Rockies 2 weeks in 9/05 -where to?
May 5th, 2005, 02:58 PM
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Rockies 2 weeks in 9/05 -where to?
We are outdoorsy 50'ish couple. Fish, kayak and golf -What cannot be missed ? Moderately priced places to stay? Would reservations still be necessary in September or can we wing it?
May 5th, 2005, 06:46 PM
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Hello biggy47,
I don't fish, kayak or golf, but here's some info nonetheless.
On the Alberta side of the Rockies you can catch brown, brook, cutthroat and bull trout on a catch and release basis in the Bow River, which starts at Lake Louise, goes through Banff townsite and continues to Calgary.
You can catch lake trout in Lake Minnewanka, which is close to Banff townsite. Other lakes in which you can fish include Spray Lakes near Canmore and Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, to the south-east of Banff. You also can fish in the Kananaskis River.
In the Jasper area you can fish in Maligne Lake, which is an hour's drive from Jasper townsite.
The provinces of Alberta and British Columbia sell fishing licences for territory that falls outside of the mountain national parks, while Parks Canada issues fishing licences within the national parks. You can obtain fishing licences from the Visitor Centres in Banff townsite and Lake Louise village, or else you can buy them from stores that rent out fishing equipment in Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper.
On the British Columbia side of the Rockies, in the region known as the Kootenay Rockies, fishing is available in the following areas:
Kootenay Lake (east of Nelson). Here you can catch rainbow trout, kokanee, bull trout, burbot, largemouth bass and cutthroat.
Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes (south of Revelstoke). Rainbow and bull trout, whitefish, burbot, and kokanee as well as great gerard rainbow trout.
Columbia River. Rainbow and bull Trout as well as sturgeon.
Kootenay River. Rainbow, cutthroat, lingcod, kokanee, bass, whitefish and bull trout.
You can rent just the fishing equipment or the fishing equipment plus a boat. Alternatively you can hire a full service, including a guide for the two of you, along with a boat and fishing equipment.
Here is a web site that lists companies on the Alberta side of the Rockies. You'd want to look out for the companies that operate out of Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper.
http://www.discovertherockies.com/To...ips/index.html
Guides in BC include Kootenay KingFisher Guiding Services out of Nakusp (south of Revelstoke) and Split-Shot Charters out of Salmo (near Trail, and south of Nelson).
Here's a web site from which you can download a sport fishing guide (regulations, etc.) for British Columbia:
http://www2.hellobc.com/fishingguide/
Here is a web site that explains fishing regulations in Alberta:
http://www1.travelalberta.com/conten...or/fishing.cfm
Well, that covers fishing. Kayaking and golf to follow in another post.
I don't fish, kayak or golf, but here's some info nonetheless.
On the Alberta side of the Rockies you can catch brown, brook, cutthroat and bull trout on a catch and release basis in the Bow River, which starts at Lake Louise, goes through Banff townsite and continues to Calgary.
You can catch lake trout in Lake Minnewanka, which is close to Banff townsite. Other lakes in which you can fish include Spray Lakes near Canmore and Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, to the south-east of Banff. You also can fish in the Kananaskis River.
In the Jasper area you can fish in Maligne Lake, which is an hour's drive from Jasper townsite.
The provinces of Alberta and British Columbia sell fishing licences for territory that falls outside of the mountain national parks, while Parks Canada issues fishing licences within the national parks. You can obtain fishing licences from the Visitor Centres in Banff townsite and Lake Louise village, or else you can buy them from stores that rent out fishing equipment in Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper.
On the British Columbia side of the Rockies, in the region known as the Kootenay Rockies, fishing is available in the following areas:
Kootenay Lake (east of Nelson). Here you can catch rainbow trout, kokanee, bull trout, burbot, largemouth bass and cutthroat.
Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes (south of Revelstoke). Rainbow and bull trout, whitefish, burbot, and kokanee as well as great gerard rainbow trout.
Columbia River. Rainbow and bull Trout as well as sturgeon.
Kootenay River. Rainbow, cutthroat, lingcod, kokanee, bass, whitefish and bull trout.
You can rent just the fishing equipment or the fishing equipment plus a boat. Alternatively you can hire a full service, including a guide for the two of you, along with a boat and fishing equipment.
Here is a web site that lists companies on the Alberta side of the Rockies. You'd want to look out for the companies that operate out of Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper.
http://www.discovertherockies.com/To...ips/index.html
Guides in BC include Kootenay KingFisher Guiding Services out of Nakusp (south of Revelstoke) and Split-Shot Charters out of Salmo (near Trail, and south of Nelson).
