Topic Wiki

List of TR's:

Kosher Food/ Restaurants:
The local supermarkets (e.g. Nesters or IGA in Banff) have many kosher shelf products.

There's frozen chicken and some meat products here, also a kosher aisle of dry foods: Safeway Glenmore Landing - 1600 90 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2V 5A8, Canada

Synagogue:
None, though check GoDaven for temporary minyanim

Things to Do:

Download the GuideAlong app (formerly known as GyPSy Guide) and purchase the package for the Canadian Rockies Tours for $24.99. This self-paced guided audio tour covers Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Yoho National Park, Jasper National Park and more. It's an incredibly useful and informative app.

Banff
Johnston Canyon hike, Upper Falls recommended, 2 hr round trip.
Banff Gondola, take boardwalk (15 min, spread out stairs) to peak for amazing views
Mountain Biking - e.g. Tunnel Bench Loop (moderate, lots of fun with great views)
Bow Falls and Bow River
Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake loop drive - boat cruise tour and speedboat rentals available

Lake Louise (45 min drive from Banff)
Shoreline trail walk
Canoe rentals
Lake Agnes teahouse hike (moderate, 2.5 hrs round-trip, can continue to Little Beehive or Big Beehive)
Plain of 6 Glaciers hike (moderate, 5-6 hrs round trip, Tea House along the way)
Lake Louise gondola


Moraine Lake (30 min drive south from LL)
2023 Update: Access by personal vehicle to Morraine Lake is no longer allowed. The only options to get to Morraine Lake are by Canada Parks Shuttle, private Lake Morraine bussing companies, and maybe a private tour bus. Local Banff bus service (Roam) may also have a shuttle to Morraine in addition to their service to Lake Louise. Reservations for busses get booked up early, so plan at least 3-4 days ahead. [Parking is extremely limited, arrive very early or later in the day, road is closed when parking is full.]
Walk along lake
Canoe rentals sometimes available
Rockpile climb to great viewpoint

Athabasca Glacier Adventure (90 min drive from Lake Louise or Jasper)
Early arrival recommended (first tour is at 10:30am, book online in advance)
2 hour duration, bring bottle to drink glacier water
Wear layers, temperature is unpredictable
Skywalk is a tourist trap, you can skip it and stay on bus to return to parking lot

Icefields Parkway drive from Athabasca Glacier to Banff with scenic stops:
Parker Ridge trail 2-hour round-trip hike (medium difficulty, uphill climb)
Peyto Lake viewed from Bow Summit (cars must park in lower lot and walk 10 min, but later in the day the upper lot can be used)
Mistaya Canyon (beautiful pull-off hike along Icefields Pkwy. Hike is about 10 minutes down to a powerful river rushing through a canyon with waterfalls)
Bow Lake (quick pullout stop)

Jasper

Yoho National Park
Takakkaw Falls
Emerald Lake
Natural Bridge


Hotels:

Getting Around:
A car is basically a must, though there are shuttles from Banff to the major attractions.
The nearest commercial airport is Calgary (YYC), a 90 min drive from Banff.

Notes:


Author Topic: Banff and Jasper Master Thread  (Read 155087 times)

Offline ZCN

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Nov 2011
  • Posts: 350
  • Total likes: 5
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
  • Location: Ohio
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #40 on: July 23, 2012, 12:59:56 AM »
Is it a place where we will miss out on incredible hikes/views due to having an infant in a stroller or would we be able to accomplish a lot regardless of that?

A few hours of driving is perfectly doable.


  I can't fully answer that as we mainly did driving with a few hikes here and there, and we traveled without my daughter. Some of the trails we went on were kind of steep and I would not recommend for a stroller unless you are up to a good workout. other trails were flat, YHMV lol. Maybe go with a stroller/knapsack combo?

As far a driving keep in mind that for example the Columbia Icefields highway is about 3 hours of driving without stops.


