We are attending a wedding Nov.9th and would like some suggestions for things to do. We are coming from Cape Cod,MA and enjoy outdoor and historical adventures. We could stay the week and fly out of different airport if necessary. Thanks.

I presume the wedding is actually in Banff? Therefore you will most likely be flying into Calgary. With a week you could actually drive from Banff through the Rocky Mountains and fly home from Vancouver. Alternatively you could drive north to Jasper (again lots of mountain scenery) and fly out of Edmonton. However, at that time of year you will most likely be facing winter driving conditions.

For outdoor activities, there may be enough snow for the alpine ski hills to be open and maybe also to do some cross country skiing near Lake Louise (Moraine Lake Road and the 1A highway are usually the first places you can ski in winter). Snow shoeing is another popular winter sport and very easy for beginners.

I don't know what time of year they start running, but there's also dog sledding along the 1A. You could probably get more information about that from the Chateau Lake Louise.

Yes, wedding is at The Juniper Hotel. Looks like we really need to be ready with cold weather gear. Snow shoeing and dog sledding are great ideas. Thanks.

it maybe possible but i wouldn't count on dog sledding or skiing. november is pretty early to have a good base of snow. there will be hikes you can do at lower elevations but most of the higher ones will be closed for the winter. not sure if it's possible in november but the hike up sulpher mountain (banff)and then riding the gondola down is popular.
in jasper, maligne canyon is interesting any time of the year. if you only have a week, i'd just focus on banff/jasper and yoho national parks and fly back out of calgary.

I would NOT recommend planning on hiking anywhere in the mountains in November.

Any snowsport is always dependent upon available snow and that varies from year to year.

However, Sunshine and Lake Louise are usually open the first part of November (Lake Louise often before Sunshine as they make snow).

I have often cross-country skiied (sp?) in late October, first week of November in the Lake Louise area. As for dog-sledding, I've never done it, just seen the sleds on the 1A as I ski.

If the poster stays for the week following the wedding there's a very good chance at skiing/snowshoeing.

Last years wedding was cancelled last minute due to visa problems. It is now set for Sept 27,2009. Jet Blue has a promotion for one month travel for $599. We thought we might visit our daughter in Washinghton DC the weekend before,fly to Seattle on Sept.21 and head on up to Banff/Jasper area for week. Should we rent a car or take the train or fly? We need to fly back out of Seattle later on Monday, Sept 28th. Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Please check new log in for Sept. Thanks.

So the question is what mode of travel to get from Seattle to Banff in late September? Fly into Calgary and rent a car from there.

Happy trails!

You can take a train from Seattle to Vancouver, but there is no scheduled train service to Calgary, only the Rocky Mountaineer, which is an expensive tour train. You don't have time to drive from Vancouver, so I also suggest flying into Calgary and driving to Banff from there.