Experience The Mountain Parks Blog
...all about the Alberta-to-British Columbia mountain parks, including life in and around the parks. Not all our news and stories are here, though, so you might want to check our news section and Bob's "tweets" —conveniently placed in the upper right of each page.
Kananaskis Country — 4 Easy Hikes 4 U
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Trailhead: East side of the Smith-Dorrien Trail (Road 742), 44 km south of Canmore
Lakes abound in the limestone high country of Kananaskis. Many are set in remote valleys. This well-beaten path through forest and meadows leads to a beautiful tarn in a more open setting. It’s a great hike for birding and for botany. The wild flower displays of early summer can be superb, especially the blooms of glacier lilies near the lake.
Trailhead: In Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, at the Upper Kananaskis Lake Day Use Area
Two lakes bookend this outing; one a massive reservoir, the other a jade gem nestled in a deep limestone pocket. Between them you climb through a tract of dense subalpine forest. Split log boardwalks span wet areas as you near the lake shore. Snow sometimes lingers until mid-July - which makes this a great place for wildflowers that prefer the cool and damp: white globeflower, alpine but-tercup, and evergreen violet. Mt. Sarrail (3174 m) is the backdrop at the lake.
Trailhead: East side of Kananaskis Trail (Highway 40), 61.7 km south of Highway #1
Elbow Pass is a gentle break in the ragged limestone wall on the east side of the Kananaskis Valley. The road-width trail makes a quick ascent, crossing the pass to where you make the circuit of Elbow Lake. Mt. Rae (3225 m), named for a 19th century Arctic explorer, rises to the southwest. Listen for the calls of all three of the Rockies’ thrush species: Swainson’s thrush, hermit thrush, and varied thrush. You may also hear white-crowned sparrows and yellow-rumped warblers.
Trailhead: West side of Kananaskis Trail (Highway 40), in Highwood Pass,
66.9 km south of Highway #1
66.9 km south of Highway #1
Ptarmigan Cirque is a miniature version of hundreds of other glacial valleys in the Rockies. Plants and animals cling tenaciously to life; the hallmark of ice is every-where. The bedrock reveals the fossilized remains of lifeforms that lived in ancient seas. Walk north from the parking area on a wide, gravelled path through Highwood Meadows. Look for bighorn sheep. Cross Highway 40 and climb through an up-per subalpine forest of spruce, fir, and larch. Snowcover, wind, and temperature, limit and sculpt the vegetation at treeline. Areas of permafrost underlie some of the meadows. A cirque is a bowl-shaped valley eroded by a glacier. The white tailed ptarmigan ('TAR-mih-gan') is a ground-dwelling grouse-like bird. Its feathers change colour from mottled brown, gray, and black in summer; to white in winter.
~ By Graeme Pole
Graeme Pole is a local avid hiker and author of excellent guide books, as well as a contributor to this website and Experience The Mountain Parks printed guide.
Photo credit: Rawson Lake, courtesy of John Den Hoed
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Enrich your knowledge; learn about the achievements and legacies of the David Thompson Bicentennial
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Landscape and history are interconnected. For 350 years, rivers were the highways for the fur trade - an exchange by Aboriginal peoples of furs (especially beaver) and bison pemmican for European goods such as fabrics, pots and guns. After crossing the continent by dogsled and canoe the furs continued, via ship, to Great Britain to be made into hats and other fashion items.
Two hundred years ago this trade crossed the Rockies through the efforts of David Thompson (1770 - 1857). Thompson was the greatest chronicler of his day of landscapes, peoples and nature. There is growing awareness that he is the most under-recognized figure in Canadian history.
Although David Thompson is usually categorized as a fur trader and explorer, he was in fact a multifaceted and complex man. He overcame numerous challenges to rise from rags to riches, only to return to poverty and obscurity.
From an impoverished childhood in Westminster, England, David became a successful fur trader in the wilds of North America. Over a 28 year career he travelled and surveyed 100,000 km by foot, canoe and horseback. In the process he established two commercially viable routes across the Rockies, Howse Pass and Athabasca Pass. In proving the Columbia River navigable, he completed the last leg of the long sought Inland Northwest Passage that connected the Montréal trade to the Pacific. His route from the northern plains to the ocean was used for more than 40 years.
During his travels he was often accompanied by Charlotte Small, his Cree/Scottish wife, with whom he fathered 13 children (five in the wilderness). Their 58 year marriage is a great Canadian love story.
