Booked a trip to Banff, Jasper and Glacier for August!

[tannaauger]

Hiking, lots and lots of hiking. There use to be a fondue restaurant on the main drive in Banff. There’s probably more than one now. That’s kind of cool. Hiking Johnston Canyon is pretty much everyone’s must do. It can take you most a day if you hike up to the Ink Pots. Don’t litter. Don’t feed the wildlife, yes even the squirrels. If they’re hungry enough, they will attack you, and trust me, they have little SOB’s for claws. Don’t stop in the middle of the highway to take pictures of wildlife. You’ll get yourself killed. Listen to the conservation officers. If they say the area isn’t safe to hike right now, don’t go. If they say to have at least 8 people or have a guide, please listen. There’s Information offices inside all of the towns like Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper. That’s where you’ll find information on hiking in groups or hiring a guide if you need to. Lots of history, lots of nature. Bring a really good camera, several pairs of hiking shoes (you may want to change them throughout the day). Don’t wear sandals or flip flops on hikes. You’re asking for a cactus or something else awful. Plenty of water. Bring bandaids with you incase you get blisters from hiking. Stretch your legs like your life depends on it before and after your hikes. Be safe. Listen to everyone’s advice. Book a massage for all the hiking you’ll be doing. Ice your joints after your stretching and hikes. Have fun. Oh and avoid sex…lol. It’s the STD capital of Canada because it’s so transient. Have an absolute amazing time! (I use to live in Lake Louise)

[AllysonKendal]

Hahahha the STD thing had me cracking up 🙂 Going with my husband… but I’ll be sure to worn him too.

We are pretty avid hikers so we are absolutely looking forward to it. But this is our first time doing any real hiking outside the US.

Oh and our son is coming with us. (Yeah, so sex is doubly off the table, haha) He does hike with us almost every weekend so I think he should be ok. We did some pretty amazing hikes in Montana last year without him, but we did think he would have been ok on them.

Thanks for the tips. I’m going to make sure we have plenty of bandaids! Good reminder! Last year I got a nail through my hiking shoes 😮 my goodness that sucked.

But massages sound great!!! Have you gone to the hot springs? They look cool, but kind of like pools, I was hoping they would be more rustic 😛

[AllysonKendal]

Oh and I know about the squirrels! It’s unreal!!!! This little guy tried to bite my cell phone thinking it was food!

[HotFox789]

I find moleskin to be the best for blisters. Bandaids don’t last. As soon as you notice a bit of rubbing in a certain spot cut a piece of moleskin big enough and apply it directly to your foot, toe, ankle, etc. It won’t blister up and should last until at least you get to the top lol then reapply a new piece… I was digging five holes for fence posts, each of them 2 feet deep, and noticed some chafing on my hands INSIDE my gloves. I taped on some moleskin and was poling that night without any issues lol…. Waterton Lakes is another beautiful place to hike and see the sights. It’s not as crowded as Banff or Jasper but it’s further south in Alberta. Worth a visit if you can make it. Beware of bears and cougars and even mountain sheep can be trouble. When you hike tie some jingle bells to your backpack,that way the animals know you’re coming and there won’t be any scary surprises…. Have a wonderful trip! And yes its probably best to keep your pants on lol.