Maps and GPS Data of Selected Trips

Every now and then I carry a GPS with me on trips, and construct a map from that data. GPS data is from a Garmin device and can be read by their MapSource program.

The Canadian Rockies

The Canmore Cloverleaf (Highline Loop, EKG / Orange Spot Loop, G-8 Loop, Montane Traverse Loop)


photo: Saul Greenberg
  • Map and GPS data.
  • Mountain Bike
  • ~60+ km linear, most of it intermediate single track. Time: ~6-8 hours).
  • Trailhead: Anywhere in Canmore

Opinion. There are four classic mountain biking trips around Canmore: Highline loop, EKG / Orange Spot loop, G-8 loop, and the Montane Traverse to Harvey Heights Loop. All are individually very popular (each can be done in 1 - 3 hours), and are great outings in their own right. The Canmore Cloverleaf is the combination of all of these loops: 4 classics in a single day! There are surprisingly few sections on roads, especially if you take the town bike paths to get from one loop to the other. With the exception of these town bike paths, the way is almost all cross-country single track at a medium to high intermediate level. All loops can be done with variations, so you can customize your ride in any way you want - make it longer, shorter, tougher, easier. And its called the cloverleaf because each loop roughly (ok, really roughly) is a 'leaf' in a 4-leaf clover, with Canmore at its center. Are you feeling lucky?

Fact. Each loop is a popular route. However, most loops intersect with other trails (lots of junctions), so you may want to inquire at a bike shop for a more detailed local's map. Each loop forms a rough 'leaf' of a 4 leaf clover, with Canmore in the middle. Waypoints are numbered in order that I did the various paths, but other permutations are possible. A somewhat more zoomed in map is included in each loop.

  • Loop 1: Highline Loop. Map. Start by following the town bike path and cut through developments to eventually gain the far (east) Stuart Creek entrance of the Highline trail. Do the Highline trail, ending up on its far West exit. Then follow trails around or below the power line to the Grassi Lakes Parking road. Follow a trail of your choice into the Nordic Center.
    • Option: instead of taking the initial bike path, I am told there is a single track trail above the power lines (but below the main Highline) that you can take to Stuart Creek. Not sure of this trail, so ask around.
  • Loop 2: EKG / Orange Spot Loop. Map. Climb through the Nordic Center to access the EKG / Orange Spot Loop. Do the the EKG loop. I added the T2 / Skull Mountain variation, where I climbed back up to the EKG via Georgetown. Exit the Nordic Center onto 3 Sisters Drive, and follow the single track on 3 Sisters Drive down to the Bow River bridge (if you can't find that, no worries. Take the road).
    • Option: there are many great loops at the Nordic Center. I chose the one above because it is one of the 'bigger' loops, but you can make it even larger, smaller, or add more downhill bits. The Nordic Center has a good map of all trails.
  • Intermission. Map. Follow the river bike path past sewage treatment plant and horse corral, then bushwack up far side of the horse corral (stream crossing) to Cougar Creek, and follow bike path to the start of the G8 Loop at its top (i.e., just past the last road that crosses Cougar Creek).
    • Option: Go through downtown, and treat yourself to lunch, then meander up to Cougar Creek. Very civilized.
  • Loop 3: G8 Loop. Map. Do the Alpine Loop/G8 loop, adding Joe's extension to it at the far end. You will end up back in Cougar Creek where you started. Note: technically, the first part of the trail is called the Alpine Loop until it crosses a creek/canyon, after which it is called the G8 loop.
    • Options: As with the Nordic center, there are myriads of other trails that you can use to lengthen, shorten or vary this loop.
  • Loop 4: Montane Traverse to Harvey Heights and Back. Map. Cross Cougar Creek to do the Montane Traverse Loop to Harvey Heights. When you get near the end (you will be immediately above the radio tower), backtrack the Montane Trail to the junction that takes you down to the Douglas Fir Bench Trail. When you hit the road at the entrance to Silvertip, follow that and bikepaths back to your start.
    • Option: You can descend towards Harvey Heights, and pick up the Meander Trail and take that back to Montane Trail, where you can then continue as above to the Douglas Fir Bench Trail. However, the Meander Trail is poorly marked so you may not find it.

If you aren't tired after doing the above, then you are very fit.

