Banff,
Jasper & Glacier National Parks, by Korina Miller,
Susan Derby, & David Lukas
Here's undeniable proof that a good book can
be written by committee. The three authors of Lonely Planet's
new Banff, Jasper, and Glacier National Parks, together
with project manager Kathleen Munnelly, have succeeded in packing
more useful and fascinating information into 296 pages than
I would have thought possible. Considering the fact that these
three parks span a huge area between Kalispell, Montana, and
Edmonton, Alberta, I am impressed that a book small enough to
fit in a jacket pocket offers enough detail to plan and enjoy
driving and hiking through the Canadian Rockies and also has
plenty of detail about history, geology, flora, and fauna. Oh,
yeah, and good maps, too. And an enticing selection of color
photographs. How they managed to cram all this in and still
use font sizes plenty large enough to read easily is a mystery
I am happy to leave unsolved.
I recommend reading this book while you
are planning (or even just considering) a visit to the Canadian
Rockies. The suggested itineraries offer outlines for road
trips as short as half a day and as long as a week. Nicely
organized charts list hiking trails along with distance, elevation
change, degree of difficulty, features, facilities, and a
brief description. You'll also find plenty of information
about seasonal activities from fishing to skiing, how to deal
with bears, elk, and moose, how to get away from the crowds,
how to find a job, where to stay, where to eat, and where
to party. The budgeting tips are good guidelines, and whenever
prices are mentioned, clear distinction is made between U.S.
and Canadian dollars.
The short articles on historical topics sprinkled
throughout the guide make for fascinating reading. Expect
to learn about wonders like Project Habakkuk, a World War
II-era plan to build a streamlined iceberg in the Atlantic
Ocean to serve as an aircraft landing strip. A prototype was
built in 1942 in Patricia Lake in Jasper National Park, but
exorbitant cost kept the project from going forward. All that's
left of Project Habakkuk is a wooden frame at the bottom of
the lake and a good story. Another such tale concerns Reverend
George Kinney, who may or may not have been the first climber
to reach the summit of Mount Robson, the tallest peak in the
Canadian Rockies.
Banff, Jasper & Glacier National Parks
is also remarkably easy to navigate. The careful use of bold-faced
type makes key words stand out on the pages, the index is
comprehensive, and the appendix lists telephone numbers and
Web addresses for parks, accommodations, tour operators, and
relevant organizations as well as suggestions for further
reading and maps.
Is there a flaw? All I could find was one typo
on page 32. This is a truly great book.
Megan
Edwards
5/2/04
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