While I'm on the subject there's a stop on the Columbia Icefields Highway called Mistaya Canyon which is not really mentioned in guidebooks as something special. It's a powerful river that turns into a waterfall and then becomes a river though a canyon. We were there in June so maybe the water is stronger then but for us it was one of the highlights of our trip.

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67555
  • Total likes: 16848
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #41 on: July 23, 2012, 01:01:58 AM »
C'mon type up a trip report :)
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Ergel

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 12818
  • Total likes: 905
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Re: Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #42 on: July 23, 2012, 09:13:57 AM »
Never really tried, is that practical at 23 pounds?
In just did a pretty strenuous two hour hike with it. It's doable but I wouldn't do longer than that, and maybe a little more of a moderate hike.
The tough traveler knapsacks seem like they get nice reviews
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67555
  • Total likes: 16848
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #43 on: July 23, 2012, 12:22:23 PM »
The tough traveler knapsacks seem like they get nice reviews
Link?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Ergel

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 12818
  • Total likes: 905
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline Traveler718

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 1217
  • Total likes: 690
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #45 on: July 24, 2012, 02:10:30 AM »
Here's what I successfully used to do a number of hikes when my toddler was as much as 30 pounds:

http://www.rei.com/product/810852/deuter-kid-comfort-ii-child-carrier

It's not cheap, but it's amazingly built, and I wouldn't have been able to explore the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, or many other places without it. The other brand I looked into is Kelty, but I love the Deuter and can't recommend it enough.

Offline Ergel

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 12818
  • Total likes: 905
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #46 on: July 24, 2012, 08:54:32 AM »
Thanks. On sale here for $182. Use code summer20 for another ten percent off
« Last Edit: July 24, 2012, 05:31:14 PM by Dan »
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67555
  • Total likes: 16848
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #47 on: July 24, 2012, 05:30:39 PM »
What's the difference between the Comfort 2 and the Comfort 3?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Traveler718

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 1217
  • Total likes: 690
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #48 on: July 24, 2012, 05:38:43 PM »
The latest model has the higher back for a larger kid to fit in more comfortably as you can see in the pictures (we actually thought it would be too big to pack comfortably) plus a rear-view mirror so you can check if the kid is happy/sleeping/eating. I also seem to recall that it had a soft piece in front of the kid that he could lean forward onto in order to rest more comfortably. Didn't seem to justify the price to us, but feel free to read online reviews to see what others say.

Offline sezux

  • Dansdeals Bronze Elite
  • *
  • Join Date: Jul 2010
  • Posts: 35
  • Total likes: 1
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #49 on: August 21, 2012, 11:36:05 PM »
1.  Thanks to ZCN for the tips.

Banff in One Day

We spent one day in the park (drove in from Calgary in the morning and back out in the evening) and hiked from Lake Louise on the "Plain of Six Glaciers Trail".

To the lookout at the end of the trail is 8.5 miles RT (about 5 hrs); it is absolutely spectacular.  We saw kids as young as five doing it, and plenty of people carrying kids on their backs.

When we got back to lake Louise we drove up 93 (Ice-fields Pkwy), to the Saskatchewan River Crossing (about 1 hr).  The views are even better than the hike.  Be sure to stop and get out at Bow Lake.

Whenever you see people pulled over it means that there is some nice wildlife; we saw elk and bear.

We missed so much, but it was all we could fit in.  I wish I could've stayed for longer.

I Hope this helps people planning a one day stint in one of the most magnificent places that I have seen.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2012, 11:39:24 PM by sezux »

Offline joey89

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 380
  • Total likes: 70
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: New Orleans
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #50 on: August 22, 2012, 02:09:36 AM »
I just saw this post. Wish would have seen it earlier when I got back from banff, in Late march would have posted a report.
As is I was only there for a day so didnt get to see much

Offline Mordy2

  • Dansdeals Gold Elite
  • ***
  • Join Date: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 141
  • Total likes: 1
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #51 on: August 22, 2012, 04:20:50 PM »
I was in Banff for a couple days and it was awesome!!! The sights are unreal!!! I think it would be pretty hard to get it all in with a baby.  The scenery is so majestic. I would not miss Peyto lake, Mistaya Canyon, Lake Louise, the Icefields. TakkkawFalls is actually the tallest falls in Canada (although Niagara Falls is much much wider).

