# Southern Canadian Rockies



## ag3dw (May 13, 2006)

Got a pm I want to share and bump my post: 

I saw your post about the canadian rockies spring trip, and I'm kicking around similar ideas, although I have zero beta right now. Just rumors of quality goods. I'd be keen to share gas, booze, driving etc etc if there is some mutual interest in a plan.

I'll be in and around Montana and available mid-may through july but I think I would limit the canadian trip to 2 weeks or less. Let me know if this might be up your alley. If not enjoy the trip! 

and my reply:

Hey man, thanks for the PM. I was hoping some Montanans might respond, hopefully with beta! Lol. I will be bumping my post soon as I get info. 

I have assumed you are a gnarly type boater so I don't know how that would work. I have been on trips where the hard core just want to do hard core. I have done a little V but lately my wife and I (and she may not go) been doing mostly play and play runs. III-IV. I need to really work on my river running this spring to even be comfortable enough to do lots of the IV end of the equation. 

I also know lots of hard boaters who just love running rivers, be it spectacular II or V. If that's you, that could work. Thanks again, Leroy.


ps. Looking at the last 2-3 weeks in June.


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## ag3dw (May 13, 2006)

Oh yea, Beta. I found better than ski area snow reports at Alberta natural resources (Google it...if you don't know what google is?!) and it looks like they have decent snow, 70-80%. There is good mtb beta at Bragg Creek, or alberta mtb. Jeez, can't find the links. Need food, caffeine. Cheers.


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

When I traveled up to calgary for work one summer I hit up aquabatics, the local calgary shop for info. Called them on the phone and they were helpful. You can also check the calgary message board. I think its calpaddle?


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

I have wanted to go up and do the kicking horse for years. Just outside golden. I have friends that have done it but we never seem to be able to pull a trip together. They tell me it runs later, through the summer even into Labor Day. Have fun!


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## ag3dw (May 13, 2006)

Hey Laura, thanks for the encouragement! We are still planning on our Canada trip. Thought I would bump in case anyone else is interested. Rivers are med flows headed dn. Plan on St. Mary, Belly, Waterton play runs then hit Castle, Crowsnest, Oldman, Livingstone, Highwood, Sheep, Elbow, Kan, Little Bow, Bow and around to the Kicking Horse and ...hmmm, two-a-days, yes!

Reading about the Horse and it running all year in the old western whitewater book and having fall vacations is what started us taking Canada trips. We couldn't do the 3-4 run because they were working on the new bridge and the detour would have been class 5 on a bike. Commercial rafters wouldn't help w the shuttle. Maybe this trip. Oh, and being a, um, experienced boater I would encourage you to do stuff now! Don't wait! U never know. Anyway, how many times can u do the Locsha? I know, lots. 

We met Calgary boaters in Equador a couple winters ago and they will join in or at least help with river selection. Calpaddle web site not used for months. Any other resources? L.


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

There's an app called "Alberta Rivers" that you can download that has river, precipitation and a few snowpack stations. It's a great app... I consult it regularly. 

For BC I have less knowledge and when I have gone looking for info I've found it tougher to know what I was looking at, but I'm sure there's a government website that has water levels at the least but I'm not sure about snowpack.

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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

I also would be up for possibly joining you on some rivers around calgary if you're doing some weekend days... I'm in a 13 foot raft.

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## ag3dw (May 13, 2006)

hey Cupido76, thanks for the reply. We have some loose ends to tie up dn here (and some big waves to surf with the hi water) and plan on being up in Canada next fri or sat thru the next weekend to boat. It would be great to boat with more locals.

Is there a website with forums like on the Buzz that is used by Calgary area boaters to plan trips? Calpaddle doesn't seem to be active and I don't want to spend money to join Bow Waters canoe club if it is not active. 

Thanks, Leroy


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

Awwww I would love to go! But it is not in the cards right now. My friends that did the KH years ago said they found shuttle help from the commercials (for a fee) and I think they once even took a taxi back up. Go figure!

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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

ag3dw said:


> hey Cupido76, thanks for the reply. We have some loose ends to tie up dn here (and some big waves to surf with the hi water) and plan on being up in Canada next fri or sat thru the next weekend to boat. It would be great to boat with more locals.
> 
> Is there a website with forums like on the Buzz that is used by Calgary area boaters to plan trips? Calpaddle doesn't seem to be active and I don't want to spend money to join Bow Waters canoe club if it is not active.
> 
> Thanks, Leroy


The only local group I know of is kind of kayak specific, so that might work for you....

Paddle Junkies - Beginner Adult Whitewater Kayaking

Not sure how much traffic, if any, is on that site. If I remember correctly, they used to do a weekday fun/instructional run, but it was never anything crazy. Not sure of any weekend activities because I got out of hard-shell kayaking before really getting that into it.

For rafting, there isn't really a group... I'm not sure if I know what kind of craft you chose to paddle, but I'm guessing from the surfing comment above you are kayakers?

I have a hard time convincing friends to join me on river trips, and there are a number of runs that I have not tried that reportedly have good whitewater on them, and many of them are in pretty good shape right now with rain forecast for next week... you're timing might be impeccable. 

I am hoping to get out next weekend... if you arrive by then and want to meet up, I'm game. If I can't find others to join my boat on a paddle crew I'll just row it. The weekend after that I have a floating/beer trip planned with friends and I'm the organizer so can't really change that.

Send me a PM when you know your plans a little better.


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## ag3dw (May 13, 2006)

Thanks cupido, we found fb groups that seem to be in use and posted there. Want to start maybe in Castle, lower Oldman area, or guide book lists lower canyon of St Mary as good so might try it on the way up. Have asked for suggestions from facebook. Will pm contact beta. we are kayaking but will bring river runners (and maybe play boats) so we would not be wanting to just play. Hope to be there next weekend.


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

ag3dw said:


> Thanks cupido, we found fb groups that seem to be in use and posted there. Want to start maybe in Castle, lower Oldman area, or guide book lists lower canyon of St Mary as good so might try it on the way up. Have asked for suggestions from facebook. Will pm contact beta. we are kayaking but will bring river runners (and maybe play boats) so we would not be wanting to just play. Hope to be there next weekend.


Castle and St. Mary are definitely on my hit list!  In fact... if you're looking at St. Mary on the way in and the way in is this weekend, I'm totally in.

With flows the way they are right now, Southern Alberta probably has the best whitewater options. I've done some day trips on the upper Red Deer and that can be really good, but water levels are a bit low in that area right now.

I've done a section of the Waterton at low water and it was pretty and enjoyable but wouldn't call it whitewater. Belly is the same... fun and pretty but nothing crazy.


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## ag3dw (May 13, 2006)

Thanks for the info, consensus from replies on fb are that the waterton area is too low. St Mary flow reading is too low. Castle, oldman are low, don't know if they will be raft friendly by this weekend. We still want to start there (castle) even if it is a little scrapey. People are still doing Sheep Highwood so we will keep in touch. Leroy 970 769 twenty one ninety nine. Can't pm at this time.


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

Yeah I noticed they have dropped dramatically in the last few days... but it's raining a bit here.

I rounded up some friends who are willing and I'm looking at Sunday and something kind of close to Calgary... maybe Highwood or maybe even the Bow from Lake Louise to Banff.

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