Mount Assiniboine
Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park in the Canadian Rockies is premier backpacking country. But your enjoyment isn't limited to seeing Mount Assiniboine. The namesake peak is but one of many arresting sights here.
The high-voltage scenery, however, is concentrated near the southeast corner of the roughly triangular-shaped park. Naturally, that's where most of the trails lead and where a trail network has developed. So despite competition for your attention, you'll see Mount Assiniboine unless the weather is consistently horrendous.
And Mount Assiniboine's fame is justified. A pyramidal, grand poohba's hat, it resembles Switzerland's Matterhorn. Though at 3618 m (11,867 ft) it's merely the Canadian Rockies' seventh highest peak, which belies how frequently and far away it's visible and recognizable.
Most backpackers visiting the park share the same initial destination: Lake Magog, in the basin north of Mount Assiniboine. Strong hikers can tag Magog on a weekend: one long day in, one long day out. Too fast. Give yourself at least a third day for a sidetrip. Ideally, allow five days. Ignore the nearby ridges, meadows and lakes, and you'll be cheating yourself of what could well be the best backpacking experience of your life.
Want to hike to Mount Assiniboine? You'll find all the details and motivation you need in a guidebook like no other: Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, The Opinionated Hiking Guide. Reading it will ensure you devote your invaluable hiking time to the most spectacular trails in the Canadian Rockies, one of which leads to Mount Assiniboine.
Go to http://www.hikingcamping.com/hike-rockies.php to learn more about Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, The Opinionated Hiking Guide.
