Spend Spring Break with your Family at a Wilderness Hostel

Spring Break is coming along with the Easter long weekend and we always love spending a few nights at one of the wilderness hostels in Kananaskis, Banff, or Jasper. The hostels provide the perfect combination of drive-up access blended with a backcountry experience (with way more comfort than winter camping!)

This cabin could  be yours for a Spring Break getaway! (HI Hilda Creek)

Rent an Entire Wilderness Hostel for your Group

"Rent out an entire wilderness hostel for your family or group's exclusive use. Gather around the campfire pit, gaze up at the brilliant night skies and enjoy your own slice of paradise in the wilderness. Each hostel comes with comfortable sleeping quarters for 6 to 40, a fully equipped kitchen, a cozy lounge area with a woodstove, an outdoor campfire pit and a whole lot of peace and quiet." - Hostelling International Canada

Follow this link to access the Rent-a-Hostel page for Hosteling International Canada for all information.

This entire wilderness hostel could be yours for a weekend! (HI Athabasca Falls)

How do I make a booking and how much will I pay to rent an entire hostel?

Bookings for all hostels with Hostelling International Canada must be made over the phone if you want to book an entire hostel.

You can get more information on the booking process here.

And note the HI Hilda Creek Hostel only sleeps 6 people. For this one, you can book all 6 beds online and voila, you've booked an entire hostel. 

Alternately, you can book an entire cabin for your group or family at most of the wilderness hostels. For this, also book online. For example: book 6 beds at the HI Rampart Creek Hostel and you'll get a dorm to yourself in one of their log cabins. You'll share the kitchen and communal living cabin, but at least you won't be sharing your sleeping cabin.

View all of the hostels in Alberta at this link where you can also see how big the dorm rooms are, and how easy it would be to book a full cabin for your group. (The HI Mosquito Creek Wilderness Hostel for example has dorm rooms that sleep 12 people, so you'd have to book all 12 beds.)

Imagine spending a few days here with your family! (HI Rampart Creek)

Why Stay at a Wilderness Hostel instead of a Hotel

There are a few main reasons why we love staying at wilderness hostels:

• Each hostel has kitchen facilities so we can cook our own meals and save money on not having to eat out. (And they're significantly cheaper than fully equipped condos.)
  
  
• We appreciate the space! Hotel rooms generally have one room (unless you splurge on a 2-bedroom condo.) Meanwhile, a hostel will usually have a separate kitchen and living area (sometimes with a fireplace) and separate rooms or cabins for sleeping. This is great if you want to stay up past the kids' bedtime! (No hiding in the bathroom while the kids sleep in the hotel room.)
  
  
• The kids can go sledding, play in the snow, build a snowman, or just run around - right outside the hostel! (This doesn't usually happen when you stay at a hotel.) Bring some lawn chairs and you can just hang out and watch the kids play - without having to drive anywhere! Every hostel is located in a wilderness setting so you'll have space for the kids to run around for miles.
  
  
• By March we usually miss camping and staying at a wilderness hostel gives us that "nature fix" that we've been craving. Lest you worry that the hostels will be too "rustic" though, many of them have indoor plumbing with showers, and some even have full electricity with microwaves.
  
  
• Spring is a great time to stay at one of the hostels along the Icefields Parkway or near Lake Louise. There's still awesome skating, sledding, and skiing (while everything is starting to melt closer to Calgary.)

This could be your children if you spend a few nights on the Icefields Parkway this spring!

Wilderness Hostels as a base camp for Skiing

The HI Kananaskis Hostel is the closest facility to Calgary and is located just below Kananaskis Village off Highway 40. Stay in Kananaskis and you'll be a 5 minute drive from the Nakiska Ski Hill.

There are also groomed cross-country ski trails right outside the door from the hostel and around the Kananaskis Village area.

HI Castle Mountain is located at Castle Junction in Banff and is centrally located to ski at either Sunshine Village, Mount Norquay, or at the Lake Louise Ski Resort.

