Banff (last minute questions/tips)

2,206 Views | 23 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by TXTransplant
AustinCountyAg
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We are exactly a month out from going and I have a couple last minute questions for those who've been....

I have a AT&T. WIll my iphone/gps work there? Will I be charged extra for data usage? Also I did not get gps with my rental car. Should I, or will a simple map at the airport suffice? I also thought about taking our Garmin GPS with us and using that. Not sure if it has Canadian maps on it though?

We are staying 5 nights and currently here is a rough draft of what we have planned.

Sunday-fly in and hang out in Canmore/staying the night there
Monday-golf in canmore. drive into Banff and check out the town/hike tunnel mountain/gondala to top?
Tuesday- Lake Moraine/Lake Louise/Hike to Teahouses/Plain of 6 (weather permitting)
Wed-Drive Icefields Parkway/Glacier Tour?/ mainly just get in the car and go
Thurs-----Johnston Canyon Hike? Lake Boat Ride?/....also thought about white water rafting or horseback riding somewhere?
Fri- Breakfast and head back to airport

any tips are welcome
TXTransplant
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We leave on the 30th, three nights each in Jasper, Banff, and Lake Louise. I'm afraid it might be too early in the season, but our travel dates were not really flexible.

I booked a guided mountain climbing adventure. If you have any interest in that, I can give you details. In looking at our options, I found some activities that aren't even available/open until mid-June. I fully expect some roads to still be closed while we are there (which is a bummer because I really want to see Takakkaw Falls).

The best selection of tours/activities in one place is at www.banfftours.com. Take a look there for ideas for excursions. They are running some promotions right now with anywhere from 20-40% off for booking in advance.

I'm also curious about cell service. I have Sprint, and the website says I should be covered, but data service has been awful where I live/work in the Houston 'burbs, so I'm not expecting much. I would print out directions from Google Maps before hitting the road.

Hoping for warm-ish and sunny weather.
TXTransplant
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Oh, and I found this website that gives you the conditions on the popular trails/hikes. There are also some road closures to take note of.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/tcond/cond_e.asp?oPark=100092
Aggiewes
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AG
Did this trip in June of '17. I have Sprint and had no issues. Just had to make sure International was on. It was included in my plan but I had to activate. Had a long conversation with a customer in the Lake Louise parking lot on June 16th, 2017. We also used the phone GPS with no problem at all.

As far as your agenda, Lake Moraine and Lake Louise is too much in one day if you want to do the hike to the Plain of 6 Glaciers. Both areas can be crowded and parking can be a problem. The tea house hike is probably a 4 hour activity and you do not want to be rushed at Lake Louise or Moraine Lake. Moraine Lake is something like 11 miles from Lake Louise (at least 25-30 minute drive one way). This places are both incredibly beautiful. Split them up if you can.

Your drive to Jasper and back is awesome. Saw a ton of wildlife on this drive. We took the icefields tour on our first trip there 28 years ago. Didn't in '17 (cost too much). You can see a lot without taking the tour if time is an issue but the tour is good. Much more commercialized today than 28 years ago when the tour was something like $14 CDN.

We also really liked Johnston Canyon. Even though they aren't real close to each other, I would combine Moraine Lake and Johnston Canyon from a time perspective myself. I have not done the boat tour.

Rafting in the Kicking Horse River was INCREDIBLE.
DD88
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AG
I think the Garmin maps cover North America. To check, just turn it on and plug in your Canada destinations.
Your phone GPS will probably be fine anyway.

We stayed at Lake Louise and hiked most of the trails there. (Make sure you are in good shape, especially for the downhill trails) Hopefully, they will open up for you. We just visited Lake Moraine and didn't really hike around it. We did spend a good part of a day in Banff and made a trip up to a glacier near Jasper.

AustinCountyAg
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Has anyone done the Ice Walk?...not the ride in the big truck to hang out on the glacier for ten minutes, but the guided hike you can do on the glacier. I've stumbled upon it online and it seems like it would be a memorable experience. https://icewalks.ca/
JMac03
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AG
Depends on your AT&T plan. Mine covers Mexico and Canada, data, text and phone, so it would not cost me any extra to use my phone there.
mike073
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AG
Austin - we did not do the walk, but it looks like it starts at the visitor center like all the bus tours. We rode a bus up to a transfer center half way up the glacier and took the large transports from there. Seems like we were on the surface, out of the vehicles for about 30 minutes.

View from the visitor center:



The road up is gravel before hitting the ice:


Gig 'em Aggies!

nosoupforyou
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AG
Great plans!!

