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In July we are going to Canada for 3 weeks with Mrs FD and 8 yr old Jnr FD
Starting Vancouver Island - Quatsino (far north) should be pretty sorted as have own guide, boat & kayaks etc.
Whislter - (already booked paragliding)
Okanagan Valley - 4 nights (no definite plans but will include a visit to a vineyard (suggestions?) cycling along the Myra Canyon? Any other suggestions?
Revelstoke - Probably the alpine coaster thing, and a alpine meadow walk.
Jasper - Nothing booked as yet but 4 nights. Trying to work out how to get of the beaten track as it so busy up there!
Banff - Just the tourist bit...
All ideas welcome !
Whats it like running and cycling in Canada? Obviously in Whistler and Revelstoke it must be fairly safe, but if you go off the beaten track is that just asking for trouble?
I fancy doing some mountain biking and road biking too, how much does a bike cost to hire out there per day?
Ta
Plenty of hire spots in whistler, though dpeending on what your up for the outside of the park stuff may be a lot more interesting but requires pedalling!!
Have a look at Calgary stampede which is July. Not too far from Banff and you could also drop into Olympic centre/bike park. The stampede was a great day out when we went.
Jasper – Nothing booked as yet but 4 nights. Trying to work out how to get of the beaten track as it so busy up there!
I hired a decent mtb (Heckler IIRC) in Jasper and did the 5 Lakes loop. Saw about three people, this was mid August. Remember to call out for bears - we saw three on our trip.
just remember that you're not top of the food chain over there....LOL..... Bears have been videoed down near the Garbanzo uplift entry at whistler... always ask for local wildlife info wherever you plan on going biking
There is also Kamloops ranch for biking as well as Sun peaks bike resort just north of Kamloops.. enjoy yer stay...... been 9 years since I was over that way...... 🙂
Don't worry about bears,it's the mountain lions that will get ya 😉
Revelstoke: There is awesome MTB in the Kootenays.. Tons of stuff/info on the Revelstoke Mountain Resort website.
Whistler: Bikepark itself can start to ramp up with rentals and lift passes but there is a ton of riding in and around Whistler.. Lost Lake Trails etcTrailforks is your friend.. or just head down to Squamish for the day... pop into Backountry Brewing for some great beer and pizza post ride.
South Okanagan: Burrowing Owl used to be and still one of my favourite wines, close to Osoyoos.Oliver... most of the good ones are in the Oliver/Osoyoos region,,, Jackson Triggs / Black Hills etc I can ask a friend who is a sommelier and I think has started her own label.
Not sure how you are planning the trip but we've done a circular loop heading out from Vancouver via Hope then Kamloops / Revelstoke/Yoho National Park (Emerald Lake)down via Cranbrook / Nelson / Osoyoos.
Last year we decided to just go as far as Nelson - great atmosphere, the lake is brilliant, riding is great as well.
What does jr like doing?
In the Kootenays, usual precautions wrt bears, cougars apply (never seen the later but they are out there). We've seen the odd coyote now and then.
Yes you may get eaten!
I'm there in early September - Canmore-Jasper-Clearwater-Vancouver
Was there about 5 years ago - up the Malign Lake road in Jasper we stopped off to see a family of black bears eating berries - probably stood about 15ft from them, they weren't interested in us....but still, when my mind caught up with the situation, we backed off slowly
Same trip, I ended up going out riding with the waiter from our hotel in Banff - lent me a bike and took me on his local trails (he was a proper adventurer type, his wife was part way through the PCT)...anyway, the point is, he led and pretty much every few minutes he was shouting "Cooooeeeeee", to warn bears
I'll be doing the same this year but god knows what I'd do if I come face to face with one
stop at Athabasca Falls, Icefields parkway, Lake Louise when driving from Jasper down to Banff, there are a few other sightseeing stops on that road, Lake Louise is mayhem for parking as it's mega busy..... and take a Gondola ride up to the top of sulphur mountain while you are in Banff..... fair old view from up there.... 🙂
I hired a decent mtb (Heckler IIRC) in Jasper and did the 5 Lakes loop. Saw about three people, this was mid August. Remember to call out for bears – we saw three on our trip
Ranos - did you ride alone or as part of a group? Unfortunately I would be riding alone, and all the advice I have read online so far says do not ride/run alone 🙁
Gary the Grizzly says it's all safe, and not to worry about hiking in the woods.
Always regretted not doing the floatplane trip from Victoria (on the island) to Vancouver, should I ever get back to BC it’d be top of my list. If in Squamish the hike up the Chief is neat (and free...or it was several years back). I’m envious of your trip, BC is fantastic!