There are also groomed cross-country ski trails right outside the door.

HI Mosquito Creek is another great option for downhill skiing. This hostel is located approximately 30 minutes away from the Lake Louise Ski Resort on the Icefields Parkway (a heck of a lot closer than the ski hill is from Calgary for a day trip!)

Stay at Mosquito Creek and you'll have plenty of options for cross-country skiing as well near Lake Louise.

There are several wilderness hostels near downhill ski resorts

Wilderness Hostels as a base camp for snowshoeing, hiking, and adventure

We love staying at the hostels along the Icefields Parkway where you can walk out the door and generally go rambling wherever you want (within reason.) I'm not saying you should just start walking up any random hiking trail in winter (avalanche terrain is very real out along the Parkway) but we've had a lot of fun over the years exploring the terrain near each hostel we've stayed at.

Below are highlights from each wilderness hostel along the Icefields Parkway.

HI Mosquito Creek  - Explore the Mosquito Creek campground or cross the highway and hike up the creek to find frozen waterfalls. Note you'll be going up the actual creek and not up the summer hiking trail. (Though we did try cross-country skiing the summer hiking trail and it was quite beautiful - though challenging.) From Mosquito Creek you're also near Lake Louise where there are many safe designated winter hiking trails.

We found these frozen waterfalls right across the highway from the HI Mosquito Creek Hostel

From Mosquito Creek we also like to hike or cross-country ski to the Peyto Lake Viewpoint at Bow Summit. The viewpoint is closed this winter 2021 for construction, but keep it in mind if you're traveling here next winter. The hike or ski is an easy one up a wide summer road with no avalanche danger. Once you get to the viewpoint though you should return. Do not attempt to hike the Bow Summit Lookout Trail where backcountry skiers will be touring with avalanche gear and training.

The Peyto Lake Viewpoint is always a fun destination on skis or snowshoes (add to your list for 2022)

Finally we have also cross-country skied across Bow Lake (sticking to the middle of the lake to avoid avalanche slopes) and you could also hike across the lake. It's a beautiful lake even if you just stop by the lodge to take photos and play around.

Do not go past the end of the lake towards Bow Glacier Falls as this puts you in avalanche terrain.

Skiing across Bow Lake on the Icefields Parkway

HI Rampart Creek - Further north along the Icefields Parkway near the Saskatchewan River Crossing, this hostel is conveniently located to explore the Mistaya Canyon Trail. We've also enjoyed hiking in the meadows across the highway from the hostel and there's a small canyon behind the hostel. 

From Rampart Creek you're also a short 30 minute drive from the Columbia Icefields Centre where you can snowshoe the moraines below the Athabasca Glacier and hike to the toe of the glacier. (It's not safe to walk on the glacier itself.) And just past the Icefields Centre, make sure you drive a short distance further to view the frozen Tangle Falls (right hand side of the road.)

Playing in the snow outside the Rampart Creek Hostel 

HI Hilda Creek - Families wanting a true backcountry experience will find it here! This is a hike-in hostel and you'll have to load all of your gear into a sled, and use snowshoes to access the hostel (even though it's only a 5 minute hike to the cabin.) - Read more below where I've listed stories from our previous trips.

From Hilda Creek families with backcountry experience and avalanche training can snowshoe up to the moraines behind the hostel to try some epic sledding. The trail we follow starts behind the outhouse by the creek where the terrain is generally safe if you have the training to know where to go (and where not to go.) You should not hike directly up from the hostel as this will put you into direct avalanche terrain.

Sledding down glacier moraines above the Hilda Creek Hostel 

If you want to drive from Hilda Creek you are a very short distance away from the Columbia Icefields Centre where you can play on the moraines at the toe of the Athabasca Glacier. 

