Many thanks to Nucleus 
who donated space on their
servers for our web site !

Conditions and Contact Information
 

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND INTERNET SITES
(updated 2009 September)

Emergency Numbers (pdf)

Emergency Numbers (MS Word)

Download and print these emergency phone numbers and stuff in your knapsack. Some day you may need them.

Weather and Road Conditions

Environment Canada (24-hr weather information) ( 403) 299-7878

Web forecasts for various towns plus spots like Nakiska ridge or Sask River Crossing on BJ Hiway are available via the following links:

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca

http://www.theweathernetwork.com

http://www.wunderground.com/global

WEBCams

Webcams may also be useful for weather checks IF CURRENT. See links at theweathernetwork.com or others listed by parks below.
Alberta Motor Association Road Report: (403) 246-5853

AMA traffic cameras for Alberta highways

  - Canmore Three Sisters

  - Canmore Downtown

  - Canmore Silvertip

 British Columbia Roads: 1-800-550-4997

   - BC webcams

   - BC HWYs webcam

Parks Canada Road Conditions: 403-762-1450

   - Webcam Banff

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Bear Sightings and Area Closures (Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, and Jasper):

    Websites: 

                - Banff National Park Bear Update
                - Bow Valley Wildsmart

                    Bow Valley WildSmart serves all residents and visitors to the

                    Bow Valley (from the east gate of Banff National Park to the

                     Kananaskis River).

                     Check out these Wildsmart resources:

                        WildSmart on Facebook

                        Sign up to Wildsmart Bear Reports

                                  Have the weekly Bear Report sent to your email every Friday

                             WildSmart's YouTube Channel

                         Bear Avoidance and other wildlife safety tips

Avalanche Conditions:

   - Canada Avalanche Site

   - BC Avalanche Information Page

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Books and Maps:

Rocky Mountain Guide Books

Most of the trails we travel are fully described in several excellent guide books, some of which are listed below.  These are available at many bookstores and outdoor equipment stores.  A few are out of print but may be available in used book stores.

• Short Walks for Inquiring Minds by Gillean Daffern (1994)
• Where Locals Hike in the Canadian Rockies:  The Premier Trails in Kananaskis Country by Craig Copeland (2005)
• Popular Day Hikes 1: Kananaskis Country by Gillean Daffern (2007)
• Popular Day Hikes 2: Canadian Rockies by Tony Daffern (2008)
• Canadian Rockies Trail Guide:  A Hiker's Guide to Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks by Brian Patton and Bart Robinson. 8th Ed. (2007)
• 50 Walks and Hikes in Banff National Park by Brian Patton and Bart Robinson. (2008)
• Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies by Kathy and Craig Copeland, 5th Ed. (2004)
• Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park by Vicky Spring, 2nd Ed. (2003)
• Hiking Lake Louise by Mike Potter
• The World of Lake Louise: A Hiking Guide by Don Beers
• Hiking Canada's Great Divide Trail: Revised and Updated by Dustin Lynx (2007)
• Backcountry Banff:  Walking, Hiking, Backpacking, and Off-Trail Scrambling in Banff National Park by Mike Potter (2001)
• Ridgewalks in the Canadian Rockies by Mike Potter (2001)
• Fire Lookout Hikes in the Canadian Rockies by Mike Potter (2008)
• Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies by Alan Kane (1999)
• More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies by Andrew Nugara (2007)

In addition to the various hiking guidebooks, members can make good use of a variety of excellent recreational maps found at outdoor equipment sellers and map outlets.   

• Topographical maps based on the Resources Canada map grid, preferably those with a 1:50000 scale, are available for about $10
• Gem Trek makes many such maps also with waterproof coatings.
• Other trail maps focus on specific locales like Lake O'Hara or Lake Louise.
• There are also some map printing resources available on the Internet.  Addresses change, so search for the latest.
• CORE has mapping software available to trip coordinators that can produce detailed, smaller printouts of trip-centered areas.

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Calgary Area Outdoor Council (CAOC)

June 2010: About 15 CORE members along with several other outdoor clubs recently attended a Travel Safely in Bear Country workshop taught by Karelian Bear Shepherding Institute of Canada, and  sponsored by CAOC. This workshop gave some valuable insights into bear behavior, and how to avoid confrontations. Can you read Bear body language? Did you know that some bears are shy and just want you out of their space, while others are just looking for a 'bar fight, and you have to be ready to fight back. Do you know how to use your bear spray effectively, and when to deploy it. Read a few safety tips on Wildsmart at: http://www.wildsmart.ca/learn.htm

To All Current CORE Members:

The On-Line Trail Database Application ("Project Yodel")  

is now available!!

An excellent resource for members.  Find out information such as how long was a certain trail, how much elevation gain, what had happened during past events.

Click here to browse to run the on-line application -- which is on the Members-Only zone, and thus you'll need the "usual" user-ID and password. After that, there's another login dialog box that looks like the screen-shot at the left.  But!  You don't need to log in at this point; just click on "Login as Guest". Enjoy the application!

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