Q: My fiance and are visiting Banff national park late September through early October. It appears that there is a rule in place about being in groups of 4 on hikes because of bears. Is this something that is strictly enforced? We are concerned since, it will be just the 2 of us.
A: I visited Banff last month and did some hiking in the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake areas. I saw several bear warning signs in the Paradise Valley, Moraine Lake and Larch Valley areas. They said "By law, you must travel in a tight group of four or more...." These signs are posted at trailheads and trail junctions in the areas I mentioned. I did not see any signs posted on the trails around Lake Louise. I did see a few groups of 2 or 3 hikers in restricted areas and noticed some of them carrying bear spray which I always do in bear country. As far as enforcement is concerned, I didn't seeing anyone being cited. Then again, I never saw a ranger on the trail so I would say the probability of being cited for violating this law is low. However, the way I look at it is what's the probability of running into a bear? I'd be much more concerned about that then being cited by a ranger. Having recently hiked these trails I can highly recommend "Lake Agnes and the Beehives" and the "Plain of Six Glaciers" trails at Lake Louise. If you only do one I recommend Lake Agnes and the Beehives. I combined both trails into a longer loop of about 16.6 km (10.3 miles) with a total elevation gain of approximately 960 meters (3,150 feet). I also recommend hiking up to Eiffel Lake and Wenkchemna Pass in the Valley of Ten Peaks at Moraine Lake. The views are awesome. You folks will be there pretty late in the season so you need to think about the weather. That late in the year you may encounter early winter storms especially while hiking in the high country. Dress appropriately and carry warm clothing, rain gear and maybe even gloves. We hiked into a brief rain storm lasting about 30 minutes while near Wenkchemna Pass and it was freezing cold even with my insulated rain jacket on. But it was all worth it for the beautiful views of the Valley of Ten Peaks. Enjoy your trip and be safe! Carry bear spray.
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