Thompson was unequalled as a surveyor. After retiring from the fur trade he converted his years of surveys into maps. His famous map of the Province of Canada covered four million square kilometres (1/6) of the continent, with unprecedented accuracy and became the basis for other maps depicting much of Canada and the United States until the 20th century. For a decade after the War of 1812 he was the official surveyor for 1,600 km of the newly established international boundary.
One of Thompson’s defining qualities is how well he faced adversity. While recovering from a broken leg he learned surveying and mapping. When poor birch bark prevented canoe construction he invented a cedar plank canoe that evolved into the boats that served the Columbia River trade for decades. Although the fur trade had made him rich, bad luck and poor investments left Thompson destitute in old age but he rose to this challenge by writing his remarkable memoirs. Although never published in his lifetime, this narrative has ultimately renewed interest in the man and his legacies.
The bicentennial of David Thompson’s trans-mountain activities (1807-1811) has inspired a far reaching commemoration of the man and related history. Beginning in 2002, a grassroots network of educators, artists, writers, historians, surveyors, environmentalists and paddlers have created hundreds of commemorative projects across Canada, the north western states to Britain.
Some highlights include:
- Protection for 69,456 hectares of heritage landscapes
- 4 voyageur canoe brigades covering a combined 5500 km of waterways and involving 850 participants
- More than 200 events and re-enactments
- Recognition of Charlotte Small as a person of national historic significance
- Recognition of the Columbia Express as a national historic event
- 6 academic conferences
- 3 archaeological projects
- 6 documentaries (including PBS and BBC)
- 24 books (2 more are on the way)
- Educational resources across western Canada and the northwestern states
- A national Thompson Award for surveying excellence
- Statues of David and Charlotte Thompson in Invermere, British Columbia
- Museum exhibits in many communities
- Thompson inspired artworks
- Expansion of Howse Pass and Athabasca Pass National Historic Sites
What is the legacy of this wide ranging bicentennial? David Thompson is less likely to be forgotten again because of new historical references, exhibits and documentaries. Charlotte is coming out from David’s shadow as a historical personage in her own right. Perhaps the most important legacy is the deepened sense of place for residents and visitors along the many rivers and valleys touched by the fur trade. Throughout Thompson’s country these heritage landscapes remain much as he knew them awaiting exploration by today’s travellers.
Learn more about the North American David Thompson Bicentennial at: davidthompson200.org.
~By Ross MacDonald, Founder of the David Thompson Bicentennial
Second from top; Koo Koo Sint (Stargazer) Trail at Mount Revelstoke National Park – Photo courtesy of Ross MacDonald
Third from top; Black powder salute at Rocky Mountain House, AB for 2008 David Thompson Brigade – Photo courtesy of Ross MacDonald
Bottom; Voyageur canoe on Columbia River – Photo courtesy of Ross MacDonald
Third from top; Black powder salute at Rocky Mountain House, AB for 2008 David Thompson Brigade – Photo courtesy of Ross MacDonald
Bottom; Voyageur canoe on Columbia River – Photo courtesy of Ross MacDonald
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What all mountain bikers ought to know right now...
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Here's your unique chance to win a week-long odyssey exploring seven epic riding destinations in British Columbia. And yes, that's an other contest!!
Mountain Biking BC, along with BC Bike Ride and Endless Biking are giving away a fabulous prize: a 7-day trip to explore seven destinations across British Columbia, discovering the province's legendary trails, accompanied by some of the best guides and coaches in the industry. To top it off, the winner can bring along their best riding buddy to join the adventure.
The trip will take place from August 11, 2012 to August 19, 2012 starting out from Vancouver and ending in Whistler, in time to catch the Red Bull Joyride Finals at Cranworx on August 18.
Trip includes ground transportation, accommodation, professional guides, $1000 cash, and as much dirt loving your legs and lungs can handle.
To enter, riders just need to submit their entry at www.MountainBikingBC.ca.
Entries for the contest close on June 30, 2012. On July 2nd, ten randomly selected finalists will be notified to explain in a short essay why they most deserve the trip. Grand prize winner will be announced on July 11, one month short to prepare for their ultimate mountain biking dream on British Columbia's most awesome single track.
That's it, but don't miss this incredible opportunity!!
Photo credit: Frisby Ridge, Revelstoke, British Columbia, photo by Bruno Long
Curious to know what last year's trip looked like? Check this video then:
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Victoria, British Columbia — 150 Years Young
Friday, May 25, 2012
Gold had been discovered on the mainland not far away and word was spreading to far-off locales like California, Australia and other parts of the world. Islanders watched in anticipation while hundreds of miners spilled off the ship.
