Hiking Canada: The Itinerary

Over the past several months I've put a considerable amount of hours into mapping out a game plan for the two weeks that we will spend in Canada hitting some of its most famous parks and locations including Banff, Yoho, Mt. Robson, Jasper, Lake Louise, Glacier, and Garibaldi. It is my hope that future visitors to the area will find the following resourceful.

The number one consideration that I looked for in choosing hikes in Canada is whether the trail puts me into high elevation and past the tree line quickly. I do enjoy the mystery hidden deep in old growth forests from time to time, but the hikes I enjoy more are the ones where I walk among the clouds with expansive views.

The second consideration in narrowing down the list of potential hikes is whether it can fit in and be accomplished with all of the other hikes that are planned during the two weeks. There are many hikes that fit criteria number one, but due to trail length or driving distance, the addition of it meant the removal of another or several others.

When you begin planning a trip of this nature, I encourage you to start piecing together your trip months in advance. It is actually a necessity because of its popularity -- many campsites and hotels are booked full many months prior. Further, some of the trails require advanced planning for logistical and access purposes. One set of trails, for example, requires you to attempt to place a reservation exactly three months to the day in advance, and even then, it is virtually a lottery to land a spot. So start early.

As for trail info, you can find some great blogs out there with information from hikers who have done the trails you're interested in. Also, if some of your hikes are in the Canadian Rockies, you will want to purchase "Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies." This book basically offers what the title suggests.

Rainstorm and possibly even snowstorms will no doubt alter the following itinerary. For those occasions, I have back-up trails that are more suitable for those conditions. If everything goes perfectly, here's our game plan for 11 hiking days.

Day 1: First, hit Helen Lake Trailhead at around 6am and attempt to summit Cirque Peak and back by noon (9.9 miles roundtrip). Next, head north up Icefields Parkway to Parker Ridge Trailhead. Do an abbreviated (2.5 mile hike) to the ridge and back. Finally, continuing up the parkway, do (5-8 miles) of Wilcox Pass.

Day 2: First, helicopter out to Berg Lake in Mt. Robson Provincial Park. After touching down at the drop-off point, set up a campsite at Berg Lake to lighten the load. Next, do Snowbird Pass and back to Berg Lake (roundtrip 13.2 miles).

Day 3: From Berg Lake, hike to the trailhead, returning to rental car (13 miles).

Day 4: First, do a short very early morning walk at Mt. Edith Cavell to Angel Glacier (1.5 miles). Continue south on Icefields Parkway to Peyto Lake and do a brief hike there (1 mile). Finally, continuing south, do the Valley of 10 Peaks/Sentinel Pass hike (round trip 7.2 miles).

Day 5: Hike Citadel Pass, perhaps out to Fatigue Pass, and back (round trip is roughly 12 miles).

Day 6: Hit the trail by 6am and do the Plain of Six Glaciers hike at least as far as the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse (round trip 8.6 miles). Next, do the Iceline Trail (8 miles). Finally, make it to the shuttle on time that will transport us into the Lake O'Hara region.

Day 7: Hike Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit (roughly 7 miles).

Day 8: Heading west, do an early morning hike in Glacier National Park (Canada version) to hike Glacier Crest Trail (6.5 rigorous miles).

Day 9: Now in Canada's Coastal Mountain region with the town of Whistler as our staging point, hit Wedgemount Lake trail (roundtrip 9 tough miles).

Day 10: Take the gondolas up, and then do the Musical Bumps and Singing Pass, hiking out to Russet Lake and back to town (roughly 18 miles).

Day 11: Hike Panorama Ridge (Garibaldi Provincial Park) (18 miles).

Hiking Canada - Tech Gear Check: Suunto Ambit2 GPS Watch, Canon Powershot D30 camera, and Sony HDR-AS100VR POV Action cam

The upcoming trip to Canada will be the first time for me to use a POV action cam. My goal is to collect some live footage from each of the hikes including the heli-hike drop at Berg Lake in Mt. Robson Provincial Park. While GoPro is the clear leader in this industry in terms of market share, I opted to go with the new Sony HDR-AS100VR.

I've never used a GoPro so my comments here probably have limited use. What sold me on the idea of going with Sony's POV action cam versus the industry leader, is that critics almost universally claim that Sony's picture quality (particularly on the "Pro" setting at 60 frames per second), is superior to the GoPro. Sony has a long history in the video camera business, so while they were late to the POV action cam game, they are able to tap into that history and bring some things to the table that GoPro, at least as of yet, is unable to match. Specifically, what I found most common in critic commentaries is that Sony's stabilization system is a dramatic improvement over the competition. You can find side-by-side comparisons on YouTube and other locations, and it did appear to me, from those reviews, that Sony's picture quality was the best. For my money, picture quality is what mattered most.

