Wyndham Wisdom

Can You Keep a Secret

Psst--that awesome scenery you loved in Brokeback Mountain is actually the Canadian Rockies, in Alberta's Kananaskis Country. Let's not spread that around

Sandy Walker didn't expect to fall in love when she visited Alberta a dozen years ago. She had simply come to see friends in Calgary. Then, during a day trip an hour's drive west of the city, she met Kananaskis Country. Hiking the Burstall Pass trail, Walker wound through meadows and spruce groves before moving upward to rocky slopes flecked with wildflowers. At 7,800 feet, she looked out at the sharp blue of the sky and the endless jagged edges of the surrounding peaks. Wide valleys and waters stretched out below. "It sucked me in," Walker says. Within six months, she had quit her desk job in Toronto and said good-bye to 16-lane highway traffic. Now she lives in Kananaskis Country's home base, Canmore, population 11,600.

These days Walker spends her spare time commuting just minutes to the hundreds of trailheads that lead into Kananaskis Country (pronounced can-an-ASK-ess) and scrambling up as many mountains as possible. When asked what's changed since she moved here, she says, "Nothing. It's still the same, a best-kept secret."

Despite its size--some 1,600 square miles of provincially protected parklands--K-Country, as it's known locally, remains off most travelers' radars even after its recent star turn in Brokeback Mountain. (It stood in for the wilds of Wyoming.) Nearby neighbors like Banff and Lake Louise continue to overshadow this wild country along the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. And Walker says that's fine; all the more unspoiled adventure for those in the know. So . . . can you keep a secret?

PADDLES AND PEDALS
Spilling 45 miles from Peter Lougheed Provincial Park to Bow Valley Provincial Park, the Kananaskis River and its Class I to III rapids create a forest-flanked paddler's playground that should be suitable for families and first-time rafters. Book a half-day rafting trip with Andrew Pratt's Inside Out Experience (877-999-7238) and prepare to get wet: all-out water-gun fights are not uncommon. (Inside Out also offers rafting trips on Class I to IV rapids on the Bow, Red Deer and Elbow rivers.)

Expect to see kayakers, as well, since the dam-controlled waters provide rapids all year. Experienced paddlers should check out the "play run" near Canoe Meadows, where kayakers surf and cartwheel along the river. Canoeists can find tamer waters on the other side of Canoe Meadows, near the Barrier Lake Information Centre, as well as on the Bow River and the multitude of alpine lakes that speckle K-Country.

To dry off, consider a visit to the Canmore Nordic Centre (403-678-2400), originally built for the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary. It's now a mini mountain-biking haven, thanks to the 40 miles of cross-country ski trails that open to fat-tire fans when the snow melts. You can rent bikes and ride here, or pick up some equipment and trail maps at Gear Up in Canmore (403-678-1636) and head off to Elbow-Sheep Wildland, a road-free provincial park that can only be explored via backcountry trails.

ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS
Since parts of Kananaskis Country were logged in the past, its forest is young and vibrant, providing a rich habitat for not only bears, but also cougars, wolves, bighorn sheep, elk and moose. Chances are you'll run into at least one of these critters somewhere in K-Country. For a near-guarantee of spotting a moose, cruise down the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail, or Highway 742--a gravel road that carves south from Canmore through untouched landscapes to Peter Lougheed park. Be sure your camera has a long lens.

Fly fishermen should make the effort to hook up with John Samms, the owner of Mountain Fly Fishers (403-609-7967). Rainbow, brown, cutthroat, brook and bull trout all thrive in the region's pristine lakes and gurgling glacial waters. On the way to his secret fishing holes, Samms--a Jamaican who decided to move to the K-Country area while traveling across Canada 30 years ago--can also point out the Three Sisters area (southwest of Canmore, in Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park), where much of Brokeback Mountain was shot.

For Brokeback fans, climbing into a saddle is one of the best ways to explore K-Country. "We could ride for seven days and not cross the same trail once," says Denise Guinn of Boundary Ranch, south of Canmore on Highway 40 (403-591-7171). Three generations of Guinns have guided trail rides and pack trips; they treat guests to steak lunches back at the ranch, or a cooling-off in the Kananaskis River on one of the daylong "surf & saddle" trips. "This is a special area," says Guinn. "We still feel like pioneers here."

UP, UP AND AWAY
More than 800 miles of hiking trails bisect K-Country. Burstall Pass, where Sandy Walker fell in love, can be found in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, named for the Alberta premier who helped develop Kananaskis Country in the 1970s. Of course, the area has a much deeper history, and a good way to hear about it is from Brenda Holder of the hiking company Mahikan Trails (866-776-4453). She guides hikers through such places as Grotto Canyon, about a 10-minute drive east of Canmore. Here, Holder points out where the aspen go golden in fall, while dropping in little nuggets of K-Country lore, and illustrating tracking and navigational skills favored by the locals.

