Canadian Mountain Holidays - Heli-Hiking Adventure
September 12-19, 2000


We were looking forward to this adventure with great anticipation throughout the summer and it was an experience that will stay with us for a lifetime.

After a short two-hour flight to Calgary, and an hour and a half shuttle ride to Banff, we arrived at the historic Banff Springs Hotel.  A castle in the mountains, this 100-year-old hotel is a landmark and offers many facilities from a European style spa to tennis and golf.  Banff offers endless opportunities to explore and experience the Canadian Rockies: great shopping, fly-fishing, mountain biking, horse-pack trips, rafting, climbing or just relaxing and taking in the beautiful scenery.  After a sampling of cuisine at four of the 15 restaurants, we were energized for our next day's adventure.  After a hearty buffet breakfast, we spent the day being introduced to rock climbing and river rafting in the area with experienced local guides.  Both were fulfilling and memorable experiences.  Once refueled with a delicious picnic lunch, we departed for Emerald Lake Lodge in Yoho National Park, a magical retreat for two nights.
Treasure the history of the lodges 1902 construction.  Massive stone fireplaces, spacious verandahs and comfortable sitting areas invite undisturbed relaxation.  The rustic elegance of our room was inviting with a feather duvet and our own fieldstone fireplace.  Gazing from our deck overlooking the tranquil elegance of Emerald Lake, we felt this lodge was the perfect place to truly experience the majesty of the Rockies.  We enjoyed an interpretive hike around the lake and to Emerald Basin with a local guide who shared his knowledge of the flora & fauna and the geology of the area.  A leisurely dinner followed in the rustic and cozy dinning room, with renowned regional Rocky Mountain Cuisine, such as caribou, salmon, halibut and buffalo.  Following a restful night and delicious breakfast overlooking the lake, we embarked on our hour and a half journey to the Canadian Mountain Holidays heli-pad for our helicopter transfer to the Bobbie Burns Lodge.  The Lodge, accessible only by helicopter, is nestled in the Purcell Mountains at an elevation of 4,494 feet.  The retreat has a hot tub, sauna, resident massage therapist, and 24 rooms, all with private bath.  It also offers several comfortable sitting areas including a wrap around deck where you can relax and fully appreciate the dramatic surroundings.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the lodge manager, given room assignments and outfitted with gear.  CMH provides top quality clothing and equipment suitable for the mountains including:  hiking boots, insulated jacket, wind pants, rain poncho, day pack, gaiters, water bottle and walking stick.  A wonderful buffet lunch followed, and then we were off for a helicopter safety presentation and an afternoon of heli-hiking.  The guides, based on our input create groups of 11 guests of similar abilities.  The helicopter lands our group on a spectacular ridge where our hike begins.  Our first afternoon was spent hiking through a lush valley, then up a to a ridge with breath taking views of the Conrad Icefield in the distance.  Late in the afternoon, we were picked up by the helicopter and taken back to the lodge where we enjoyed a relaxing outdoor whirlpool with the awesome vistas surrounding us.  A sumptuous dinner followed in the main dinning room inviting us to share stories with new friends.  The next day started with a gentle stretch class, waking our muscles up, followed by a hearty breakfast.  After breakfast, there was a table of food where we would pack our own lunches in the souvenir lunch sacks provided by CMH.  A variety of food was available to choose from including fresh sandwiches, fruit, veggie sticks, energy bars and cookies.  The next two full days of heli-hiking were filled with varied terrain and spectacular sights.  With the use of the helicopter, we could access glaciers, mountain lakes and streams, waterfalls, flowered meadows and awesome peaks.  We were whisked away at the end of each day back to the comforts and coziness of the lodge.  Our last evening was spent sharing stories of our experiences with our new hiking buddies and wishing that we didn't have to leave the following day.  As our helicopter adventure came to a close, we were flown out of the lodge and awestruck at the beauty of the fall colors and ever-changing landscape below.
To prolong the experience of the Canadian Rockies, we spent the last night at the historic Chateau Lake Louise.  Our lakeside room provided a breath taking view of the world famous turquoise blue lake and inspired us to do a long, energizing walk before a casual dinner at the resort.  The following morning we took an early three-hour shuttle to Calgary for our return flight to Denver.
While on our flight home, we reflected upon our past week and enthusiastically planned next years exceptional Canadian Mountain Holiday Adventure.