Hiking to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefields Centre

We've also hiked down to the base of Panther Falls which was an amazing hike nearby. I'd avoid this area in times of high avalanche hazard and the trail is not suitable for young children. It is also imperative that you have spikes or good ice cleats.

Panther Falls near the HI Hilda Creek Hostel

The basic appeal of Hilda Creek is that you'll get to experience true winter camping without having to sleep in a tent. This hostel does not have a manager on site and you'll be fully responsible for your own needs.

Note you should not hike the popular Parker Ridge or Wilcox Pass Trails in winter with children. Both trails enter avalanche terrain.

Create memories on the Icefields Parkway!

HI Beauty Creek - We haven't stayed here as a family yet, but this hostel is similar to Hilda Creek in that you'll be on your own without a manager to assist you. You get a key code in advance to access the hostel. Access is much simpler though and you won't have to hike in to the cabin. 

From Beauty Creek you can either drive back to the Columbia Icefields Centre (20 minute drive) or you can drive further to the Town of Jasper (which is only an hour north.) You're quite close to both the Sunwapta Falls and the Athabasca Falls Trails from this hostel as well (both very safe in winter.)

The "beauty" about this hostel is that you can explore Jasper as a day trip without having to drive the full distance to Jasper. You'll save an hour of driving if you're heading out Friday night but can still go skiing, hiking, or exploring around the Town of Jasper the next day.

Ice climbing at Tangle Falls near the Columbia Icefields Centre

The hostel is also conveniently located near Tangle Falls for families who have experience with ice climbing. This is one of the best places to try ice climbing as a family because you can set up a top rope from above without having to lead.

If you'd like to try ice climbing but don't have experience, contact Rockaboo Mountain Adventures in Jasper. They often use Tangle Falls for their "Experience Ice Climbing" Tour. And while they normally meet in Jasper, you might be able to convince them to meet you at Tangle Falls (especially if you booked a private tour.) Youth must be 12+ to join this tour.

Ice climbing at Tangle Falls on the Icefields Parkway 

Read more here about winter on the Icefields Parkway. This Parks Canada page gives very important information on driving the highway in winter and general safety.

Hiking through the Mosquito Creek Campground beside the hostel

Additional Reading (read about our previous hosteling adventures!)

Wilderness Hosteling in Kananaskis

• Winter Camping in Kananaskis
  
  
• Affordable Family Ski Vacations in the Canadian Rockies
  
  

Space for miles to play outside at the HI Kananaskis Hostel

Wilderness Hosteling at HI Castle Mountain

• Winter at the HI Castle Mountain Hostel with Kids 
  
  
• Family Hostelling - Book an Entire Wilderness Hostel 
  
  

Cross-country skiing at Castle Junction in Banff 

Wilderness Hosteling at HI Mosquito Creek and HI Rampart Creek

• 5 Reasons to Take your Family to Mosquito Creek this Winter
  
  
• Spring Adventures on the Icefields Parkway 
  
  
• Rampart Creek: Our New Favourite Wilderness Hostel 

Playing in a snow quincy we found in the Mosquito Creek Campground

Wilderness Hosteling at HI Hilda Creek

• Raising Tough Kids - Hilda Creek Wilderness Trip
  
  
• Easter at the Best Wilderness Hostel in the Canadian Rockies 

Playing in snow caves outside the HI Hilda Creek Hostel 

Disclaimer: This story has been written in partnership with Hosteling International Canada. We have received many complimentary stays over the years in exchange for writing and sharing.

The Easiest Family Winter Backcountry Trip (Wheeler Hut, Rogers Pass)

We have snowshoed or skied into the A.O. Wheeler Hut in Canada's Glacier National Park three times now, and it always amazes me how EASY it is to get kids into the backcountry for a winter trip when you stay here. With a short approach and a very large cabin, you can invite your whole gang of friends to join you for a fun group winter getaway.