Other guides can provide valuable lessons on another K-Country resident: the grizzly. David Begg of Yamnuska Mountain Adventures (866-678-4164) leads five-day backpacking trips through the Kananaskis highlands, venturing across the Continental Divide to lakes and canyons. His clients quickly learn some basic backcountry bear rules. (No. 1: Try to stay at least 100 yards away from a bear at all times. No. 2: Don't tempt the animals--at night, hang your grub well above the ground and far away from camp.) Begg also teaches rock-climbing courses in the area's limestone canyons. And even in summer, the glaciated terrain has plenty of snow and ice for his mountaineering courses. "There's just a feeling of wildness here," he says.

UNDERNEATH IT ALL
If all these outdoor options seem overwhelming, give geologist Charles "Chas" Yonge a call. "We rarely underwhelm," he jokes. The owner of Canmore Caverns, Yonge helps cure claustrophobia with a crawl through the 2½-mile-long Rat's Nest Cave, formed by glacial runoff over the past 1.6 million years. He and his guides are able to give interpretive tours year-round, thanks to a steady temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit in the labyrinthine cave. During the six-hour Adventure Tour, you'll rappel 60 feet and crawl on your hands and knees to squeeze through the cave's tight "Laundry Chute" (403-678-8819; $129*).

AS THE SEASON TURNS
Once enough snow has settled on Kananaskis Country, however, you're more likely to find people like Canmore resident Yvonne Anderson gliding beside the glaciers and frozen lakes on backcountry skis. A retired physiotherapist, Anderson regularly skis around Burstall Pass and the nearby Chester Lake, also off the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail south of Canmore. The area is just as captivating in winter, says Anderson, who reports that she once encountered a mother moose and her calf while skiing here. "But the best part is finding fresh powder turns everywhere," she says. "And usually, there isn't a soul to be seen." Unless you count the moose--and they can keep a secret.

EAT

QUARRY BISTRO & WINE BAR
The eclectic menu at this cozy but upscale
bistro ranges from foie gras torchon to
baked mac and cheese. 718 Main St., Canmore;
403-678-6088; dinner for two, $90*

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FLATBREAD CO.
Chefs use 100-percent organic ingredients
for such flatbread pizzas as the Nemo, with
Atlantic salmon, and the Sunworks, with
farm-raised chicken. 838 10th St., Canmore;
403-609-5508; dinner for two, $40

BEAMER'S COFFEE BAR
Pick up breakfast bagels for the road from
this bakery, which opens at 6 a.m.
120-737 7th Ave., Canmore; 403-609-0111;
breakfast for two, $15

GEORGETOWN PUB
Order fish and chips and a local brew at
this English-style pub at the Georgetown Inn.
1101 Bow Valley Trail, Canmore; 403-678-3439;
dinner for two, $60

*Prices throughout are in U.S. dollars. Meal prices cover dinner for two, without drinks, tax or tip.

STAY

RCI-AFFILIATED RESORTS IN THE KANANASKIS REGION INCLUDE:

CHATEAU WORLD OF RESORTS
at The Banff Gate Mountain Lodge and Spa

ELKHORN AT THE LODGES, Canmore

For more information, visit RCI.com or call
Weeks: 800-338-7777
Points: 877-968-7476

NON-RCI-AFFILIATED RESORTS:

GEORGETOWN INN
A 20-room Tudor-style inn with patios, an
English garden and a pub. Canmore;
403-678-3439; georgetowninn.ca; doubles
from $105, breakfast included

MOUNT ENGADINE LODGE
At the base of Mount Engadine on the Smith-
Dorrien/Spray Trail, this six-room lodge has
a wood-fired sauna. K-Country; 403-678-4080;
mountengadine.com; doubles from $169,
including all meals and afternoon tea

FALCON CREST LODGE
Even the workout room at this 68-room hotel
has a superb view overlooking Three Sisters
Mountain. Canmore; 403-678-6150;
falconcrestlodge.ca; doubles from $239

RAFTER SIX RANCH
Marilyn Monroe filmed River of No Return at
this guest ranch. Aside from the 18-room
main lodge, there are cabins, chalets and
wilderness camping. Nonguests can visit for
trail rides. K-Country; 888-267-2624;
raftersix.com; doubles from $169 including breakfast

Published: Endless Vacation May/June 2008 Issue