Great American Get-Together in Banff

Arrivals and transfers to the hotel in Calgary. Program Registration: 4:00-6:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.

At the hotel in Calgary.

Orientation: 7:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This is a Road Scholar Great American Get Together (GAGT) program. GAGT programs involve a large group of participants from all over the country who get to learn about a wide variety of topics and themes from some of Road Scholar’s most acclaimed instructors. For some scheduled activities, participants will be divided into smaller groups. What follows is a representative schedule. The order of the elements each day will vary by group, but each group will have an opportunity to experience all scheduled activities. Periods in the schedule labeled “Free time and “At leisure” offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable while going out to explore on your own, engaging in available activities independently, making new friends among fellow Road Scholars, or simply relaxing. The Group Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the hotel.

Two groups will set out via motorcoach from Calgary, for an exploration of the Banff area, including the town and the Banff Springs Hotel, a National Historic Site of Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While en route, we will learn about the importance of Canadian Pacific Railway and how it contributed to the building of Canada. As we travel the Minnewanka Scenic Route including Bankhead, an abandoned mining town and relic of Banff’s industrial past, we will see hoodoos and anthracite, notable landmarks and historic places, an underwater village, and learn about native history. We’ll stop at a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the classic Two Jack Lake of the Rockies. The other two groups will explore the Parks at Johnston Canyon, a deep rugged canyon with waterfalls and rushing waters. We’ll see how Johnston Creek has carved down into the limestone on the valley bottom, creating a spectacular and deep canyon. Along the way, we’ll make stops for interpretation, viewing, and photo opportunities. To enable animals to connect their habitats safely and protect motorists, Parks Canada has implemented wildlife crossings – underpasses and overpasses. If we’re lucky, we may spot deer, elk, mountain goats, longhorn sheep, bears, and wolves. Groups will switch activities for the morning of Day 7.

At the Banff Centre.

We will discover the fascinating history and geology of the Canadian Rockies in a presentation at the center. Today’s glacial landscape was carved over the last 2.9 million years, during which there have been many ice advances and retreats. We’ll learn from a local geologist about mountain building, the different layers of rock and what they mean, and how the geology of the Canadian Rockies differs from the American Rockies. A second presentation will introduce us to the Banff Centre, during which we will learn from a Banff Centre insider about the state-of-the-art design and architecture of the premises as well as the art, its resident artists and leaders. Afterwards, we’ll embark on an in-depth exploration of the center – the artists in residence, recreation facilities, exhibits, and more.

At the Banff Centre.

We will meet with an expert biologist and conservationist who will give a presentation on how to share the land with grizzly bears. The Bow Valley is considered an internationally significant wildlife migration corridor, contained within the Lake Louise area, it is notable for its critical grizzly bear, elk, lynx, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat habitat. As protected areas, the mountain national parks make a weighty contribution to grizzly bear conservation in the Rocky Mountain ecosystem. These parks can contribute refuge in the greater landscape but this requires special considerations for the way in which humans share the landscape with bears. During the presentation, we will also hear how Parks Canada is conducting land use and management policies.

At the Banff Centre.

We’ll transfer by motorcoach from the centre to the Cave and Basin National Historic Site to explore the birthplace of Canada's first National Park with a Parks Canada expert. The warm waters issuing from Sulphur Mountain have been long-known to aboriginal peoples and eventually these same hot springs became the centerpiece of Canada’s first national park (and the world’s fourth). While here, we will also stroll down to the warm marshes below the springs, easily accessible along a boardwalk, to see introduced tropical fish and warm-water plants. Bring binoculars! We’ll then return to the Banff Centre.

At the Banff Centre.

Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure.

At the Banff Centre.

We’ll transfer by motorcoach to experience some of the foremost geological highlights of the Rockies on an expert-led walking field trip with our Group Leader to Yoho National Park. We’ll learn about the geology of the area in trailside discussions, and see some textbook examples of topics that were covered in the presentations.

At a scenic spot, we'll enjoy boxed lunches.