There are two versions of this camera on the market right now. I went with the version that comes with the LiveView Remote that is worn on your wrist. In terms of memory cards, I purchased four SanDisk Ultra 64GB MicroSDXC Class 10 UHS memory cards. If you do not intend to shoot at the "Pro" setting, all that you will likely need is one or two at the most since each card can hold well over 20 hours of footage at lower settings. At the highest setting, Sony records a 1080p at 60 fps under its proprietary XAVC S HD code. What does all that mean? It means its a helluva good picture in a package that is smaller than the palm of my hand and weighs next to nothing. It also means, that at this highest setting, the SanDisk card can only hold up to 2 hours and 40 minutes of footage. Four SanDisks will give a little over 10 hours of footage for the whole trip; that should be enough. You should also be aware that to edit XAVC S, you will need a powerful laptop and editing software. If you plan on shooting at XAVC S, be prepared to upgrade your computer and purchase a new software system. To handle XAVC S editing with speed and ease, I'm using a maxed out MacBook Pro and Apple's Final Cut Pro X version 10.1.2. The combination of the powerful MacBook Pro and Final Cut, makes editing quick and painless.

There are mixed reviews out there on Sony's LiveView Remote. I can only tell you that in my experience, I've had no difficulty linking the camera up via WiFi to either the LiveView Remote or my cell phone. I intend to use both the cell phone and the LiveView Remote at times during the trip to make sure I am shooting at the appropriate angle. Speaking of which, I will have the camera attached to my head using Sony's headcam harness system. This system was very easy to put together and works great. It's very easy to tilt the camera at any number of angles. Also, since the camera is so light, I've found no discomfort in wearing it on my head for hours at a time. So far, I'm very satisfied with this product and I look forward to seeing what this amazing little package captures while hiking in Canada.

Turning to the Canon Powershot D30, which was released a few months ago, the primary consideration for me in going with this product is the fact that I've only used Canon Powershots over the years, so I wanted to go with a system that I am familiar with. In the waterproof-adventure camera segment, all of the traditional names - Sony, Nikon, Olympus, etc - have their own compact camera. Each has pluses and minuses. I'm not sure you can really go wrong with any of them. I needed something that was waterproof, shock proof and temperature resistant, and can put out quality photos in a small, lightweight package. And because I am comfortable with Canon, that's what I went with. I've used this little camera on a couple of hikes already, and it has so far performed as expected.

Finally, the last little tech piece that I am taking to Canada is the Suunto Ambit2 GPS watch. Since the battery life is quickly drained on GPS mode, I'm not sure how much I will get to use the GPS system while hiking. What I will use frequently is its altimeter and compass. I will also have a traditional Suunto compass, but it will be useful to be able to quickly obtain direction from the watch. There's really not much more to say about the watch. It has way more features than I will ever use, and for what I needed - durable, waterproof, reliable system - you can't find a better product than Suunto Ambit2. Actually, you probably can in a couple months because I think the Ambit3 is due for release in the fall.

Gear Check: Packing for the Backcountry (Backpacks, Sleeping Bags, Tents, Duffel Bags, Dry-Sacks, Check List)

There's a lot to go over in this section so let's dive right in.

The number one consideration when purchasing backcountry hiking and camping equipment is weight. The lighter, the better. And often times, the lighter, the more pricey the item is. Of course quality is right there too since it is of no use buying a featherweight piece of poo. But that should go without saying.

Let's start with the two items that will be doing the carrying on this trip to Canada: the backpack and the duffel bag.

For the backpack, I use an ultralight, airflow system designed by Osprey. It's functional for two to three nights max; this pack is not made for weeklong or multi-week excursions. But for my purposes, it's perfect. All but two of the hikes we are doing in the Canadian mountains are long day hikes. The other two are single night backcountry outings. So this Osprey back will be just right.

For the duffel bag, I'm turning to a recent acquisition: the 140L Mammut Cargon Duffel. Everything that I will be taking with me for two weeks of hiking in Canada, will fit in this bag, save for the backpack that I am using as a carryon. My girlfriend will be using the 120 L Marmot Long-Hauler Duffel. Both are high quality duffel bags, but for men, I recommend the Mammut since the shoulder-strap system, at least on its 140L, is designed for broader shoulders, and is more comfortable carrying on your back.

The tent system is an ultralight, two-person design by Black Diamond. I've used this tent for years and it has held up against terrific wind and rain storms. When other tents were literally blasted to shreds in one of the most severe wind storms I've encountered, this tent performed like a champion. Though one of the poles became permanently disfigured in the storm, the tent still performs the way it should after all these years.

Of the two sleeping bags I have -- an ultra-light Montbell summer bag, and a Western Mountaineering ultra-light three-season -- it's the latter that will be making the trip to Canada. A Thermarest lightweight air pad is used to provide additional comfort at night. I also use a Thermarest foam pad for added support and comfort. On backcountry portions of this trip, however, the foam pad will stay in the duffel bag in order to save weight.

