CANADIAN ROCKIES - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 492

ACCOMMODATIONS
Under $50
Marvel at the wonder of Takakkaw Falls from the deck at HI-Yoho National Park (Yoho
Valley Rd., 403/760-7580 or 866/762-4122, www.hihostels.ca , late June-Sept., members
$25, nonmembers $29), also known as Whiskey Jack Hostel, which offers basic dormitory
accommodation for up to 27 guests, who have use of a communal kitchen and showers.
Check-in is 5pm-11pm.
In downtown Field, M Fireweed Hostel (313 Stephen Ave., 250/343-6999 or 877/
343-6999, www.fireweedhostel.com , dorms $40, $125 d, two-bedroom suite $160) is one
of the few private backpacker lodges in the Canadian Rockies—and it's a good one. It's
a modern, purpose-built building with solid bunk beds topped by pillow-top mattresses, a
beautiful lounge with log fireplace and LCD TV, and a modern, well-equipped kitchen.
At Lake O'Hara is the Elizabeth Parker Hut, one of over a dozen rustic accommoda-
tions scattered through the Canadian Rockies that is owned and operated by the Alpine Club
of Canada (403/678-3200, www.alpineclubofcanada.ca ) . What separates this accommoda-
tion from the other Alpine Club properties is its accessibility—just a short walk from the
shuttle bus drop-off point at Lake O'Hara. (To book a seat on the bus, call the reservations
line at 250/343-6433 three months in advance. Seats are limited.) Guests bring their own
bedding and food and sleep in dorm-style beds. The rate is $45 per person per night ($30 for
Alpine Club members). Most beds are filled via a lottery system that requires registration
by November 1 for the following summer; see the website for details.
$150-200
In the hamlet of Field is the simple yet elegant Kicking Horse Lodge (100 Centre St., 250/
343-6303, www.trufflepigs.com , $170-265 s or d), which offers 14 well-furnished rooms
and the highly recommended Truffle Pigs Bistro. Outside of summer, rooms are discounted
as low as $120—a great alternative to higher-priced Lake Louise for winter visitors.
The streets of Field are lined with private homes offering reasonably priced overnight
accommodations in rooms of varying privacy and standards. One of the better choices is the
Alpine Guesthouse (313 2nd Ave., 250/343-6878, www.alpineguesthouse.ca , $195 s or d),
with a modern two-bedroom suite—complete with a kitchen, cable TV, outdoor patio, and
private entrance. Like everywhere else in Field, it's within walking distance of the general
store and Truffle Pigs Bistro.
Don't be put off by the dull, red-brick exterior of the Canadian Rockies Inn (Stephen
St., 250/343-6046 or 877/343-6046, www.canadianrockiesinn.com , $185 s or d), housed