November Skiing into the Wheeler Hut in Glacier National Park, British Columbia

Skiing or Hiking into the Wheeler Hut

Hiking into the Wheeler Hut - Photo: Sean Strang

The Alpine Club of Canada operates and maintains over 25 backcountry huts across the Canadian Rockies. Most are way too challenging for a family to access in winter, but a couple are doable if your kids can ski or hike at least 9-12 km. One is usually quite easy to reach (when the road is open, which this year it is not,) but fortunately there is still the easy peasy Wheeler Hut approach.

The Wheeler Hut can be reached by vehicle in summer, and by a very short 1.2 km ski or hike in winter. Most children I know can hike or ski that far. And if not, it's pretty easy to tow them in a sled for that short distance.

So that's it, 1.2 km of hiking or skiing on a flat easy path, and you've arrived at the cozy Wheeler Hut!

There is one steep hill out of the parking lot, but we just walk our stuff up this first hill (carrying our skis) and then proceed from there once the trail flattens out. And when I say flat, I mean flat! The approach would be manageable even by a child wearing toddler sized strap on x-country skis.

My boys on the Wheeler Hut approach (see how flat the trail is?!) 

Below are the most popular questions I'd expect to be asked about a ski or snowshoe trip into the Wheeler Hut:

Where is the Wheeler Hut Located?

The hut is located in Glacier National Park (the Canadian one) in British Columbia. From Calgary, it's about a 4 hour drive BUT, trust me, it's doable for a weekend.

We drive out to the mountains on a Friday morning and without stopping, it's a 3 hour drive to Golden. This year we left a bit early and stopped to skate in Banff along the way.

We have lunch in Golden and then we drive one more hour out to Rogers Pass where the hut is located. We spend Friday and Saturday night at the hut (usually arriving around mid-afternoon Friday) and then leave Sunday morning for the drive back to Calgary.

To break the drive home up a bit, we usually stop for lunch again in Golden, and then stop at Lake Louise or in Banff for a short ski or hike.

Go to the Alpine Club of Canada website for complete driving directions and instructions on reaching the trailhead and parking lot to ski/hike into the hut. You'll find a printable detailed approach description under the "Access" section at the link above.

The Wheeler Hut, Rogers Pass, British Columbia in November

How do we Haul all our Stuff into the Hut? 

A friend asked me the other day: "How do you get all your wine into the hut?" And while the question made me laugh, it was still valid in that there is a LOT of stuff that you need to carry into a backcountry hut for a weekend (summer or winter.) Add a couple of kids and you're likely carrying much of their gear too.

Most families use sleds to haul gear into the hut in winter. They slide well over the snow, and are easy to tow for the short distance. We have an ice fishing sled that my husband has rigged up with poles for skiing (using PVC pipes for the poles) but most families on our previous trip just used regular sleds with ropes.

On our recent trip we used our sled and managed to fit a duffel bag with all our food, books, and games inside, our snowshoes, my son's downhill skis and boots, and winter boots (since we were skiing in.) The sled was very heavy but the approach took maybe 30-40 minutes, so it was certainly doable!

We also wore backpacks on our November trip to the hut with our sleeping bags, clothing, and other basic overnight gear. My son had his own backpack too.

Most families that came with us on our recent trip used the sled/backpack combination for hauling gear in. Most did not have the amount of "toys" we did though and kept it simpler with just skis or snowshoes (rather than both.) Most did not haul downhill skis in either for their kids since you can't really use them much from the hut unless you hike up the valley carrying them.

Sleds and backpacks make gear hauling easy into the hut

Do you have to Ski or Snowshoe into the Hut? Can you just walk? 

Yes, you can generally reach the hut in just your winter boots because the trail is usually well packed down. However, if there's been a dump of snow overnight you will definitely need snowshoes to reach the hut. Also, once you arrive at the hut there's a good chance you'll need snowshoes if you want to go exploring at all.

The terrain above the hut is best suited to snowshoes if you have children with you (rather than cross-country skis.) We like cross-country skiing into the hut so bring both, but I recommend the snowshoes if you want to choose just one gear item.

