That's not your dog! That's a wild wolf, just one reason to keep your dog on-leash. Photo by John Marriott.

Dogs of course, are man’s best friend. Nothing reminds me of this more than the number of emails we get asking us questions about dogs, or all the times I get woken up by my dog at 5 am on a Saturday, and don’t get mad. Anyway, here are this week’s dog and weather questions:

From M. Rogers:

What are the rules for traveling and camping with pet dogs in the parks.

and B. Fread asks:

What is the weather like in Mid September in this area?
Are most of the attractions of this area still opened?

Regarding the first question, the first thing you need to know is: Bring a leash. The second? Bring a spare leash. Except for a couple dog parks, there aren’t many places in the Canadian Rockies parks, such as Jasper or Banff, where you’re dogs are allowed to roam without being tethered to their owner. This isn’t so bad if you consider that just south of the border, in Glacier National Park, dogs are hardly even allowed on leash… Anyway, you can get more from this Canadian Rockies dog FAQ.

As far as the weather in September, I’ll start out with the facts: In September, the highs in the Canadian Rockies (very generally) are around 16 C (60 F), with lows around 3 C (37 F). Beyond the facts: as I mentioned, the weather here is famously unpredictable, with snow storms dumping on you out of nowhere, especially in the high elevations.

But what does this mean to you? Mainly, be prepared. Most likely, the trails will be hike-able, especially in lower elevations. But they might not be if all you brought were flip flops, shorts and a T-shirt. Even if the worst weather does come, you can find plenty to do here. The Banff Gondola, for instance, is open year-round. And if nothing else, you’ll find some of the world’s best restaurants and shopping in the Canadian Rockies towns.

while. It’s regarding Lake Louise, and, I believe, the Chateau Lake Louise:

My wife and I are leaving tomorrow morning for a 1 week trip to Banff and Lake Louise. My Grandparents met at Lake Louise while working there in the early 1920′s. I would like to know what Lodge is the oldest or original to the lake as that is most likely to be the one my Grandmother worked at. I can’t seem to find anything online that would give me that info.

Thank you

Rod Friesen

The Chateau on Lake Louise is certain to have some romantic history.

Just to make sure I had my facts straight, I made a quick call to the friendly folks at Parks Canada, who assured me that in fact, the Chateau Lake Louise would have been around during the 1920s. Lodging of one sort or another has existed on the site since the late 1800′s. The oldest section of the Chateau Lake Louise still standing at this time is the Painter Wing, built in 1913. There is also the Barrot Wing, built in 1925, one year after the Rattenbury Wing burnt down.

The age is one thing that makes me think your grandparents may have met at the Chateau Lake Louise. The other is that, even as a Mountain Man, I have to admit that the Chateau is one of the most romantic places on earth. A couple of young folks meeting their for the first time are bound to produce grand kids some day.

Hope this helps out with your search. Enjoy the Canadian Rockies, and write in if you find out any more!

Normally I, as someone who calls the Canadian Rockies home, and spends a lot of time in Canmore, Banff and Jasper, am used to hearing nothing but good stuff about our local restaurants. So I was somewhat taken aback by what one reader sent us on Jasper’s Miss Italia:

On holiday from the UK and visited Jasper with my family. We ate at “Miss Italia” over a week ago and was probably one of the worst meals we ever experienced, thus avoided paying any service charge. It was apparent that things weren’t cooked fresh! The pasta was basically over-cooked mush and the pasta sauces lacked any flavor. My wife had the pasta with meatballs and this so bad, she could only take one taste of it – tried it myself and have tasted better from a can. I really could of cooked something better in 5 mins. Really very dreadful and meals cooked with no passion and not mention expensive. Avoid!

Roger Johnson

Horsham Sussex

Yowch! Roger was apparently not very happy with Miss Italia, and from surfing around a bit on the old internet, I’ve seen that there have been similar complaints. Still, you never know, and we’d willing to hear from readers who have other opinions, positive or no, on this and any other restaurant. Just contact us with your review, and we’ll let your voice (and stomach) be heard.

Jasper offers great vacation opportunities for dogs and their humans.

Today’s question comes from Jessica W.

Hi! I read about how pets must be on a leash at all times. Are there any off-leash parks/areas for dogs anywhere in or near Jasper?

Thanks,

Jessica

Jessica, we recently spoke with Thea Mitchell of Parks Canada, and asked her this very question. While dogs are required to be leashed on trails in the park, there is a great dog park you can take them to in the town of Jasper, where they can run wild and free. It’s Jasper’s municipal dog park, located on Pyramid Lake Road beside the Jasper Aquatic Centre and across from the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives.

For more information on vacationing here with your dog, check out this guide to vacationing in Jasper with a dog.

Hope that helps!

Jasper and the Canadian Rockies offer much to see. Get some expert advice!

The fact is that no one person can cover enough of the Canadian Rockies in a life time to be an expert on the entire place. Which is why over at Rockies.com they’ve been interviewing various experts on the Canadian Rockies, getting the advantage of several lifetimes worth of experience to give you some great info, with their Rockies Insiders section.

Here’s are 5 great interviews they’ve done in the last few weeks:

1. Photography: Advice on improving your Canadian Rockies photography, and places to shoot (your camera) in Canadian Rockies with Mike Grandmaison. Grandmaison is a long time pro photographer who has shot an entire book about the Canadian Rockies.

2. Icefields Parkway: A tour of the famous Icefields Parkway with Brad White. Brad’s a mountain man, if I’ve ever heard of one. He’s lived in Banff for 50 years, and worked for Parks Canada for 28 of those. His most recent work finds him as Banff’s Mountain Safety Program Specialist, doing Mountain Rescue and Avalanche forecasting and control.

