Canada travel advice

[Bea]

Just thought of one more nugget for those of you going to Jasper and Banff. We recommend a cell phone app called GuideAlong or GuideAlong.com (formerly known as GyPSyGuide). It is a very well done self guided driving tour guide, that explains and describes the amazing scenery (based on your GPS location). The narrator (we nick named him 'Jethro') also tells lots of stories of the early pioneers in those regions - very clever and entertaining.

As you drive along, it tells you what is at the next turn off, how hard the hiking trails are, where to park, etc. If you decide not to turn in, it realizes it and might say, 'Oh, I see you didn't take that exit. Don't worry there is another option for you ahead....' and if you drive the reverse route, (back to your campsite) the stories and narration are different- a nice surprise. We don't normally buy or advocate for such things but this app was well worth the $. We liked it so much we also used it for Glacier and Yellowstone. May lots of bear and elk abound for you all...from a distance. - Bea

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by Starbrightsteve

It is my opinion that running on trails in grizzly country is risky and likely to get you a Darwin Award.

Spoken by someone who probably never leaves the house! Most people do everyday activities that carry a much higher level of risk than running on trails in bear country. Your chances of dying from getting hit by a car while crossing the street are much greater than that of even seeing a bear in bear country.

[Sean Murry]

Originally Posted by Dave Walter

Spoken by someone who probably never leaves the house! Most people do everyday activities that carry a much higher level of risk than running on trails in bear country. Your chances of dying from getting hit by a car while crossing the street are much greater than that of even seeing a bear in bear country.

Agreed. I have been hiking virtually all my life. I have seen many bears, mostly black but several grizzly as well. My experience is they tend to leave you alone (except that one incident at Mt. Assiniboine), but even that incident may have been a false charge. Momma bears will often do a false charge to scare you off and protect their cubs. It is highly effective.
The chances of actually being attacked by bears is really really small

[rbryan4]

Please refrain from political discussions on this forum. They usually devolve into arguments. A few posts have been removed.

Thanks

Robert
Site Team

[Camp@Home]

Just got one of mine recertified her in Iowa, was only $5 US. Local farm Coop. Valve had been replaced previously due to upgrade for newer model (had to use wrench to tighten, Female conn on tank.... still much cheaper than new tank.. for me...

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Sean Murry

The chances of actually being attacked by bears is really really small

Must be, especially for black bears, because over the last 40 years I've opened my front door many times to come face-to-face with large black bears. Always they turn away to leave about as fast as I close the door for a few minutes. Cubs flolic on our front lawn. With a salmon bearing river and immense wild forest a minute away it's their place as well as mine.

Most neighbors don't panic and call the conservation officer. If a bear takes to a tree because of people or dogs I go out and whack it with my slingshot a few times until it heads into the forest. Once you've had a bear blasted with a 12 ga. on your front boulevard you do whatever it takes to prevent it happening again.

Ron

[kavm]

Originally Posted by Sean Murry

...
The chances of actually being attacked by bears is really really small

Agree. That said, over the years we have become increasingly reluctant to hike in grizzly country. We have come across 8-9 grizzlies during our hikes over the years and none of the encounters has been problematic. While we know all the advice on how to handle yourself in the grizzly country, the parameters or the outcomes are not in your control. Grizzlies don't always follow the book Of course, encounters while hiking are of a different nature than what you might see from your vehicle or home.

It is better to hike in a group of 6 or more. There are hardly any documented attacks on groups that size. But, that's very difficult to organize when you are a tourist visiting.

[brroberts]

Bears bug me more as I age. I almost always end up hiking single anymore. I’ve been to Katmai when the fish are running, lived in arctic Alaska, and had bears around my house and on my deck in Ketchikan, but I am not as fond of close encounters anymore. There certainly are a lot of bears in northern BC.

[kavm]

Originally Posted by brroberts

Bears bug me more as I age. I almost always end up hiking single anymore. I’ve been to Katmai when the fish are running, lived in arctic Alaska, and had bears around my house and on my deck in Ketchikan, but I am not as fond of close encounters anymore. There certainly are a lot of bears in northern BC.

Your experience is a lot more extensive and it is good to know that we aren't the only ones with some reluctance to face the risk. Life permitting, we will visit Svalbard where excursions outside (for tourists) only make sense with someone armed with a suitable gun because polar bears don't cut any slack...

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by kavm

we will visit Svalbard where excursions outside (for tourists) only make sense with someone armed with a suitable gun because polar bears don't cut any slack...

I have a high comfort level with black bears, not so much with grizzlies and looking into the eyes of a polar bear 3' away is absolutely terrifying. Those remorseless dark eyes show you're nothing but food to them. Beautiful to see in their natural habitat, but only from the safety of a tundra buggy.

Ron

[brroberts]

Yeah at times on the ice the only polar bear security was a really fast snowmobile. It’s always interesting at times when you never saw them, but based on tracks, they saw you.

[Sean Murry]

Agree with all the bear comments. Black bears though not comfortable with, they don't scare me. Grizzly bears definatley more caution required. I do often hike with a group of friends, but often it is just my wife and myself. We yell out :"Hey Yogi" every 5 minutes or so to let them know we are coming. Bear spray is hanging off my chest strap of my pack. Polar bears I have never encountered and do not want to unless in a vehicle. I don't own a gun so that is not an option for me. I will restrict my defences to bear spray, bear bangers and a air horn

[Mrs. iamunique127]

Don’t forget the possibility of needing cash at a road-side stand selling local produce, fresh fruit, home-made jams, jellies, etc.

One of my most memorable travelling experiences in this regard was coming across a “self-serve” roadside stand on the back roads of upstate New York, on our way to Newfoundland (truly one of the most beautiful and charming places in our country). There were boxes of fresh berries to choose from, along with a hand-written sign asking for payment to be dropped into a locked (but unsecured to anything) cash box. This symbol of a heartfelt belief in the basic goodness and honesty of people was a milestone in my life and a memory I lean into when the news gets too depressing.

[JoGo]

We needed ‘Loonies’ to pay for water to take a shower at one campground. Didn’t have any and couldn’t find a person or place to exchange US for Canadian change so, needed to use our Escape shower.

[DFlater]

Originally Posted by escape artist

My advice would be to bring a tank full of fuel. It's very expensive here and sold by the liter!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Diesel is cheaper than gas right now in Canada. It looks like both are cheaper in Alberta than Montana right now. Check before crossing the border!

[Cleta]

I was in BC last summer for two wonderful months including Jasper and Banff. I rarely needed cash except for laundry. As others suggested I used a credit card with no foreign transaction fees. But when I needed cash, I had a debit card with a bank that did not charge exchange fees so I was able to get cash in CD from an ATM at the current exchange rate. You might want to check with your local banks.

[BC Rockcrawler]

Originally Posted by kavm

Take the bear spray And, keep it handy - no more than 5 seconds draw! We had 6 encounters while hiking in that area. They were friendly Canadian grizzlies but not everyone is friendly, even in Canada.

If you are bringing Bear spray from the US, make sure it clearly states that it is Bear spray on the can. If it looks like a generic 'pepper spray' it will be confiscated. Which might lead to further inspection.

[NoSOD]

One more thing about hiking in Banff/Jasper and bears: you might find that some trails are closed because of recent bear encounters, or a minimum group size is required to access some trails, with a huge fine if you enter in a smaller group. It is always sensible to check trail reports before you head out.