Here's a web site from which you can download a sport fishing guide (regulations, etc.) for British Columbia:
http://www2.hellobc.com/fishingguide/
Here is a web site that explains fishing regulations in Alberta:
http://www1.travelalberta.com/conten...or/fishing.cfm
Well, that covers fishing. Kayaking and golf to follow in another post.
May 5th, 2005, 07:03 PM
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My Internet search did not reveal many companies that rented kayaks in the Alberta Rockies.
In fact the only one I found was Canmore Rafting Centre.
If you're willing to rent a canoe, as opposed to a kayak, we have rented them at Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, both of which are in Banff National Park.
If you want to try white water rafting, you can do relatively tame rafting in Kananaskis Country and Jasper on the Alberta side or the Kootenay River on the BC side. The most exciting rafting in the region is on the Kicking Horse River in BC. Expeditions set out from a spot near Golden, which is about an hour's drive west of Lake Louise.
In fact the only one I found was Canmore Rafting Centre.
If you're willing to rent a canoe, as opposed to a kayak, we have rented them at Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, both of which are in Banff National Park.
If you want to try white water rafting, you can do relatively tame rafting in Kananaskis Country and Jasper on the Alberta side or the Kootenay River on the BC side. The most exciting rafting in the region is on the Kicking Horse River in BC. Expeditions set out from a spot near Golden, which is about an hour's drive west of Lake Louise.
May 5th, 2005, 07:09 PM
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On the Alberta side of the Rockies, golf courses that are well known, even to non-golfers like me, are Kananaskis Country Golf Course, Banff Springs Hotel and Jasper Park Lodge.
In the Kootenay Rockies, on the BC side, there are courses at Cranbrook, Kimberley, Fairmont Hot Springs, Invermere, Radium Hot Springs and Crawford Lake on Kootenay Lake.
In the Kootenay Rockies, on the BC side, there are courses at Cranbrook, Kimberley, Fairmont Hot Springs, Invermere, Radium Hot Springs and Crawford Lake on Kootenay Lake.
May 5th, 2005, 07:24 PM
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If you have 2 weeks in the Canadian Rockies, I would split the time amongst Banff (Alberta), Jasper (Alberta) and some place in the Kootenay Rockies, perhaps Nelson, BC.
When I say Banff, I actually mean any one of Canmore, Banff or Lake Louise. Any of those towns can serve as a base for seeing the other two.
Unfortuntely, "moderately priced" is an oxymoron in the Canadian Rockies. However, here are a few somewhat moderately priced options for you to consider:
Canmore - Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge
Kananaskis Country - Mount Engadine Lodge (I have not been there, but it's on my wish list. It has received excellent reviews here. For a small, exclusive lodge its rates are surprisingly reasonable. I know the lovely scenery in which it's situated.)
Lake Louise - Lake Louise Inn
Jasper - one of the "home accommodations" that are similar to B&Bs (they don't serve breakfast, but some of them come with kitchenettes)
Nelson - sorry, I can't help you there
Technically you can wing it in September. I mean you'll find some place to lay down your head at night. However, while September is quieter than July and August, it is not as quiet a month as it once was. I've noticed this trend all over the place, including Europe. As baby boomers like me are evolving into empty nesters, we're increasingly free to vacation in the fall, and many of us do. Lodgings that are moderately priced (or relatively moderately priced) as well as nice are popular, and they tend to get booked up. If you want to be sure of securing a pleasant, reasonably priced spot, I think it's safer to book in advance. It would be extremely unlikely that you would find a vacancy at a gem of a place like Mount Engadine Lodge if you didn't book well ahead.
You should see nice fall colours if you come in the middle of September. This area gets golds and yellows, not the reds and oranges of New England and Eastern Canada. The golds and yellows are pretty all the same.
It's not outside the bounds of possibility that you'll encounter a bit of snow. You should bring hiking boots and layers so that you can adjust to Indian Summer weather as well as to crisp fall weather if necessary.
What's not to be missed?
In Banff National Park - Moraine Lake, Peyto Lake, Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon, Columbia Icefields. Either the hike from Moraine Lake to Larch Valley or the hike from Lake Louise to Lake Agnes Teahouse would give you splendid views of larch trees wearing their golden fall attire.
In Yoho National Park - Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls.
In Jasper National Park - Angel Glacier / Cavell Meadows hike and Maligne Canyon.
Hope that helps.
