Hiking : Johnston Canyon, AB - December 2003
General Information
History: The Johnston Canyon Resort tells of how in 1999, 20 year old kayaker, Tao Berman, successfully paddled his kayak over the Upper Johnston Canyon Falls: a 15 storey, or 2.4 second drop. The canyon was named after a prospector who succesfully discovered gold in the creek. Most likely this took place in the days of the gold rush.
Surroundings: Johnston's Canyon is located in the heart of Banff National Park, in Alberta, Canada. Consequently, it has easy access to both the township of Banff, as well as Lake Louise. The location itself holds the Johnston Canyon Resort, as well as National Park campgrounds nearby for those who wish to stay the night.
Points of Interest: The weather in the park varies widely, and it is wise to find out the current conditions before venturing out.
Trip Logistics
Directions: From Calgary, take the Trans Canada high way west through to the Bow Valley Parkway (approx. 1.5 hours). Cross over to the Parkway, and continue until you see Johnston Canyon on the right hand side. It is located approximately 25 kilometres (30 minutes) west of Banff.
Cost: Although use of the trail is free, entry and parking in Banff National Park does come at a fee. At present, the cost of a group for a day is $14.
Trip Details
It was a gorgeous day. My mom, my dad, and our two dogs - Rowan (chocolate lab) and Ivan (jack russel terrier) - all went up to Johnston Canyon. Bright blue sky, as usual in Alberta, and the temperature was entirely feasible - this dropped significantly in the days that followed the trip, unfortunately.
Regardless, the 5 of us went up to Johnston Canyon. Much of the creek had frozen over, and when we eventually got to the falls they were completely rock solid. The path to the Lower Falls came and went very quickly, and we soon found ourselves going further into the heart of the Park, checking out the Upper Falls, and then eventually the large open meadow, where the ink pots reside. The view was spectacular, and although we couldn't see the ink pots, as it was frozen over, we did take a break for some water and hot chocolate that my mom had packed. (There was a slight incident wherein we were worried that Ivan was going to get trapped on, or fall into, the frozen over pond, but it was safely resolved).
The hike back to the car, as usual, was faster than the trip in. We were a little concerned about the lighting disappearing, as it gets dark early. There was a good chunk of downhill on our way out (which makes sense as there'd been a good chunk of up hill on our way in). Sun still up, we made our way back to the car to enjoy the sandwiches that my Mom had made, and make our way back to Calgary. Driving conditions were fine, and we were well refreshed after the 2 - 3 hour hike. (The mountains were spectacular)