3. Banff Vacation Tips: Marc Pinel, founder of the Grand Nature Club, a Banff-based hiking club offer his Banff hiking tips as well as some general Banff vacation information from him.

4. Jasper Best of: Peter Amann offered up his picks for some of the best places to see in Jasper National Park. Amann has been has been the president of the Jasper section of the Alpine Club, Canada’s official mountaineering organization, since 1992, and is a long-time Jasper tour guide.

5. Jasper with Parks Canada: Parks Canada representative Thea Mitchell give her take on what to do with children in Jasper National Park, and some great ways to get prepared for your first backpacking trip in Jasper.

Good stuff so far, and they’ve got plans to do a lot more, so stay tuned. I know I will be!

Suprisingly enough, one of the premier wildlife viewing locations in Banff National Park each fall is around the Banff Springs Golf Course.  The best elk rut in Banff occurs on the hallowed Springs fairways and patient photographers will find lots of great opportunities for photographing big bulls and their harems of cow elk both on and off the course.

Bull Elk in Banff National Park

Another great area to find big bull elk each September and October is on the Lake Minnewanka Road, where lucky photographers may find not only elk, but also bighorn sheep, coyotes, and mule deer.

Bull Elk Photography in Banff National Park

The Bow Valley Parkway is also an excellent place to spend some time in Banff National Park viewing and photographing wildlife.  Banff Adventures Unlimited offers Evening Wildlife Safaris along the Parkway, or you can simply drive along yourself and get lucky with bighorn sheep, coyotes, bears, and even wild wolves.

Wild wolf in Banff National Park

But most wildlife photographers in the park are going to focus their attention on the incredible elk rut.  This is by far the best time of year to view and photograph the giant bulls, and again, you’ll want to concentrate your efforts on the Golf Course road at the Banff Springs Hotel, or on the Lake Minnewanka Road.

Let me know if you have any questions before your big trip, and happy shooting!

John

Banff National Park offers great hiking, with the warmest weather in July and August.

It shows vacationers to the Canadian Rockies have both a practical and sentimental side.

Anyway, today’s question deals with the first category: weather.

I am planning on visiting the Canadian Rockies next year. I am trying to decide between August and September. I like the warmer weather and longer days in August. I am afriad September may be too cool. On the other hand, is August busy with tourists? Possibly September may be less busy? Should I stay away from August?

It’s a good question. The first thing you should know is that these factors are variable. The weather in the Canadian Rockies can change abruptly. You could happen to come on some cold August days, or some warm September days. Also, you never know with tourism, numbers can change anytime. So I’ll give you the official estimates first.

In August, the highs tend to hover around 22 C (71 F), with lows all the way down to 7 C (44.6 F).

In September, the highs are around 16 C (60 F), with lows around 3 C (37 F).

These are the averages for the town of Banff, Alberta. The temperatures will be much cooler when you reach higher elevations.

Here’s my opinion on the original question. August or September? If you want to have the best chance of getting out and seeing the park, I would come in August. Yes, you may have to deal with more people in the parks, but you can try to buffer that by visiting mid-week. If you visit in September though, there is a much great chance that a trail you had planned on visiting in higher altitudes may already have a blanket of snow on it. Also, if you really want to avoid the crowds, talk to Parks Canada officials about where you might some of the less busy trails.

Are dogs allowed in the Jasper and Banff National Parks?

Dog love the Canadian Rockies.

Yes. According to Parks Canada, you are allowed to bring your dog into the park, but for the must part, the must be kept on leash. There are trails in Banff and Jasper National Park where dogs are not allowed though. If you plan on hiking with your dog, the best thing to do is check in with a Parks Canada information center and make sure your dog is welcome.

Are there pet friendly accommodations in the Canadian Rockies?

Yes! The Canadian Rockies are a pretty pet-friendly place. Check here for pet friendly accommodations in Canmore, here for Banff, here for Jasper and here for Calgary.

Are there any dog parks?

Yes. The town of Jasper has an off-leash dog park on the corner of Elm St. and Pyramid Lake Road. Canmore has an off-leash dog park just outside of town adjacent to Quarry Lake Park.

Stay tuned for more info!

Indian paintbrush make for wonderful nature photographs

But the true wildflower photography season for Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks is just around the corner at the end of July and the start of August.  Looks like it may be a good year for flowers, though it’s often hard to tell until the final weeks of July.

For those of you that want easy access to some spectacular wildflowers that allow easy photography, try Sunshine Meadows on the border of Banff National Park and Mt Assiniboine Provincial Park.  This is easily the best, most varied, and most accessible wildflower display in the entire Canadian Rockies.  You’ll find carpets of fleabane, aster, paintbrush, and more in a beautiful setting high atop a mountain plateau on the BC-Alberta border.  White Mountain Adventures runs daily shuttle buses up there and provides some excellent guided hiking opportunities as well, though you can also go off and hike on your own.

Wildflower Photography from Sunshine Meadows in the Canadian Rockies

For the more adventurous, there are a host of areas in Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay that offer great backcountry flower photography.  In Banff, try Healy Pass, the Skoki Lakes area, Panorama Ridge, Helen Lake, or North Molar Pass for some beautiful wildlflowers.  In Jasper, the Mt Edith Cavell meadows and the Tonquin Valley provide ample photographic opportunities.  And in Yoho and Kootenay, try parts of the Lake O’Hara region or the Rockwall Trail.

Wildflowers on the Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park, BC, Canada

If you don’t have a macro lens for your flower shots, try picking up a Kenko extension tube, which allows you to focus your regular lenses a lot more closely than you can normally.  I regularly use these instead of macro lenses because of the space and weight you save in your backpack.

Using an extension tube for wildflower macro photography

Good luck and happy shooting!

John