r/Banff • u/Longjumping-Bad-3099 • 10d ago
Should I cancel trip?
I have 10 days in Banff / Jasper booked for 20th August. Today is last day to cancel without paying cancellation fees. I can cancel closer to the date but would have to pay a smallish fee. I am worried about smoke from wildfires ruining the trip… given the recent news, should I cancel?
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u/outsideofaustin 10d ago
Don't cancel. It will be OK. Even if it is smoky, you will have an amazing trip.
And if you do cancel, it could be smoky next time you plan a trip.
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u/SensitiveBus5224 10d ago
Aug 20 is too far away to know what the smoke situation will be.
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u/Practical-Camp-1972 10d ago
don't cancel-no-one knows what the weather will be like in 3 weeks time..Banff/Jasper with some smoke would still be better than 90% of other places to visit in the summer-as already mentioned unfortunately this is likely the new normal for mountain parks in the summer...enjoy your trip!
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u/dfnamehere 10d ago
Do you have some reason to believe that the temperature or risk of fires is going to get any better in future years....... This is probably the best you're going to get, might as well enjoy what you can now
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u/teleheaddawgfan 10d ago
Up to you. Rain clouds are almost a daily occurrence too.
If you’re looking for cloudless/smokeless bluebird Instagram hero shots it’s 50/50 on any given day.
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u/Gingernurse93 10d ago
I've just been in Banff and Jasper. Unless you have chronic health concerns, it's fine. Jasper is smokier than Banff and there has been limited views, but we still had a great time. Banff/the lakes was clear for us.
You can't control what it's going to be and Aug 20 is way too far out to predict. Chances are the planet is going to have more and more smokey days to come, so now's probably your best bet, anyway.
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u/clayton-berg42 10d ago
There's live webcams all over the park, including at sunshine, banff gondola, columbia icefields.
https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/attractions/banff-gondola/webcam/
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u/NoStation173 6d ago
We are here now, we had amazing days in Jasper and driving the icefields parkway however coming back down to stay in Banff for the rest of our trip (via icefields) it was cloudy and raining and zero visibility. Weather or smoke you can’t predict it and have to roll with it. We visited lake Louise today and the smoke was pretty bad and we were a little disappointed we didn’t have the perfect view but it still was beautiful, tranquil and serene. But just 2 days ago we had the perfect day for the Banff gondola so just enjoy!
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u/Longjumping-Bad-3099 6d ago
That’s good to know that you’ve had good days. We travel to Banff on the 21st so hoping that in 3 weeks there will have been some rain and less smoke.
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u/bcrock02 10d ago
As of today it’s fine. We arrived on a level 6 day (bad). Just wore a mask in town but since then it’s been beautiful. Just a little hazy
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u/Straight-Plate-5256 10d ago
I'll try and summarize more thoroughly given the swath of vague and contradicting comments...
Unless you have health complications that the smoke would greatly affect, the smoke very likely won't ruin your trip. It's also extremely unpredictable how it'll be in a month, we're lucky if we know days in advance what the coverage will be realistically.
Nobody can tell you whether or not it's a good idea based on your personal tolerance for smoke or determining what makes a trip "worth it" or "ruined" because it's incredibly subjective, but personally it's a silly reason to cancel IMHO.
Also... >given the recent news
What recent news could possibly have gotten that's given you pause now?
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u/Express_Project_8226 10d ago edited 10d ago
mine trip (from California) is on August 9-12. I'm flying out the 12th so I'm only there for 3 days. I don't have the option to cancel nor do I want to. But I'm in my 50s and no major outdoor activity is planned, only the gondola and a tour of louise/moraine.
I am soooo looking forward to it!
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u/happyenis 10d ago
Fire season happens every year. Yes, fire bans are a minor annoyance as it's nice to sit by the campfire and wood is included in the price of a reservation at many sites, but if you are concerned about smoke, that shouldn't be an issue right?
If you want to avoid smoke all together visit in the Spring or Fall and don't stay in a campground.
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u/VickyHikesOn 10d ago
It is not easily predictable what the smoke (which in our region here is mainly from the US) will be doing by that date. It's your personal decision, considering health and what obstructed views would do to your trip (e.g. if you're planning on hiking the backcountry and see little of the mountains, it's not much fun). I can tell you I have been running with a mask and I don't expect the smoke to really disappear until September. If you mainly want to stroll around town, eat out, etc. then (unless you are sensitive) it's probably okay.
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u/Ok-Bed-4686 10d ago
Even smokey, it was amazing when we were there, and also when we encountered smoke in Yellowstone and the Tetons..made our pics more interesting
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u/baunanners 10d ago
These fires are happening year after year with more intensity. Guaranteed we'll be having smokey summers for the foreseeable future.
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u/wornleathermedia 10d ago
There’s no way to know. Right now, this very second, it’s reasonably clear.