Thanksgiving ForecastFall Colour Report
Alberta
Autumn in Alberta's Rocky Mountains
The Labour Day weekend may mark the end of summer vacation season but the fall can be the best time to visit Alberta's Rocky Mountain parks.
Whether you're planning a hiking tour or simply taking a scenic drive along the Icefields Parkway, September is a spectacular time for sunny skies and colourful mountain vistas.
Swathes of trembling aspen turn from electric green to deep yellow in the mountain valleys and, along the high treeline, sub-alpine larch put on a stunning display of colour before the snow flies.
Fall is the season for wildlife, too. Grizzly bears are gorging on buffalo berries. Elk are bugling and rutting. In Kananaskis Country, the Rocky Mountain park nearest to the city of Calgary, bull trout swim up mountain streams to spawn and golden eagles ride the updrafts between craggy peaks, 10,000 passing through the area on their annual fall migration.
Hit the trails
Indian Summer in the Canadian Rockies – that month or two of mild fall weather that bridges the searing heat of summer and the fluffy snow that blankets Alberta in the winter.
The days are generally warm and dry, with cool nights that turn the usual green landscape into vibrant shades of chartreuse, red and gold. Bugs are gone and so are the sometimes maddening crowds of high season.
Fall is the best time to find solitude on the popular trails in the valley bottoms or to hike the higher, exposed alpine routes, with no fear of heat exhaustion. After the busy months of August, the number of visitors to the Canadian rocky mountain parks drops by 30 per cent, making it the perfect time for a day trip to easy, accessible spots like Johnston's Canyon and Tunnel Mountain near Banff or to trek up to Lake Agnes from Lake Louise.
While the hike through Larch Valley, and the stunning Valley of the Ten Peaks, to Sentinel Pass is truly one of the best day hikes in Banff National Park – and well known for fall colours – it's also known for grizzly bears, and often only open to groups of six or more.
Another good spot for viewing the changing of the larches is Sunshine Meadows, easily accessible with White Mountain Adventure's shuttle service that leaves the Sunshine Village parking lot four times a day until Sept. 30 ($21 pp).
Longer backcountry hikes can be challenging in September – due to short days, cold nights and even snow – but it's a great time to hike into a cosy lodge like the historic Skoki Lodge, near Lake Louise (open until Oct. 9). Or join White Mountain Adventures for a guided backpacking week to hike the Rockwall Highline Trail September 20-27, a popular route with lots of colourful fall vistas along the way.
Watchable Wildlife
You'll likely hear the seasonal sound of thumping grouse or bugling elk while hiking in the fall. Elk are part of the deer family but don't assume these massive herbivores are harmless. Those bulls, calling to friendly females, can hit 450 kg (almost 1,500 pounds) and in the fall season they're in the mood to attack all rivals. So keep your distance.
Ditto for bears – whether black or grizzlies. In fall, bears are very active, loading up on berries to prepare for a season of sleep.
Always check at park offices for warnings or trail closures before heading out, make noise and travel in a group. And don't forget to carry warm clothing, as a sunny fall day in the Rocky Mountains can quickly become a snowy blizzard.
Point the binoculars skyward and catch one of the season's most amazing sights.
Less than an hour west of Calgary, just below the Nakiska ski slopes along Hwy 40 in Kananaskis Country, is the place to see thousands of golden eagles, as they ride the rocky mountain updrafts along their migration route to warmer southern climes. Park your lawn chair next to birder Peter Sherrington, and you'll get a play-by-play of this annual phenomenon, the world's largest migration of this spectacular bird of prey, by the fellow who discovered it in 1992.
Or plan to attend the Festival of the Eagles in Canmore in mid-Oct., where experts speak and interpreters offer guided walks up Mount Lady MacDonald for a bird's eye view of the flight path. While the festival coincides with the peak of the fall migration, the eagles begin their journey in September and hundreds can be spotted by keen birders almost every day in the fall.
Fall is also a great time to see another natural phenomenon in the Rocky Mountains, the spawning of the endangered Alberta bull trout (actually an indigenous char). Like the land-locked salmon runs in the interior of British Columbia, the big bull trout leave Lower Kananaskis Lake and swim up tiny Smith-Dorrien Creek in September to spawn.
Hook up with a free guided hike in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park to see the big bulls flailing their tails to dig spawning nests in the gravelly stream bed or just take the short trail on your own.
Driving tours and other deals
The Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper is one of the most spectacular drives in the world, climbing over two mountain passes, past tumbling waterfalls, azure lakes and ancient glaciers.
While open all year, this 230-km road can be busy in summer and challenging in winter. So September and October are perfect months to drive or even cycle this route. Plan to stop at the many wonderful viewpoints along the way - Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Parker's Ridge – and take photos. Watch for wildlife all along this route, but keep your eyes open for grizzlies along the shoulders of Bow Summit, shaggy white mountain goats at Parker's Ridge, and moose in Waterfowl Lake.
While some campgrounds remain open in the fall, cold nights make hotels or mountain hostels a comfortable alternative. The best deal in Banff may be the YWCA – at $65-$75 a night – or book a room at Tarry-a-while B&B, set in mountain pioneer Mary Schaffer's original Banff home, and imagine preparing for winter in the country's first national park a century ago.
For a luxurious driving holiday consider the Fairmont hotels' Cruisin' the Canadian Rockies package. With two or more nights at each of their famous rocky mountain resorts in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, the driving holiday includes a CD to describe the journey and a personal concierge to plan activities from golfing and hiking to spa treatments along the way.
And for the latest special fall offers - throughout Alberta - have a look at these exclusive Travel Alberta Holiday Card offers. Not a registered card holder? Find out more.
Courtesy of Travel Alberta
