Day 2 – Johnston Canyon

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Dave Hodson

On our first morning in Banff, the skies were still smoky, so we needed something to do that didn’t require clear views over long distances. We decided to head up to Johnston Canyon. This is a pretty spot, mostly in the trees, that would seem to work nicely. Nadine and I have hiked Johnston Canyon a few times before, in both winter and summer, but it’s worth doing again!

We set out along the Bow Valley Parkway, which is more interesting than taking the highway.

Arriving at Johnston Canyon, which is one of the busiest spots in Banff National Park, we were not surprised to find the parking lot full, but were very surprised that we didn’t need to park that far away along the road.

Heading up the trail, we passed a number of great views of the river.

The wide trail is quickly replaced by some very well-built catwalks affixed to the rock walls above the river below.

Views were great looking up as well as down!

Once we reached the lower falls, there was a huge lineup of people waiting on the bridge to walk through the cave and up to the falls. We decided to skip this, and keep heading up the trail. The views are better of the falls from further back anyway!

We continued hiking up the trail.

There are a few side trails that take you right down to the river.

We continued up the trail toward Upper Falls.

When we eventually made it to the Upper Falls, once again, there was a long lineup to get there. Here’s the top of the catwalk heading down to the falls.

Nadine and I have seen the falls before, and none of us wanted to stand in line, so instead we headed up the trail a bit to fine a nice spot to sit down and have lunch.

After lunch, we headed back down toward the trailhead, where the views look different seeing everything from the opposite angle.

Back at the car, we continued up the Bow Valley Parkway to the Castle Mountain junction where we could take the highway back to Banff. Back at the hotel, we spent some time relaxing at the lovely pool before dinner. The picture of the pool below, was taken looking down from our room window.

It’s kind of strange, that in dozens of stays at the Banff Springs Hotel, Nadine and I had never actually used the pool before!

In the evening, we had reservations at our favourite restaurant at the Banff Springs Hotel, Castello Ristorante. Nadine and I have never had a trip to Banff without having a meal here! After a nice day and evening, it was time to get some rest.

Day 9 – Johnston Canyon

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Dave Hodson

When we were last in the Canadian Rockies in late summer 2014, we did a hike up Johnston Canyon. For a different perspective, we decided to check out the same area in the winter.

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Between the snow and freezing spray, we were told to expect the area to be slippery, and considering much of the hike is not flat, we purchased traction devices to attach to our boots, and also carried our ski poles with us. Both of those items would prove to be wise choices!

As we headed into the canyon, much of the ice had a beautiful blue colour to it, where waterfalls appeared frozen in time behind a thin blanket of snow.

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We continued up the canyon toward the lower falls.

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After wandering around the creek near the lower falls, we continued along the trail toward the upper falls.

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Arriving at the upper falls, there were a few groups of ice climbers ascending the cliffs behind the canyon.

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We explored the area around the upper falls for a while, able to get a very different perspective of this magnificent area in the winter than on our summer visit.

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Here we are on the ice at the base of the upper falls.

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Nadine made this short video of what it’s like standing at the base of the falls.

On our way back, Nadine decided to capture another video, of the one tricky crossing in accessing the upper falls. Here I am, very glad to have boot traction devices and poles, trying not to test the capabilities of my waterproof hiking boots.

We headed back down the canyon, returned to the van, and headed back to Banff for the evening.

Day 2 – Johnston Canyon and the Inkpots

Posted on August 30, 2014 by Dave Hodson

We awoke to a nice sunny day in Banff, and wanted to get out for a short hike. We wanted to do a reasonably simple hike as practise for some more challenging hikes later in the Lake Louise area.

After a quick breakfast in town, we headed up Highway 1A toward Johnston Canyon. I had heard that while it is generally crowded with tourists, it is an impressive thing to see. We also planned to go beyond Johnston Canyon and hike out to the Inkpots, where the thick crowds were likely to thin considerably.

Below is a topographic map showing the GPS tracks of our hike.

Johnston Canyon Hike Map

Below is an elevation plot of the hike.

Johnston Canyon Elevation

The total trip measured about 14km, starting at an elevation of 4,708 feet at the highway, finishing at 5,380 feet at the inkpots, and reaching a maximum elevation of 5,692 feet along the trail.

Johnston Canyon itself is impressive, as the creek cuts it way through the rock in a series of rapids and waterfalls. Parks Canada has constructed catwalks through the canyon over Johnston Creek below.

Beyond the canyon, the hike to the Inkpots is rather dull. The trail ascends through the forest and offers little in the way of views, before descending to the Inkpots in an open and very pretty valley. The views at the destination make the dull forest walk worth the effort.

The parking lot was full, so we had to park on the shoulder of the highway and walk up to the trailhead. Following are some photos from along the way.

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