Armchair travellers are guided on a modern adventure along the trails of the mountain towns of Banff and Lake Louise, and journey from the Kootenay Plains to Lake Minnewanka.

Life of the Trail is a fascinating new series which will guide today's hikers and armchair travellers through the stories of historic routes in the Canadian Rockies. When authors Emerson Sanford and Janice Sanford Beck began backpacking together nearly 20 years ago, they often wondered whose footsteps they were tracing and how today's trails through the Rockies came to be. In Life of the Trail, they share their findings with adventurers and history buffs alike. The series divides the Rockies between Mount Robson and the Kananaskis Lakes into eight regions based on geographical boundaries that influenced 19th century travellers. Within each region, the authors share the stories of those who recorded their travels along various routes between the time of the pioneers and the 1930s. Never before has such a thorough history been presented in this manner, enabling adventurers to follow the history of the Rockies one route at a time. For those tempted to follow in the footsteps of these historic adventurers, Emerson has hiked each and every trail in order to provide a detailed trail guide and interesting anecdotes from his own experiences. Each volume is rounded out with maps and colour photographs - both historical and contemporary - to further stimulate the imagination. Life of the Trail 2: Historic Hikes in Northern Yoho National Park follows the trails of fur traders La Gasse and Le Blanc, the Palliser Expedition, Tom Wilson, J.J. McArthur, Professor Jean Habel, Walter Wilcox, C.S. Thompson, David Thompson, Jimmy Simpson and Jack Brewster. Along the way, the reader will journey past pristine lakes and glaciers that have become legendary throughout the world, discovering the stories behind routes through the mountain towns of Lake Louise and Field; over Howse, Amiskwi, Bow and Burgess passes; and along Yoho, Emerald and Castleguard rivers.

"Life of the Trail" is a fascinating series that guides today's hikers and armchair travelers through the stories of historic routes in the Canadian Rockies. When authors Emerson Sanford and Janice Sanford Beck began backpacking together nearly 20 years ago, they often wondered whose footsteps they were retracing and how today's trails through the Rockies came to be there. In "Life of the Trail," they share their findings with adventurers and history buffs alike. "Life of the Trail 4: Historic Hikes in Eastern Jasper National Park" includes trails throughout the Jasper area, as well as routes outside the national park itself. The main routes are fur trade routes, Duncan McGillivray's route along the Brazeau river and Poboktan Creek, Jacques Cardinal's route from Jasper to the North Saskatchewan River along the South Boundary Trail and over Job Pass, and Old Klyne's Trail over Maligne and Cataract Passes and along the Cline River to the Kootenay Plains. The fourth is a 20th-century route: the Skyline Trail.

When authors Emerson Sanford and Janice Sanford Beck began backpacking together nearly 20 years ago, they often wondered whose footsteps they were retracing and how today's Rockies trails came to be there. In Life of the Trail, they share their findings with hikers and history buffs, adventurers and armchair travellers. Life of the Trail 5 details the routes in the area bounded on the north by Lake Minnewanka and the Bow River and on the west by Altrude Creek and the Vermilion and Kootenay rivers. Featuring such historical characters as Duncan McGillivray, David Thompson, George Simpson, Tom Wilson, Walter Wilcox and Bill Peyto, Volume 5 in this remarkable series also sheds light on the early days of the now world-renowned Kananaskis Country.

"Life of the Trail" is a fascinating series that guides today's hikers and armchair travelers through the stories of historic routes in the Canadian Rockies. When authors Emerson Sanford and Janice Sanford Beck began backpacking together nearly 20 years ago, they often wondered whose footsteps they were retracing and how today's trails through the Rockies came to be there. In "Life of the Trail," they share their findings with adventurers and history buffs alike. "Life of the Trail 3: The Historic Route from Old Bow Fort to Jasper" starts at the remains of Peigan Post, originally built in 1832 and still visible today, located at the west end of the Morley Reserve. This entire route is now a contemporary road, but early in the 20th century the section north of Lake Louise was the main trail heading north and was very busy with pioneers, adventurers and explorers. The trail has been divided into three sections: Old Bow Fort to Lake Louise, Lake Louise to Sunwapta Pass and Sunwapta Pass to Jasper.

When authors Emerson Sanford and Janice Sanford Beck began backpacking together nearly 20 years ago, they often wondered whose footsteps they were retracing and how today's Rockies trails came to be there. In the Life of the Trail series, they share their findings with hikers and history buffs, adventurers and armchair travellers. Life of the Trail 6 details historic routes in the area north of the Columbia Icefields and south of the Miette River, bordered on the east by the Athabasca and Sunwapta rivers (today's highway 93). Along with the mythical Mounts Hooker and Brown, readers will come across historical character David Thompson, A.P. Coleman, Hudson's Bay Company Governor Sir George Simpson and Group of Seven painters Lawren Harris and A.Y. Jackson.

