CANADIAN ROCKIES - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 468

Valley Provincial Park, 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Canmore. Flights depart at
11:30am Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and cost $150 per person each way, including an
18-kilogram (40-pound) per-person baggage limit. Although Alpine Helicopters operates
the flights, all bookings must be made through Mount Assiniboine Lodge (403/678-2883,
www.assiniboinelodge.com , 8am-2pm Mon.-Fri.).
If you're planning on hiking into the park, Alpine Helicopters will fly your gear in for
$2.25 per pound (0.45 kilogram).
Mount Assiniboine Lodge
Getting to and staying at Mount Assiniboine Lodge ( www.assiniboinelodge.com ) isn't
cheap, but the number of repeat guests is testament to an experience that you will never
forget. The mountain scenery may take most of the kudos, but the lodge's congenial atmo-
sphere makes the stay equally memorable. Renovated in 2011, the main building holds six
double rooms that share bathroom facilities, and a dining area where hearty meals (included
in the rates) are served up communal-style. Scattered in the surrounding trees are six one-
room cabins that sleep 2-5 people. Each has running water and uses propane to heat and
light the space. Outhouses and showers are shared. The rate for lodge rooms and shared
cabins is $285 per person; private cabin accommodations are $350 per person. Children 12
and under are $140. You can reach the lodge on foot or fly in with Alpine Helicopters from
a helipad in Kananaskis Country. The fare and departure days are the same as for campers;
the only difference is that lodge guests depart at 1pm. If you decide to hike in (or out), the
charge for luggage transfers is $2.25 per pound (0.45 per kilogram).
The operating season is mid-June to the first weekend of October and then mid-February
to early April for cross-country skiing. There is a minimum stay of two nights and a weight
limit of 18 kilograms (40 pounds) on luggage for the flight. The lodge has no landline
phone; for reservations or information you will need to call 403/678-2883 (8am-2pm Mon.-
Fri.) or check the website: www.assiniboinelodge.com .
Campgrounds
Lake Magog is the park's main facility area, such as it is. A designated camping area on
a low ridge above the lake's west shore provides a source of drinking water, pit toilets,
and bear-proof food caches. Open fires are prohibited. Sites are $10 per person per night.
No reservations are taken, but even those who visit frequently have told me they've never
seen it full. Also at the lake are the Naiset Huts, where bunk beds cost $20 per person per
night (book through Mount Assiniboine Lodge, 403/678-2883, www.assiniboinelodge.com ,