Exploring around the Wheeler Hut on snowshoes

Do you have to Reserve Spaces in the Hut (or can you just show up?)

You definitely have to reserve spaces in the hut and I recommend booking the entire thing. The hut sleeps 24 people in winter, so that breaks down to roughly 6 families (if each family has the traditional four members.) 

Reasons to book the whole hut for a family trip:

• The hut attracts backcountry skiers in the winter and many like to keep the atmosphere rather "festive" in the evenings after skiing hard all day. It's not uncommon for people to bring large amounts of alcohol into the hut or to stay up late partying.
  
  
• While you may be used to your toddler waking up in the middle of the night, your baby crying if he/she can't sleep, or your children running around with abundant amounts of energy (and noise,) the average adult staying at the hut will be less appreciative or understanding.
  
  Most adults visit this hut in winter as a way to escape for the weekend with their friends, and to have some fun with these friends (without children, that many have left at home.) They will not be thrilled to show up to a hut full of rambunctious children for their adult ski weekend. (I know I wouldn't have been back in the day.)
  
  
• Tribe parenting makes these trips a lot more fun! We always take turns playing in the snow with the kids, going out for short hikes as a big group, and then breaking up into smaller groups of adults for short afternoon jaunts while other parents supervise the kids at the hut.
  
  
• Kids have so much fun on these trips when they're surrounded by a bunch of other kids. Our 12 kids had a blast on our recent trip running around the hut playing games of hide and seek and flashlight tag. They created light shows with glow sticks upstairs in the sleeping area and enjoyed building a big fort together outside (for hours!!!)
  
  
• There's less stress for you the parent if something goes wrong (example, your child has problems falling asleep.) Other parents and friends will be more supportive and helpful. At the very least they will make you a very strong cup of coffee the next morning and serve it with a hug.
  

Our group this past November at the Wheeler Hut (6 families and 12 children) - Photo: Leanne Nanninga

To book the hut, you'll likely need to be on the ball one year in advance. The Alpine Club takes reservations starting at 8:30 in the morning. Call them directly to make your booking. 

More information on booking huts can be found here. 

I also suggest planning your visit for early or late season (when the skiers won't be fighting you for the spots.) We already have the hut booked for another November stay for 2019. November and April are great times to visit the hut when it's a bit less popular.

Read about out Easter trip at the Wheeler Hut here.

Kids playing in the snow outside the Wheeler Hut (for hours!!)

What can you Expect from a Stay at the Wheeler Hut? (tell us about the hut!) 

The Wheeler Hut is AMAZING for families! It has two floors (the upper floor is for sleeping and the main floor is for cooking/eating/hanging out/playing in) and three big rooms on the main floor.

The main floor is divided into three rooms. First you walk into the large entry room (with drying racks for wet clothes, a wood fireplace, and a table for communal use, great for playing games or for extra space when the main room is full.) After this, there's the kitchen, in its own separate room, fully stocked with dishes and cooking supplies, and with another table for communal use. Finally, you come to the big fireside room which has a second wood fireplace, two big communal tables for eating and hanging out at, and plenty of space for a big group.

Main fireside room on one of our previous trips to the Wheeler Hut

Upstairs, there is room for 30 people to sleep comfortably on foam mattresses built into wooden platforms along the sides of the three rooms. In winter the hut only sleeps 24 people though because everybody travels with more gear.

The sleeping area upstairs is divided into three areas (just like downstairs) but there are no doors between each room. If you have children who need a quieter space to sleep in, I recommend grabbing spaces over the entry room which is always less crowded at night. There is a staircase up from the kitchen, making this room a bit noisier, and then it can get noisy over the main common room if people stay up late playing games.

Many other huts have a more open loft style sleeping arrangement (which never works for kids who go to bed early because it never gets fully dark or quiet until the last person goes to bed.) We find that the sleeping arrangement at Wheeler is one of the best in an ACC Hut.