Protection Mountain Ridge


photo: Saul Greenberg
  • Map and GPS data.
  • Scramble
  • 28km linear, 32km actual. 2200M total elevation gain.
  • Trailhead: 12.4km North of Castle Junction.

Opinion. Perhaps one of the best one-day ridge walks in the Rockies. Rarely done, likely because of its length. While there is scrambling on route, I would rate it as 'easy' according to the scrambling guide. Best done in good weather with no snow.

Fact. Follow trail to mine at end. Scramble up to ridge (gully on left is good once you reach it). Head SE over easy ground. At Col1 (gr 697907) the ridge narrows; scramble it as it approaches TV peak. From TV Peak, drop NE to saddle at gr716903 (Col2), then join the wide gentle ridge heading S. Classic broad ridge walk undulating over small peaks en route. The ridge joins Stuart Knob - scramble up on E. Side. Then drop onto col connecting to Castle, and descend scree into austere basin to the S. Aim to left side of basin, and follow stream. Note: Cliffs block the way, and you will need to find your way through them as described below. Stream dead-ends into cliff drop-off below. From here, no necky climbing / scrambling is necessary, so if you are doing some you are not going the right way! To get through cliffs: Contour left until you can descend reasonably to next meadow. Then descend to Rockbound Lake either by steep scree gully through cleft in cliff (slightly left of previous descent), or keep contouring far left over hill until you can descend easily into the SE end of the Lake. Follow trail to road.

Dolomite Circuit (summer trail)


photo: Saul Greenberg
  • Map and GPS data.
  • Hike
  • ~19km.
  • Start in Helen Lake parking lot, several kilometers before Bow Lake on the Icefields Parkway.

Opinion. The circuit is usually done in winter as a ski traverse, but it is an equally good summer hike. The trail follows the popular hike to Helen and Katherine Lake (found in most guidebooks) but peters out after that. Still, its easy to find your way through the pass and down to the trees. Another great hike in the alpine. Best done during flower season, but anytime is good.

Fact. Take good trail to Helen Lake then up to first pass (~6km). Descend to Katherine Lake, either overland or using the trail. Leave the trail after the lake by continuing straight past lunch rocks, and then turn right into next valley. Now ascend over morraine up to second pass (Dolomite Pass). Descend wide gully to the flats, more or less following the creek until the forest edge is reached (the creek turns left at this point). From the forest's edge, leave the creek by going straight/slightly uphill for several hundred meters. At the crest, go down veering somewhat right until the valley bottom. There is no 'great way' down from here, but you will see game trails etc. Keep going until valley bottom, at which point you will hit the Mosquito Creek trail. Turn right onto trail, and continue to road. Return to car. If you thought ahead, you will have stashed a bicycle, but can also hitch. It is walkable if you want to do another several kilometers.

Martha's Helitours: Landslide Lake to Highway 11.


photo: Saul Greenberg

Opinion. I had the good fortune to accompany Martha, a heli-hiking guide, on this trip. It is a fantastic day out that reveals a large variety of terrain: sub-alpine lake, alpine meadows, alpine scree slopes, ridge views, mountain passes, avalanche slopes, aspen forests, and so on. The surrounding views are spectacular. Recommended for people with good hiking experience, as the route is varies through cross-country terrain and steeply descending trails.

Fact-Flight: ~20km. From the Idefields Helicoptor Tours Helipad on Highway 11 (elevation 1341 meters), Martha arranges to fly you in about 19 km and 700 meters up to Landslide Lake (2000 meters). The flight is shown in green on the attached map.

Fact-Hike: ~11.4 km. The hike starts in the sub-alpine, quickly ascending (without a trail) through wonderful meadows to the Alpine and great views of the valley and surrounding peaks. The trail then traverses under a peak, gaining a rough trail that goes through a moonscape. A side trip to a ridge reveals splendid views into another valley. Following the ridge and then contouring on the trail the first pass and highpoint is reached (2540 meters). A quick traverse across a plateau brings you to the 2nd pass. The way now descends straight down perfect shale slopes (no trail), and then down a sandy hillside until one regains a trail around treeline (2080 meters). The trail descends steeply through trees and brush, until it meets a hogsback right of a creek, which is descended to the valley floor and the trailhead (1372 meters). The descent is about 1100 meters straight down: challenging but fun! The trail is shown in red on the attached map.

