ESSENTIALS - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 544

school also offers guided climbs of peaks throughout the Canadian Rockies, wilderness
first-aid classes, and ice-climbing instruction.
ROAD CYCLING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING
The Canadian Rockies are perfect for both road biking and mountain biking. On-road cyc-
lists will appreciate the wide shoulders on all main highways, while those on mountain
bikes will enjoy the many designated trails. One of the most popular paved routes is the
Legacy Trail between Banff and Canmore, which links up with the Bow Valley Park-
way to Lake Louise. The most challenging and scenic on-road route is the 290-kilometer
(180-mile) Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper ( Outside magazine rates it
as one of North America's 10 best). Most cyclists allow 4-5 days, but it's easy to spend a
lot longer on the parkway. With 11 campgrounds, four hostels, and four lodges along the
way, you'll have plenty of accommodation options. An extension of the Icefields Parkway
is the Bow Valley Parkway, the original route between Banff and Lake Louise, which can
easily be cycled in one day.
Backroads (510/527-1555 or 800/462-2848, www.backroads.com ) offers biking trips
through the Canadian Rockies, as well as trips that include hiking and touring. These
trips are designed to suit all levels of fitness and all budgets. On the biking trips, around
six hours are spent cycling each day. The cost, inclusive of luxury accommodations, is
US$3,298, which includes all meals.
Mountain biking is allowed on designated trails throughout the national parks. Park in-
formation centers hand out brochures detailing these trails and giving them ratings. The
Canmore Nordic Centre is home to 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) of biking trails, some
steep enough to hold international downhill competitions each summer. Peter Oprsal's
Bow Valley Mountain Bike Trail Guide covers all the major trails in the Bow Valley; pick
up a copy from local bookstores. Bikes can be rented throughout the national parks and
Kananaskis Country. Road and town bikes rent for $6-9 per hour and $25-35 per day. All
shops rent front- and full-suspension bikes; expect to pay up to $20 per hour and $70 per
day for these.
HORSEBACK RIDING
Horses were used for transportation in the mountains by the earliest explorers. Even after
the completion of the railway, horses remained as the most practical way to get deep into
the backcountry because crossing unbridged rivers and carrying large amounts of supplies
were impossible on foot. The names of early outfitters—Tom Wilson, Jim and Bill Brew-