On Old Native Trail from Bow Lake to Abraham Lake

At Bow Lake, at the beginning of your tour, you will be introduced to the story of the Upper Kootenay Plains Indian Tribe and Jimmy Simpson who was one of the most important guides, outfitter, lodge operator, hunter, naturalists, and artists in the Canadian Rockies. These stories will take you from Bow Lake and ascend to the highest road pass in Canada at an elevation of 7, 000 feet overlooking Peyto Lake, named after Bill Peyto, another legendary Rocky Mountain trailblazer. Before reaching the Kootenay Plains sacred grounds, near North Saskatchewan Crossings, you will put on an old vintage snowshoe and start your adventure on snowshoe. An easy walk will bring you to the old cabin located below Tom Wilson Glacier. At the cabin, we will start the fire and you will be introduced to the tall tales and true history of the flooded sacred grounds of the Kootenay Plains and the man-made reservoir Abraham Lake.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Bow Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta Canada

Explore the lakeshore, which has stunning views in winter and listen to stories of First Nation and trailblizers.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Peyto Lake, Icefield Parkway, Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta Canada

At 2, 840 meters or 6, 840 feet Peyto Lake lookout at Bow Summit is the highest point on the Icefields Parkway. You didn’t have to worry about encountering a bear in winter at this location, but this may not be the case in the spring.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Saskatchewan River Crossing, Highway 93 and Highway 11 Improvement District No. 9, Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta Canada

Here you will embark on a short snowshoeing walk through the forest and along the river wearing an old-style snowshoes made with a wooden frame and dried caribou hide webbing. This is the style of snowshoe that would have been used in Banff National Park in winter 100 years ago, or more. If it snows the night before, you can expect to find fresh powder everywhere and will have a lot of fun bounding through the deep snow in your snowshoes. The snowshoes are provided as part of this tour.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Abraham Lake, Abraham Lake, Clearwater County, Alberta

Driving to Abraham Lake to learn the history of the First Nation Native culture can be an adventure. This lake is a large reservoir, used to generate power. The water level drops throughout the winter, creating changing ice conditions. The "Abraham Lake Bubbles" has become internet-famous thanks to a natural sensation that happens beneath its frozen surface. It starts when bacteria feed on decaying plants and animals that have collected along the lake bottom. That process releases methane gas in the form of thousands of bubbles. Floating to the water’s surface, the bubbles remain trapped in frozen, suspended stacks until spring thaws. This area of Kootenay Plains was flooded and is located on sacred grounds.

Duration: 1 hour

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.