Your Weekend Planner for Calgary & Area: April 15-17, 2016

Welcome to the 2nd Edition of Your Weekend Planner for April 15-17, 2016. With double-digit temperatures, the snow is melting quickly, and it isn’t too early to think about camping! Whether you stay in town or go on a roadtrip, this planner will give you lots of ideas for outdoor fun.

Dinosaur Provincial Park is open year round!

4. Lake Louise 

Although most Lake Louise trails are packed snow with icy sections, several trails are still doable with ice cleats. Your best options are Mirror Lake or Lake Louise Lakeshore (do not go on the lake as the ice is thin and weak now and do not go beyond the end of the lake as it is avalanche terrain). Significant avalanche danger exists just beyond popular trails, so avoid steep terrain and stay on trail. To learn more about the importance of avalanche skills training, please see this post.

 

Biking

There are so many great options for biking right now! Nose Hill Park, Eastlands and Bowmont Park have sweet single track with barely any mud. The Legacy Trail has been swept, Highways 66 & 40 are still gated (closed to cars, open to bikes and foot traffic!)… 

1. Calgary Bike Ride of the Week: Migratory birds have returned, so Pearce Estate Park and the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary are good places to watch them! Check out my writeup on Pearce Estate Park to Nellie Breen Park with options to go further (to River Walk/East Village, St. Patrick’s Island, Eau Claire, the Calgary Zoo, or Inglewood Bird Sanctuary). The trails around Pearce Park are less busy than the Bow River Pathway and family-friendly! 
   
   

   River Passage Art Installation at Harvie Rapids

2. Banff / Canmore: The Legacy Trail was swept on April 13th! Ride from Canmore to Banff, or ride from Cascade Ponds to Banff for a short, leisurely ride (less elevation gain!) with the kids.
   
   

   Legacy Trail, Banff

3. Bragg Creek: I know I mentioned Highway 66 last week, but it was so amazing last Saturday I have to include it again. You can only ride the gated section (just past Elbow Falls to Little Elbow Campground) until end of day May 14, so go soon! The highlight was hanging out at Forget-Me-Not Pond without a single person in sight.
   
   

   Highway 66, Elbow Valley

4. Kananaskis: There is a partial closure on the Bill Milne Trail between the golf course and Mt. Kidd Campground due to construction, so I wouldn’t recommend the whole trail for families right now (as you’d have to ride on the side of Hwy 40 for 1 km), but Ribbon Creek to the Golf Course is a pretty ride that is flat and perfect for young cyclists. You could even do this section with a skateboard or scooter! Be sure to pop in to Moose Family Kitchen (in same building as Kananaskis Outfitters, beside the Delta Kananaskis Lodge) for ramen or a tasty Japanese beef bowl after! 
   
   

   Bill Milne Trail, Kananaskis

Crafts