Baking cookies in the kitchen on one of our previous trips to the Wheeler Hut

Other things to know about the Wheeler Hut:

• Bathrooms are outside (outhouses) but are a short walk away
  
  
• Bring your own toilet paper and a headlamp for night visits outside
  
  
• Bring your own food, but all other supplies are provided for cooking. The hut has multiple propane stoves and even has an oven so we often bring frozen pizza for the first night
  
  
• The hut has no electricity but once you get both fireplaces going, it warms up quickly. There are also propane lanterns for light
  
  
• Water comes from melted snow or from the creek nearby when it's not frozen. Either way, plan to boil all water before drinking it

For more photos, visit the Alpine Club of Canada website where you'll also find a photo of the sleeping area upstairs (just scroll through the Wheeler Hut photos.)

Playing games inside the Wheeler Hut on one of our previous trips

What can you do for Fun while Staying at the Wheeler Hut? 

Building a sledding track is always fun for the kids!

We always plan a short group hike up the Asulkan or the Illecillewaet Valley in the morning while staying at the hut (see the next section below for more information on traveling above the hut.)

In the afternoon, the kids are content to play in the snow, to build forts, and to go sledding if there's enough snow. We tried to build them a luge track this past trip but the snow wasn't ideal yet for building a big sledding track. While the kids are playing in the snow, small groups of adults often take turns going out for short little jaunts.

Other than that, we play lots of games, we've baked and decorated cookies in the past, parents often bring in craft supplies, and we had a backcountry scavenger hunt on our recent trip that took up a good hour.

There is never a shortage of fun to be had and I am always left wishing that we had two full days to play at the hut rather than just the Saturday. Clearly my son has a LOT of fun though because he's always exhausted by Sunday morning and so we don't personally stick around past clean up for that reason. A couple of families did spend most of the day Sunday at the hut on our recent trip though.

Group hike up the Asulkan Valley 

Is it Safe to Travel here with Kids in the Winter? (What about avalanche danger??)

There is no avalanche danger on the ski or hike into the hut. From the hut, you can ski or hike roughly a kilometre (maybe 1.5 km) up the Asulkan Valley until you reach a beautiful bridge where we took our Christmas card photos this year.

November is a gorgeous time to explore the Asulkan Valley from the Wheeler Hut

You can also safely travel a short distance up the Illecillewaet Valley from the hut for another 1 to 1.5 km with the kids.

So that's 5-6 km of exploring you can do (round trip distances from the hut) which is plenty in winter when you're on snowshoes or cross-country skis with kids.

Snowshoeing on the Asulkan Valley Trail

The Asulkan Valley is the easier of the two for winter exploring and I love skiing to the bridge. The Illecillewaet Valley is better on snowshoes, (not cross-country skis) but can be fun with downhill skis on descent if you haul them in for the kids.

Children also love playing in the ruins of the old hotel that's a short 10 minute walk from the hut. We stop here to play before heading up either the Asulkan or Illecillewaet Valley.

Playing in the old hotel ruins near the Wheeler Hut

When it comes down to it, the only real question is: Why "not" plan a family winter trip to the Wheeler Hut? The kids have a blast, the adults enjoy their time playing in the snow as well, and everybody reconnects as families and friends.

Winter hiking is magical when you explore from the Wheeler Hut

Other Trip Highlights from our Recent November Trip (in photos) 

Making new friends and getting to know other friends better (the two boys in the photo below met in a before-school exercise program this year.)

The coolest tree we found on the Asulkan Valley Trail 

Playing around on skis on the Asulkan Valley Trail

Descending back to the hut with downhill skis

Time to get out and explore in the afternoon while the kids played at the hut

Girls afternoon ski tour

Snow and Fort Building! Seriously the kids played outside for hours!!

