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Canada is well-known for its polite people, maple syrup and, of course, for hockey. However, another rugged, adventurous lure attracts locum tenens doctors to the great north: the Canadian Rockies.
You could dedicate a lifetime to exploration of the Rockies. Many, in fact, do. However, if you're passing through Canada on assignment and want to hit the highlights, the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park is one of the best backpacking trips in the Rockies.
Jasper National Park
In the southwest mountains of Alberta, very near the border to British Columbia, is Jasper. Jasper is known as the gentle giant of the Rockies, a quiet base of operations for outdoor adventurers and a place for urban dwellers to connect with nature.
The great news for locum tenens doctors is that Jasper and the park are easily within drivable range of Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. The park's roads are paved and well-maintained, and access is open year-round.
However, if you're interested in getting up and above tree line for some of the most spectacular alpine views in the world, you'll need to plan ahead and target the warm weeks between late July and early September.
Above the trees on the Skyline Trail
The Skyline Trail is a three-day backpacking experience, nearly 20 miles of which are above the tree line. Sweeping views of broad valleys and neighboring mountain ranges are the norm on this trek. The distant vistas are complemented by a riot of blooming wildflowers and scenic rest stops along the shores of alpine lakes.
Two trailheads feed the Skyline Trail. Signal Mountain trailhead is close to Jasper, but it adds another 1,800 feet of elevation change to the trip. The Maligne Lake trailhead is farther out of town and makes for a faster, easier escape to the mountaintops.
The Skyline Trail season is short, so plan ahead and book early to secure campsites for this world-class, backpacking adventure.