Arthur Philemon Coleman was a passionate Canadian and one of the first to truly discover the beauty and majesty of this country''s mountain ranges as an explorer, geologist and mountaineer. In 1884, before the railway traversed the Rocky and Columbia mountains, Coleman headed west on the first of what would be eight mountaineering expeditions, making his way on foot and pack horse, with Native guides and without, over passes in Alberta and British Columbia. First published in 1911, this new edition gives modern-day readers a glimpse of the early days of mountaineering in the Canadian west. It paints a sympathetic picture of the rugged men and women who opened the region and of the hardships they endured. In his travels he encountered some of the main characters in Canadian mountaineering history, including Mary Schdffer, Joby Beaver, Frank Sibbald, Reverend George Kinney and Adolphus Moberly.

"We seemed to have reached that horizon, and the limit of all endurance, to sit with folded hands and listen calmly to the stories of the hills we so longed to see, the hills which had lured and beckoned us for years before this long list of men had ever set foot in the country." - Mary T.S. Schäffer Mary T.S. Schäffer was an avid explorer and one of the first non-Native women to venture into the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where few women - or men - had gone before. First published in 1911, Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies is Schäffer's story of her adventures in the traditionally male-dominated world of climbing and exploration. It also sheds light on Native and non-Native relations at the early part of the 20th century. Full of daring adventure and romantic depictions of camp life, set against the grand backdrop of Canada's mountain landscapes, the book introduces readers to various characters from the annals of Canadian mountaineering history, including Arthur Philemon Coleman, Billy Warren, Sid Unwin, Bill Peyto and Jimmy Simpson. Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies is certain to entertain and enlighten 21st-century readers, historians, hikers and climbers.

"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.

"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.

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.

Ecology and Wonder celebrates Western Canada's breathtaking landscape. The book makes several remarkable claims. The greatest cultural achievement in the mountain region of western Canada may be what has been preserved, not what has been developed. Protecting the spine of the Rocky Mountains will preserve crucial ecological functions. Because the process of ecosystem diminshment and species loss has been slowed, an ecological thermostat has been kept alive. This may well be an important defence against future impacts of climate change in the Canadian West.

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.

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.