All 'Berta Views

After getting a short glimpse of backcountry skiing over spring break when I skied the Mt. Washington in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, I have to admit I have fallen in love with the activity and cannot wait until my next change to get out. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is not exactly the best place to find several feet of untouched powder on an average mountainside, but one can dream (Shingletown Gap and Musser Gap I’ve got my eye on you). However, as I spend more and more time watching incredible back country skiing videos, I see more and more how the Canadian Rockies yet again offer the best grounds for this activity (at least the best outside of the Alps in Europe).

Mistaya Lodge (isn’t this beautiful?!)

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Big Three Ski Resorts in Banff: Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, and Mt. Norquay, but for some, the crowded slopes just do not do it for them… some just want to get out and “earn their turns”.

The motto of backcountry skiing “earn your turns” comes from the much more rewarding feeling of having to work for every inch of elevation by hiking up the mountain rather than taking a lift. First, backcountry skiers place mohair skins which are one-way hairlines on the bottom of their skis such that they will be able to cross country ski up the gentler slopes without sliding back at all. On steeper slopes, the skiers must zig zag up the mountain to even have enough traction to move up. Then when the mountain gets too steep, the skis come off, get strapped to a backpack and the skier hikes, kicking into the deep snow a step at a time and working their way up the mountain. If the snow is really hard packed, crampons, which get attached to the ski boot and are covered in spikes, may even be needed to dig into the snow and make it up the mountain.

Example of skins from Gear Junkie

Photo by Ben Nearinburg Skinning up a mountain in Banff

Banff National Park offer boundless places to back country ski, and the opportunities truly are endless, as any mountain in sight can and probably has been summitted and skied down. For those willing to put in a lot of work just for one run, vast untouched terrain awaits, with all the steeps of any mountain on the East Coast, but way more and better snow.

Photo from the Houston Chronicle of backcountry skiers making their way up a peak in Banff

One of the best parts about skiing in the Canadian Rockies is that there is always an abundance of snow. From anywhere between November and May, there is no doubt that there will be enough snow to ski without hitting rocks like may often happen here in the east. However, with this abundance of snow comes a great risk. While avalanches are not a huge deal on the East coast since we do not get much snow (although it still happens so the risk is not zero!), out west, 15 foot bases are not uncommon, and so it is very possible for uneven density to occur in the snow pack and for the slightest of movements to cause a giant slab of snow to careen down the mountain, annihilating everything in its path. With proper training and precautions though, the Banff backcountry can be appreciated safely and skiers can enjoy the Canadian Rockies for all it offers.

Banff Avalanche Awareness Center

I have spent all these blog post talking about how amazing this region of Canada is and explaining all it has to offer, but there are some very important practical parts that I have yet to explain. Housing in most national parks is difficult to find and expensive, and the same goes for affordable meals, but I speak from experience that even on the tightest of budgets, it can be done.

For me, it is a little disappointing that hostels are not really a big thing in the US because I have had nothing but amazing experiences with them, and Banff has so many options. Basically, for any college aged or even outside of that age group, a hostel is the way to go, since it is relatively inexpensive on top of being the best housing experience. For anywhere from $15 to $30 a night, you can get housing right downtown in Banff in a hostel like Banff International Hostel, or Samesun, or others, and with these stays comes free breakfast, access to a kitchen as well as a pantry where people leave food that they do not need anywhere which is an especially easy way to score a free meal.

Also, the social aspect of hostels is like nothing you could get in a house or hotel. Not only will you be spending each night with a bunch of other teens and college aged people in the hostel, but they will also be like minded and interested in hiking and exploring the park during the day, meaning it is such an easy way to make friends. Even better, these people are from absolutely all over the world, so it is not difficult at all to meet and play cards with people from a dozen different countries on an average night, which I did last summer more than once. Some of those people I met I ended up hiking with the following day, and some of those people I met I even remain friends with to this day and was invited back to Banff with a place to stay at one of my new friend’s houses. Hostel connections are very real and allow you to make friends with some really cool people.      Socially, there is also the aspect where most hostels know their audiences and have bars built into them, which, let me remind you, the Canadian drinking age is 18, and can certainly lead to some fun.

