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For folks who are looking to take a little bit of home
into the back-country, Sundance and Halfway Lodges provide just the right
combination. Like the full circle rides, days are spent horseback riding
and exploring. Unlike the circle rides, evenings are spent in a cozy
lodge. We call that roughing it the civilized way!
 RTAB17
Rates 2008: All inclusive from Banff, AB - rides from lodge to
lodge
plus GST 2.5% (5% for Canadian residents), and Park fee per night $10
6 Days/5 Nights from $1,335-$1,514
We-Mo  check
availability
5 Days/ 4 Nights from $1,123-$1,272
Mo-Fr
check
availability
4 Days/ 3 Nights from $907-$1,025
Su-We check
availability
3 Days/ 2 Nights from $686-$775
Mo-We and Th-Sa
Detailed Rates and Dates
2008 Dates are available
from May to Oct
Meeting: Banff, Trail Rider Store
Horses:
Quarter Mix
Tack:
Western
Pace: Slow, 4-6 hours per day
Level:
Novice+
Min/Max Riders: 2-14
Notes:
Bus transfer from Calgary to Banff approximately
$50
see
General Info
Itinerary
Six-day LODGE RIDE
Day 1 - Riders meet at our office at 9:30 a.m.
and are transported by van to Martin Stables. There they are met by their
guides and horses and mount up for the ten mile ride to Banff Sundance
Lodge via the glacier-fed waters of the Bow River, Healy and Brewster
Creeks.
Day 2 - The adventure continues southward with
a ride up to Halfway Lodge. The trail winds along the historic Strom pack
trail with the rugged Sundance Range dominating the eastern horizon.
Day 3 - After a good night's rest at Halfway
Lodge and a hearty breakfast, it's down to the corral to mount up for the
day's ride. Trips may take riders to the headwaters of Brewster Creek or
to the breathtaking views enjoyed at the top of Allenby Pass, at an
elevation of 8,100 ft.
Day 4 - After a warm good-bye to the cook and
Halfway, the trail leads back to Sundance Lodge. This will be home for the
next two nights.
Day 5 - The day begins with a hot, ranch-style
breakfast, fuel for the ride up Fatigue Creek. At midday, both horse and
rider enjoy a restful break in the Fatigue Valley, while the lunch horse
is unpacked and coffee is brewed. The lofty heights of the Continental
Divide provide spectacular vistas of both Alberta and British Columbia.
Day 6 - The gang gets together for one last day
on the trail, a "soft" ten-mile ride from Sundance to Martin Stables,
arriving at approximately 4:30 p.m. The adventure has come to a close, but
the magic of your holiday will linger on to be relived and shared.
Shorter Trips
The 4 day trip departs on a Sunday and spends the first night at Sundance
Lodge, the second night at Halfway Lodge and returns back to Sundance for
the final evening.
The 5 day trip departs on a Monday and spends the first
night at Sundance Lodge, the second and third night at Halfway Lodge and
returns back to Sundance Lodge for the final evening.
Accommodations
Completed in 1991,
Sundance Lodge now sits on the original site of
the horse corral for Ten-Mile cabin, built by Canadian Pacific Railway
back in the 1920's. The cabin itself remains standing and was declared a
historical site in 1990. It was used as a refuge for mountain guides and
packers traveling to Mount Assiniboine, whose names you can still see
carved into the logs.
Sundance Lodge sits alongside a gentle curve on
Brewster Creek, with the Sundance mountain range as a backdrop. Built
entirely with fir logs, the lodge has 10 sleeping rooms, a large country
kitchen, and a cozy living room area where you can curl up by the
woodstove and lose yourself in a good book. And although it is a remote
backcountry lodge, we decided to add what we felt was an important comfort
from home - hot showers! (Please note that, for environmental reasons,
showers are restricted to one per stay.)
Surrounded by the beauty of towering peaks,
Halfway
Lodge has been a welcome haven for over 60 years. Rich in tradition,
this cabin was used back in the late 1920's by mountain guide Erling Strom
as a stopover for his guests traveling from Banff to Mount Assiniboine.
Then a single storied cabin, Strom's wranglers spent the night sleeping in
tents while the guests found floor space within. Halfway has remained
pretty much as originally built, with the exception of a second story
added in 1967 when a bear made an appearance through an unexpected
entrance - the roof!
Thanks to the bear, Halfway now sleeps a maximum of
fourteen guests. The lifestyle at this rustic backcountry cabin remains
much the same as it was 60 years ago - simple. Propane lanterns and
candles provide the lighting, and a woodstove keeps the water hot and the
cabin warm and cozy.
Note: private sleeping arrangements are possible
depending on trip size, but are not guaranteed. Halfway is equipped with
single beds only.
see
General Info |
Gather
your girlfriends and meet other
adventure-seeking women in an exclusive women’s
only ride that enhances the bonds of women’s
spirit. This 5-day ride, hosted by Holly J Wood
of Right Mind Media takes you out to the cozy
Sundance Lodge and rustic Halfway Lodge. Enjoy
day rides with cowboy lunch on the trail and
hearty home cooked meals at the lodges. Relax in
the high country of Banff National Park while
enjoying a good book, a walk by a mountain
stream or the camaraderie of your fellow women
adventurers. Riders can expect days of
breathtaking scenery and loyal surefooted horses
while evenings are spent sharing stories of life
and laughter.