Trip Report: The Canadian Rockies

The author approaching Stanley Glacier in the Canadian Rockies. Photo by Evan Ross

By Clark Corey

The beautiful Narao Peak.

In the spring, the travel bug can become quite strong. Which got me thinking: A cold and wet spring in Montana surely means it’s looking good up in the Canadian Rockies. With that in mind, we found ourselves cruising down the Trans-Canadian highway towards Lake Louise. I didn’t take long to realize that a week wasn’t nearly enough time to explore the expansive terrain.

Geographically, the Canadian Rockies are not far from Montana (a day’s drive), but they are a whole different animal: huge vertical, scary steep terrain in every direction, and glaciers clinging to craggy summits. In other words, the sheer amount of seriously impressive peaks one can see from the road is 100 percent overwhelming!

While mid-winter snow in the Rockies can be a little thin, the conditions for steep riding become ideal in the spring. On our trip, fresh snow was sticking to the steepest chutes and faces, while the winds remained light. Some lines that were likely not ridable three weeks prior were suddenly “in”. The Y couloir on Stanley Peak (Kootenay National Park) was an example of how quickly conditions can change. With a foot of new snow just four days prior, we found 1.5 feet of snow perfectly bonded to ice as the angle reached 50 degrees. Without that last storm, I’m not sure it would have been ridable!

About to drop in, Narao Peak.

Although we did battle our fair share of challenging weather, we did get to sneak in a few stellar lines, which made the quick foray up to the great north well worth it. Now armed with recon pictures, a good sense for the area, and a taste for some Canadian mountains, we will surely be back!