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The Canadian Rockies

cirque-se-view View from the east side of Cascade Mountain, facing southeast on the C-Level Cirque hiking trail (visible bottom-left)

This is a trip report from a recent journey to Banff. If you ever plan to visit, this writeup might contain some useful information. If not, I hope you at least enjoy the pictures -- all shot on iPhone, and many shot vertically (idiotically). Vertical images don't mesh well with websites, so I've hastily stitched some of them together horizontally to hopefully improve the scrolling experience.

This trip occured in late August with three friends of mine. The original plan was to pursue some serious outdoorsmanship: spend two nights camping in the wilderness. Camping equipment rentals were reserved and a backcountry permit was secured (relatively hard to come by, especially for coveted spots that sell out immediately when released for the summer season). The following was the plan, each bullet one day:

route

Physically, this plan didn't seem too demanding, nor was it straying too far from civilization. Regardless, we abandoned it after some quick weather analysis we apparently didn't have the foresight to do until just a few days before the trip began. Banff was going to be ~20°F after dark, life-threatening without proper layers. It gets cold up north, even in the summertime.

Added bonus: the route was in grizzly bear feeding territory AND it was prime grizzly bear spotting season!

If you had combined the camping experience of all four of us, it didn't amount to much more than some Wisconsin fishing trips. We also happily rented the cheapest gear possible (gear that does not retain heat!) and started to think living off beef jerky and granola bars for a couple dozen consecutive hours might be a poor decision. Luckily, we were able to cancel our permit to free up our campsites, refund our rentals, and book some last-minute housing.

Banff is a VERY popular destination up in the Canadian Rockies. It's just east of the British Columbia-Alberta border, which neatly traces the Continental Divide, a natural boundary separating river systems and which oceans their water ultimately drains into. Look up some photos (or scroll down) and you'll understand -- it's one of the most beautiful fairly-accessible places in the world (well, for North Americans).

For this reason, housing and permits typically need to be booked months in advance. We were lucky to find a good place at the last minute. Probably good timing with another group canceling their reservation (maybe they picked up our backcountry permits?).

To make up for the lost camping plans, we decided to pivot into an all-out hiking trip. Avid hikers may eyeroll after reading what we accomplished, but I consider it a success. We are reasonably-fit nature-enjoying dudes, but far cries from serious backpackers.

Day 1: Arriving in Alberta
Day 2: Lake Minnewanka
Day 3: Saskatchewan Glacier
Day 4: Bow Valley
Day 5: Calgary -> Chicago

Day 1: Arriving in Alberta

The first day felt like orientation. Picking up the car, getting settled in the rental condo (in Canmore, a nearby town), exploring the town of Banff, and arguing over which direction is true north. The town of Banff itself is both charming and magestic AND touristy and crowded. Definitely family-friendly, and also rocking a weirdly high Australian accent density.

town Pictured from left to right: old-fashioned grocery store signage, Cascade Mountain seen from Banff Avenue, Bavarian style building, cozy restaurant bartop

Day 2: Lake Minnewanka

The second day was spent conquering C-Level Cirque, a medium difficulty-rated trail best known for its triple valley and Lake Minnewanka views. It includes some seriously calf-splintering steepness, scrambling-required stretches, and several pika encounters (animals I have sadly learned Pikachu is NOT named after).

cirque-map Stats: 6.34 mi (10.20 km), 2144 ft (653 m) elevation, 3h 5m on the move, 5h 20m total elapsed time

cirque-signs Pictured from left to right: bear spray (required on this trail), nearby bear warning sign, C-Level Cirque trailhead

cirque-basin-view Facing south from the offical endpoint of C-Level Cirque, a view of the namesake cirque that is prone to frequent miniature avalanches (unofficial continued trail visible on the right)

cirque-road-view View from further up the unofficial C Level Cirque extension, facing southeast with the Trans-Canada Highway visible in the distance

cirque-lake-views Pictured from left to right: enjoying an UNCRUSTABLE at the very finish (contender for the best photo I've ever taken), that same photo with Lake Minnewanka actually in focus, once more featuring some friends instead of a sandwich, and Mt. Astley as seen from the Lake Minnewanka shore

This hike was followed by some unsuccessful fishing, much-needed showers, dinner and drinks at The Rose and Crown in Canmore (that town was BUSTLING with glorious diner-filled patios), and some elite hot tub time.

