Suggestions for general itinerary for Canadian Rockies trip?

In article ,
Keith Willshaw wrote:
}
} "Charles Kozierok" wrote in message
} ...
} Hi All,
}
} One of the things we are trying to figure out is what route to take to
} W. Glacier from Spokane. It appears there are two basic opions:
}
} 1. Take I-90 from Spokane to just W of Missoula, then take 93/35 north;
}
} 2. Take Route 2 through Idaho and northern MT.
}
} The first route looks faster, the second potentially more scenic. But I
} don't know how how scenic nor how much slower it is likely to be. This
} will be in mid-to-late June.
}
} Any advice much appreciated. Thanks.
}
}
} We took I-90 to Montana exit 33,follwoed MT 135 to
} the junction with SR-200 which we followed NW to
} the junction with SR-28 which runs nort past
} Flathead Lake to the junction with US-93at Elmo
}
} From there we headed North to the junction with US-2
}
} This was a pretty quick route apart from the occasional
} stretches were we got stuck behind an RV or trailer.
} Including a stop for lunch it was around 6 hours
} as I recall.

Thanks Keith.. that's a better route than the one I suggested in #1
above.

Still curious if Route 2 is worth driving but I will use yours if I
don't use Route 2.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
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(Charles Kozierok) wrote in message ...
Rodney.. thanks for the very detailed and useful information.

We are indeed planning on ending our trip in Calgary and taking in the
stampede.

Would you be willing to give me an idea re how many days you spent
in each of the various parks?

We kind of did stuff in a weird order. We had reserved a trip to
Sunshine
Meadows on one day, so needed to be in Banff then. We did some days in
around
town of Banff at the beginning of the trip, then did the Icefields
Pkwy, then
Jasper, then came back to Banff, took a half day trip to Yoho, then
1.5 days around Lake Louise. Our last full day, we drove thru
Kananaski's country on the way back to Calgary, then did the Stampede
that afternoon.
So it looks like:
Day
1) Arrival- drive to Banff - campground
2) Banff - C Level Cirque and some other stuff around town -
campground
3) Johnston Canyon - hostel
4) Banff section of Icefield's Parkway - Peyto Lake - stay in
campground
5) Columbia Icefields, Wilcox Pass, various falls - stay in cabin in
Jasper
6) Maligne Lake, Mt. Edith Cavell, Canada Day - campground in Jasper
7) long driving day back to Banff - stay in hostel in Banff
8) Sunshine Meadows - hostel (LL)
9) Yoho, some time around Lake Louise - Fourth of July - hostel (LL)
10) LL - Lake Agnes Teahouse - camp in banff
11) K-country, Stampede
12) fly home

The Wilcox Pass trail and Sunshine Meadows were our biggest hikes.
Both were
outstanding, even though we had cloudy, extremely windy conditions
both days.
I really want to come back and backback into Mt. Assiniboine
Provincial Park.
We actually got snowed/sleeted on briefly on both of these hikes.
Would love to see Sunshine Meadows with sunshine. Across from the
Wilcox Pass trail is Parker's Ridge. It was closed when we were there,
but I had done it before. It is excellent as well if it happens to be
open.

Mt. Edith Cavell was a fun, easy hike to the foot of a glacier.


Nice photos too, BTW. What time of day was the Peyto Lake shot taken (the
first one in the gallery), if I may ask?

This was in the late afternoon. Lots of puffy clouds in the sky kept
casting
shadows on the lake. I was very patient trying to get the full color
of the lake with no dark shadows.

"Charles Kozierok" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

One of the things we are trying to figure out is what route to take to
W. Glacier from Spokane. It appears there are two basic opions:

1. Take I-90 from Spokane to just W of Missoula, then take 93/35 north;

2. Take Route 2 through Idaho and northern MT.

The first route looks faster, the second potentially more scenic. But I
don't know how how scenic nor how much slower it is likely to be. This
will be in mid-to-late June.

Any advice much appreciated. Thanks.
-------------

You're right on both counts. Option 1 is likely faster - although once you
reach Flathead Lake and points north, there's much more "civilization" -
stores, development, traffic, etc.

There's no question but that Option 2 is much more scenic.

In article 5akac.139416$Cb.1490700@attbi_s51,
Tom Beno wrote:
} You're right on both counts. Option 1 is likely faster - although once you
} reach Flathead Lake and points north, there's much more "civilization" -
} stores, development, traffic, etc.
}
} There's no question but that Option 2 is much more scenic.

Thanks Tom.

How much extra time do you figure for Option 2, ballpark, and do you
think it is worth the extra time? Or will it not be that impressive
given the other scenery we are going to be seeing over the subsequent 2
weeks?

I am also still trying to figure out how much time to allow for Glacier.
It was really an "afterthought" on what is primarily a Canadian Rockies
trip but I am not sure if say, a couple of days is enough to just do the
GTTS road and some of the easier hikes near it.


peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!