Next, we’ll continue to Emerald Lake with a stop at the Spiral Tunnels on the way where we’ll hopefully see a train loop on top of itself like a snake as the front of the train goes 180 degrees in the opposite direction of the back of the train. At Emerald Lake, another jewel of the Canadian Rockies, we’ll go on an expert-led trail walk with our Group Leader to learn about the interesting plant species found here and at the Burgess Shale quarries along Fossil Ridge. Thanks to its position on the west side of the Great Divide in Yoho National Park, a 360-degree view from Emerald Lake showcases four very different environments: a huge avalanche path, the pine forest, a dry and dramatic alluvial fan and the towering trees of the rainforest. We’ll then return to the center.

At the Banff Centre.

At your leisure.

At the Banff Centre.

Arriving by motorcoach at Lake Louise, we’ll meet with an expert biologist and conservationist who will give a presentation on how to share the land with grizzly bears. The Bow Valley is considered an internationally significant wildlife migration corridor, contained within the Lake Louise area, it is notable for its critical grizzly bear, elk, lynx, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat habitat. As protected areas, the mountain national parks make a weighty contribution to grizzly bear conservation in the Rocky Mountain ecosystem. These parks can contribute refuge in the greater landscape but this requires special considerations for the way in which humans share the landscape with bears. During the presentation, we will also hear how Parks Canada is conducting land use and management policies. Next, we will board the Lake Louise Gondola – one of the best places for a chance to see grizzly bears in their natural environment. If we’re lucky, we may experience this rare and awesome spectacle of nature from the comfort of an enclosed gondola. From atop a mountain, we’ll enjoy views of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake surrounded by peaks and a deep teal color – nothing less than stunning as it sits in the gorgeous Valley of the Ten Peaks.

At a local restaurant.

Afterwards, we’ll take an expert-led trail walk with our Group Leader around Lake Louise and explore the grounds of the Chateau Lake Louise. Strolling along the lake shore, we’ll take in the beautiful views of the water and mountain peaks and visit Moraine Lake, one of the most photographed lakes in the area. We’ll then return to the Centre.

On your own in Banff to enjoy the local fare, or you may wish to join the Group Leader at a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the Banff Centre.

We’ll start the day traveling along the famed and scenic Icefields Parkway, one of the most impressive stretches of scenic driving in Canada. The highway follows a lake-lined valley between two chains of the Eastern Main Ranges, which make up the Continental Divide. The mountains here are the highest, craggiest, and maybe the most scenic in all of the Canadian Rockies. En route, we’ll learn more from our Group Leader about the geological history and glaciology of the Athabasca Glacier, and about the ever-changing landscape. At several points along the way we’ll stop to enjoy some scenic overlooks.

At a scenic spot along the Parkway, we will stop for boxed lunches.

We’ll continue our motorcoarch exploration of the Icefields Parkway while making our way back to Banff. En route we will stop at scenic overlooks to enjoy the turquoise lakes, mountain-framed valleys and raging waterfalls.

At the Banff Centre.

At leisure.

At the Banff Centre.

An expert from the Whyte Museum will join us at the Banff Centre for a presentation focused on the early explorers of the region. We’ll learn about the historical and current figures that have shaped the mountain culture landscape, including the women whose lives are part of a legacy of backcountry travel, ranching, climbing, scientific research, writing, drama, and art. Afterwards, we’ll transfer via motorcoach with our Group Leader for an exploration of the Bow Valley and Johnston Canyon. The entire area is rich with wildlife; watch the cliffs for bighorn sheep and the swamps for elk and wolves. Exploring Johnston Canyon with our Group Leader on foot, we’ll hike through a deep rugged canyon with waterfalls and rushing waters and see how Johnston Creek has carved its way into the limestone on the valley bottom and created a remarkable canyon in a relatively short period of time. Along the way, we’ll make stops for interpretation, viewing, and photo opportunities. Groups will switch field trips the same as Day 2. We’ll then return to the Centre by motorcoach.

At the Banff Centre.

We will attend a screening at the Banff Centre of short films from the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival; the works are bursting with stories of profound journeys, unexpected adventures, and groundbreaking expeditions told by renowned authors, photographers, adventurers, and filmmakers from around the globe. There will be pre- and post-viewing discussions about the festival and the film with an expert from the Banff Centre.

At the Banff Centre. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer to Calgary Airport in the morning.

At the Banff Centre.

Departing Banff, group transfers to Calgary International Airport will start at 7:30 a.m. Our earliest expected arrival time is 9:30 a.m. This concludes our program. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!