Day 3: Saskatchewan Glacier

The third day was spent driving up and down the Icefields Parkway and hiking along the way. The main event was Parker Ridge, a 2+ hour drive from where we were staying but well worth it. The Icefields Parkway is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world for good reason. Mistaya Canyon and Peyto Lake served as nice stops to break up the long drive (both are easier hikes, less than a mile round trip each).

parker-ridge-map Parker Ridge stats: 4.18 mi (6.73 km), 1068 ft (326 m elevation), 1h 40m on the move, 3h 29m total

bow-lake View of Bow Lake, facing southwest from an Icefields Parkway turnout

bow-lake-views More shots of Bow Lake taken from the shore

signs Pictured from left to right: morning hike/route planning, Mistaya Canyon trailhead, Mistaya Canyon warning signs, Parker Ridge explosives warning sign

mistaya-river Mistaya River view facing south with Mt. Sarbach and Epaulette Mountain in the background

parker-glacier View from the Parker Ridge trail facing west, Saskatchewan Glacier visible on the right and a waterfall visible middle-left

parker-solitude Rocky mountain views from near the Parker Ridge trail facing east

peyto-glory View from the Peyto Lake upper viewpoint facing northwest (sheesh)

peyto-crowd That same view of Peyto Lake but with the camera in a lower position (boo people!)

These hikes certainly had the best effort-to-reward ratios, but beware that means the inverse crowds-to-solitude ratio also rings true. Waterfall watching on Parker Ridge and listening to eagle peal calls echo through the valley was a highlight. Watch out for old warheads buried in the dirt.

We almost made it up to Jasper (another park just north of Banff and a bucket list item) but learned it was closed due to wildfires. If I remember correctly, we wrapped up the day by ordering some questionable-but-necessary restaurant takeout (steaks and bison burgers) and indulging in some more extremely important hot tub time.

Day 4: Bow Valley

This day was our last in Banff. We took it easy with the Hoodoos trail following the Bow River in Bow Valley. Straightforward, mostly-riverside, conveniently-close-to-town, and unfortunately-partially-along-the-road with little elevation change.

hoodoos-map Stats: 5.92 mi (9.53 km), 585 ft (178 m) elevation, 2h 19m on the move, 3h 8m total elapsed time

craigs Glorious breakfast at Craig's Way Station in Canmore

hoodoos Pictured from left to right: Bow Valley view facing west from about halfway through the Hoodoos trail, trailhead sign, another valley view facing east, a cliff as seen from the Bow River shore

hoodoos-elk A shitty photo of some large elk spotted on the Hoodoos trail

pub-signs Pictured from left to right: great signs spotted in local pubs, being a tourist and pretending to enjoy Tim Horton's as a non-Canadian

Afterwards, we celebrated the end of this leg day vacation by exploring local pubs before transferring ourselves to a Calgary Airbnb (where said pubcrawl continued). We stayed near the Beltline on a Saturday night, and to my surprise the city was impressively lively. Not bad and no offense, Calgarians.

Day 5: Calgary -> Chicago

Woke up with a hangover and entered the gauntlet: 3hr flight to Salt Lake City, 4hr layover, and another 3hr flight to Chicago. Saving that $70 instead of flying direct was totally worth it dude...

Banff was really cool. I'd love to return someday and take advantage of the infinitely more it has to offer.

Here's some cool music I discovered while writing this:

Thanks for reading!
—JT