pepsi-cola trophie

WHY NOT THE ROCKIES ?
The Rockies and the Alps. are often
compared but to those who know them
each has its own charm. The Rockies
however, need the cosiness and romance
of the small mountain yillage, the yodels
of the shepherds to awaken the true
echoes. The Alps, on the other hand,
lack the virginity and untouched majesty
of the Rockies with their wilderness of
hundreds of unexplored peaks and
valleys. To mountaineers each satisfies
different desires and neither one outdoes
the other.
For me, the Rockies in the summer
are quite enough of an attraction - big
heavy boots with vibram soles and a
rope around my middle and opportunities
to bat my way through bush and stream
and find the way to places above almost
the whole world. But that is an individual
taste and so many people "hate heights",
even though they don't seem to mind
rushing down the slalom hill at sixty
m.p.h. all winter. Personally I "hate
speed". In the winter there are attractions
three thousand miles west of the precambrian
shield, so skiers see the Rockies
with yer skis on !
At Banff there is the well known
Mount Norquay where there has been
a chair lift for years. Then you go on
to Sunshine Lodge nearly eight thousand
feet above sea level and the full comforts
of home : ski tows, snowmobiles and
plenty of snow till the beginning of May,
right at your doorstep. Forty miles west,
at Lake Louise, there are two lodges -
one at the station and Mount Temple
Lodge at seven thousand feet. These two
share a gondola lift, a poma lift, a rope
tow, lots of snow and are equipped with
all the comforts of home. From both
Sunshine and Temple far more remote
places may be reached. These are the
ski trails into the heart of the mountains,
trails that will not be forgotte.n and
where you feel no skis but your own
have ever passed.
By "DORETTA PEAK"
-33-
Mount Assiniboine Lodge, fifteen
miles from Sunshine, is open all summer
but for several years has closed up for
the winter. It is owned and operated by
Erling Strom who also runs a popular
Norwegian Ski Lodge at Stowe, Vermont.
For a while there was an air service in
but now it must be reached by trail -
a long haul and a real endurance test,
up valleys, beside mountains and over
passes that only mountaineers can picture.
I am sure, with a little pressure from the
public, Erling would be delighted to open
it again regularly. Private parties do get
in there now by arrangement to magnificent
skiing.
From Mount Temple Lodge the trails
lead further on to Skoki, eight miles
away and over Deception Pass. Skoki
Lodge can be used any time and is cosy
and warm and the centre of wonderful
ski trails. It is wise to have some experienced
mountaineers with you at these
more distant places.
And Bow Summit, ,about forty miles
up the Banff-Jasper Highway, is now
very popular even though there is no
sign of a tow. Any of these places are
worth visiting for the scenery alone.
The Alpine Club of Canada holds an
annual ski camp in the Rockies and
with them I went into the Yoho Valley
for a week. We got off the train at
Field, B.C. and were driven as far as
the road would take us up the Yoho
Valley, about six miles of the eleven off
the main highway. This distance varies
with the snow conditions each year. We
put on our skins - skins on your skis
are essential for happy mountain skiing
- and arrived at the warden's cabin
beyond Takakkaw Falls about five
o'clock. This is still seven miles from
the Little Yoho Valley and at that time
it was dark before seven o'clock. So we
spent the night in the cabin - sleeping
bags were available for the females and
the men were carrying their own. Seven