Trip Report: Fish Lakes, Banff National Park
Expansive alpine meadows, impressive rock headwalls and encircling peaks will have you spinning round and round in slow-motion 360's as you soak up the infinite views. [...]
Banff
Best Spots for Paddling in Banff National Park
You can’t get a more Canadian destination than Banff, and you can’t get a more Canadian activity than canoeing. Since we’re celebrating all things Canada this year, we figured there's no better tribute than to pair these two together! Whether the canoe is your chosen mode of water transport, or you’re keen on using a SUP, kayak, rowboat or raft, here’s our guide to some of the best places to paddle. [...]
Annie Staple: The Guardian of the Gates
For 32 years, she stood as the keeper of the East Gate to Rocky Mountains Park, now Banff National Park. Here is Annie Staple's remarkable story. [...]
150 Ways to Enjoy Canada’s Mountain Parks
We asked our readers what their favourite ways were to enjoy the beauty of Canada's Mountain Parks. We received over 500 submissions with answers of all kinds, from summit picnic spots to the best frozen waterfalls to climb. Looking for your next adventure? Scan this list for ideas that come from passionate, outdoorsy people who get out there the most. [...]
How to Make the Most of Banff This (Busy) Summer
Banff is set to be a bustling place this summer. But, a busy Banff doesn’t need to be miserable one – not when the park is 6,641 square kilometres and just begging for people to see a different side of it. [...]
Banff Yoga Festival
The second annual Banff Yoga Festival returns this May. Bringing together exceptional teachers of yoga, meditation and mindfulness from Banff and beyond, together we will create a conscious connection to yoga, culture and adventure in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. [...]
A Glimpse of the Past: 12 Historic Photos of the Canadian Rockies
Have you ever wondered what it was like to walk the streets of Banff Avenue with the original establishments and shops? Or how modern ski events compare to those from fifty years ago? This winter we teamed up with the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies to discover just that in our #RockiesThrowback series: the settings, people, and events that made up Canadian Rockies mountain culture of long-gone eras and shaped our culture into what it is today. [...]
First Bison Calves Born in Banff in Over 140 Years
After a successful translocation of bison from Elk Island National Park to Banff National Park in February 2017, the first calf was born on what is perhaps the most fitting of days – Earth Day. It is the first time bison calves have been born in the national park in over 140 years. [...]
10 Rockies Causes You Should Care About
From groomed trails to community gardens, bolted routes to hiking boots, there are plenty of ways to get involved with your local mountain town. Volunteering allows us to give back, and grow roots in our communities. Tera Swanson rounds up ten causes that have done a fine job of laying the groundwork. [...]
The Unsquare Cellar: Banff’s Hangout for Hippies
In Volume 2 of the Canadian Rockies Annual, we flash back over forty years to explore a decade of change and innovation in our largest feature article, Rockies Life in the '70s. In this companion web piece, historian Ben Bradley uncovers the story of the Unsquare Cellar and how it came to be closely associated with Banff’s burgeoning counterculture. [...]
The Tentless Transients: The History of Echo Creek
In June 1970, Parks Canada established the Echo Creek campground as an experimental response to the thousands of “tentless transients” expected to pass through Banff that summer. In this companion web piece to Rockies Life in the '70s, featured in Volume 2 of the Canadian Rockies Annual, Ben Bradley explores the rise and fall of the short-lived, long-haired crowd at Echo Creek. [...]
Andrew Hardingham Has an Important Announcement
After two sold-out Winterstoke events, something is about to change about our third annual pre-season stoke fest. Andrew Hardingham brings you the details on what's going down. Watch the video and comment for your chance to win two passes to next year's event and a $100 gift card to Unlimited Skate & Snow! [...]
Top 10 of 2016: Our Most-Read Articles of the Year
At Crowfoot Media we’re all about getting mountain culture elevated and sharing that passion with other mountain lovers. From wilderness stories to people profiles, the latest in science and stunning photography, we pump out fresh, web-exclusive content on a monthly basis that you won't find anywhere else. Thanks to a wide range of talented and inspiring contributors, here are the articles that elevated people the most this year. [...]
