In my opinion, camping in an RV is cheating. And if I follow that logic, taking a chairlift to the top of a mountain and hiking down is cheating as well.

However, I'm pretty sure that if I had the opportunity to camp in an RV, I'd never give it up. And having now taken a chairlift to the top of a mountain and hiked down, I've decided there's no other way to hike.

Plus, I had the benefit of a very knowledgeable guide—Fernie Alpine Resort's Nature Bob—to explain pretty much everything as we made our way down the path. And when I say everything, I mean everything from birds and geology, to insects, plant life and history of the area. Plus, he does it all with a smile and a great, supportive attitude. He also showed me some new strategies for hiking so that my knees won't hurt so bad.

The only thing we didn't get to see on this trip was the old growth forest because we ran out of time, but I definitely want to go back to see them. There are 1,000 year old trees at Fernie Alpine Resort. What a sight that must be.

To give you a taste of the kind of information you'll learn from Nature Bob, check out this video (it's a little shaky—it's difficult to hike and record at the same time, after all).

Video