Glacier National Park

Have you dreamed about exploring the iconic wilds of the heart of British Columbia, Canada? Whether you are looking to walk up and touch a glacier, ponder the sheer cliffs of the local mountains, walk amongst the giant cedars, or maybe view grizzly bear walking through a huckleberry patch, Glacier National Park has it all. Heather Mountain Lodge is nestled right at entrance to the park and our guides are extremely excited to show you their back yard.

 

We offer specifically designed excursions that can push you to your limits with an exhilarating high-country experience, or remove you from the stresses of the world with a calm and meditative saunter in a cedar-hemlock rainforest. Or perhaps you are a history buff curious to know more about the final hurdle to push the Canadian Pacific Railway through the mountains and the resulting wealthy tourists that came to stay at the Glacier House and be guided by the Swiss guides. We can take you to all of this!

Here are some sample itineraries…

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Woman hiking on a mountain ridge line

Glacier High Country Experience

 

Intrepid hikers will be well rewarded with this hike. Designed for experienced hikers, it’s not for the light hearted with approximately 950 m of elevation gain and 12 km of hiking. Your morning begins with a hearty breakfast at Heather Mountain Lodge where you and your guide will discuss the final details of the day. This includes a final gear check and placing your freshly made mountain lunch in your pack. At the time determined by your guide, you will leave Heather Mountain Lodge by car with full instructions on how to get to the Illecillewaet Campground/Wheeler Hut parking area – an approximately 20 minute drive. Once at the parking area, before departing for your hike, don’t forget to place a beverage of your choice in the creek to keep cool for the end of the day.

Your hike begins on the Great Glacier trail. Your guide will take you by the remains of Glacier House complete with stories of the railway and mountain guiding history that exists here. Then you will meander through a cedar-hemlock rainforest and eventually climb up through avalanche slide paths and polished rock towards the glacier. The “Great Glacier,” now called the Illecillewaet Glacier, has been a well-known landmark to visitors in this region since the 1880s. At that time, a hike to the icy snout of the glacier was only a short stroll from the railway and the comforts of Glacier House. Over the past century, the ice has receded about 1.5 km upslope making it possible to hike along where the glacier once lived.

The trail stops well short of the Illecillewaet Glacier and the view of the glacier is blocked from the trail’s end by the sloping bedrock below it. However, it gives an excellent panorama of Mount Sir Donald and the Vaux Glacier to the East.

From here, we leave the trail and climb up the sloping bedrock to reach the toe of the glacier, an opportunity to touch and experience ice that’s hundreds of years old. It’s a great place to stop for a bite of lunch and bask in the incredible views all the while staying cool with the wonderful downflow off the glacier. After lunch, a final push takes us to the high ridge of Glacier Crest which divides the valleys of the Illecillewaet and the Asulkan. The ridge itself is an arête carved by the glaciers that once flowed down both these valleys on either side. The view from this alpine spine is an unparalleled 360 degree panoramic view of Columbia Mountain rock and glacial ice.

The ridge is another great place to rest and refuel the body. Depending on weather conditions and time of day, you can spend much more time here with opportunities to photograph, sketch, write, or even take an alpine nap.

When you begin your descent back to the valley, you will be glad you brought your trekking poles, as the descent is steep and relentless. But as you descend, the views continue to change and your nose is filled once again with the overpowering smells of the deep rainforest and the sounds of running water and afternoon birdsongs.

Once back at your vehicle, you will be glad of that cold beverage in the creek as you relive your day with your guide on the tailgate. But don’t spend too much time there. A short drive back to Heather Mountain Lodge rewards you with a well-deserved Apres, hot tub, and massage.

Bear Necessities at Balu Pass

It’s hard to forget that you’re in bear country on this hike. The name (by Dominion Topographic Survey, whose surveyors camped here 2 – 6 August 1902) is derived from the Hindustani word “baloo”, meaning bear. The trail itself traverses wall-to-wall avalanche slopes flanked with Grizzly Peak, Ursus Major and Ursus Minor and finally ends in alpine meadows – this is indeed bear country! This is why you’ll want to have a guide, knowledgeable in all things “bear” so as to help keep you safe. The minimum for this hike is 4 people and occasionally 6 when required by Parks Canada. Groups of six have never been attacked by a bear… so far!