Overnight, Fort Victoria, named in honour of Queen Victoria, was set up as the key outfitting centre accessing the gold fields and within weeks, over 20,000 miners were erecting tent cities in the modest port.
Victoria was incorporated in 1862 and in 1871 became British Columbia’s capital after the province joined the Canadian Confederation. The city was positioned to become the commercial centre of British Columbia. That was until 1886 when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was completed and that title was claimed by the city of Vancouver.
Present day Victoria and area has a population of over 360,000. Residents, especially retirees are attracted to the mild climate. A significant percentage is students attending any one of several universities or colleges.
It continues to be home for the provincial government, Canada’s western naval base and a major fishing fleet, but during the Victoria, BC — 150 Years Young twentieth century, Victoria evolved. The city’s main industries include ship building and repair, forest products and machine manufacturing.
Victoria has become a top tourist destination. In 1904, the Butchart Gardens opened; a botanical display later recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada. Today it receives more than a million visitors a year.
In 1908 the CPR finished the construction of the Empress Hotel It sits majestically in the scenic Inner Harbour. This palace was originally built for Canadian Pacific’s (CP) steamship line, whose terminal was close by. When CP discontinued its passenger service to Victoria, the Empress Hotel turned into a successful tourist resort.
Today’s Royal Roads University was once the Hatley Castle, a grandiose home built in 1908 for James Dunsmuir, Lieutenant Governor and Premier of British Columbia during the early 1900s. The university has kept its strong ties to the Canadian Forces through its previous employment as the Royal Roads Military College.
Victoria’s Royal BC Museum was hailed, “The best [museum] in the province,” by Lonely Planet, who says it’s, “a highlight on any visit [to Victoria].”
The city also has the oldest Chinatown in Canada, an important venue for cultural entertainment in Victoria. About one third of the miners who travelled to Fort Victoria during the gold rush in 1858 were Chinese. They surely came for the prospect of gold but many were also motivated to make the voyage because of the state of their own homeland, thick with drought, famine and war. This year, Victoria will celebrate its 150 year anniversary.
“The past 150 years has seen Victoria mature and change into the world class city it is today; a city of beautiful contrasts, where the elegance of history mingles with the panache of modern life,” states Alice Bacon, 150th Anniversary Coordinator.
“A year-long anniversary program is currently under development,” she says, “[including] a wide range of events that embrace Victoria’s rich history and its de ning heritage characteristics, while maintaining a current and contemporary view.”
Victoria was the first city to create the Living Flag, where 350 people positioned accordingly on the lawn of the legislative buildings in red and white shirts. The Living Flag set a record in 2011 with 3,222 people and this year, Kenneth Kelly, general manager of the Downtown Victoria Business Association and Living Flag instigator, hopes to set a record of 5,000 on July 1, 2012 to commemorate the city’s anniversary.
Focus on Arts and Culture is set for the B.C. Day long-weekend, (Aug. 2-6). Events include a civic ceremony and large-scale community celebrations in Centennial Square (Aug. 2), a 150th Anniversary edition of the popular Symphony Splash in Victoria’s Inner Harbour (Aug. 5) and many other special events throughout the city. More details can be found at downtownvictoria.ca.
Known as the Cycling Capital of Canada, Victoria has more bicycle paths than any other major city so you might be tempted to see this community on two wheels. For mountain bikers, “The Dump” is a reclaimed land ll on Mount Work in Hartland Park. The area has been turned into an extensive mountain bike park with a wide range of difficulty levels.
Aside from a rich, cultural heritage, Victoria is an outdoor enthusiast’s amusement park. With a bustling urban centre surrounded by ocean and mountain wilderness, Victoria and its home on Vancouver Island, has much to show visitors. Museums, art galleries, restaurants and shops satiate the urbanite while activity fans can find adrenaline from bear-watching, bungee-jumping, windsurfing and mountain climbing in some of the island’s many provincial and national parks. In fact, it’s hard to think of what you can’t do or see on Canada’s western island.
In the 2008 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, Victoria ranked as number 16 out of 100 Top World Destinations. It is also considered the major gateway to exploring Vancouver Island, stretching 300 miles north of the city.
Photos-
Bottom; Selkirk Trest Bridge – Courtesy of Tourism BC/Tom Ryan
Bottom; Selkirk Trest Bridge – Courtesy of Tourism BC/Tom Ryan
~By Heather Lea
Heather Lea loves travelling, wine and a good adventure story. She’s pretty sure she was born 50 years too late as she loves getting deep into the stories of early mountain explorers.
