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12 Days Left to Enter the November Trivia Contest!

Posted on: November 18th, 2013

From November 2013 to April 2014, we’re putting a twist on our monthly trivia quiz. Instead of answering a trivia question, you’ll have the opportunity to identify the location of a scenery photo supplied by renowned author Graeme Pole. If you correctly identify the location of the photo,  you will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of “Canadian Rockies Explorer–A Canadian Rockies Companion Guide” by Graeme Pole. You can enter once every month, but remember: there are only 12 days left to enter the November contest!

November 2013 trivia quiz photo

Click on this link or on the contest tab above to enter our trivia quiz. Good luck!

And don’t forget to enter our annual photo contest, too!

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From Flowers to Snow: Four Seasons of Adventure at Highwood Pass

Posted on: November 15th, 2013

We’d like to thank blogger Tanya Koob for writing this blog post for us to feature on our site. Visit Tanya’s blog Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies to learn about the joys and challenges of exploring the Canadian Rockies with children. 

Highwood Pass is located on the highest paved road in Canada and offers incredible adventures between June and November each year.  Every season offers new sights and experiences. To reach Highwood Pass, take Highway 40, which loops through the heart of the Kananaskis Country park system. You’ll cross over the pass as you drive through Peter Lougheed Provincial Park heading south towards the town of Longview on the Cowboy Trail. Trails found on both sides of the pass present opportunities for everything from backcountry camping to hiking or even early winter snowshoeing. In the spring, cyclists flock to the area for a chance to bike the highway before it opens to traffic mid June.

Highwood Meadows

Highwood Meadows

Spring Cycling at Highwood Pass

Between December 1st and June 15th each year, Highway 40 is closed from Kananaskis Lakes in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park southward.  This doesn’t mean you can’t get to Highwood Pass in late May or early June, though.  Grab your bike and seize a rare opportunity to cycle the 34km return trip to the pass and back.  Most cyclists will ride until they reach the Highwood Meadows Day Use Area a few metres over the pass. Wildlife sightings are a common reward for the effort.

Hiking Ptarmigan Cirque

Ptarmigan Cirque provides quick access into the alpine with only 200m of height gain. The trail starts from the Highwood Meadows Day Use Area and is an easy 4.5km loop hike that most children will be able to complete.  Few hikes provide an easier way to reach the high country of the Rockies. Best of all, the scenery in the cirque is stunning at any time of year.  Wildflowers abound in summer while larch trees turn the meadows golden in fall.

Ptarmigan Cirque

Ptarmigan Cirque

Ptarmigan Cirque in autumn

Ptarmigan Cirque in autumn

Backcountry Camping at Elbow Lake

Many families will remember their first backcountry camping trip to Elbow Lake with fond memories.  The trail starts from the Elbow Pass Day Use Area just north of Highwood Pass. The short 1.4km hike on the trail leads to a lovely campground situated right on the lake with fire pits and wood provided.  Backcountry camping doesn’t get nicer or easier than this. Fishing at the lake and hiking further to the base of the Rae Glacier are other popular activities. Keep in mind that fishing permits and backcountry permits for camping are required here.

Fire pits and wood are provided at this campground.

The summer months are a great time to make family memories at Elbow Lake

The summer months are a great time to make family memories at Elbow Lake

Early Winter Snowshoeing at Highwood Pass

Winter comes early to this part of Kananaskis. By late November you can pull out your snowshoes and make your way up to either Ptarmigan Cirque or Elbow Lake to discover a stunning winter wonderland.  Because Ptarmigan Cirque often has early season avalanche hazards, explorers seeking a safer trip will want to visit Elbow Lake.  The lake is also popular with backcountry skiers. A circuit of the lake can be made on either snowshoes or skis once you arrive.  Visiting Highwood Pass before the road closes on December 1st is an experience that should definitely go on all Rocky Mountain bucket lists.

Snowshoeing to Elbow Lake

Looking for winter family activities? Try snowshoeing to Elbow Lake

Elbow Lake Snowshoeing (1)

It’s no wonder why Elbow Lake is a prime location for showshoeing

 

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Welcome to Our Relaunched Website

Posted on: November 14th, 2013

We’d like to welcome you to our new and improved website. You’ll notice the clean and inviting look right away, and the state-of-the-art engineering means you’ll enjoy visiting this site on your mobile device as well as on your PC.

Our goal is to inspire you to explore the mountain parks of Western Canada and give you the tools to have an incredible memory-making experience. To that end, we’ve also simplified the site navigation to make it easy for you to quickly find exactly what you are looking for.

EMP PlatformsThe online library contains mobile-friendly editions of numerous visitor guides to help equip you for an enjoyable experience in the parks. Feel free to share your discoveries seamlessly with your friends through the email and social media links in the tool bar. Our online library also contains dozens of rich stories from our magazine to enhance your knowledge of and appreciation for the parks’ history, majestic landscapes, wildlife and the unique mountain culture found here.

Click on the trip planning link for some great ideas on adventure or relaxing outdoor getaways. You can learn about the national mountain parks, get ideas for a cross-country tour, and build a custom loop tour that would best fit your schedule and interests. Here you will find maps, and more maps: because everyone loves maps.

