Howse Pass Bikeraft

Bike and raft through Howse Pass - a centuries old Indigenous travel route between what is now BC and Alberta. Mapped by Cameron Fenton.

SUMMARY

Hidden in the Canadian Rockies, Howse Pass is a centuries old Indigenous travel route between what is now BC and Alberta. The first place that David Thompson crossed the Continental Divide, and once slated for a proposed highway, the pass is now home to what is probably Canada’s most remote and hard to access historical site. With a bike and a packraft, this route opens up into an amazing 2-4 day loop through stunning scenery, great riding and a fun, long float.

Note: Riding a bike on non-designated trails within the National Park boundary is illegal, so the river is the only way to link from the BC border to the Icefields Parkway and care should be made not to ride in the Park. This may, depending on the river level, require a short hike-a-bike.

DIFFICULTY

On a scale of 1-10, this route ranks as a 7. The biking is largely pretty easy, but the section of the Continental Divide Trail can have some challenging hike-a-bikes. The river is largely an easy Class I-II float, but the first 2km can be challenging, with fast moving water and wood hazards.

LOGISTICAL INFO

a. Highlights:

Howse Pass Historical Site: Deep in the woods is a border marker, plaque and wooden sign
marking the Howse Pass Historical Site. Only accessible by trail, this might be the most remote
and hard to access national historical site in Canada.
• Howse River: Stunning float down a meandering glacial river with views of some of the
iconic peaks of the rockies.
• Blaeberry Valley & CDT: Awesome, beautiful ride up the Blaeberry valley with plenty of
amazing camping.

b. Must Know

When to go: This route is rideable from when the snow melts out of the high pass until it comes back in the fall. Daytime heat can bring the river up so be aware of this, particularly in the first 2km of the the paddle section.

Logistics: Street parking is available in Golden.

Dangers and Annoyances:

Mosquitos can be bad in the summer,
The route travels through bear country
It’s possible for serious weather swings in the alpine.
The river is glacier fed and can rise and fall quickly
The trail on the Alberta side of the border is not maintained, and not open for bikes, so this traverse can only be completed with a packraft.

Travel basics: There is a regular bus service to Golden from both Vancouver and Calgary, this is the same bus that you can use to travel from Lake Louise to Golden. Most accommodation on the Alberta side of the route will require reservations in high season.

Bike Recommendations: This route is best ridden on a hardtail, rigid bike or fat bike.

c. Camping & Lodging

• Camping is available at a number of BC Recreation sites along the Blaeberry River.
• Wilderness camping is possible along the Howse River.
• Camping or hostels along the Icefields Parkway are very busy in summer, book ahead.

d. Food/H2O

There is plenty of water all along the route. Filter/treat any water from lakes or streams.