Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the next section of canyon, the valley opens up, passing hoodoos and a cave. It's 6.5 kilo-
meters (four miles) from the trailhead to the end of the valley, with most of the 680 meters
(2,230 feet) of elevation gained in the last two kilometers (1.2 miles).
Heart Creek
• Length: 2 kilometers/1.2 miles (40 minutes) one-way
• Elevation gain: 80 meters/260 feet
• Rating: easy
• Trailhead: Lac des Arcs interchange, TransCanada Highway, 15 kilometers (9.3 miles)
east of Canmore
This well-formed trail is signposted from the Lac des Arcs interchange, 15 kilometers (9.3
miles) east of Canmore along the TransCanada Highway. The trail parallels the highway
eastward until reaching a fork. The trail to the right follows Heart Creek for just over one
kilometer (0.6 mile), crossing the creek seven times on narrow log bridges. It ends at a
cleared area below a spot where Heart Creek is forced through a narrow cleft. Those temp-
ted to continue farther can cross the creek, scramble up a steep, forested ridge, then des-
cend the other side to link up with the creek upstream of the gorge. Cross the creek again
for views of another narrow chasm.
Heli-Hiking
Heli-hiking is the summer alternative to heli-skiing—a helicopter does the hard work, and
you get to hike in a remote, alpine region that would usually entail a long, steep hike to ac-
cess.
Alpine Helicopters
(403/678-4802,
www.alpinehelicopter.com
)
offers options start-
ing at $489 per person, which includes 10 minutes of flight time and 3-4 hours of hiking.
The company is flexible, with ground time and destinations chosen by the clients. Flight-
seeing (no landing) costs $239 for 25 minutes of air time. The heliport is along Highway
1A south of downtown. Try to book ahead for these trips; they're very popular with trav-
elers staying in Banff, where there is no flightseeing.
Canmore Nordic Centre
This sprawling complex on the outskirts of Canmore was built for the 1988 Winter
Olympic Games. The cross-country skiing and biathlon (combined cross-country skiing
and rifle shooting) events were held here, and today the center remains a world-class train-
ing ground for Canadian athletes in a variety of disciplines. Even in summer, long after the
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