Environment | Stoness Travel Blog

11 Reasons That Make Canada’s Rockies so Appealing

A visit to the Canadian Rockies is a dream for many people, here and abroad. But what is it that the Rockies have to offer that makes them so alluring? Is it only the striking scenery, or other attractions?

1- The Canadian Rockies are not particularly high as big mountains but they are spectacular. Mount Robson tops them all at 12,972 feet. Its massive rocky structure, bare, and glacier laden, stands more than 7,000 feet above the pass and thousands of people view the barren crags as they pass through British Columbia’s Mount Robson Provincial Park by train, or on the highway. Visitors arrive at the park to enjoy activity. Some wish to scale the steep mountain’s cliffs, some will hike the many trails to higher meadows and viewpoints. Many will relax in its shadow at a campground, or perhaps throw a fish line to a hungry fish lurking in some nearby waters. At this park you will not likely go home without having seen some of the many deer, or bears.

2-   Just next door to the east is Jasper National Park. One of the more secluded attractions here is Maligne Lake. This 22 kilometre long lake is edged by tall white capped mountains, a fact attested to by the many people who have taken a ride in the available tour boat. Others take their own water craft and enjoy the silence of being alone, and may stop at one of the campgrounds… a long trip with weather to look out for.
3-   The Banff-Jasper Icefield Parkway’s 230 kilometres is a five star spectacular. Winding between high snow clad mountains, and occasionally rising up and over a pass, this highway has some of the best scenery on the continent.
4-   Still in Jasper NP is the outstanding Athabasca Falls which drops 23 metres into a narrow gorge. The entire flow of the Athabasca River disappears into the ravine with a tremendous roar. Canada’s early explorer, David Thompson, tried navigating the Athabasca River hoping to find a route to the Pacific Ocean way back in 1810.
5-   Continue south along the Endless Chain Ridge, a long sedimentary ridge that has swung from the horizontal, upward, as if hinged along one side.
6-   The Columbia Icefield has become a necessary stop. The Icefields are the remnants of the great icesheet that once covered this part of Canada. Ten thousand years of a warming climate have removed thousands of metres of ice leaving us with what is now visible. When earlier explorers came here the icefield reached across the valley where the road is now. You can expect the that the ice will retreat more quickly now. Over 10,000 years the suns’s energy was used to melt vast quantities of ice. Now many thousand cubic kilometres of ice are gone, and the sun’s energy will now be used to heat the earth and the air. Sounds like a good reason for the earth warming. If you take a ride in the large people movers you get a chance to ride out on the ice in safety.
7-   Along the Parkway expect to see many basins containing small lakes, often a beautiful turquoise colour, reflecting the image of a nearby mountain. Peyto Lake has a short hiking trail that takes you to a perfect viewpoint.

8-   Now the jewel of the Rockies. Banff Townsite is the main attraction for thousands of visitors to the Rockies. This small town is wedged between the mountains, yet contains fine lodging, good food, and numerous trinket shops. You may also find a few elk just loafing about. Good camping above the town, too.
9-   The often photographed Banff Springs Hotel is a great place to visit, and stay.
10-   Lake Moraine and the Valley of the Ten Peaks can provide one of the best places to visit for mountain scenery, and great hiking up to Larch Valley and nearby Wenkchemna Pass. The lower area is now too crowded but is still beautiful, but you can get away by yourself by taking one of the hikes.
11-   Is there anyone who does not know about Lake Louise? It’s the fabulous blue/green lake backdropped by a massive mountain. Again, so many people go here in season that you should likely try to avoid it, and save it for off seasons.
This is a short list of the many attractions in the Canadian Rocky Mountain region. If you drive the Icefield Parkway, I suggest you turn around and do it from the other direction. The scenery will look totally different to you. Twice the enjoyment for you.

For more details and maps download my Scenic Trails book, CANADA: Beyond the Far Horizons.
For more than four decades James Stoness has travelled the roads of North America, photographing and writing about what he has seen. His travel articles and beautiful pictures have been published in several magazines and newspapers. He is also the author of five western novels. Visit his website at: www.stonesstravelguides.com

A Tweedsmuir Lodge River Drift

In the Bella Coola Valley of western British Columbia, at a place called Stuie, rests the relaxing Tweedsmuir Park Lodge. For many years aboriginals came here to fish and hunt and declared it a nice place to rest. It certainly is that.