In article ,
Rodney Boles wrote:
} Day
} 1) Arrival- drive to Banff - campground
} 2) Banff - C Level Cirque and some other stuff around town -
} campground
} 3) Johnston Canyon - hostel
} 4) Banff section of Icefield's Parkway - Peyto Lake - stay in
} campground
} 5) Columbia Icefields, Wilcox Pass, various falls - stay in cabin in
} Jasper
} 6) Maligne Lake, Mt. Edith Cavell, Canada Day - campground in Jasper
} 7) long driving day back to Banff - stay in hostel in Banff
} 8) Sunshine Meadows - hostel (LL)
} 9) Yoho, some time around Lake Louise - Fourth of July - hostel (LL)
} 10) LL - Lake Agnes Teahouse - camp in banff
} 11) K-country, Stampede
} 12) fly home
}
} The Wilcox Pass trail and Sunshine Meadows were our biggest hikes.
} Both were
} outstanding, even though we had cloudy, extremely windy conditions
} both days.
} I really want to come back and backback into Mt. Assiniboine
} Provincial Park.
} We actually got snowed/sleeted on briefly on both of these hikes.
} Would love to see Sunshine Meadows with sunshine. Across from the
} Wilcox Pass trail is Parker's Ridge. It was closed when we were there,
} but I had done it before. It is excellent as well if it happens to be
} open.
}
} Mt. Edith Cavell was a fun, easy hike to the foot of a glacier.
}
}
} Nice photos too, BTW. What time of day was the Peyto Lake shot taken (the
} first one in the gallery), if I may ask?
}
} This was in the late afternoon. Lots of puffy clouds in the sky kept
} casting
} shadows on the lake. I was very patient trying to get the full color
} of the lake with no dark shadows.


Thanks for all that great info.

It looks like you spent most of your time in Banff NP (including up to
the Icefields) and not as much in Jasper. Was that due to time
constraints or did you just like the Banff area more?

Really appreciate that response.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!

"Charles M. Kozierok" wrote in message
...

How much extra time do you figure for Option 2, ballpark, and do you
think it is worth the extra time? Or will it not be that impressive
given the other scenery we are going to be seeing over the subsequent 2
weeks?
----------

Good point. Although Option 2 is certainly scenic, when comparing it to
Glacier, Banff, Jasper, etc. it's just another pretty drive. Since you'll still
be relatively fresh on the road (traveling only from Spokane) - if it were me,
I'd just "get there." Meaning the shortest route, so as to maximize your time
at spots your trip is designed to experience. Option 1 isn't bad at all -
Flathead Lake is very pretty, and I recall it being good 4-lane highway all the
way up.
========================================

I am also still trying to figure out how much time to allow for Glacier.
It was really an "afterthought" on what is primarily a Canadian Rockies
trip but I am not sure if say, a couple of days is enough to just do the
GTTS road and some of the easier hikes near it.
----------

NPS recommendation for GTTS Road is about 3 hours. I did that one time and
regretted it. There's too much spectacular scenery to just zip thru it.
Especially if you're going to do some hiking, one day is not enough. That's
also assuming that you have no plans to visit other areas of the Park.

In any event, it looks like you're doing plenty of homework and I'm sure it'll
be a grand trip for you and your friends. Good traveling to you all.

Thanks for all that great info.

It looks like you spent most of your time in Banff NP (including up to
the Icefields) and not as much in Jasper. Was that due to time
constraints or did you just like the Banff area more?

Really appreciate that response.

Definitely time constraints more than anything. Everywhere we went was
outstanding. Would have loved another day in Jasper NP to have
ventured outside of area around the town. And would have loved to have
seen some of the other parks. If it hadn't of been for the
reservations on the van to Sunshine Meadows, we probably would have
done things a lot different.

In article 35lac.142599$po.870744@attbi_s52,
Tom Beno wrote:
} Good point. Although Option 2 is certainly scenic, when comparing it to
} Glacier, Banff, Jasper, etc. it's just another pretty drive. Since you'll still
} be relatively fresh on the road (traveling only from Spokane) - if it were me,
} I'd just "get there." Meaning the shortest route, so as to maximize your time
} at spots your trip is designed to experience. Option 1 isn't bad at all -
} Flathead Lake is very pretty, and I recall it being good 4-lane highway all the
} way up.

We have decided not to take the scenic route. We are going to go to
Missoula the day we fly in (long day LOL) and then go up north, see the
Bison Range and then go up to Glacier.

Are we better off on the W or E side of Flathead Lake, highway-wise?
The W side seems to have a bigger highway but is longer and has more
towns along it.

} NPS recommendation for GTTS Road is about 3 hours. I did that one time and
} regretted it. There's too much spectacular scenery to just zip thru it.
} Especially if you're going to do some hiking, one day is not enough. That's
} also assuming that you have no plans to visit other areas of the Park.

We are now planning to spend a total of about a day on GTTS, and are
also going to drive up to Many Glacier. We won't get to really see the
park as much as if it were our eventual destination, but should get the
flavor of it.

} In any event, it looks like you're doing plenty of homework and I'm sure it'll
} be a grand trip for you and your friends. Good traveling to you all.

Me and the family actually. Thanks, appreciate your help.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!

In article ,
Rodney Boles wrote:
} Definitely time constraints more than anything. Everywhere we went was
} outstanding. Would have loved another day in Jasper NP to have
} ventured outside of area around the town. And would have loved to have
} seen some of the other parks. If it hadn't of been for the
} reservations on the van to Sunshine Meadows, we probably would have
} done things a lot different.

This does seem to be the problem: "everywhere is outstanding". Of course
it also means you can't really go too wrong.

Thanks again.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!