Canadian Rocky Mountain Hiking Tours

	Glacier/Mt. Revelstoke Mountain Parks	Banff & Kootenay Parks
		Yoho!

Dates:
(6 days, 5 nights; Sun-Fri)
July 18-23

Assembly Point:
Glacier Park/Rogers Pass (airline service to Calgary; Timberline van shuttle between Calgary and Glacier Park prior to and following tour)

Tour Cost: $2,095
(includes all lodging, all meals, park entrance fees, van shuttles between Calgary and Glacier Park, leaders, trail maps & narratives)

Itinerary

    At the outset, we should mention that Canada’s Glacier National Park, which is the focus of this program, should not be confused with Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana, which also, for years, has been the focus of countless Timberline cycling and hiking adventures, and will be again this season. The two Glaciers are separate and distinct, separated by hundreds of miles, but they do share one very significant quality—an incredible alpine landscape that is simply unreal.

    Like Montana’s Glacier Park, the history of Canada’s Glacier is tied closely to the development of the transcontinental railroad. As the Canadian Pacific forged westward over and beyond the Rocky Mountain barrier, the region’s breathtaking beauty provided a compelling incentive to pursue the economic potential that tourism would bring to the region. Lodges, hotels and other tourist facilities were built in this uncharted wilderness, which subsequently was protected as a national park in 1886.

    Despite the continued presence of the railroad and the Trans Canada Highway, the park remains an astonishingly pristine wilderness. Global warming notwithstanding, 400 glaciers still cover approximately one-tenth of the park’s acreage. Winters in the park, although marked by substantial snowfall, are surprisingly moderate without harsh extremes and the park’s ecology supports a broad variety of wildlife, including a substantial mountain caribou herd.

    And so, in the season ahead, Timberline will explore the newest in its expanding array of alpine wonderlands in the context of a 6-day program that combines Glacier and adjacent Mount Revelstoke National Parks. We’ll provide a van shuttle from Calgary early morning of Day 1, pausing along the way within Glacier’s East Entrance to hike to the base of Bear Creek Falls (2 miles). We’ll then continue to Rogers Pass and tour the Visitors Center at Park Headquarters. Later that afternoon, we’ll walk the interpretive Abandoned Rails Trail as an introduction to the history of the area. The Glacier Park Lodge, perched atop Rogers Pass, will be our home for our first three overnights.

    Day 2, we’re headed for the Asulkan Valley and Columbia Mountains. The Alsulkan Trail has it all—breathtaking mountain scenery, waterfalls, meadows and a spectacular view of the Alsulkan Glacier. We’ll hike to the toe of the glacier along a high ridge that offers an incredible 360-degree panorama, including the dramatic Hermit Range to the south (8.5 miles).

    “Balu” translates as “bear” and we’ll hope for a distant sighting in the course of our hike to Balu Pass on Day 3. In so many ways, Balu is a signature Glacier Park hike. Within less than a mile from the trailhead, the views of the snowclad summits are everywhere—Grizzly, Ursus Minor and Major, Cheops, Cougar, to name a few. A final scramble above the pass offers views of the lush valley from which we have climbed (7 miles).

    Just when you are convinced that it can’t possibly get any better, we’ll introduce you, on Day 4, to Glacier Crest, a 6-mile (round-trip) trek that offers a continuum of jaw-dropping views—Illecillewaet and Asulkan Glaciers, Mt. Abbott, Rampart, Mt. Jupiter, and on an on. We’ll ultimately return to our trailhead and shuttle to Revelstoke, where we’ll spend our final two nights at the Regency Hotel.

    Day 5 offers the opportunity to experience the premier hike in Mt. Revelstoke National Park to the summit of Jade Pass. Along the way, we’ll skirt the shorelines of several stunning subalpine lakes—Heather, Miller and Eva. As you may have guessed, we have a climb ahead of us, but the views from Jade Pass are well worth the effort (10 miles).

    Following a final overnight at the Regency, we’ll return to Revelstoke Park for a gentle stroll to and around Balsam Lake. But in case you’re concerned that we’ve “gone soft”, we’ll tempt you with one final, but short, climb along Eagle Knoll for one last dramatic vista (2 miles). It’s then back to Calgary, where our program concludes.

E-Mail: timber@earthnet.net