Around Golden

Mount Seven - Summit and 5km Trails


photo: Saul Greenberg
  • Map and GPS data.
  • Mountain bike trip appropriate for cross-country riders
  • 23 kms total return (~1/2 on logging roads), ~3-4 hours
  • Elevation gain ~1150 meters. Gaines elevation on good logging road, then combines the mostly single track Summit and 5km trail and a bit of the loggin road for the downhill portion.
  • Trailhead: From Golden, BC take Highway 95 towards Radium. A kilometer or two after leaving town, you will see a lake and road on your left. Park in the large parking lot just after you turn in.

Opinion. While Mount 7 has a reputation as a free-ride hill, this combination of downhill trails makes for a truly excellent and exhilarating bike trip for cross-country riders. While the uphill is a slog, its all ridable and goes by quickly. A good workout all around. The Summit trail is rated as moderate. The 5km is rated as difficult, but its really not that much harder: there are easy-to-spot bypasses around the more challenging bits.

Fact. Bike up logging road all the way to the summit. While there is a huge elevation gain, the grade and road surface is perfect for biking. Alternately, do a car shuttle: the road is good for any car. The downhill riding begins at the summit, or at the bathrooms a few hundred meters below the summit. Look for the signs for the Summit Trail. Either way, you will bike past a derelict log building a minute or so after starting. The Summit trail is single track, except for a short double track near its end, where it rejoins the logging road at the B12 trailhead. Ride the logging road down until the 5km trailhead. Take the single track 5km trail until it returns to the parking lot. There are signs at most junctions, so staying on the trail should be straight forward.

Around Revelstoke. BC

Keystone Standard Basin


photo: Saul Greenberg
  • Map and GPS data.
  • Hike or cross-country mountian bike
  • 11 Km.
  • From Revelstoke, Turn right on highway 23 N (set odometer). ~49km there is a logging road. Keep going, ~50km is another logging road signed for Keystone Basin. Go up good logging road, following signs, for 15 km to end of road - parking lot.

Opinion. This is both an excellent mountain bike ride or a hike. An amazing trail that is almost all alpine meadows. Great in early August for flowers. While biking is great, it would be just as good for hiking and camping - access to many ridges off the trail would be fantastic from an overnight camp anywhere on the trail. Backdrop is glaciated peaks - truly spectacular, the most scenic bikeride I have ever taken. If you are hiking, you may want to consider going up Keystone Peak via Standard Basin instead of slogging to the canyon.

Fact. Out and back, no junctions. Climbs through light forest for ~1km, then through meadows. Contours around with moderate ascending and descending trail. Descends somewhat to standard basin, then climbs switchbacks to other side. Descends somewhat to open forest and Cabin on lake. For an end of the day treat, cycle down the logging road to Highway 23 - really fast long descent!

Around Radium and Invermere, BC.

Lilian Lake /Toby Creek, Invemere, BC.


photo: Saul Greenberg
  • Map and GPS data.
  • Mountain-bike or hike
  • 2-4 hours, depending on how lost you get and how much you stop to enjoy the great views.
  • From Invemere, drive towards Panorama. ~10 minutes past Wilmer, you will see signed Lillian Lake Picnic Area on the right. Park. Ride back on road about 1 minute to gate on right. Go through it; trail starts on left by painted rocks.

Opinion. A pretty mountain bike ride through dry forests. The route is somewhat silly for the first half, as it just weaves in and around itself to add length - I found I spent more time trying to stay on trail than looking at the scenery. But when it gets to Toby Creek, it pays off - fantastic views over the canyon. If you do this backwards, it will get you to Toby Creek quickly and thus the last half doubles as a good hike.

Fact. Weaving / overlapping / contorted trail (first half) through beautiful open forest that eventually comes to great trail overlooking Toby Creek. Spectacular there. Route finding. Paint is dabbed on trees and rocks. Always keep orange on left, greenish-yellow on right. Its really easy to get lost / go in circles as trails overlap, but eventually you will get to Toby Creek. The first half is rather contrived as it constantly weaves through a small area with many junctions.

Columbia River: Radium to Nicholson (near Golden) BC (Canoeing)


photo: Bill Buxton
  • Map and GPS data.
  • Canoeing
  • 3-4 days, depending on how much you want to paddle a day.

Opinion. This is an amazing trip that travels 106km on a very easy river (no rapids) that courses through wetlands replete with life. Expect to see birds of every type. We saw multitudes of eagles, herons, ducks, hawks, etc. At dusk, the beavers are out, with much tail slapping. Makes you realize what the fur trade was all about! Expect to be woken up early in the morning by a cacophony of bird sounds. A telephoto lens with an image stabilizer will turn this into a photographer's paradise.

