Timberland Earthkeepers footwear combine fashion, function and eco-consciousness. Their ecological footprint is kept to a minimum with linings from recycled plastic bottles, organic hemp laces, leather from certified ‘green’ tanneries, and soles with discarded car tire content. Styles include rugged boots and shoes for outdoor and city use. Available at Mountain Air Clothing Co, buying [...]

Marmot Basin leads Canadian ski areas with three new chairlifts in as many years. You can ride: • The Canadian Rockies Express that debuted in 2009/10 is the region’s longest high-speed quad. Rising from base to the top in 7.5 minutes, skiers can cycle four times and ski 10,000 vertical feet in an hour! • [...]

Since Jasper is now a designated Dark Sky Preserve, we recommend leaving the town lights behind for a visit to Pyramid Island (Map 5, 1H). Go in the afternoon for a Pyramid Lake snowshoe (walk where others have been), stoke up the fire pit for a wiener roast (bring wood) and later bask in the [...]

Snowy peaks might not bring to mind abundant local produce, but many Canadian Rockies chefs incorporate the bounty of Alberta’s agriculture year-round. From free-range meats to relish made from fall squash, conscientious diners can choose cuisine made with ingredients grown nearby. Alberta beef may be our most famous regional offering, but you might be surprised [...]

By Meredith Bailey Improved gear and many tour choices make old-fashioned winter travel new again. Long before helicopters and chairlifts, winter activity enthusiasts accessed the Canadian Rockies backcountry with simple equipment and no mechanical help. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding and horse-drawn sleighs were essential modes of winter travel. Today people craving crowd-free, nature-rich escapes [...]

Flowing water, natural rock and pine accents at the new Reflections Spa at The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge reflect the surrounding mountains. So too do many of their signature treatments: • Jasper Active: Deep massage after hiking or skiing soothes stressed muscles. Hot back, neck and shoulder compresses increase range of motion. • Alpine Infusion: [...]

Souvenirs from the tax-free Jasper-Yellowhead Museum Gift Shop include: 1 Parks Canada buffalo entry plaques predate today’s ubiquitous paper and plastic park passes and evoke an era when few intrepid travellers visited Jasper by car. 2 Humorous encounters between bruins and people are recounted with vintage photos and engaging stories in the book Bears in [...]

We often see elk along the Icefields Pkwy just south of Jasper and bighorn sheep along Hwy 16 just east of town. At other roadside venues we’ve spotted coyotes, moose and mountain goats, and on rare occasions cougars, wolves and woodland caribou. Joe Urie of SunDog Tours suggests that the best way to get a [...]

Wendy Wacko’s new 2700 square foot Mountain Gallery at The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge could be mistaken for an avant-garde New York art gallery. “Now we can display works by our leading western Canadian artists as they are meant to be viewed,” says Wendy. Green features of the space include energy efficient LED ‘skylights’ that [...]

Over 100 years ago, tourist interest in mountaineering led Canadian Pacific hotels to hire Swiss guides to teach safe climbing techniques. They led hundreds of first ascents from 1899 to 1954. A new generation of Swiss guides that arrived in the mid 20th century helped develop modern mountain rescue, avalanche research and heli-skiing. Learn how [...]