Rocky Mountain Pioneer, Family Vacation

Arrival in Calgary, transfer to the hotel in the no-charge hotel shuttle. Welcome and pre trip information with the guide in the hotel.

You board the bus for the ninety- minute drive west into the mountains of Banff National Park. On a campground (showers) under pine trees you pitch your tent for the next four days. After lunch on the campground, you go for the first hike, perhaps following the shore of Lake Minnewanka. Dinner and evening camp fire on the campground. Hiking time 2 to 3 hours.

The gondola (included) takes you to the summit of Sulfur Mountain where you have a bird’s eye view of the broad valley, the little town of Banff and Tunnel Mountain, shaped like a giant buffalo sleeping beside the river. From here the easy 1 km trail leads to Sanson Peak where Norman Sanson used to live for many years to record the weather. For the afternoon a fun filled 7 km float trip on the Bow River in rubber rafts (included). You sit back and relax as you drift past the hoodoos (bizarre sandstone formations) in the valley between Tunnel Mountain and the towering face of Mount Rundle.

Today you hit the trails on a mountain bike on some of the best cross-country trails in Rockies. After a one-hour skills course you are ready to spend the day exploring the trails and single track. The bikes are first rate and the trails offer such variety that everyone can enjoy this day. An evening of stories around the campfire makes the perfect end to a Canadian mountain day.

In the picture postcard scenery around famous Lake Louise you are in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Walk the shore of the turquois-colored lake, rent a canoe, or find a bench and just take in the view. Among the number of easy to more strenuous trails the guide suggests the 3.5 km (2 mi) path with 400 m gain (1325 ft) to the historic tea house by an alpine lake. Here a network of trails is tempting you to go further and higher to nearby peaks and glaciers. Hiking time 3 to 5 hours.

You travel one of the most spectacular alpine routes in the world, the Icefields Parkway. Bighorn sheep, mountain goats, wapiti and bears can often be seen right by the side of the road. At the immense Columbia Icefields you hike 2.5 km to a ridge with magnificent wide-angle views of Saskatchewan Glacier, Mounts Athabasca and Andromeda and the icy cap of Snow Dome. Mighty Athabasca Falls count among the attractions of Jasper National Park. You can make your way down into an abandoned canyon carved out of the rocks by the raging waters over millions of years. Three days on a campground (showers) near the mountain village of Jasper. Hiking time 1 to 2 hours.

You walk along the narrow Maligne Canyon, the river roaring through the narrow gorge, up to 50 m (165 ft) below you. A side trip high into the mountains to Maligne Lake takes you through a valley once thought to be magical because of a large lake along the way which disappears during the summer. Here again is a good chance to see wildlife from close up. At Maligne Lake you hike an 8 km (5 mile) circuit through flower covered alpine meadows to an elevation of 2150 m (7190 ft), or take a 90-minute boat cruise (optional) to Spirit Island at the far end of the lake. This evening a photo safari to spot more animals. Hiking time 2 – 4 hours.

So many choices. Suggested is a trail ride in western saddle into the mountains on quiet horses, led by experienced horse wranglers. There are also bike and canoe rentals, white water rafting, as well as swimming in a clear mountain lake. The guide will be happy to make the arrangements. The peak experience of Sulphur Skyline is a perfect last impression of the Rocky Mountains. Starting almost at tree line with a short but steep climb you reach a ridge with the most excellent views. The reward is the relaxing warm outdoor pool of the Miette Hot Springs (included). Hiking time 3 hours.

Now you leave the mountains behind and drive 4 hours through ranch and farm country to Edmonton. Your hotel is near West Edmonton Mall, the gigantic shopping and amusement center with a roller coaster, wave pool, ice skating rink, mini golf, hundreds of shops, dozens of restaurants and much, much more. A day pass for any of the rides in Galaxy Land is included. Your tour ends with arrival at the hotel.

Transfer to the Edmonton airport.