Review: Siren Call
It takes someone with personal experience – or excellent research skills – to write a book about a field so intricate and exciting as emergency response. Even better is someone who has both, and that's Graeme Pole. A Primary Care Paramedic for 27 years, Pole explores the lives of emergency responders in Banff National Park in his latest work of fiction, Siren Call. [...]
Winterstoke 2016 Recap + See the Films You Missed!
A sold-out event two years straight, Winterstoke is an annual pre-season gathering in Banff, Alberta, hosted by Crowfoot Media. Emceed by pro snowboarder/local funnyman Andrew Hardingham, Winterstoke attracts snow sport enthusiasts for a night of beer, the ‘best of’ local ski and snowboard footage, Q&A session with Capow Guiding, prizes and giveaways, and a winter industry trade show. Here’s what went down, in case you missed it! [...]
Three Things I’ve Learned: Chic Scott
Few people have spent as much time in the mountains, and know them as intimately as Chic Scott. As a historian, writer, and ski pioneer in the Rockies, Chic has gained extensive knowledge and wisdom about the mountains he calls home. In the latest installment of "Three Things I've Learned," Joanna Croston profiles Chic's contributions and taps into the wisdom of this Rockies legend. [...]
At What Price: Trailer and Q + A with John Price
In a constantly accelerating world of social media, emerging creative professionals must walk a delicate line when they use these online tools to grow their businesses and promote their craft. Premiering at the 2016 Banff Mountain Film Festival, "At What Price," directed by Tommy Day, takes us through this journey with up-and-coming adventure photographer John Price. [...]
Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival: 8 Events to Take You Deeper
Each year, thousands of mountain enthusiasts descend on the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity for nine days of epic events at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. The program is chock-full with inspiring speakers, adrenaline-pumping films, and educational workshops. With such a full schedule, how do you choose what to attend? Here are just eight of many events we think will deepen your festival experience. [...]
Truth and Reconciliation Summit Coming to Banff Centre
On October 29, 2016, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is hosting a day-long summit for Bow Valley residents to learn about and respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action that resulted from this process. To learn more about the event, Crowfoot Media's Editor-in-Chief caught up with Banff Centre's Program Manager for Indigenous Leadership and Management, Brian Calliou, who has taken a lead role in organizing the event. [...]
Bold Lines in Big Terrain: Remembering Trevor Sexsmith
Trevor Sexsmith is remembered as one of the most established ski mountaineers of his time, pushing the sport's boundaries with bold lines in previously unexplored (most would say "unskiable") terrain. [...]
Whyte Museum Seeks Input From Rockies Community
For nearly 50 years, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies has played a central role in preserving the history and culture of our unique corner of the globe and making that heritage accessible to the public through world-class programming and exhibitions. What will the museum's next 50 years look like? That's where you come in. [...]
Review – The Pipestone Wolves: The Rise and Fall of a Wolf Family
In the Rocky Mountains we're no stranger to the impact that human behaviour has had on the wildlife that call this land home. But do we really know the full extent? Considering events that unfolded this past summer, Günther Bloch's The Pipestone Wolves: The Rise and Fall of a Wolf Family couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. [...]
The Art of Stillness Weekend
Discover, practice, share and taste The Art of Stillness through conversations with world-renowned artists, neuroscientists, and Indigenous thinkers, all exploring the role of stillness in a distracted and ever-accelerating world across this multi-event weekend. Crowfoot Media will be supporting The Art of Stillness through featured web content.
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Ten Peaks, Seven Years, Countless Steps: Q+A with Paul Zizka
Few people have summited each of the Ten Peaks that tower over Moraine Lake. Even fewer have photographed from their highest points. Writer Kyla Jacobs interviews Crowfoot Media’s Photo Editor, Paul Zizka, about his journey to climb and photograph one the most famous skylines in the Canadian Rockies. [...]
One Run, One Chance: Q+A with Freeride Snowboarder, Audrey Hebert
The Swatch Freeride World Tour sees the best of the best battle it out all over the world deep in the backcountry, and Banff's Audrey Hebert is taking it on. In this interview, Hebert gives us the lowdown on how she got into snowboarding, her picks for local powder day runs, and an insight into the unique challenges of competing at big mountain events. [...]