Rocky Mountains - gift book for inspiration?

[Paul_B]

OK! This is a completely off topic thread that has nothing to do with Bushcraft but I suspect people on here are likely to have an answer for me.

It's my dad's birthday coming up and due to family issues he's not had his usual big holiday that he used to have after retiring for a number of years now I happen to know he has wanted to go back to Canada / America again for a "trip of a lifetime" journey through the rocky mountains, probably the Canadian part. Probably by train.

My idea is a good book about the rockies. Either guidebook, rail journey guide or photography image book. He's into photography so a book of photographs. Or a good rail travelogue. It's for someone who has everything he needs / wants or can get it if he wants it (and better version than I can afford too). So this idea is any inspiring him and re-igniting his interest in this holiday. This holiday would be a good thing for both my parents and this book would be about inspiring him to do it

The reason I ask here is because there's a good chance someone has had such a holiday, lived in the region or has found some amazing book on the area. Perhaps a book about living in the mountains, perhaps a better "rough guide" type of book, perhaps an image book of Ansel Adams type of photography? Ideas gratefully received.

 

[Robson Valley]

I live in the BC village of McBride in the Canadian Rockies.
Escaped the city and bought a home here in 2000, moved in for retirement 2006.
In both the east and west, peaks to 9,000' are 2-3 miles from my windows.
Google McBride BC and have a peek at my place. Yes, I do grow grapes here.
Have worked in the mountain National Parks, Jasper and Banff, since 1965.

Books: Use Amazon.com and also Chapters.Indigo.ca

Driving: I'd Fly into Edmonton. September. Take the train to Edson or Hinton west then rent a car.
Drive the rest of the way on HWY 16 into Jasper. The road of a lifetime is the drive south on the Icefield Parkway (HWY 93, I think) to Lake Louise.
Stop along the way at the Columbia Icefields and take a tundra bus tour up onto the glacier.
At Lake Louise, got east to Banff. Or, go west to Radium Hot springs ands soak your head in the geothermal pools.
Crawl around through places like Revelstoke and Golden.
Then come up HWY 5 in BC past Valemount then east again on HWY16 through Jasper, back towards Edmonton.

Trains: The Canadian National Railway operates a Rocky Mountain train tour. Dome cars and all.
Very well documented with picture guides and information. Probably all on line now.
That train stops here in McBride, 6 afternoons. The wild fire smoke has made a bust of that ride for weeks now.

OK. Edmonton again (non-stop from Gatwick, I've done it, you get to see Greenland)
Train all the way to Jasper. New train all the way to Prince Rupert on the coast?
Do the coast south to Vancouver in an ocean ferry? Very big mountains plunging straight into the sea. Fjord country.
Hop the CN transcontinental train in YVR which will take you through the Rockies, back up through Jasper and over to Edmonton again.
You could fly home from YVR but there's more to see on the ground.

One caution: the winter trip is really dull because the days are so short.
The train crawls through the night in the mountains. No partying in the dome car after 11 PM.
Too dark to see out, anyway.
The big reason is that the snowfields tighten up in the cold of the night.
The train vibration is less likely to set off avalanches.
Sure, there are tunnels and concrete snow sheds but a direct hit will spoil anyone's day.
= = = =
Hope that isn't too cryptic. All sorts of big game wild life all over the place.
Damn goats and sheep stop the traffic just like the Elk and bears do.
I love this place. McBride is like Jasper without the tourist crowds and the typical tourist prices.
It's worse now as the Japanese and the Koreans spend suitcases of money and don't blink.

 

[santaman2000]

I'd google "Rocky Mountain Outfitters" and see what turns up. (outfitters are hunting or fishing guides that usually provide backcountry camps) If you see one that looks like it might peak his interest then order a brochure sent to his address.

Another approach would be to google the individual states or provinces natural resources divisions. These will go by names such as "XXX State (or Province) Park Service/Division" or by "XXX State (or Province) Forest Service." Here are a couple of examples:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrgEZCjXYtbW4gAThIPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByb2lvbXVuBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1535888932/RO=10/RU=https://cpw.state.co.us//RK=2/RS=SqAjgTW8f0C5VIWO.GEgSNUgiL0-
British Columbia Provincial Parks http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=Awr9LvG0XotbrIAASvgPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByb2lvbXVuBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1535889205/RO=10/RU=http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks//RK=2/RS=G9zrS34uaZxKxfG36K.taF1vUdM-

I also found this link to Mesa Verde National Park and the Native American (Pueblo Indians) cliff dwellings https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=Awr9Ci6_X4tb9zIAnV4PxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByb2lvbXVuBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1535889471/RO=10/RU=https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm/RK=2/RS=lMXOM_V.zRYD6jGmNdC6kTxh8PI- and this link to Amazon lists a couple of books about the park https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrWqhWEYItbFCYAG2oPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByb2lvbXVuBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1535889668/RO=10/RU=https://www.amazon.com/mesa-verde-Books/s?page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Amesa%20verde/RK=2/RS=DF2QVCwse957RRf7_XAFOscpegc-

 

[Robson Valley]

I have not see Pueblo since I was a kid, maybe 8? 10?
I'd spend time there in a minute. Largely because I've done enough reading and research
to really appreciate those people this time.

Canada is divided into political subdivisions called provinces.
All up all of the UK, plus all of Japan, plus all of New Zealand.
The one single province of British Columbia is bigger than those 3 countries, combined.
Everything is spread out and there's lots to see.
BC has more biogeoclimatic zones and more biodiversity than all the rest of Canada, put together.
Super, Natural, British Columbia.
While the governments promote tourism, the best advice in Canada comes from the myriad of contractors.