Day 2 - Friday 9/15/2017 - Drive to Banff and Hike Johnston Canyon
We had breakfast at the M Club at Marriott and got ready for an 1.25 hr drive to Banff. It was pretty cold in Calgary and it was a sign of things to come. It rained on and off during the drive and the clouds were low so we couldn’t see much. In fact, it was later Saturday or Sunday morning until we really got to see all of the mountains around us around Banff. In Banff, we picked up some groceries including a bag of All Season and a bag of ketchup flavored potato chips, both are unique to Canada. The All Seasons were outstanding, ketchup not so much… We also stopped by the visitor center in Banff to get some park information before we headed up the Bow Valley Parkway to Johnston Canyon.
Later the rain stopped which was great to explore! We hiked up the famous Johnston Canyon, with its walkways that were suspended over the river in the narrow canyon, up to the lower and upper falls. We then continued past the crowds of the falls, all the way to the ink pots and returned. The ink pots were so many different colors and interesting with their bubbles. On the hike back, Scott and I took the social trail down a famous 'secret' spot in Johnston canyon, a massive rock in the river with a small enclave beside it, well worth the steep hike down! It was pretty cold all day and it would be a theme for the trip.
Later the rain stopped which was great to explore! We hiked up the famous Johnston Canyon, with its walkways that were suspended over the river in the narrow canyon, up to the lower and upper falls. We then continued past the crowds of the falls, all the way to the ink pots and returned. The ink pots were so many different colors and interesting with their bubbles. On the hike back, Scott and I took the social trail down a famous 'secret' spot in Johnston canyon, a massive rock in the river with a small enclave beside it, well worth the steep hike down! It was pretty cold all day and it would be a theme for the trip.
At the parking lot, Emily and Scott got coffee from a stand the park had there and I got ice cream! We got back into Banff at around 3:30 PM and decided to go do the Banff Gondola since it was so pretty and sunny now. It was beautiful from the top! It had snowed that morning and the parts of the boardwalk that were in the shade was icy because of it. It was well worth the price of admission! You can see all the way down the valley to Banff and how the mountains dwarfed the town! The Canada National Park system was celebrating its 150th Anniversary in 2017 so we had to get a photo with the sign!
We headed down and checked into the Rocky Mountain Bed and Breakfast. It was a pretty nice B&B and in an excellent location. We walked the few blocks to downtown Banff and ate at the Banff Ave Brewing Co. More poutine and some good house made beer! The Aurora Borealis (northern lights) forecast was favorable for that evening so we decided to drive 15 minutes out of Banff to Two Jack Lake at about 9:00pm.
There was a group at Two Jack Lake that was just finishing up doing a night scuba dive at the lake. Their lights made photography an issue at first, but they cleared out pretty quick and Scott and I were able to get some pictures of the Milky Way over Two Jack Lake while Emily stayed warm in the car. I kept seeing a glow to the north and kept thinking it was Calgary. About 10:45pm it started to really light up to the north. We could see it with our eyes, but the camera was really able to see it. It was not a very bright aurora, but was bright enough for us southerners to see and enjoy it! We got back to the hotel at about 11:30pm, showered and hit the sack.
Johnston Canyon with Ink Pots Hike - 7.3 Miles round trip; 1,994 ft elevation gain
Safe Travels,
B&E
Johnston Canyon with Ink Pots Hike - 7.3 Miles round trip; 1,994 ft elevation gain
Safe Travels,
B&E