A one-stop resource for hiking backpackers in beautiful British Columbia. Planning your next backpacking adventure? This book covers all the essentials including: 40 overnight hiking trails: discover the many different routes that BC has to offer Packing tips: take only the most essential items with you (plus a few comforts) Permitting: find out what permits you’ll need, and where to get them Camp set-up: tips for where to pitch your tent and how to find water Environmental impact: learn how to Leave No Trace behind in the wilderness This book features backpacking routes from the North Shore up to Pemberton and Lytton and from the Sunshine Coast out to the Similkameen Valley. Beautiful photographs showcase what you’ll see along the way: mountain peaks, alpine meadows, waterfalls, old-growth forests, and more. Every backpacking route in the book includes bonus features: Trail maps and route descriptions Elevation, distance and time information Points of cultural and natural history Pre-planning hints about fees, permits, and reservations Suggested side trips and points of particular interest Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia also shares options for extending an overnight excursion to several nights or a week, and for selecting hikes that match your timeline/fitness level.

Banff is one of the most renowned tourist destinations in Canada and the most popular in the Canadian Rockies. It is the oldest national park in Canada, the second in North America (following Yellowstone in Wyoming) and the third oldest park in the world (following Royal in Australia). It encompasses 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 square miles) including the Lake Louise area and part of the Icefields Parkway. Over 8 million people enter Banff Park each year, of which over 3 million are considered park visitors OCo the highest visitation of any Canadian National Park. Most of BanffOCOs natural attractions are easily accessible from its scenic roads and highways. Popular sites around Banff townsite include the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, Upper Hot Springs Pool, Cascade Gardens, Tunnel Mountain Drive, Vermilion Lakes, Johnson Lake and Lake Minnewanka. The townsite imparts a cosmopolitan atmosphere with an expansive array of tourist services as well as cultural attractions such as the Whyte Museum, The Banff Park Museum and the Banff Centre. The Bow Valley Parkway, Lake Louise and the Icefields Parkway also present countless opportunities for sight seeing and wildlife viewing. Banff National Park maintains 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) of trails and 50 backcountry campgrounds. In winter, three downhill ski areas service the area. Connecting Jasper National Park and Lake Louise in Banff National Park, the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) is considered to be one of the premier mountain drives in the world. The 230 km (143 mile) parkway follows the Continental Divide north-south as well as the Athabasca, Sunwapta, North Saskatchewan, Mistaya and Bow Valleys. Glaciers that remain from the ice ages dot the landscape, seven icefields within viewing distance of the parkway. The highlight of the drive for many is the Athabasca Glacier, the only road accessible glacier in the parks.a The author grew up in the Canadian Rockies and has been exploring them since she was a child. The Canadian Rockies are one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, with four million visitors annually. Easily accessible adventures include walking, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, boating, horseback riding, skiing and wildlife viewing -- with some of the most spectacular animals in North America. Where else can you spend the morning hiking through spectacular wilderness and by afternoon enjoy high tea in one of the grand hotels? The guide is filled with inside information on how to avoid the tourist traps and where to find the special places off the beaten path that the tourists don't know about; the most worthwhile outdoor adventures and indoor activities; the hotels and restaurants at all price levels that are the very best; plus tips on places to avoid. Each chapter covers transportation to and around the park, where to stay and eat, attractions and shopping, plus adventures, from drives to day hikes, rafting to cycling. Competing guides focus on the standard tourist sites (where the crowds can ruin your experience), while we take you to the lesser-known spots (restaurants, lodges, hiking paths), which are often more rewarding. A review of the complete Canadian Rockies Adventure Guide from which this is drawn: Having been to the Canadian Rockies numerous times and thinking we had seen all the wonderful places before we discovered this book, we now must plan many more trips there to explore all the other incredible places described in detail in this Guide. With numerous beautiful color photographs, most of which are by the author, this guide is a treasure because the scenery of the Canadian Rockies is some of the most spectacular in the world. A unique feature of this guide book is that it includes hiking details for each of the areas described. Since we have hiked many of these areas, we know this is a necessary and valuable tool for planning hikes. With each section Koller has Hikes, Drives, Sights, and Activities, so for non-hikers it is just as valuable, also giving information for booking guided tours. -- Bonnie Neely (Amazon reviewer)"