Published June 30, 2017 - London Evening Standard - James Litston

There’s nothing quite like the risk of a mauling to add frisson to a countryside hike. As we follow a forest footpath, I’m thrilled by the notion that this is bear country; but my travelling companion, Dan, is far more cautious. As an American who grew up in Alaska, he knows that bears are potentially dangerous — so it’s probably just as well that I’ve let him go first. 

On Dan’s insistence, we’re chatting quite loudly to warn off any nearby animals. As an added precaution, we’re clutching canisters of bear spray: a powerful, pepper-based deterrent that’s an essential accessory for wilderness hiking. 

We’re in Yoho National Park in Canada’s British Columbia province, and we know there are bears about because we saw some on the drive here through adjacent Banff National Park. Those brief, drive-by glimpses have got me excited for animal encounters; but much to Dan’s relief, there’s no sign on the trail today. 

Yoho, like all of Canada’s national parks, is noteworthy this year because admission charges have been waived in celebration of the country’s 150th anniversary (Canada Day is tomorrow). Parks are very spread out, here in the world’s second-largest nation; but the town of Golden, where we’re staying, is blessed with four within an hour’s drive. In addition to Yoho’s lakes and waterfalls, there’s Glacier’s ice caps, wildlife-rich Banff and Mount Revelstoke’s alpine meadows. 

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