Skyline Hikers of the Canadian Rockies
In the 1920’s. John Gibbon was head of publicity for the Canadian Pacific Railway, which had several hotels and lodges in the National Parks. In order to lure tourists into the parks, Gibbon felt it necessary to offer them something other than just food and lodging. The Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies came into existence in 1923 (horse riding in the backcountry).
There were a number of outdoor enthusiasts who either lived in Banff or came to the Rockies every summer, who felt the need for some organization which would do for hikers what the Trail Riders was doing so successfully for those who traveled the trail on horseback. Gibbon came up with the Sky Line Trail Hikers of the Canadian Rockies, which held its first outing in 1933.
For the first three summers, one four-day outing was offered to over 50 international hikers, who traveled between lodges in the parks. But the moving of camp materials on a daily basis was a problem, so starting in 1936, camps were set up at a single location each summer.
From 1933 to 1935, hikers traveled between lodges in the mountains. From 1936 to 1969, hikers stayed in tepees, as shown below. By 1970, prospector style tents were adopted by Skyline. For some time these were considered “six person” tents; they are now more comfortably shared by up to four hikers.
The number of interested hikers has grown throughout the years. In 1961, CPR terminated its sponsorship of the Hiking Club. However, through the hard work of interested individuals, the Skyline Hikers of the Canadian Rockies became a non-profit organization that now offers five one-week camps each summer in various locations in the Rockies.
Letterhead used in the 1970s and 1980s is shown below. Note the use of the word “Trail” in the organizations name. This was a legacy from the days when the Skyline Hikers was sponsored by the Canadian Pacific Railway, along with its sister organizations the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies (est. 1923) and the Ski Runners of the Canadian Rockies (est. 1931), as a way to draw clients for its hotels in Banff and Lake Louise.
The first few years had traveling camps in the Banff and Lake Louise area. Since then the hikes have been at fixed locations in and around Banff Park, sometimes exploring new areas and other times returning to old favourites. Here is the full list of camps and locations:
| 1933: | Lake Louise, Lake O’Hara | 1961: | Helmut Creek | 1991: | Bryant Creek |
| 1934: | Emerald Lake, Yoho | 1962: | Skoki | 1992: | Tombstone Mountains |
| 1935: | Healy, Egypt, Shadow, Castle Mt. | 1963: | Egypt Lake | 1993: | Sunset Pass |
| 1936: | Lake O’Hara | 1964: | Palliser Pass | 1994: | Owl Lake |
| 1937: | Larch Valley | 1965: | Yoho | 1995: | Baker Creek |
| 1938: | Yoho | 1966: | Tonquin Valley | 1996: | Molar Pass |
| 1939: | Skoki | 1967: | Egypt Lake | 1997: | Allenby Pass |
| 1940: | Egypt Lake | 1968: | Assiniboine | 1998: | Sunset Pass |
| 1941: | Prolific Meadows | 1969: | Pulsatilla Pass | 1999: | Head Creek |
| 1942: | Sunshine | 1970: | Lake O’Hara | 2000: | Owl Lake |
| 1943: | Spray River | 1971: | Skoki | 2001: | Molar Pass |
| 1944: | Sunshine | 1972: | Egypt Lake | 2002: | Bryant Creek |
| 1945: | Lake O’Hara | 1973: | Assiniboine | 2003: | Whiteman Pass |
| 1946: | Yoho | 1974: | South Molar Pass | 2004: | Johnston Creek |
| 1947: | Egypt Lake | 1975: | Palliser Pass | 2005: | Baril Creek |
| 1948: | Quartz Lake | 1976: | Owl Lake | 2006: | Palliser Pass |
| 1949: | Skoki | 1977: | Sunset Pass | 2007: | Sunset Pass |
| 1950: | Assiniboine | 1978: | Baker Creek | 2008: | Tall Timbers |
| 1951: | Aylmer Pass | 1979: | South Molar Pass | 2009: | Whiteman Pass |
| 1952: | Healy Creek | 1980: | Nigel Pass | 2010: | Molar Pass |
| 1953: | Skoki | 1981: | Owl Lake | 2011: | Odlum Creek |
| 1954: | Spray River | 1982: | Sunset Pass | 2012: | Sunset Pass |
| 1955: | Lake O’Hara | 1983: | Baker Creek | 2013: | South Ram River |
| 1956: | Paradise Valley | 1984: | Allenby Pass | 2014: | Johnston Creek |
| 1957: | Snow Creek | 1985: | Molar Pass | 2015: | Palliser Pass |
| 1958: | Yoho | 1986: | Nigel Pass | 2016: | Whiteman Pass |
| 1959: | Egypt Lake | 1987: | Owl Lake | 2017: | Waterton Lakes |
| 1960: | Assiniboine | 1988: | Sunset Pass | 2018: | Tall Timbers |
| 1989: | Baker Creek | 2019: | Sunset Pass | ||
| 1990: | Molar Pass | 2020: | Molar Pass (Cancelled) | ||
| 2021: | Strathcona Park | ||||
| 2022: | Talus Lodge | ||||
| 2023: | Campbell Icefield Chalet | ||||
| 2024: | Kootenay Plains |
