Oh, Canadian Rockies
a love letter to Canada’s National Parks
Nestled in the Canadian Rockies is a cluster of national parks, each bearing treasured gifts for the visitor. They offer sweeping views of peaks and valleys and glaciers, visits to turquoise lakes and tumbling waterfalls, and long hikes that skirt the tree line of the spruce forests and rocky slopes of glacial moraines.
Jasper, Banff, Kootenay, Yoho, and Glacier National Parks dot the mountains spanning Alberta and British Columbia, crossing the Continental Divide, and together form large expanses of protected land. Time spent among these landscapes generates a sense of enthrallment, serenity, and sheer gratitude, as well as shaky legs.
Glacier National Park, British Columbia
Our good friend Gina flew from South Carolina to meet us in Edmonton, where we scooped her up and headed to Jasper National Park. An active wildfire disrupted power to the town of Jasper and surrounding areas, and nonresidents were discouraged from visiting. Smoke drifted and hung heavily in the air as crews worked to stave off the fire until rain arrived. We missed visiting Jasper, a favorite town, and were relieved when conditions there eased for residents.
Peyto Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta
The south end of the park was unaffected by the fire, and here we enjoyed one of the best walks of the trip. The trail led up to a pass, from which you had a view of the nearby Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier. Beyond the pass, we meandered and shimmied and even found a snow tunnel that was hanging on from previous winters, buttresses and all.
Snow tunnel, Jasper National Park, with architectural combs and buttresses
Our time in Kootenay National Park included a real highlight - a long hike to reach Radium Hot Springs. Hot springs are a favorite activity after visiting the natural Liard Hot Springs further north in British Columbia. Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Park is a large commercial pool setting, funneling the naturally hot water from a nearby source. It was wonderful to soak after cool days and long walks; we didn’t even mind bobbing around with strangers (we were lucky to time it just as they opened—fewer people). You can reach Radium Hot Springs easily by car, but it feels much better earned! The hot springs were a fun departure and made for a blissful walk back to camp.
Where the trail ends, the adventure continues. Parks Canada marker, Glacier National Park, BC.
With each national park comes adjoining mountain towns, brimming with charm and a relaxed, yet still energetic, feel. Banff, the famed and most visited, has much to offer (e.g., nearby Lake Louise, exceptional scenery, historic resorts, and in-town doings like galleries, shops, and eateries). It is a bustling, crowded, festive town that must be equally idyllic in the winter. Less touristic, perhaps, and appealing as such are Jasper in Alberta; Canmore, Golden, and Revelstoke in BC; and a bit further southwest, Nakusp and Nelson, also in BC. These towns offer year-round outdoor recreation and stunning landscapes, but with an authenticity that moves beyond tourism. Even the pubs have charm, including hanging baskets overflowing with blooms.
Lake Louise, Banff, Alberta
When it was time for Gina to travel back to South Carolina, we said goodbye in Calgary after wonderful days spent exploring. Heading back to the mountains, we wanted to extend our stay just a bit longer, even though we were missing a Canadian Rockies crew member. There was one more park to take in: Glacier National Park in British Columbia. This park is a gem in the Selkirk range, with trails that traverse boulder fields and moraines to reach glaciers and ice caves. As on any public land, it is awe-inspiring that people create and build these trails, steep and narrow, so that we may safely visit these natural wonders.
This Canadian Rockies landscape, rife with nature, ecology, adventure, and unparalleled scenery, works itself into your being. We are smitten and ever grateful for the experience.
Glacier National Park, British Columbia
Thank you for reading. Our thoughts and attention are with those affected by the hurricane, in our hometown and beyond. Here’s to a peaceful Fall season.
