CANADIAN ROCKIES – As tourists descended on the Rockies for the first time, so did a select group of gritty guides and outfitters.
Leading the way through untouched wilderness and up unclimbed mountains across Banff, Jasper and Waterton Lakes national parks, one thing was sure, trailblazing the Rockies was not for the faint of heart.
In his latest book, Trailblazers: Legendary Guides and Outfitters of the Canadian Rockies, historianTed Hart chronicles the story of men who stood at the forefront of the “tourist period” in the Rockies from the 1880s to 1950s.
“These individuals … were really the pioneers of Banff,” said the former Banff author and historian now based in Okotoks.
From Tom Wilson, who became the first white man to see Lake Louise, to the Brewster brothers, Jimmy Simpson, Curly Phillips, Bert Riggall and Andy Russell, who closed out the “last chapter in the history of exploration” in the Rockies, each were drawn to the allure of the mountains and the opportunity to make a livelihood in their midst.
“Outfitting and guiding was one of the first really successful businesses in Banff,” said Hart, former director of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, who also served as Banff’s mayor from 1995-1998.
“It was the only game in town.”
But long days in the bush, wrangling pack horses and navigating unmapped mountains, all with paying clients in tow, meant a certain toughness was a necessary tool of the trade for the guides.
“[They were] basically fearless in the face of danger because they were in danger a lot of times from bears and other animals and crossing flooding rivers,” said Hart.
“They exhibited, I would say, real bravery in some situations because they were taking care of people who’d come from England or elsewhere who had no experience with these things previously. The fate of their lives, in many cases, was in their hands.”
As tales of first ascents spread beyond the Rockies and the driving of the last spike on the Canadian Pacific Railway opened the door to tourism, the early outfitters were often guides to visiting scientists, hunters, professors and anyone who had the cash to make the journey west.
“I dubbed the term tourist explorer because that’s essentially what they were,” said Hart.
Now, almost every major trail in the Canadian Rockies has seen the boot soles of the early guides.
“Literally every trail that exists in the parks now was explored by these people. Sometimes they were just game trails at that time when they first went over them,” he said.
The most significant of their explorations would lead to the Banff-Jasper Highway, says Hart, noting the men led horse trips as far as the Columbia Icefield and onto Jasper, originally named Fitzhugh.
“It formed the idea of tourism and this trail linking Banff and Jasper that, of course, eventually became the Banff-Jasper Highway,” Hart said.
From Num-Ti-Ja Lodge, now the Lodge at Bow Lake, built by Jimmy Simpson in the 1920s, to the Maligne Lake boathouse constructed in 1928 by Curly Phillips, landmarks of the early tourism days and the legacy the outfitters left behind still stands.
“There’s lots of historic remnants of their lifetime in the mountains,” Hart said.
When the seasons turned, many of the men turned to trapping to get them through the winter, Hart says, noting old logs and evidence of cabins can still be seen on many Rockies trails.
“They ran trap lines to keep them going because there wasn’t any tourists in the winter in those days. They found a way to keep body and soul together until the next summer came around.”
With over 20 books on Rockies history to his name, Hart says the concept for Trailblazers goes back to his first book on early guides, Diamond Hitch: The Pioneer Guides and Outfitters of Banff and Jasper, released in the 70s.
“[It’s] a different look at it and one with newer and updated information on the original subject. Back in the early ’70s there weren’t many books being written on Rocky Mountain history,” said Hart. “I thought it needed a refresh.”
Drawing on a lifetime of historical knowledge of the area, Hart delved into archives, revisited and conducted new interviews with family members to piece together the stories of the early mountain men.
“Banff is so different today than it was then and the people are so different,” said Hart. “I’m just hopeful that … [readers] can take away something from them that will add to their appreciation of the areas.”
“The Rocky Mountains are a national treasure and any background that people can get on them to understand the human story, I think, is worthwhile.”
To purchase a copy of Trailblazers visit: summerthought.com
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. This position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jul 21, 2026 at 08:04
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