[Closed] What to do in Banff (Canadia)...

Ride to Antelope Wells, New Mexico?

molgrips beat me to it 🙂

Ride to Antelope Wells, New Mexico?

Had to google that one.... I'll pass if you don't mind - we're only there 10 days...

not to piss on your parade but after walking around 'the blackpool of canada' for a morning I'd be heading straight out of Banff

Things I would do

Book a raft ride - lots of choices but they are all good - not sure if running at easter though
Mini****a lake walk - much better that I'd ever imagined
Cable car from Banff
Skiing in Sunshine resort just out of town - much better than Louise
Drive the back road from Banff to LOuise if its open
Visit to Canmore - lovely little town
Ride/Walk Goat trail from Canmore to Banff - great day out
I'd head to Golden/Kicking Horse for a night and ski there too - nice place to eat on the hill but cant recall its name
Go to the mini town of Field for a meal at the always excellent truffle pig restaurant

Best I can do - I've really grown to hate the place sorry

'the blackpool of canada'

When is easter?

When is easter?

Around the 4-5th of April (ish)

we were there in June 2002 on our honeymoon, arrived on tbe ladt day of snow, so our suggestions may not be viable in the ski season, but Lake Louise, Icefields Parkway, rafting were all good options. Mini****a will at least make the kids giggle.

We hiked up Sulphur Mountain and got the cable car back down as they only charged to go up, then we relaxed at the hot springs afterwards, but there was a couple of feet of snow at the top in June.

A local cross country skier had been killed by a mountain lion the winter before we went, the local wildlife may be peckish after a long hard winter.

Cross your fingers for the temperatures, when its cold its really cold!

Banff

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Blackpool

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While I wouldn't go quite as far as plumber in describing as being like Blackpool it's fair to say that most locals (I live in Calgary) make a habit of avoiding Banff in the summer. But it's far less busy in the winter which Easter most certainly is if it's very early April.

So the good news is that the skiing will be in prime condition. Depending on your level there is probably 5 days of reasonable skiing spread out between Sunshine, Lake Louise and Norquay. Other skiing resorts that may be good are Panorama; kicking horse and even Revelstoke.

If you fancy some Nordic skiing then most places will still be good to go as well.

Rafting is likely to be a non-starter as the river will be frozen and unless you find a fat bike mountain biking is non-exist at that time of the year. All of the high peaks will require technical mountaineering skills.

Driving up icefields parkway will be an adventure at that time of year... this is mid-March...

[url= https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8510/8575679835_813690e9b5.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8510/8575679835_813690e9b5.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/e4NAQT ]Icefields parkway skiing March 2013[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/40674021@N05/ ]Mark and Liz in Canada[/url], on Flickr

In terms of non-skiing activities I'm afraid I'm struggling (but I'm a skier). Hiking Johnstone canyon; dog sled rides; ice fishing are all possibilities.

Plumber's not a fan of commercialised Canadian tourist towns and that's fine..
Banff is however still quite beautiful, but yes there are other less tourist dollar driven towns nearby, doesn't mean Banff is rubbish though.
If you get a blue bird day the icefields parkway is stunning.
Worlds most beautiful highway apparently

Sod it all and head to the Yukon...Man Country.
Buy a rifle,some dogs and a sled/Canoe if thawed and sod the dogs;head off from Whitehorse...may arrive at Dawson.

Diamond Tooth Gurties at Dawson City- got all a man needs...yeeehaeeeargh. Don't forget your Aboots and Roots hoodie

17 mile wood camp got all you need to survive a late winter thaw- if it all goes tits up and you get stuck... and have to eat one or two of your dogs. The Kids may not like this bit so get them to turn away.

Lots of unique family memories and the kids will turn into Bg survival gods.

PLAN

Icefields Parkway sounds like a plan.....

Slaughtering huskies doesn't.... 😯

Emerald Lake Lodge is beautiful, Jasper is a nice place as well, some good riding there, pop up whistler mountain!

+1 for Canmore. Had a week there in summer '09.
Banff isn't as bad as plumber makes out but as it's inside the national park you'll need to buy a permit for your car; Canmore is outside the NP so no permit needed if you're staying there, other than when you do go into the NP. Icefields Parkway is a nice drive too. Bow Lake, Crowfoot Mountain and glacier, Athabasca Glacier all worth a visit. Moraine Lake less commercial and just as beautiful as Lake Louise

Moraine lake is to me much nicer than Louise but the road up there is likely still shut at Easter

Moraine lake is a 15km Nordic ski (each way) in April.