While relaxing may have been on the minds of the aboriginals, we wanted to see and do things. We wanted to see the great grizzly bears that come down from the mountains to eat the salmon going up the river to spawn. The lodge owners erected a

viewing stand where you can safely watch

the bears at work getting their food. When the bears are active, they put on quite a display, as they run and splash in the river to startle the salmon and then plunge their great heads into the water, usually coming up with a wiggling tasty fish.

We also wanted to get out on the river in one of their neat boats to do a river drift.

The great thing about a river drift boat is that the seats are padded, and comfortable. Another good thing, is that you don’t have to drive, either. A skilled oarsman makes sure we get downstream carefully, and as well, he tells us about the river, the salmon, the mountains, and the huge pile of debris along the river in places.

Apparently, heavy floods last year floated trees, roots and all, down into the main river where they actually jammed it. River people

are still cutting tree trunks and letting

them float away to open the channel. The water was low when we took our drift and we had to edge our way over some submerged trunks and shallow, gravel shoals.

The ambiance was terrific during our trip. In the distance the solid walls of the mountains pushed upward to penetrate the blue sky. On some of the taller peaks great glaciers stuck to the face of the mountain, and in other places huge cirque glaciers

were busy creating future majestic amphitheatres. On the water duck families acted as if we were not there and paddled right across our bow. They also seemed oblivious of the bald eagles resting on nearby branches, or swooping low over the water.

The eagles were waiting for the salmon. We were told that when the eagles start to arrive, the salmon won’t be far behind.

In fact, my wife Sylvia was the first to see

a small group working up stream. Our guide told us, a few today, many bunches tomorrow, and a river of fish by the weekend.

Sadly, we did not see any grizzly bears on this trip. We were perhaps a week too early. No salmon, no grizzlies!

The Tweedsmuir’s river drift is a chance to meet nature on her own terms. It’s relaxing, and that’s what the Tweedsmuir Lodge is all about.

Happy RVing!

For more than four decades James Stoness has travelled the roads of North America, photographing and writing about what he has seen. His travel articles and beautiful pictures have been published in several magazines and newspapers. He is also the author of five western novels. Visit his website at: www.stonesstravelguides.com

Exploring the Chilcotin Plateau

Heading west from Williams Lake, British Columbia, spectacular Highway 20 takes the adventurer across the ever-changing scenery of the Chilcotin Plateau. This plateau fills the space between the Coastal Range and the interior.

The variation in topography is what makes up the exciting variety in the scenery.

You may not realize it, but the largest ranch in North America was the Gang Ranch.

It had cowboys tending cows over 1,000, 000 acres of the plateau. Several large ranches still operate in the area where seeing old fashioned log snake fences, and herds of cattle and horses will not be that unusual.

The traveller will enjoy the rolling grassland scenery, interspersed by canyons and cliffs. Lakes, streams, and rivers attract the fishermen, canoers, and those who like to sail. Distant whitecapped mountains draw the hikers, and also those who want to spend some time on a long trip into the wilderness on horseback.

If you want to camp, you will find a large number of campgrounds. The resorts attract people who want comfortable accommodations in rustic areas with great views. Certainly the wilderness ambiance permeates the atmosphere of the entire trip across the plateau. Escott Bay Resort, and Chilcotin Lodge are two, among many, that fit the requirements of a great stay, and also have a few campsites.

As you head west you pass into Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, and drop down a great hill into the Bella Coola valley, and a completely different type of scenery. At Stuie, near the bottom, you will find the Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, famed for its grizzly bear viewing. And in winter, even more famous for its skiing.

The 450 kilometre drive from Williams Lake to Bella Coola has long been part of one of British Columbia’s most popular scenic circle drives. Instead of returning to

Williams Lake, drivers would board the ferry at Bella Coola, cross to Vancouver Island and make their way via another ferry to Vancouver.

This circle drive is facing disaster! The BC government is cancelling the ferry, apparently with total disregard to the damage it will do to the tourist accommodations along the Chilcotin route. It’s difficult to imagine how a government could spend so much money promoting tourism and with a single act, destroy everything it had built.

No matter what they do, they cannot destroy the experience of a visit to the Chilcotin, although they can make it a great deal more difficult.

Happy RVing !