Building a fort outside the hut in the afternoon

Afternoon Scavenger Hunt! Tons of fun and those kids got a lot of exercise running around to find all their clues.

Kids listening to their rules for the scavenger hunt 

Skiing - in November!! (always a highlight!)

There's never a bad day when you can wear skis to play outside

So, who's joining us next year?

Easter at The Wheeler Hut, Rogers Pass

We like to spend Easter in the backcountry surrounded by friends, mountains of snow, and large amounts of chocolate. This year was no different and we decided to book the entire A.O. Wheeler Hut at Rogers Pass for our spring adventure.

Easter at the Wheeler Hut, Rogers Pass, BC

The Wheeler Hut, Rogers Pass

The A.O. Wheeler Hut is located in Glacier National Park, British Columbia, Canada (not in the American national park with the same name.) Rogers Pass is located roughly halfway between the Town of Golden and the City of Revelstoke, and from Calgary is a 3.5 to 4 hour drive.

The hut is maintained and operated by the Alpine Club of Canada, which operates the largest number of backcountry huts in Canada. In winter it can be reached via an easy 45 minute ski or hike from the parking lot off the TransCanada Highway. From the parking area, it's a steep climb when pulling sleds for the first 5-10 minutes but then the grade levels out and it's flat easy walking or skiing from that point on. Snowshoes or skis are usually needed in winter unless the trail has been well packed down.

Skiing into the Wheeler Hut 

We drove out to Rogers Pass on the morning of Good Friday and easily reached the cabin in 30 minutes or so from the parking lot. My son and I both cross country skied in while my husband used his backcountry skis. We also carried two sets of snowshoes for day touring along with my son's downhill skis and boots (which we hoped he would get to use further up the valley from the hut after snowshoeing up one of the backcountry ski trails.) Add food, overnight gear, sleeping bags, and chocolate of course - and it felt like we were moving in for a month!

Skiing into the Wheeler Hut on the easy access trail

Renting the Entire Cabin

The A.O.Wheeler Hut sleeps 24 people in the winter and we originally had 7 families coming but after a couple of last minute cancellations, we were down to 5 families sharing the hut over Easter (which was perfect actually.) We had paid for the entire hut and I had made the booking a year to the date for Good Friday (which, yes, is necessary if you want to book an entire hut over a long weekend!)

Visit the Alpine club of Canada website for information on renting an ACC hut.

Arriving at the hut with our overnight gear

Winter Cabin Camping 

Kudos to those who get out camping in their tents year round but I'm not a winter camping kind of gal. I like to sleep warm and cozy in a log cabin heated by either fireplace or propane heaters. (And the Wheeler Hut is actually big enough to have two fireplaces!)

The Wheeler Hut is larger than many of the other cabins maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC). It has three rooms on the main floor (main living room with fireplace and two tables for eating, kitchen, and then a third room at the entrance meant for drying gear which also has a fireplace.) Each room has at least one table so groups can spread out when the hut is full.

Winter Gear for three people!

The Wheeler Hut also has two floors to it (unlike many smaller huts.) The main floor is for cooking, eating, and socializing. The upper floor is where you'll find mattresses and platforms for sleeping (separated into three open rooms.) - note there are no doors separating the rooms.

Packing for a cabin camping trip at an ACC hut is pretty simple and we had first timers along who had never done a backcountry trip before. The hut has heat (thanks to the fireplaces,) has a stocked kitchen with all of the pots, pans, dishes, and cooking utensils that you would need, has propane stoves (and usually an oven, though it was broken on this trip,) and has sleeping mattresses. Bring your own sleeping bags, toilet paper, food, headlamps or flashlights, and hut booties or slippers - and that's it!

Indoor games and fun in the main living room at the Wheeler Hut

As with regular camping, bathrooms are located outside in the form of pit toilets - just to keep you from feeling too glampy!

To see more indoor photos of the hut, visit the ACC website and scroll through the slideshow for the Wheeler Hut.