We did the trip in 3 days, paddling about 6 - 7 hours a day in a Voyageur canoe under good weather conditions with an intermittent tail wind. Doing it in 4 days, or shortening it to end in Parsons, would make this more leisurely (although it was no big difficulty doing it in 3). Doing it in early season (mid-may) was great. There were no bugs (which could have been horrendous); camping was easy to find; route finding was trivial.

It would be a good family trip to do. Still, you should be comfortable handling a canoe on a river as there is the odd sharp bend, shallow waters, and obstacles to navigate around.

Fact. 106 km on the river. No portages required.

Shuttle: From Golden, B.C., drive South on Highway 95 for 7-10 km until you see the sign to Nicholson on the right (West). Turn into Nicholson. You will see the bridge. You can leave a car at the bridge (lots of spots for parking). Alternately, you can ask the folks at the nearby gas station if you can park there (we did not do this, so we don't know if they will say yes or what they would charge). With a 2nd car, drive to Radium along Highway 95 for about ~100 km. Alternately, you can try to do this by hitch-hiking, but...

Start: From the 4 way stop in Radium (intersection of Highways 93 and 95), it is ~3.5 km to the bridge where you put in. From the 4 way stop, go West on Forsters Landing road. Cross the tracks, turn left, and you will see the bridge shortly. Put in where convenient. Leave your car there, or if you would rather, up in Radium (but then you will have to walk back).

At Low Water (e.g., early May). The main channel of the river should be fairly obvious for the full length of the river. There are junctions, but if you follow the main flow you will probably be fine. The channels we took is on the enclosed maps (both GPS and PDF. However, it is possible that some channels will be blocked in various years, with others opening up, so don't follow this blindly. To access the wetlands around the river, you may find the odd channel into them and/or do short portages into them. There are many camping spots.

At High Water. I am told that high water changes things considerably. The route is more difficult to find as the distinctions between the river and the surrounding wetlands are obscured. I am also told that camping is much more difficult to find.

Takeouts. For shorter trips, or in case of emergencies, you can exit the river at various points, although not as many as you would expect. If you have a light canoe, you may be able to take out in various places where the river goes near the road (but be cautious of wetlands and steep hillsides between the river and the road. Better options are to go for the takeouts where the road meets or crosses the river. All these roads are short distances from highway 95 (i.e., within a kilometer or less).

  • Edgewater (road going to railway tracks)
  • Brisco (bridge)
  • Spillimamacheen (bridge)
  • Parsons (bridge) - note that taking out a very heavy boat would be problematic here
  • Nicholson (bridge)

The easy way: Kootenay River Runners offers an evening Voyageur Canoe Trip from the Radium to Edgewater, a great intro to the river. They have other trips as well.

Around New Denver (Slocan Valley), BC.

Whitewater Canyon, near New Denver/Retallack, BC.


photo: Saul Greenberg
  • Map and GPS data.
  • Hike
  • A good day hike that can be stretched to as long as you want, as it enters some beautiful country at its high point.
  • From New Denver, BC., drive towards Kaslo. About half-way there you will come to Retallack. You will see some 'abandoned' buildings on the left. Go through them into the field and to the logging road just beyond. Whitewater Canyon is signed - look for the signs right at the start of the logging road (doable by a normal car). Follow the signs to Whitewater Canyon, although it generally takes the obvious road. The GPS map above also includes the logging road. The trail starts at the end of the road, and is obvious to follow.

Opinion. A lovely hike going up one side of an open valley to a quite beautiful alpine setting. While there is considerable elevation gain, it is steady and quite tolerable. As you walk up the valley, you can clearly see the avalanche slope on the other side which are prime bear terraine. Once you reach the height of the land, there are many options for exploring the area. Bring bear spray, and do the usual bear avoidance things.

Fact. The trail is obvious to follow. The first few kilometers are through nice forests, while the next big push is on one side of an open valley. When you get to the campsite, cross over boulders to the easier walking on the other side of the creek; the trail resumes on the ridge with the large 'Easter Island' boulder at its top. A few more kilometers will bring you to the height of the land where you can explore at your liesure. Whitewater lake below the glacier is one such possibility.