Backpacker Buzz

Get a glimpse of life as an HI wilderness hostel manager. From Jasper's The Skinny

Up the Maligne Valley, tucked away next to the river, is a little one-room wood cabin. It’s small and quaint, and has a serene garden beside it – a nice place to sit on a summer evening with a good book and listen to the river water trickle through the rocks. But as I walk up to the cabin, I hear something emerging from the open window that doesn’t quite fit with the tranquil scene… thundering electric blues! This is the home of Volker Schelhas, local naturalist, outdoorsman, and longtime hostel manager at HI-Maligne Canyon Wilderness Hostel. Read more »