Heather has written for various outdoor magazines such as Climbing, Gripped and Kootenay Mountain Culture. In 2005, she started an Arts, Culture and Lifestyles magazine called "Reved Quarterly", which she publishes independently out of Revelstoke, B.C.
Heather wrote this story counting the exceptional life of Isabel Coursier called "Isabel Coursier – Ski-jumping Pioneer" for Experience The Mountain Parks.
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Georgia Engelhard (1906 - 1986)
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Newlywed Evelyn Berens did not know she would be starting a fad when she went through her husband’s wardrobe looking for suitable mountain-climbing attire for her honeymoon in 1901.
Many remarkable women followed Evelyn’s lead and rebelled
against traditional attire - long dresses and corsets - by donning
pants as they set out to explore the beauty of the Selkirk and
Rocky mountains. One of the most well known of these women
was Georgia Engelhard, who despite having a fear of heights
ended up taking a liking to the sport and put up 32 first ascents in
Canada. Soon she was scrambling up mountain peaks so quickly
her guides, the Feuz brothers, claimed that, “she needs a mountain
goat, not a guide” and often joked about putting rocks in her
pack to slow her down. In 1929, she conquered nine peaks in
nine days and her passion for rock climbing grew to equal that of
any of her male counterparts of the same era.
In celebration of the many adventurers that have shaped Glacier National Park over the past 125 years, Parks Canada has unveiled a new exhibit at the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre sharing the stories of the daring young women - such as Georgia Engelhard - who donned pants and explored our rich mountain wilderness. GeorgIa’s cropped hair and comfort wearing pants often got her in trouble as many
mistook her for a boy rather than a young lady. Today, you can try on a metal replica of Georgia’s pants at the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre and pose for a picture with Mount Tupper towering behind you.
mistook her for a boy rather than a young lady. Today, you can try on a metal replica of Georgia’s pants at the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre and pose for a picture with Mount Tupper towering behind you.
It is under the tutelage of Stieglitz’s wife, Georgia O’ Keeffe, that Engelhard matured as a painter. In biographies Engelhard is repeatedly mentioned as O’ Keeffe’s friend and companion. Georgia minor, as Engelhard was called, served as comic release for the older artist who often found Stieglitz and his family oppressive. The two artists frequently painted together at Stiegltiz’s summer house on Lake George and occasionally took excursions together. Engelhard’s paintings reflect O’ Keeffe’s influence—flat areas of pure color and sensuous curves are used to define the landscape. In both Abstraction and in Lake we see Engelhard’s enthusiasm for color and drama. The mountains are anything but static; undulating curves and constrasting colors provide an energy that is in keeping with the modernists’ enthusiasm for nature. Engelhard’s landscapes are more traditionally comprehensive than O’ Keeffe’s, who tended to focus in on an object or form.
Despite a paralyzing fear of heights, Engelhard became a premier mountain climber at the age of 20 and was the first female climber to ascend many of the peaks in the Canadian Rockies. Engelhard’s determination to overcome this specific fear evolved into a passion for the mountains that lasted throughout her lifetime and is made evident in paintings on the subject. Stieglitz’s biographer, Sue Davidson Lowe, believes that Lake is an impression of Lake Louise with Mt. Victoria in the background, a location where the artist often climbed. Abstraction may be scene recalled from her numerous climbs in the Swiss Alps.
Engelhard was also a writer and an accomplished photographer. In 1938 when she began living with Eaton Cromwell she stopped painting and together the couple pursued photography. While living in Switzerland they sold a number of their pictures to postcard companies. Few of Georgia Engelhard’s paintings are in existence today and when one does appear there is often a dispute about whether the canvas comes from O’ Keefe’s hands or Engelhard’s.
Photos-
Top; Georgia Engelhard – Courtesy of Canadian Pacific Archives
Top; Georgia Engelhard – Courtesy of Canadian Pacific Archives
Second from top; Georgia Engelhard and guide Ernest Feuz on Mount Victoria, Banff National Park, Alberta – Courtesy of Glenbow Archives; NA-4868-197
Third from top; "Abstraction" an oil on canvas by Georgia Engelhard – Courtesy of Jeri L. Waxenberg Wolfson collection
Bottom; "Lake" an oil on canvas by Georgia Engelhard – Courtesy of Jeri L. Waxenberg Wolfson collection.
Third from top; "Abstraction" an oil on canvas by Georgia Engelhard – Courtesy of Jeri L. Waxenberg Wolfson collection
Bottom; "Lake" an oil on canvas by Georgia Engelhard – Courtesy of Jeri L. Waxenberg Wolfson collection.
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