Boating: How to Boat: Advanced: Paddle Sports

The Canadian Rockies national parks are known for just that: the Rocky Mountains. Here, the earth's crust has smashed and twisted into jagged vistas, with icefields and glaciers still grinding away at this enormous sculpture.

The rivers born of these peaks-the Bow, the Athabasca, the Maligne and the Saskatchewan-match the mountains. One of the finest days of my life was a clear winter morning, cross-country skiing on the frozen Saskatchewan River. I cut a fresh set of wolf tracks, following them where the animal led me all day long.

The Bow flows from Banff National Park, through the Bow River Valley, and across the plains to Calgary. The Bow River Valley is a major wildlife corridor for large animals moving up and down the Rockies. The Bow offers canoeing and trout fishing near the Banff townsite.

The Athabasca River flows north from Jasper, a braided stream of cobble bars and flooded willow flats. Moose and beaver, and occasionally black and grizzly bear, can be found there. The Athabasca has a decidedly "northern" feel to it. Guide services based in Jasper townsite offer scenic boat trips down the Athabasca, as well as white water on the nearby Sunwapta, Fraser, Canoe, Whirlpool, and Kakwa rivers.

Runoff usually peaks in June or early July and water flows generally remain plentiful through August. Every summer, colorful harlequin ducks return to Jasper's Maligne River to breed and raise young before spending their winters on the coast of British Columbia. These birds are shy and are best watched from a distance through binoculars or a spotting scope.

Jasper and Banff have the disadvantage of a major highway running through their center. This highway runs right along the major river valleys and can be jam-packed with tourists during the summer months, but an alternative is to visit during the off-season. Cross-country skiing is good through March and a series of youth hostels offers inexpensive shelter. Wildlife watching reaches its apex in September and October, after the crowds taper off. River running, however, is not generally a shoulder-season activity.

Wow Factor? Floating past the baleful glare of a grizzly bear on shore, or even floating down a river knowing that a grizzly bear is out there, somewhere.

Contact: Banff National Park, PO Box 900, Banff, Alberta, Canada, T0L 0C0. Phone: (403) 762-1550. Jasper National Park, PO Box 10, Jasper, Alberta, Canada, T0E 1EO. Phone: (403) 852-6176.