Be sure to click on the contest link to learn about our annual photo contest. We’ve received hundreds of stunning entries in previous years, some of which are displayed above. We’re offering exciting prizes again this year, including an amazing 3-night Dream Getaway to Radium Hot Springs, a HD Camera Outfit, and much more. So enter now and enter often!

The contest tab also leads to our trivia quiz. Each month from November 2013 to April 2014, we’ll post an image supplied by renowned author Graeme Pole. Contestants who correctly identify the image will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a copy of “Canadian Rockies Explorer–A Canadian Rockies Companion Guide.” Good luck!

We know that Experience the Mountain Parks can help you enjoy your visit, and we are truly honoured to be of service. Best wishes for a great experience in the mountain parks of Western Canada!

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Dream Getaway to Banff “RECESS IS BACK” Photo Contest

Posted on: September 24th, 2013

Our winner James Anderson reported back on the guided hike with Graeme Pole he won. He had such an experience!

James_Anderson01

Read More

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Experience Canmore

Posted on: September 22nd, 2013

Canmore is located one hour west of Calgary and just minutes from the East Gates of Banff National Park. It is said that the town was named in honour of King Malcolm III of Scotland from “Caennmor”, a Gaelic word that refers to one “being of tall stature” or “Big Head”.

125 years ago Canmore became a key divisional point for the railroad due to the ready access to coal. Modern Canmore is evidence of what can happen to a dusty old coal mining town after the mines close. Canmore is now a four-season funky alpine tourist town boasting all manner of outdoor adventures, superior golf courses, and great food. Two of our favourite restaurants are Patrinos for dinner and Chez François for brunch.

Canmore was selected as the host community for two of the venues for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, and those games helped to breathe new life into Canmore. Since then, the population has risen from 3,200 to 17,000 and the demand for vacation properties has exploded. The history here is worth exploration. There are a few remnants of Canmore’s mining origins but the Canmore Museum & Geoscience Centre is dedicated to telling the stories of the mountains. Permanent displays detail Canmore’s mining heritage, as well as the geology of the Rocky Mountains. Temporary displays change regularly. The Gift Shop specializes in educational toys, local art, fossils, and minerals. Read More

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Jasper National Park

Posted on: September 22nd, 2013

Experience Jasper National Park

The largest of Canada’s Rocky Mountain Parks, Jasper National Park is situated in western Alberta, running north and west, along the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies, from the Columbia Icefield to the Willmore Wilderness Provincial Park. Wildlife is abundant and it is very common to see elk, bighorn sheep, deer, coyote, and even black bear throughout the park.

For centuries, a vast network of trails served as an essential passageway for the aboriginal people hunting throughout this region. these same trails were used by the explorers and fur traders who began arriving 250 years ago. Today they are source of recreation and escape for the hikers who come to enjoy Jasper’s natural wonders.

In 2007, Jasper National Parkhonored its past and look toward its future as it celebrated 100 years of cultural and natural history as a protected place. To commemorate such a milestone, Jasper National Park is planning one hundred days of celebration. Centennial celebrations will include exhibits, events, publications, a centennial documentary, learning opportunities and the creation of various legacies.

It’s an opportunity for all to learn about Jasper’s natural and cultural heritage, and how to become better stewards of all protected places. It is a unique time to feel the power of our landscape and the richness of our past, and to commit to our future. In 2007, Jasper National Park was the place to be.

Elk_Jasper_NewAbout Jasper National Park’s Natural Heritage

Although Jasper National Park has seen many changes in the last century, much of the park remains wilderness. The largest of Canada’s Rocky Mountain Parks, Jasper spans over 10,800 km2 of broad valleys, magnificent rugged mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, forests, alpine meadows, and wild rivers along the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

Jasper National Park protects a diverse variety of wildlife and plants. Large numbers of elk, bighorn sheep, and mule deer, as well as their predators make Jasper one of the great delicate and carefully protected ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains. This vast wilderness is one of the few remaining places in southern Canada that is home to a full range of carnivores, including grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolves and wolverines.

Read More

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Our Blog

Posted on: September 11th, 2013

Keep up to date with the latest happenings in the mountain parks of western Canada.

Hiking trails, suggested loop tours, avalanche conditions, educational videos and more.

Subscribe to our RSS feed. Follow us on Twitter…

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

A Wrangler You Ought to Catch…And You Can!

Posted on: July 29th, 2013

The History Wrangler

Rob_Lennard01

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Posted in Blog | 1 Comment »

Explore Southern Alberta’s Heritage

Posted on: July 22nd, 2013

From the majestic Rocky Mountains of the Crown of the Continent to the deep sculptured river valleys of the Canadian Badlands, experience southern Alberta’s heritage and discover unique western landscapes.

Walk through the Canadian Badlands where dinosaurs once roamed.
Learn how the ancient Plains People hunted buffalo for their survival.
Hear the stories of early settlement, where horse-drawn vehicles and steam engines carried people and cargo across the prairies.
Visit historic sites where North West Mounted Police confronted whiskey traders and brought law and order to the west.
Discover how irrigation fostered agriculturl production and how coal mining attracted settlers to the western frontier.

You can use this map to know more about your aventures awaiting.

 

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Rafting in Kananaskis Country

Posted on: July 9th, 2013

 

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