Choose a clear blue day for driving icefields and it'll be fantastic. Do fill up with fuel at Lake Louise despite the price if you're intend to do a lot of driving up icefields. They do mean it when they say last petrol for 320km in winter.

Agree that Emerald lake is fantastic to visit in summer or winter.

It is winter though.. this photo is taken on the 1st of April 2012...

[img][url= https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6109/7036856321_b942b987b1.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6109/7036856321_b942b987b1.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/bHPJdZ ]Mount Storm 2012[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/40674021@N05/ ]Mark and Liz in Canada[/url], on Flickr[/img]

If this isn't pissing on his parade, I've no idea what is.

"not to piss on your parade but after walking around 'the blackpool of canada' for a morning I'd be heading straight out of Banff..............Best I can do - I've really grown to hate the place sorry"

Having just got back from Canada a week ago, we got married in Banff at 2 Jack lake. As mentioned Moraine lake is stunning, Louise was a let down, I found Banff to be charming, Jadper however was full of tacky tourist shops. I can recommend the gondola up Sulphur mountain. The Columbia ice fields were very impressive and the massive glacier explorer vehicle was fun. You'll see loads of adverts for a glacier walkway, it looks very impressive in the photos and is basically a horse shoe shaped glass platform suspended over the glacier. We were planning to go but having driven past it, deduced it was a clever photo angle and the view from the road looked as though it would be as good ( which was amazing ) they bus you 6km up the parkway to get to the walkway, so if you approached it from Jasper direction you wouldn't see it before you paid, if this makes sense?

+1 for Canmore.

Spent 2007 and 2008 living just outside Medicine Hat about 3 and half hours drive from Canmore so spent quite a few weekends there during the ski season.

When myself, Mrs B and the Beamlets have chance to return to Canada that's where we will be heading.

Grizzly Paw Pub and the Rocky Mountain Bagel Company are both worth a visit.

I have to agree with the comments about Blanff being a bit touristy.

Have to admit to smiling at the irony of the 'commercialised' comments above. Banff was designed to be a tourist resort right from the word go.

I learned that in the museum in Banff...it was the only quiet place I could find to cure the monster hangover I had from spending the previous night drinking with a 23 year old ski instructor called Becky (I think)...

Anyway...things to do...the chair lift is ok, but you will feel guilty for not walking up said mountain. On the other hand you can have a coffee in the highest starbucks in canada at the top. Also if you're into photography, stand at the end of Banff Ave around dusk and look towards the mountain (you'll know which one I mean if you go stand there), take a photo.

Sadly that's about as much as I can advise as soon after I took said picture I went drinking. With said ski instructor. Again.

stand at the end of Banff Ave around dusk and look towards the mountain (you'll know which one I mean if you go stand there), take a photo.

Looking back down the road at Cascade Mountain?

I think I took that photo last time I was there...Have a better camera now, though 😀

Thanks for all the comments chaps. Food for thought.
Will the Icefields Parkway be navigable in early April (snow free?)

Didn't plumber want to be a Canadian citizen, hated Canada and came home complaining the whole country and people were crap?

If you like looking at scenery you can kill days just walking about just outside of town looking at the view. Blackpool FFS- nobber.

Took some mountain and by the town pics as it was too cold to ride. Saw a wolf just past the museum, local confirmed it wasn't a stray dog.

[url= http://www.pinkbike.com/u/scruff0372/album/BANFF-2007/ ]http://www.pinkbike.com/u/scruff0372/album/BANFF-2007/[/url]

While I stayed at Banff..some years back mind, a mountain lion was busy finishing off the local folks pets and had attacked a woman.
I just bring luck right along with me...ahhh.

I have to say I loved the place,it wasn't the Yukon but very lovely in it's own way. I'd just be happy xc ski-ing round the local area and may be a few hacks up some winter mountain routes..although it'd be a bit dodge in easter..all down to weather I guess.

What ever you do have fun and enjoy it!!!

Book a raft ride - lots of choices but they are all good - not sure if running at easter though
Mini****a lake walk - much better that I'd ever imagined

Please please send me a postcard from the lake walk..phnar phnar...

Icefields parkway will not be snow free in April..... but if it hasn't snowed for a couple of days and the weather is good it'll probably be plowed. This means you should be fine in daylight / good weather and don't go crazy trying to be a rally driver.

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Lake Louise. yes it really is that colour. Late July 2009

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Athabasca glacier from the visitor centre (on Icefields Parkway)

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Crowfoot Mountain & Bow Lake as seen from just off the Icefields Parkway in July '09

the next two are not mine:

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Three Sisters, Canmore

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downtown Canmore