Past picture postcard Lake Louise you travel one of the most spectacular alpine routes, the Icefields Parkway. At the immense Columbia Icefields you hike Parker Ridge with magnificent wide angle views of Saskatchewan Glacier, Mounts Athabasca and Andromeda and the icy cap of Snow Dome. Mighty Athabasca Falls count among the attractions of Jasper National Park. You can make your way down into an abandoned canyon carved out of the rocks by the raging waters over millions of years. Two days on a campground (showers) near the mountain village of Jasper. Hiking time 1 to 2 hours.
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Jasper Panorama |
Day 7: Jasper National Park - The side trip to Maligne Lake takes you through a valley once thought to be magical because of another lake along the way which disappears during the summer. Once at Maligne Lake you hike a 8 km circuit through flower covered alpine meadows to an elevation of 2150 m or take a boat cruise (optional) to Spirit Island at the far end of the lake. Suggested for this afternoon is a 2-hour trail ride in western saddle into the mountains on quiet horses and led by experienced horse wranglers.
Day 8: Hinton / Blue Lake - The peak experience of Sulphur Skyline is a perfect last impression of the Rocky Mountains. Starting almost at tree line with a short but steep climb you reach a ridge with the most excellent views. Of course if you feel you already have enough photos you can relax in the warm outdoor pool of the Miette Hot Springs (optional). Now you leave the National Parks and enter the forest and lakes region of the eastern foothills. Soon you reach a remote log house resort nestled between two lakes. Each family moves into their own cabin with private bath. Meals served in the main lodge for the next two days. Hiking time 3 hours.
Day 9: Hinton / Blue Lake - Get ready for the canoe training on a quiet lake, gaining paddling skills and confidence. No experience is necessary. You learn the basic paddle strokes, safety procedures for the open Canadian canoes. You receive tips regarding personal equipment and work sharing of the crews. This evening local Natives come by for a visit, story telling and drumming.
 | | photo: M. Bierer | family group |
Day 10: Drayton Valley - There is an opportunity for last minute shopping before you move to a campground (showers) by the North Saskatchewan River where you prepare for tomorrow's canoe trip. The selected river stretches are not dangerous, even for the beginner, but the current and gravel bars demand vigilance. Safety and the comfort of the participants are the main concerns of the guides.
Days 11 and 12: On the river - Not needed luggage may stay in safe keeping. For the next two nights you pitch your tent on sandy islands or comfortable spots along the shore. This "Canadian Classic" is an excellent river trip. It starts out just east of the Rocky Mountain foothills entering the Prairies. One of the most appealing aspects of this river is that it a paddler can choose whether or not to run the "big" water. There are numerous islands for camping. Moose, deer, black bear and other wildlife are common in the forested valley. Five or six hours daily are spent on the river, sometimes leisurely drifting downstream, but always with an eye for gravel bars and obstacles. There is time for swimming, fishing, exploring and evening campfires.
Day 13: Edmonton - End of the canoe trip right in downtown Edmonton after 160 km on the river. The bus with the luggage you left behind is waiting for the short drive to your hotel. Dinner on own.
Day 14: Breakfast in the hotel and transfer to the Edmonton airport.
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©Timberwolf Tours, May 2012