Prairies to the Pacific
Alberta and British Columbia
Hike the Rocky Mountains - Glaciers - a Rejuvenating Forest Fire Area – 
Rock Flour Lakes – Alberta Industry - A Winery

Day 1 We arrange your flight to Alberta’s largest city and the provincial capital, Edmonton.  Groups with more time should spend one or more days in Edmonton to tour West Edmonton Mall and the Parliament.

Day 2 Depart for Jasper, Alberta. We can include visits to the Canadian Petroleum Interpretive Center or the Devonian Gardens very near to Devon (adjacent to Edmonton) and see the historic spot where oil was discovered in Alberta! Or stop near Wabamun to see Canada’s largest coal mind operation and see some of the largest mining equipment in the world. We’ll then visit the power plant to see the coal being consumed and learn of the power that is generated. Where does this electricity go? Continue to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and arrive in Edson in time to tour a lumber mill. We learn about the lumber industry and the effect that the mills may have on the drinking water of cities downstream. Groups may wish to drive directly to Jasper (without stops) with driving time only 4 hours. Overnight in a Unesco World Heritage Sight. Jasper, Banff, Kootenay and Yoho Parks together make up one of Alberta’s five Unesco Heritage sights.

Day 3 A highlight of the trip is hiking and exploring the trails that have made Jasper world famous. Alternatively we will meet and enjoy small group workshops with native Canadians and learn of the culture of Canada’s first people. This is a rare opportunity to step into another culture within our own back yard. We tour Maligne Lake, one of the jewels of the Rocky Mountains. Later we hike Pyramid Lake and we can arrange bicycling and hiking through the nature trails in the area. See hidden lakes and wildlife while riding through primary forest. We’ll also see the lake where top-secret experiments were carried out in WWII. The allies need a way to safely get men and equipment across the Atlantic Ocean and an ingenious idea was hatched and tested in a lake right here. We’ll soak in the hottest hotsprings (53 degrees C) in Canada at Miette, in the Fiddle Valley. There is no better way to "get in touch" with Alberta. What a first day?

Day 4 Depart south on the Icefields Parkway. Stare in awe at the rush of water at Athabasca Falls. We ride a sno-coach onto the Columbia Icefield the largest ice-cap south of the Arctic Circle (Sno-Coaches available mid-April through early November). What river(s) and oceans does this massive ice cube feed? How far does this water flow? What affect does the nearby continental divide play in the path this water will follow to the ocean? We’ll learn that the great glacier is receding 16 feet per year and is as tall as a hundred story building. Continue south to world famous Banff, Alberta. World famous Lake Louise shines with an incredible aquamarine blue found only in the Canadian Rockies. Learn about rock flour and the cause of this amazing phenomenon. Overnight in Banff or Canmore.

Day 5 Continue to the west to visit the other half of the Unesco sight located in British Columbia. We cross the continental divide into Kootenay National Park. Kootenay is a great park with uncrowded, spectacular trails. We hike Fireweed Trail for a vivid lesson in forest ecology. Our path meanders through the area that was swept by a forest fire in 1968. Rather than being a desolate walk it is fascinating to see life bountifully springing forth. See Magenta Fireweed, flowers. Trembling Aspen and Lodgepole Pine. Some Lodgepole cones are only opened by the extreme heat of a forest fire and are thus the beginning of reforestation. We’ll see this close up! Near Storm Mountain we could see moose, Blue Grouse, northern Hawkowls and various other animals. Our next adventure finds us in Marble Canyon with its scalloped limestone walls, carved out by Tokumm Creek. Cross First Bridge in Prospectors Valley and then Second Bridge where the canyon narrows. See the Salad Bowl below which has been hewn by eons of rushing water. Cross 5 more bridges (two high bridges) to marvel at a 69 foot waterfall and continue to the eerie Paint Pots. Hike past ochre beds, which are colored red-brown by mineral deposits and used for decades as pigment for paint. See the "choked cone" (dried up heap of iron oxide) before standing before the circular green pools of water. Return to the motor coach for the 65-minute journey south to Forte Steele, an authentically restored fur trading post. We visit the Radium hot-springs pools. Situated at the base of a mountain sheep can often be seen grazing the slopes. Overnight nearby.

Day 6 We move on, via the Trans-Canada Highway towards the coast. Stop in the town of Armstrong to tour a cheese factory. We also arrange winery tours in the Okanagan that are fun and fascinating year round. Continue through the Okanagan Valley and arrive at Hell’s Gate. See the massive onslaught of water that gushes through the narrow pass. Continue to Vancouver area for overnight.

Day 7 We visit the charms of this lower mainland city including the Totems at Stanley Park, Grouse Mountain and the Capilano Suspension Bridge

Day 8-9  Tour fascinating local businesses and attractions. 
Pick your choice of the following:
Vancouver Stock Exchange, MacMillan Bloedel Forestry, Mine, Vancouver Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver Aquarium (Beluga Whales), Planetarium (evening show), Granville Island artist community including glass-blowing demonstration, whale watching tour.
Alternatively, travel south into the United States on an all-day tour that visits Mount St. Helens and the massive Boeing Aircraft Assembly Plant near Seattle. Another option is to take the ferry across to Vancouver Island to visit Butchart Gardens and the city of Victoria.

Our motorcoach departs in the late afternoon for part of the journey home (your choice via Kamloops, Radium, Banff, Calgary).

Day 10 Our motorcoach delivers us home.

Please call for a customized program and prices.