When I say Banff, I actually mean any one of Canmore, Banff or Lake Louise. Any of those towns can serve as a base for seeing the other two.
Unfortuntely, "moderately priced" is an oxymoron in the Canadian Rockies. However, here are a few somewhat moderately priced options for you to consider:
Canmore - Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge
Kananaskis Country - Mount Engadine Lodge (I have not been there, but it's on my wish list. It has received excellent reviews here. For a small, exclusive lodge its rates are surprisingly reasonable. I know the lovely scenery in which it's situated.)
Lake Louise - Lake Louise Inn
Jasper - one of the "home accommodations" that are similar to B&Bs (they don't serve breakfast, but some of them come with kitchenettes)
Nelson - sorry, I can't help you there
Technically you can wing it in September. I mean you'll find some place to lay down your head at night. However, while September is quieter than July and August, it is not as quiet a month as it once was. I've noticed this trend all over the place, including Europe. As baby boomers like me are evolving into empty nesters, we're increasingly free to vacation in the fall, and many of us do. Lodgings that are moderately priced (or relatively moderately priced) as well as nice are popular, and they tend to get booked up. If you want to be sure of securing a pleasant, reasonably priced spot, I think it's safer to book in advance. It would be extremely unlikely that you would find a vacancy at a gem of a place like Mount Engadine Lodge if you didn't book well ahead.
You should see nice fall colours if you come in the middle of September. This area gets golds and yellows, not the reds and oranges of New England and Eastern Canada. The golds and yellows are pretty all the same.
It's not outside the bounds of possibility that you'll encounter a bit of snow. You should bring hiking boots and layers so that you can adjust to Indian Summer weather as well as to crisp fall weather if necessary.
What's not to be missed?
In Banff National Park - Moraine Lake, Peyto Lake, Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon, Columbia Icefields. Either the hike from Moraine Lake to Larch Valley or the hike from Lake Louise to Lake Agnes Teahouse would give you splendid views of larch trees wearing their golden fall attire.
In Yoho National Park - Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls.
In Jasper National Park - Angel Glacier / Cavell Meadows hike and Maligne Canyon.
Hope that helps.
May 5th, 2005, 07:51 PM
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And if what Judy has told you is not enough, I recommend highly the Whaleback in Yoho National Park, which is just over the Great Divide from Lake Louise.
To find the Whaleback, drive west on the Trans Canada and descend Kicking Horsse Pass and go to Takkakaw Falls.
Park there and head upstream on the Yoho Valley trail toward Twin Falls Chalet.
Near the chalet, turn right and ascend the side of the valley to the top of the falls. Follow the trail up the mountain through the trees and out onto the rubble from glacial days.
At the high point of the trail, there is a glorious view of the whole valley system. The President Range is to your southeast, Mount de Poilus is north.
Northeast, east, and south is the rest of the valley with all of the cirques, peaks, glaciers, and snowfields.
Nothing better in the whole area, although several vantage tie for first place.
In fact there is a long list of ties for first place.
To find the Whaleback, drive west on the Trans Canada and descend Kicking Horsse Pass and go to Takkakaw Falls.
Park there and head upstream on the Yoho Valley trail toward Twin Falls Chalet.
Near the chalet, turn right and ascend the side of the valley to the top of the falls. Follow the trail up the mountain through the trees and out onto the rubble from glacial days.
At the high point of the trail, there is a glorious view of the whole valley system. The President Range is to your southeast, Mount de Poilus is north.
Northeast, east, and south is the rest of the valley with all of the cirques, peaks, glaciers, and snowfields.
Nothing better in the whole area, although several vantage tie for first place.
In fact there is a long list of ties for first place.
May 6th, 2005, 12:12 AM
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I have visited the Rockies in September four times in September and it was still very busy. We had problems to find a suited accommodation during our first stay. Therefore we switched and made reservations before our arrival. My impression in the last years, was that there were less people visting the Rockies (maybe an effect of SARS).
Canoe rentals are available a different lakes, but you have to be an expert, if you want to do wildwater-kajaking. In September the rivers might have less water than usual (in case of dry summer). Kajaking is not possible in such a situation, but it is different every year. Last year September was very cool, with lot snowfall in Jasper & Banff (on the mountains).
Canoe rentals are available a different lakes, but you have to be an expert, if you want to do wildwater-kajaking. In September the rivers might have less water than usual (in case of dry summer). Kajaking is not possible in such a situation, but it is different every year. Last year September was very cool, with lot snowfall in Jasper & Banff (on the mountains).