Your morning begins with a hearty breakfast at Heather Mountain Lodge where you and your guide will discuss the final details of the day. This includes a final gear check including bear spray and binoculars!, and placing your freshly made mountain lunch in your pack. At the time determined by your guide, you will leave Heather Mountain Lodge by car with full instructions on how to get to the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre – an approximately 20 minute drive. You’ll want to start your hike early if the day promises to be hot as once you break out of the forest, there is very little shade. You’ll have an opportunity to explore the Discovery Centre fully at the end of your hike.

The trail starts as a forest walk through a stand of mountain hemlock and occasional huge Engelmann spruce. It’s a magical place and you feel as though you are on your way to Hogwarts school of Wizardry. After you break out of the forest you find yourself walking beside the gentle flow of Connaught Creek and emerging into an avalanche zone which affords excellent views all the way to the pass. The creek is an excellent place to see dippers – adventurous dark little birds that hunt for aquatic invertebrates in mountain streams.

One of the highlights of this trail is the unexpected rock work that has been created along the top of the trail. You’ll ascend a staircase of perfectly positioned rocks which turn into a pathway worthy of a historic garden. Wildflowers such as glacier lilies are abundant in the meadows wherever the snow is receding and sightings of ptarmigans is likely at the pass.

When you get to the pass, you can see down the other side onto upper Cougar Creek, a spectacular view in its own right. Even better, turn left and hike up to the crest of the slight hill of Cheops Mountain and you’ll get a fantastic panorama of the Illecillewaet, Lily and Bonney glaciers, as well as Mt. Swanzey and Mt. Bonney. On the way to the crest of that hill, you might notice a green plastic thing to your right. This is a non-covered outhouse. Please use it to avoid polluting the alpine area. When they get around to rating outhouses for views, this one will definitely be in the top five on the planet.

Time for a well deserved lunch break. You’ll want to soak in the 360 degree view, look for bears with your binoculars, and relax before the descent back down the valley. The whole trip is a little over 10km return with 780m (2600 feet) elevation gain to the pass. Expect to be out on the trail for around 4-5 hours.

Once back to the parking area, take time to slip into the Discovery Centre to cool off and see all it has to offer. The centre has a theatre, exhibits about the discovery of Rogers Pass and the completion of the railway, and natural history displays. But don’t spend too much time there. A short drive back to Heather Mountain Lodge rewards you with a well-deserved Apres, hot tub, and massage!

 

The Amazing Forests and the history of the Rogers Pass or The Red Chairs Hike

This hike has a little bit of everything. Views, history and even the experience of forest bathing. Of all our offerings, it offers the most flexibility and can be adapted even as you go. It’s also a wonderful alternative to the higher alpine hikes when presented with rain or bad weather.

What is the Parks Canada Red Chair Experience?

The red chairs, placed in special locations around Glacier National Park, are all about taking time to connect with nature and with each other. Some are easy to find, while others provide more of an adventure. All of them offer a place to rest, relax, and reflect on the place you’ve discovered and the journey you took to get there.

We will depart Heather Mountain Lodge at 9 am to travel to our first hike, an approximately 30 minute drive.

9:30 – 10:30 am

First stop is the Rockgarden Trail. Starting with a short boardwalk through the trees, the trail then turns up into large jagged boulders. The trail has been cleverly constructed to provide “steps” of stable, level smaller rocks through the large ones. The effect is terrific and you feel like a hobbit walking through Middle Earth.

It offers intimate views of the diminutive nature of the park, nestled among sweeping views of the Selkirk Mountains wilderness. Here you will discover moss and lichen covered boulder fields that date back to the last Ice Age. Deep green ferns and contrasting mushrooms cover the forest floor. The trail leads through bear habitat, both black and grizzly, and eventually up to a viewpoint overlooking the glaciers and the mountain barrier of Rogers Pass. This first hike takes around 45 minutes and will include lots of stops for photos.

10:30 am – 11:30 am

Our next stop, your guide will take you on a stroll through Hemlock Grove, the only inland hemlock rainforest in the world. After Canadian icon Rick Hansen visited Glacier National Park in 1987 as part of his Man in Motion tour, Parks Canada built this handicap accessible boardwalk for everyone to enjoy the splendour of these giant hemlocks and cedars. The focus of this hike is to experience shinrin-yoku, also known as forest bathing or forest therapy. This is not exercise per se, or even hiking really. It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Shinrin-yoku is like a bridge to our senses.