Check out Peyto Lake and Emerald Lake on a map.. google images them both to see them.. looks like easy to add them on Wednesday

see if You can find an hour for each.. they are spectacular!
Stringfellow Hawke
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AG
Went for drinks one night. Expensive but good drinks.

https://www.parkdistillery.com/menu
AustinCountyAg
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Peyto lookout is closed this summer for renovations
nosoupforyou
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AG
AustinCountyAg said:

Peyto lookout is closed this summer for renovations


Nooooooooo! I would be find a way to get there.. go around it.. it's amazing!
AZAG08
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AG
I live in Calgary. I still have my US Verizon phone that has a Mexico/Canada plan.
My text and data works the same, but that being said my plan has a daily data limit, and then its a restricted speed.

Also up in the mountains I don't get service in certain areas. But driving to and from the cities it's fine.

Weather is getting nice here, this last weekend was gorgeous!
AustinCountyAg
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just read online that they are pushing back the closing date for Peyto Lake until mid August. I am happy for that
IDAGG
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AG
Just went last fall. In my opinion Moraine Lake is a nicer setting than Lake Louise. We did the Tea House hike, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake all in one day. You may hit the busy season in early June (not sure) but if so be aware that the parking lot at Moraine Lake is small and it gets full by 10 to 11 am or so and they will then block the bottom of the road to any more cars. They have a park and ride with shuttle buses that will take you to Moraine lake and back and it is actually pretty efficient.

The Ice fields parkway is must so that is great.

I don't know about June but in September, half of Beijing was in the park, Ice fields Parkway visitors center and the town of Banff proper. It was packed. They make bank on Chinese tourists.
TexDill15
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AG
I would hike to the teahouse early if possible it is a very popular hike. Bring cash for buying a snack if you plan on buying anything. They do not accept credit card or didn't last year.
TXTransplant
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Just an update on our trip. We did the Glacier tour (not a hike, just the ride out there in the Ice Explorers) and the Glacier Skywalk. It was really beautiful and so much fun...completely worth it IMO!

We also stopped at Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls (twice, since my camera decided to ruin the pictures I got on the first trip), and did the Valley of the Five Lakes hike. Athabasca Falls is even more beautiful around 6 pm - I got some stunning pictures just with my iPhone.

Definitely a great day, and I would recommend any one/all of the activities.
TXTransplant
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Did the hike in Maligne Canyon and the cruise on Maligne Lake today. Both were amazing. The "mosquitoes" on Spirit Island are May flies that don't bite.

Sprint service here is better than it in in Houston, although most of the trip between Banff and Jasper in the Icefields Pkwy is a dead zone.
TXTransplant
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At the Fairmont Lake Louise - and it's snowing! Probably 2-3" of accumulation. Tried to go to Moraine Lake at sunrise and couldn't see a thing! Might as well have been a blizzard!
2012Ag
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AG
Were headed to Banff tomorrow for 4 days. Did you get your park pass before hand or did you get it there?
TXTransplant
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2012Ag said:

Were headed to Banff tomorrow for 4 days. Did you get your park pass before hand or did you get it there?


I bought mine from someone who posted here. They had one from last summer that still had time on it. You can buy them at the checkpoints on the road, though.

Are you staying at the Fairmont Banff Springs? If not, at least go and have a look around. It's a stunning hotel with a great history.
2012Ag
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AG
TXTransplant said:

2012Ag said:

Were headed to Banff tomorrow for 4 days. Did you get your park pass before hand or did you get it there?


I bought mine from someone who posted here. They had one from last summer that still had time on it. You can buy them at the checkpoints on the road, though.

Are you staying at the Fairmont Banff Springs? If not, at least go and have a look around. It's a stunning hotel with a great history.
We're staying at Banff Rocky Mountain Resort. We definitely plan to stop by the Fairmont and look around!
AustinCountyAg
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Wife and I fly out Sunday. Weather looks to be excellent for the week, however I do wish it would snow at least one day.
Aggiewes
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AG
If cars are pulled over, pull over and get your camera out. Wildlife is somewhere there.
TXTransplant
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Aggiewes said:

If cars are pulled over, pull over and get your camera out. Wildlife is somewhere there.


Yup...my first response to seeing this was "Why are all of these cars stop..,,Oh, it's a bear!" But please don't get out of your car, even if other people are. It's dangerous, and if a bear has any sort of human interaction, it has to be put down.

FWIW, we only saw a couple of bears on Icefields Pkwy and out toward Maligne Lake. We haven't seen any in Banff or Lake Louise.

Also, Canadian drivers are SO NICE! Driving here is the complete opposite of driving in Houston!
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