Canada to Panama group posting on GLOBOsapiens

Coming to Alberta, Canada?

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bootlegga Premium account Joined: Jul 04 Points: 15194 Posts: 124 Posted: 2004-08-10 01:31:00    If you are planning a trip to my little province, contact me and I'll be glad to help you anyway I can! --- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." – Mark Twain Reply    Reply with quote    Contact bootlegga   downundergal Premium account Joined: Jun 02 Points: 12936 Posts: 221 Posted: 2004-08-12 08:57:00    Hi, That's really great of you to help out some fellow travellers. Why not write some articles about where you live so that everyone will get inspired to visit? Cheers, Kerrie --- Where to next? Reply    Reply with quote    Contact downundergal   bootlegga Premium account Joined: Jul 04 Points: 15194 Posts: 124 Posted: 2004-08-12 19:03:00    I'm working on a couple right now! I hope to post them in a few days! --- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." – Mark Twain Reply    Reply with quote    Contact bootlegga   banksy Joined: Aug 04 Points: 16 Posts: 4 Posted: 2004-08-15 04:22:00    hey there, i'm planning to go hiking through the rockies in alberta next summer. I'll be backpacking with no other means of transport other then my feet! Do you know much about getting around the place by public transport? I'm flying into calgary and then i have to get to banff! i've heard the public transport within the national parks isnt very good. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! cheers :o) Reply    Reply with quote    Contact banksy   bootlegga Premium account Joined: Jul 04 Points: 15194 Posts: 124 Posted: 2004-08-15 19:17:00    What you've heard is right, there isn't much in the way of public transport in the Rockies. There is Greyhound bus lines, which can get you from Calgary to Banff no problem. In Banff, there is a bus that will run you around town for a buck or two. If you want to go to a specific site to hike (Johnson Canyon, Lake Louise, etc) there are tour companies that will take you out for the day, but they are pricey ($20-60/day). You could use taxis, but that will get very expensive. It costs about $30 to Canmore from Banff, and about $80 to Lake Louise from Banff! Unfortunately, you might be better off renting a small car for a week and seeing Banff that way. A compact car would probably cost $200 for a week, which isn't too bad. Otherwise, try to befriend a local or hook-up with a pen pal and travel with them. --- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." – Mark Twain Reply    Reply with quote    Contact bootlegga   banksy Joined: Aug 04 Points: 16 Posts: 4 Posted: 2004-08-17 01:50:00    well getting to lake louise from banff won't be a problem because i will be hiking there.. taking a slight detour through the mountains north of banff.. and then travelling west to lake louise. My main problems are getting to lake ohara in yoho national park.. from lake louise.. and also getting up to jasper from lake louise. I will probably be able to catch a bus up to jasper from lake louise.. (i hope!) ... and i may have to hike from lake louise to lake ohara over the course of one day.. i think the route is about 25-30kms.... which i've never done in a day! but should be managable... my other concern is that the guide books are telling me it's extremely busy throughout the summer months.. and so the campsite fill up by about 12 midday.. but if i'm hiking to each campsite.. i won't be getting there til the afternoon.. and on some occasions.. early evening! what will i do if there are no campsites left? hike 25km back?! i'm not too sure what the system in rockies is like.. got any idea? would be so grateful for any inside info! ps. i am aware i can reserve a site for camping in lake ohara.. but the majority of camp sites can't be reserved and are issued on a first come first serve basis..... this is what worries me! Reply    Reply with quote    Contact banksy   bootlegga Premium account Joined: Jul 04 Points: 15194 Posts: 124 Posted: 2004-08-17 20:52:00    25-30 KM a day! Yikes! I'd offer to go hiking with you but you'd leave me in the dust. While all campsites in the Rockies (except Pocahontos campground in Jasper Nat'l Park) currently are first come, first serve, they are testing a reservation system for all Canadian National Parks. Hopefully, it will be up and running by next summer for sites in Banff. I do know that it will cover 3 more campgrounds in Jasper (Whistlers, Wapiti, Wabasso) next summer. Check out this website before you leave; www.pccamping.ca Campgrounds will fill up in the summer (July/August) by 1pm-4pm in the mountains, but generally on Thursday/Friday afternoons and stay full for the weekend. The first to fill up are full service sites (water, power, sewage) for those with RVs. Tent sites fill up slower. If you travel early in the week, you should be okay. You can also get a back-country camping permit from Parks Canada, so if the campsite is full, you would be able to camp in the bush at a nearby back-country site, which aren't as popular with the average camper. I hope this helps. When I go to the mountains, I drive to where I'm planning on hiking (Lake Minnewanka, Johnson Canyon, etc) and then get out of my car and hike 5-10 KMs and go back to my car, then return to my campsite, sleep, and do it all over again the next day. --- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." – Mark Twain Reply    Reply with quote    Contact bootlegga   banksy Joined: Aug 04 Points: 16 Posts: 4 Posted: 2004-08-18 04:24:00    haha! i think i may leave myself in the dust! i'm not planning on doing 25-30km every day! woah! no chance. That will only be happening on the 1 or 2 occasions where the stretch between campsites is excessively long. I am planning to average about 10km a day. And i will have my lazy days of 5 or so km too ;o) Although i've never hiked excessively long distances with a heavy pack on.. so that will be a bit of a test too... I will be booking the Hostels in advance.. as i'm planning on stopping off at the hostels in banff and lake louise.. (i hear they fill up months in advance).. and i'll be booking the lake o'hara campsite in yoho too.. but i don't want to book everything in advance.. because i am not certain of how well i will be able to stick to my plan.. i'm not familiar with the trails so i'm sure i am under/over-estimating the times required to get to each campsite.. and hence i want to allow for a bit of flexibility in my route. I guess the best thing to do is have early starts and get to the camps around midday/early afternoon.. and at the weekends, be particularly cautious and start extra early so i can get to the campsites before they fill up. this back country camping permit... i've read about it on the net but it doesnt say much, and has left me even more confused. Does it allow me to camp anywhere in the national parks..? where there is suitable land for camping>? or are there designated sites for hikers with these passes? Thats potentially good news.. because i'm not so much bothered where i camp.. Provided i can pitch a tent when i need to... i'm happy! Driving would make certain aspects of the trip considerably easier... but not only is it much more costly... from what i have discovered.. rental car places in alberta require you to be atleast 25 years of ages.. me and my friend are only 20 so that's unfortunately not a possibility. i really appreciate your help! You've given me alot of sound advice.. and for the weblink too! I shall investigate that further. cheers, you've been a great help :o) i'm grateful to have stumbled upon this forum! Reply    Reply with quote    Contact banksy   banksy Joined: Aug 04 Points: 16 Posts: 4 Posted: 2004-09-06 19:35:00    i need to start buying supplies for my alberta trip.. does anyone know what kind of sleeping bag i will need for camping in july/august in the rocky mountains? will a 1-season bag suffice? cheers for any help you can give! Reply    Reply with quote    Contact banksy   bootlegga Premium account Joined: Jul 04 Points: 15194 Posts: 124 Posted: 2004-09-06 21:13:00    I would say it depends on the type of person you are. Myself, I just unzip my sleeping bag and use it as a blanket. My girlfriend, who is always cold, brought a winter weight sleeping bag and still complained her ears were cold. Personally, I say pack light and get a summer season sleeping bag. Bring a sweatshirt and sleep in that if there is a unseasonable cold snap while you are here. --- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." – Mark Twain Reply    Reply with quote    Contact bootlegga   Page: 1 2