To protect my extra set of clothing, sleeping bag, and other items from the elements while hiking, I am using a series of "nano" Sea-to-Summit dry-sacks. While pricey, these super-light bags are a necessity if you want to keep your stuff from getting soaked. An extra dry-sack will be used to hang food away from camp, and hopefully out of reach of bears.

Other items on the check list for Canada:

- CLIF shot energy gel packs
- CLIF shot bloks
- Quest protein bars
- NUUN hydration tablets
- SaltStick eloctrolyte and caffeine capsules
- Starbucks Via instant coffee
- BodyGlide anti-chaff balm
- NipEaze nipple stickers
- Anti-Monkey Butt Powder (that's what it's called)
- Sea-to-Summit document pouch
- Sea-to-Summit toiletry bag
- Absorber synthetic drying chamois (great for wiping down a wet tent before packing it up)
- Repel 100 insect spray
- 2 48-ounce Nalgene bottles
- Sea-to-Summit mosquito net
- Dr. Scholl's moleskin
- Emergency medical kit
- Sawyer mini water filtration system
- Sea-to-Summit sleeping bag liner
- Suunto compass
- Exped air pillow
- Waterproof maps
- PacSafe passport/card wallet
- Various travel locks
- Light Spork
- Light Mug
- Light Bowl
- Light Plate
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm
- Wet wipes
- Sea-to-Summit drylite towel (much lighter and packs smaller than a normal towel)
- Plastic trowel and toilet paper (mandatory for the backcountry)
- Plastic bags (ziplocks and garbage size)
- Travel-size toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, cleaning liquid, etc.
- Pocket knife (just never know when you will need it)
- Patagonia swim suit (for post-hike swims!)
- Patagonia down vest (for chillin)
- Journal and pen (memorialize your adventures)
- Bear repellant spray (you have to have it apparently)
- Nylon rope to hang wet clothes, hang stored food in a tree, and for other needs
- Ground tarp (protect the tent bottom)
- Thermarest Tech Blanket (it's just great to have when resting above your sleeping bag)
- Mizuno trail shoes (very lightweight)
- Chaco sandals (not light, but great for rivers)

There are three items I haven't mentioned here that will also have an integral role on this trip: Canon Powershot D30 camera, Sony HDR-AS100VR POV Action Cam, and Suunto Ambit2 GPS watch. I will talk about the tech gear in the next blog entry.

Gear Check: Head, Hands and Upper Body Protection + Trekking Poles + Head Lamps

For the upper body, it's all about layering. I'm generally prepared with five layers. First, the base layer. Since I use Under Armour ColdGear for leggings, I use the same base layer for the upper body. I find that the fabric is suitable enough for use even in the warmer months when hiking at upper elevations. Over the base layer I wear a short sleeve shirt made of quick drying material. Nike running shirts are my favorites for this purpose. I will take two mid-layers for the trip to Canada: a Marmot full-zip and Patagonia partial zip. If it doesn't rain and it's not freezing, generally, the most I will need is these three layers.

The fourth layer, when needed, is a Patagonia jacket that fits snug, but not too tight since I often use it with three layers underneath. Finally, when the rain pours, the fifth layer or outer shell that I will turn to on this trip is a form-fitting Mammut. If I need more than five layers for upper body warmth, that means it's too damn cold outside, and I am just going to kick back with a winter warmer in hand and watch Point Break for the hundredth time.

As for hand protection, I will be taking three sets of gloves with me. If the temperature is comfortable, I use Pearl Izumi cycling gloves. The padded-palms of these gloves work great with the cork handles of the Black Diamond trekking poles. Let's talk about trekking poles while we are on the subject. I have to admit, I am late to the game when it comes to using poles, and that's unfortunate. I think back on the hundreds of miles I've done over the years without poles, and I wonder how many more I could have done if only I used a set of poles. I've read the scientific data about the thousands of pounds of weight that is transferred to poles in a typical hike. I believe it but I don't need data to believe it. I've found in my own experiences, that since turning to trekking poles, I have the energy to go much further and at a greater pace - which in sum means I get to see more of the beautiful country when hiking. And best of all, my knees are saved from substantial agony. If you currently do your hiking without poles, I encourage you to make the switch. Trekking poles aren't just for "old-timer" hikers - it's for every hiker. Thank me later.

In addition to cycling gloves, I use one set of gloves for spring, summer, and fall months, and another for winter months. Since the Canadian Rockies will frequently have a snowstorm in early September - so I've read -  I will be prepared with both sets of gloves.

As for the head, not counting two sets of bandanas, I will bring a brimmed Tilley, a winter cap, and a three-season cap. When the lights go out, I turn it back on using a Black Diamond head lamp. The best thing about head lamps is that your hands are free to do other things -- like using your trekking poles if your still tramping about while it's dark out, or for more important things -- like fumbling around your tent for that special can of beer that you cannot wait to savor after a looooong day on the trail.