I recently had reason to enquire about hikes based out of Lake Louise; I was thinking of staying at…read morethe Moraine Lake Lodge and on their website is a link to Great Divide Nature Interpretation guides. I was very much impressed by the speediness of reply to my email, the quality of the response -- very detailed, easy to understand, with several links explaining how the specific hike of the day I requested would work, maps re: that hike, and generalities about how hikes from Great Divide Nature Interpretation worked.
Very impressive.
As it turns out, I won't be able to participate in the hike. I suppose that makes this review perhaps not as complete as it could be, but I was so impressed by the customer service that I thought I should note it here.
Here's an example of what they wrote:
"A full outline of how our service works (including pricing and cancellation policies) is included at the end of this message. Or, see it all in colour on our website at www.greatdivide.ca.
With our service, the first person to book for any given date selects the hike length, difficulty and destination for day. Other people are then invited to join that hike to a maximum of 8. Or, we can take your private booking.
On September 5 we have a full day hike with space available for you to join, but it is located between Banff and Lake Louise and is not too long. You could expect to be finished at the trailhead around 3:30 pm.
Sept 5
Stanley Glacier
Moderate full day hike - moderate rise on a nicely switch-backed trail, one very short steep section.
Distance: 8.4 km / 5.5 mi
Elevation: 1200 ft / 365 m
Time: 6 hours (with drive)
Very interesting landscape because of fires both 40 years ago and in 2003. The final third is above the fire and in both old-growth forest and open alpine area with nice views. Marmots and pikas often seen. Stories include: fire ecology, wildflowers, wildlife (including moose, bears, lynx, hare, hummingbirds, and high country specialists) and glaciers. "
Fantastic, no? That's just a short section. The email isn't too long, however, it's like Goldilocks. It's just right. If it's any indication of the quality of the hikes themselves, then you're assured of a fantastic time.