As for food, I have heard that for as isolated as it is, there are some incredibly good fancy restaurants, especially in the high end hotels like the Fairmont’s, but of course, given how cheaply I was traveling, I generally stuck to the pantry at the hostel and cooked eggs and pasta and such purchased from the grocery store. However, it is really nice how multicultural the area has become, and with that, the cuisine has entered. For example, Greek food (one of my absolute favorites) is huge in the area, and so there are a ton of inexpensive hole in the wall places with really good gyros. Additionally, ‘proximity’ to the west coast and Vancouver has allowed Asian food to flourish, with lots of good options at restaurants. Finally, even though it is a remote mountain town, McDonald’s has found its way, and it has adapted to the region so that it even serves poutine, which is a must try anytime in Canada.

Even though I do not have much experience with the higher end dining and housing, Banff still has much to offer. The culture is there for lots of amazing tastes, and the inexpensive housing in hostels is all there for the chance to meet awesome people and have a great housing experience.

 

Last week, I wrote about the Icefields Parkway that straddles the Alberta – British Columbia border as it heads north along the Rockies. The most scenic road on earth links up the towns Banff and Jasper, and consequently provides access to both Banff and Jasper National Parks.

Map of Jasper and Banff from Raysweb

Like many beautiful towns in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper had humble beginnings as a fur trade outpost turned rail station on the Canadian Pacific Railway for decades before becoming the tourist destination it is now. As a result, the center of downtown is a huge train station, and the nicest hotels, such as the Fairmont Park Lodge exists as a converted 19^th century trading outpost. However, as I learned through a conversation with a local, Parks Canada restricts infrastructure in Jasper and puts caps on building that Banff does not have, which protects the town from over development, but also caps its expansion.

                  

As for the access to natural wonder offered in Jasper, the opportunities are endless. Compared to its southern counterpart, Banff, Jasper is known to be far less touristy and far more for serious hikers, but the town is still very available to all and has a number of spectacular places to check out: from rushing waterfalls to daunting mountains.

Starting just south of the town on the Icefields Parkway are a number of waterfalls that Jasper National Park is known for. Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls can both be found about 40 miles south of Jasper along the Icefields Parkway. As the Athabasca river flows over these drops, the true power of Rocky Glacier runoff is seen, and it is an experience like no other. Given their accessibility from the highway, the falls are a huge tourist spot though and large crowds are very likely (which is nice if you’re hitchhiking) but pushing through will be well worth it.

Travel Alberta’s image of Athabasca Falls

Closer to Jasper, visitors will find perhaps the spot Jasper National Park is best known for. Spirt Island in Maligne Lake has really become the postcard image of the Canadian Rockies and its untapped beauty. Maligne Lake itself as a high elevation lake is breathtaking for its turquoise blue color, but Spirit Island provides some extra serenity as those lone pines stand out in the middle of the lake. With the potentially for hiking, rowing, and basking in the beauty of the lake, Maligne Lake and Spirit Island is definitely a spot worth checking out just south of Jasper.

Spirit Island photo by Mike Blank 

Right in Jasper there are also several mountains that range from moderate day hikes to reserved for the absolute bravest of rock climbers. Pyramid Mountain and Lake sit about 4.5 miles north of town and is a great place for some relaxing by the lake, swimming if willing to brave the freezing cold glacier water, and hiking on Pyramid Mountain. Much more serious of a day hike is Mt. Edith Cavell, which can be hiked traditionally or ice climbed, and everything in between. There is a doable route up the mountain that takes climbers past the Cavell Glacier and offers stunning views of Jasper below.

Mt. Edith Cavell on the walk to our hostel (which we thought was in Jasper but happened to be 4 miles outside :/ )

Though it came from humble beginnings as a trading outpost and then train station (which still runs to this day), Jasper has flourished into an incredible town that rivals Banff is allowing access to all that the Canadian Rockies can offer. From alpine lakes to mountains, Jasper has it all.

PS if you’re able to catch a sunrise, I absolutely recommend it, here is the view over the Athabasca River the morning I got up at 4AM to catch a bus.