Main living room at the Wheeler Hut (photo: Suzanne Burgman)

Our Weekend Entertainment 

Entertainment is pretty easy when you have mountains of snow outside a backcountry hut, trails leading out your door for exploring, and a good collection of  toys (sleds, skis, snowshoes...)

The kids couldn't resist the snowy roof of the hut!

The big goal for the weekend was to build an epic backcountry luge track - so we built two!





The other goal we had was to introduce the kids to some of the easier ski terrain at Rogers Pass (which is famous across North America for backcountry skiing in epic amounts of powder.) It being April, and us staying low down in the valley out of avalanche terrain, we didn't have any powder or fresh snow.

Out exploring with the kids

We snowshoed and skied as a group up the Illicilewaet Valley for a couple of kilometres until we would have started to enter avalanche terrain. This is where we turned around and where we switched our son from snowshoes to skis. The other kids either stayed in the skis they'd already been wearing or stuck with their snowshoes. We knew our son Noah though would do best with downhill skis in this terrain (rather than cross country skis) and we don't have a backcountry touring set up for him yet.

The very snowy bridge on the Illicilewaet Valley Trail

Snowshoeing up the Illicilewaet Valley

Skiing down the Illicilewaet Valley Trail on downhill skis was quite easy and Noah had a blast on the short descent back down to the ruins of the old Glacier House hotel.

Easy backcountry skiing at Rogers Pass

The Boys of Rogers Pass

Later in the afternoon a few of us moms headed up the Asulkan Valley Trail to the first bridge and this proved to be quite exciting on cross country skis on the descent. I'm happy to report no broken bones though and I only had to take my skis off for one short hill.

Skiing down the Asulkan Valley Trail

Easter Fun at the Wheeler Hut

One of the moms brought some muffins to bake (which was a bit tricky with a broken oven) and we had the kids decorate them for Easter. She had also brought some paper eggs for the kids to color and decorate.

Easter crafts at the hut

Easter morning the kids discovered that the Easter Bunny had shown up at the hut and hidden chocolate filled eggs all around the cabin. They all came away with a good haul and had fun running around in the snow finding their candy. This is always one of the highlights of our Easter backcountry trips and I don't think we'll ever be able to do a "normal" Easter egg hunt in the city again.

Finding Easter Eggs in the Snow Cave

Hunting for Easter Eggs in the snow

No shortage of candy in the hut Easter morning

Back to Civilization

We spent two nights at the hut and then left on Easter Sunday so that those who worked the Monday could get back to the city. We had thought about heading out to do some more skiing or snowshoeing Sunday morning but ended up heading back down to the highway late in the morning so that we could be in Golden for lunch. And despite the long drive, we were easily back in the city by late afternoon in time for dinner.

Spring at the Wheeler Hut

Skiing out from the hut (photo: Megan Dunn)

Next Year...

Very "unlike" me, I have actually not booked anything yet for next year. Getting a hut is out of the question at this point so if you have any cool ideas for Easter 2018 let me know! And, if you've booked a hut and need another family, let me know!! I'll bring the chocolate.

Easter snowy fun at Rogers Pass

Recommended Reading and Inspiration

Easter at the Best Wilderness Hostel in the Canadian Rockies (Hilda Creek)


Easter at the Elizabeth Parker Hut, Lake O'Hara   
  

Quite possibly the simplest snow toy ever!

Other Stories to Help you Plan Your Winter Adventures Next Year

 

Winter Camping with Kids ( No Tent!!) 


Snowy Adventures in Elk Lakes Provincial Park

 
Raising Tough Kids - Our Annual Winter Backpacking Trip

 
Winter Glamping - Not for the Faint of Heart


Launching a Winter of Adventure at Rogers Pass, Glacier National Park (Wheeler Hut)


Winter at the Cameron Lake Cabin, Waterton Lakes National Park  

Easter morning at the Wheeler Hut