Sounds like you've got most of it covered (and quite a lot for 3 weeks). Have a look at Yoho national park (between Revelstoke & Jasper in your list), There's plenty of decent walking options depending on how strenuous a day you want.
edit - i forgot: do a hot spring somewhere, lots to choose from.
Don't worry about bears, you don't need to be able to outrun them, just outrunning your buddies is enough.
Sounds like a fantastic trip. V envious!
Mrs P and I went back in the PC (pre children) days of disposable income and did most of the BC stuff that's been mentioned. The one thing missing was the paint pots at Yoho but twicewithchips just beat me to that.
Near there (relative Canadian distances!) is<span style="background-color: #bfe6ff; color: #000120;"> Takakkow falls - spectacular. Be aware though if you're in a mahoosive long camper van (as I was an RV virgin aged 29) the hairpins are too big and you have to reverse uphill to the next one!!</span>
<u></u>From Jasper we did a beautiful walk up a mountain from above Maligne Lake. Mrs P ringing a bear bell like it was a catholic mantra...
We've just started to plan for summer 2019 as would like to take the boys and would probably repeat a lot whilst mixing in some new stuff (bookmarked this)
Actually, if you want to go somewhere slightly less common than, say, Jaspar or Banff, Waterton Lakes National Park, spanning the Alberta/Montana border, is well worth the effort.
And, while this might be too far an extra drive, the museum at Fort MacLeod is well worth the visit for an understanding of the RCMP, and why Canadian history and culture develop so differently to our American neighbours. Finally, the town is situated in a dusty flatlands just outside of the foothills, and you can see the mountains in the distance. It will definitely give you a sense for the contrasting landscapes that make up the country.
Missed this the first time round. (For context I've lived in Calgary for 9 years after emigrating from the UK)
Firstly bears - If you're somewhere popular (like Jasper peak season) and you make plenty of noise I wouldn't worry too much about bears. By making noise a good yodel every few minutes is not ridiculous.
Waterton Lakes suffered last year from a big forest fire so whilst I would have previously agreed with SaxonRider that it's well worth the trip I've not been back since.
Download TrailForks before you leave. https://www.trailforks.com/ Almost all Canadian mtb trails are on there.
In the Okanagan the 3-blind mice trails near Penticton are fantastic. It'll be hot in mid-July mind. Something for everyone. I also like hiking / climbing in Skaha bluffs and kayaking on the lakes. Depending on where you're staying the Naramata bench area is my preference for vineyards. The restaurant at HillSide is fantastic but don't know how 8 year old friendly it is.
In Revelstoke the Mount Macpherson trails are good for all ages depending on choice. If it's open then https://www.trailforks.com/trails/frisby-ridge/ is fantastic and probably 8 year old friendly. Ask at local bike shop for it's status. Driving to the top of Mount Revelstoke is worth it for getting straight to the alpine. Have coffee and baked goods at La Baguette but don't expect speedy service.
I really like the Yoho valley even though it's busy. My favorite hike is the Iceline trail, classic rockies. Avoid anything near Lake Louise.
Some great advice here: https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/4lfnyd/warning_frequency_of_humanbear_encounters/
Ranos – did you ride alone or as part of a group? Unfortunately I would be riding alone, and all the advice I have read online so far says do not ride/run alone
Alone. The advice I was given locally was to make sure that I called out regularly, which I did. It was a truly fabulous experience.
I've heard the cougars like to stalk fit cyclists.
If you stay away from nightclubs, you should be ok though.
We hired a speed boat and went water skiing last time we were in Penticton, lots of fun and not crazy money. Can hire the boat with a drivers licence.
Bears won't be a worry in Whistler, they're Brown bears and are generally pretty laid back. Just don't get too close or leave food lying around. The rockies on the otherhand have grizzlies which are a different matter. Bear spray is a good idea. Still unlikely to need it but better safe than sorry. I rode and hiked around Banff and Canmore and just made sure I wasn't too quiet.
Road biking around Whistler isn't much fun as there's not much apart from the highway which is very busy. Other parts of Canada may vary.
We did something similar a couple of years ago.
Whistler, You cant spend long enough there. The trails outside the bike park are even better than those inside it. Especially if you not on a DH bike.
Kelowna in has a regional park just south of it that had some good trails for a couple of days.
Jasper. We didnt really like, certainly wasnt worth the 2 day drive from kelowna
Lake Louise too busy but if you take the road towards Moraine lake and stop in the first carpark on the right there is a great out and back ride / Hike upto Moraine lake rather than drive
Revelstoke was fun but brutal on the bike. Its the only time I have ever broken a wheel riding
Canmore - We like this place alot more than Banff and its just down the road. Did a great ride thats in the books called Baldy pass which was about 30 mins drive away towards calgary. Real sense of being in the middle of no where.