Please note: I do not accept credit cards, nor do I require a deposit.
Payment methods I do accept:
Or, for Canadian bank account holders only: electronic funds transfer (e-payment).
American guests can also pay in U.S. Dollars (cash or check) at current exchange rates.
A portion of my sales is donated to wildlife and wilderness conservation.
If you have to cancel your birdwatching tour, please let me know as soon as possible! Last minute cancellations are a big challenge for a small, personal business like mine. There is no cancellation fee, but I really appreciate your consideration.
I expect you to be prepared to go in overcast and light rain situations.
In the case of truly horrible weather, you can cancel without penalty at the last minute. But please wait until the morning of the trip! I’m not kidding… the weather forecast can be quite wrong even the night before.
There is no official weather forecast for Lake Louise (the Weather Network one is a fiction). Your best choice is Environment Canada’s Yoho National Park forecast – just make it one or two degrees cooler.
After many years, I have one strong piece of advice: planning your trip around weather forecasts here is not worth your time. The forecasts cannot be relied upon even one day in advance. Mountain weather changes very quickly.
The good news is that our rain is most often light – falling for short periods of time, on and off. A torrential, long-lasting downpour is rare.
Your safety is my concern. I have wilderness first aid training and carry on all trips a radio, first-aid kit and bear spray.
All participants are required to sign a waiver releasing Great Divide Nature Interpretation from liability before the trip begins. I recommend you read my waiver before making a booking.
Great Divide is insured and is licensed to operate by Parks Canada. I suggest you review their wildlife safety information.
You must purchase a national park pass – the entry fee for the national parks. In the event of an emergency on the trail, this park pass covers the cost of a rescue. Passes can be purchased at park gates or visitor centres when you arrive, or, online ahead of time. Note that these passes are valid for all the mountain national parks at the same time (Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Jasper, Waterton Lakes, Mt. Revelstoke-Glacier).
A small amount of extra equipment is available: some clothing, hiking poles and packs. I also provide Banff National Park bird checklists, and bring field guides for identification.
For an early morning start, I recommend organizing lunch the night before your trip.
Most hotels will pack a lunch for you. Specify that you’d like it to fit into a pack and to withstand some crushing. In Lake Louise I recommend Laggan’s Mountain Deli (403-522-2017) or Trailhead Café (403-522-2006). And in Banff, there are lots of coffee shops and sandwich places, and two grocery stores.
On some birding trips we can pause for lunch at a cafe in Banff or Field towns.
Mountain weather can change a lot in the course of a day, and mornings are almost always cold, even during the summer. Bring a winter hat & mitts to keep warm at the beginning of the day, and “dress in layers” to allow you to quickly adjust clothing to maintain comfort.