 

By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world. Let nature enter through your ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet. Listen to the birds singing and the breeze rustling in the leaves of the trees. Look at the different greens of the trees and the sunlight filtering through the branches. Smell the fragrance of the forest and breathe in the natural aromatherapy. Taste the freshness of the air as you take deep breaths. Place your hands on the trunk of a tree.

This short 400-metre barrier-free boardwalk offers a true rainforest experience. Your guide will be on hand to help you identify flora and fauna along the way. You will also be given time to sit….in the red chairs!, meditate and take it all in. We will spend about 30 minutes here or more if desired.

11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Next on our list is The Loop Brook trail, where we find ‘The Loops’ abandoned railway line, a Rogers Pass National Historic Site.

The Loops abandoned railway line

Canadian politicians did not mince words when they learned in 1871 that Sir John A. Macdonald, the country’s first Prime Minister, had pledged to build the longest railway in the world within ten years! Opposition leader Alexander Mackenzie called the promise “an act of insane recklessness…”

You will retrace the steps of the initial surveyors of the Candian Pacific Railway Company who, over 130 years ago were trying to answer, “How are we possibly going to get the trains over this mountain pass!”

Stone tressle at Galcier House Rogers Pass

This was one of the last hurdles to connect the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Trans Canada line and definitely one of the toughest. Rising out of the mountain forest floor stand a series of stone towers, forming both straight and curved lines

through the trees.

These stone towers once supported a rail line that made a series of drastic curves (The Loops) in order to achieve elevation over Rogers Pass at a reasonable grade for trains to successfully climb. They are are among the oldest surviving man-made structures in western Canada.

The loops is a short 1.6 km round trip trail, we will be here for about 30-45 minutes.

12:30 – 2 pm

Our next stop, The Meeting of the Waters Trail,  just 3 km up the highway, we will have an opportunity to see the location where the trains stopped to let tourists off. Since dining cars had been removed to reduce the weight allowing trains the ability to get up the steeper hills, there was need for dining halls. By 1886 a hotel complex was built that rivals the Banff Springs and Chateau Lake Louise, called Glacier House named after the Great Glacier upstream. Soon, wealthy adventurers came from all over the world, mostly Americans and Europeans, to take advantage of the easy access into the high alpine and see the Great Glacier (now named the Illecillewaet Glacier). Many desired to climb the nearby peaks hiring the Swiss Mountain Guides that had been brought over from Switzerland. There was even a bowling alley and a billiard room! “What do you want to do today dear, a bowling match or a summit a mountain?”

All that is left now, are the stone ruins of which was western Canada’s first mountain resort hotel, predating the Banff Springs and Chateau Lake Louise by about 3 years.

The 'Glacier House' luxury hotel layout and location

At this stop, we will answer the following question – Why are the sister hotels, Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise, two of the most popular hotels in the world, when all that remains of Glacier House is rubble? You will need to join us on the hike to find out the answer!

 

Old railway bridge near Glacier House Stone tower beside Illecillewaet River

Old railway bridge near Glacier House Stone tower beside Illecillewaet River

The Meeting of the Waters trail also give us an opportunity to stretch the legs a bit as we embark on an easy 30 minute loop that takes us from the ruins of Glacier house on a forest walk to the bridge that stretches the confluence of Asulkan Brook and the Illecillewaet River. If you listen carefully here, you will hear the knocking of huge boulders together, as the raging water tumbles them like dice downstream – an eerie sound!

Illicillewaet River, Glacier National Park

Once over the bridge we are greeted with a familiar sight – the red chairs!

Meeting of the Waters, Glacier National Park

 

2 – 3 pm

Our last hike of the day is one of the lesser known hidden gems of the park! Bear Creek Falls, a short hike on a moderate grade, has an unusual start – a downhill route! However, after an easy 15 minute stroll to the falls, you find yourself feeling the cool mist of this stunning waterfall. From about 30-40 feet up, blue waters pool into the large creek below in a few stepped ledges high above the trail. The waterfall cascades beautifully and powerfully down mossy boulders framed by lush green spruce, firs, and ferns.

Once you’ve taken the time to feel the cool spray and smell the lush forest, it’s time to head back up the hill towards home; you may even work up a bit of steam returning to your vehicle! But this is a good thing as there are many delicious treats awaiting you on your return to Heather Mountain Lodge, just 10 minutes up the highway.

Even though this days offering can include up to as many as 5 family friendly hikes, it’s fully customizable depending on how much time you want to to spend at each location. All the hikes are short….no more than 30-45 minutes in length and will give you a taste of everything the park has to offer.