Sir Donald-MacDonald Traverse
- 5.5 mi
- round trip
- 2,274 ft
- climb
- 8,896 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Sir Donald-MacDonald Traverse is an out-and-back ski touring route in British Columbia, Canada, inside Glacier National Park. It is 2.7 miles each way, 5.5 miles there and back. It runs between about 6,870 ft and 8,900 ft above sea level, with roughly 2,110 ft of climbing one way. The nearest town is Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, about 16 miles west of the start. Peaks within about 3 miles include Uto Peak, Mount Sir Donald and North Terminal Peak. For camping, Sir Donald Backcountry and Illecillewaet Campground are within about 6 miles. There are 5 other mapped trails within about 3 miles, so you can combine or extend the outing. Distances, elevations and the route shape here come from OpenStreetMap and the Copernicus 90 m elevation model. Ski touring crosses avalanche terrain: read the local avalanche bulletin and carry beacon, shovel and probe.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
Photo: Jack Borno, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Balu Pass Trail
~8 min drive
An out-and-back ski touring route in British Columbia, Canada.
Photo: Sersarsor, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Emerald Lake Loop Trail
~1h 9m drive
An out-and-back cross-country ski trail in British Columbia, Canada.
Cross Shoulder
~37 min drive
An out-and-back ski touring route in British Columbia, Canada.
Moose
~27 min drive
An out-and-back cross-country ski trail in British Columbia, Canada.
Meadows-in-the-Sky Parkway
~1h 6m drive
An out-and-back cross-country ski trail in British Columbia, Canada.
Photo: Michael Cannon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Great Glacier Trail
~5 min drive
An out-and-back ski touring route in British Columbia, Canada.
Hawk-Owl
~27 min drive
An out-and-back cross-country ski trail in British Columbia, Canada.
Beaver Run
~27 min drive
An out-and-back cross-country ski trail in British Columbia, Canada.
Perley Rock Trail
~5 min drive
An out-and-back ski touring route in British Columbia, Canada.
Caribou
~28 min drive
An out-and-back cross-country ski trail in British Columbia, Canada.
Conditions and forecast
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at Sir Donald-MacDonald Traverse for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