One spot no one mentioned is Johnston Canyon. Its a beautiful trail with 2 tracks- the upper falls and lower falls. The view from the upper falls is much better but even the lower falls involves quite a bit of climbing. Definitely can't be done with a stroller and it would be very difficult with a baby carrier.

The spiral tunnels in yoho park are interesting stop  if you have time. Due to the mountainous terrain, in order for a freight train to get to the next spot, it needs to cross over itself 4 times!

Lake emerald is a beautiful lake too. Rowboats, paddle boats and kayaks are avail at most lakes in the area. We went motor boating very far out/ don't remember the exact location. There are helicopter tours , atvs, and rafting for those looking for adventure.

There are gondolas in the lake Louise area and in Banff. I Would recommend the Banff gondola. You hike up to the mountain top once u get out of the gondola and the scenery is unreal up there.

The driving on its own is magnificent. The roads are pretty new- the highways were redone for the Calgary olympics. There's virtually no traffic- when cars stop you know there's wildlife on the road/ bears, wolves, mountain goats etc.

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67555
  • Total likes: 16848
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #52 on: June 03, 2013, 02:09:30 PM »
Any more TRs?
Am I crazy to go to Banff with a baby in a stroller?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline sky121

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: May 2011
  • Posts: 11511
  • Total likes: 167
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 12
    • View Profile
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #53 on: June 03, 2013, 02:12:59 PM »
Hope to have one for ya in the end of August though no kids will be joining me.

From what I've read I would attempt it with one kid in a stroller.
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67555
  • Total likes: 16848
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #54 on: June 03, 2013, 02:15:59 PM »
Hope to have one for ya in the end of August though no kids will be joining me.

From what I've read I would attempt it with one kid in a stroller.
If I go it'll be before then.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline henche

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: May 2011
  • Posts: 4183
  • Total likes: 447
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #55 on: June 03, 2013, 02:16:20 PM »
Hiked Mt. Robson. It was mad awesome.

If doing again, I'd do in 4 days.

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67555
  • Total likes: 16848
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #56 on: June 03, 2013, 02:21:01 PM »
Any consensus on the ideal trip time with Jasper and without Jasper?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline how

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 1878
  • Total likes: 62
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 6
    • View Profile
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #57 on: June 03, 2013, 02:53:27 PM »
Any consensus on the ideal trip time with Jasper and without Jasper?
you can drive down to jasper and see the glaciers the drive is stunning and there are turn offs along the way that you will want to see anyway. i dont think there is much in jasper to warrant sleeping there but I could be wrong.

You will be perfectly fine with a baby stroller but dont expect to do any hikes or mountain climbing. Also bring a decent stroller that should make it easier. There are paths that you should still do with a stroller such as johnson falls, but its not so nice that its worth the effort.

Dont forget to bring along kosher food unless you wantto go when they have one of these kosher tours that are very $$$$$$


Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67555
  • Total likes: 16848
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #58 on: June 03, 2013, 02:57:49 PM »
Jasper is 7:20 round-trip according to Google.

That's much more than I'd want to drive in a day on vacation.  I'd rather skip it.

If there aren't any kid friendly hikes what is there to do with a kid? Am I better off going someplace else?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Ergel

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 12818
  • Total likes: 905
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Re: Banff Master Thread
« Reply #59 on: June 03, 2013, 02:58:04 PM »
Dont forget to bring along kosher food unless you wantto go when they have one of these kosher tours that are very $$$$$$
LOL
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.