It was a short distant hike and due to my arthritic left foot, I was limping through it. Several hikers coming from the other side gave me the way so that I could climb easily. Those behind me bore my slow progress with patience. I let them go past me by stopping and squeezing myself into a corner. They all were genuinely sympathetic and respectful.
johnston canyon
We had planned to start our exploration of Banff National Park from this Canyon. Due to my arthritic left foot, I limped through the 2.5 km trail to Upper Falls on a busy Saturday morning.
Unlike Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park and Marble Canyon in Kootenay National Park, the hiking trail in Johnston Canyon runs deep down the canyon. This offers an ethereal experience of the canyon ecosystem at a close range. However, as a trade off, there are no views of the snow-capped mountains in the distance from here.
The trail in Johnston Canyon is built upon a combination of natural features and constructed walkways as seen in pictures above and below.
The trail to the Lower Falls (below left) is 1.2 km long and to the Upper Falls (below right) is 2.5 km long.
bow valley parkway
We took this Parkway to reach Johnston Canyon. From a rest stop, beautiful views of Castle Mountain in the distance could be had from here with early June dandelions carpeting the floor close to us.
exploring attractions on highway 93 north towards jasper
Leaving exploration to the world famous Lake Louise and less popular Moraine Lake to the next days, we headed for Highway 93 to explore the scenic beauty of the Park up to its northernmost boundary.
1st stop: crowfoot glacier
We drove for 92 km north on Highway 93 to reach the Crowfoot Glacier Lookout on our left (west) side.
It was quite cold in early June and after taking in some scenery and snaps, we drove on.
2nd stop: bow lake lookout
We drove for about 1.5 km to reach this lookout. From here, we had jaw-dropping views of the Crowfoot Mountain and the Crowfoot glacier. This lookout needs at least 30 minutes to explore as it has more picturesque views to explore.
3rd stop: peyto lake
Driving 7 km north on Highway 93, we reached Peyto Lake. It was another 500 m walk uphill to reach the closest Viewpoint. The trail was icy in early June and traversing it turned out to be a nightmare. However, again, the views were ineffable. We hiked on a trail on the ridge for a short distance, but due to my arthritic left foot, I gave up early.
4th stop: mistaya canyon
We drove for another 30 km to reach the parking lot to see Mistaya Canyon. However, it was another 500 meters of easy trail that I had to limp my way through to reach the deep gorge. From here, we could see the Mistaya River upstream of the Canyon that then entered the narrow gorge. We also saw the snow covered peak of Mount Sarbach in the background upstream of the river.
The hike from the parking lot to the gorge of the canyon and back is easy with reasonable gradient, although the climb could still be bothersome for some young folks (below right). We saw beautiful views of snow-covered mountain peaks from the trail both ways.
lake louise
I had my reservations on visiting Lake Louise. From blogs and vlogs it is a perfect tourist hotspot. All of us were anticipating lots of visitors even though it was early June. Taking scenic shots without visitors in them was next to impossible. As the following shots show, I was able to accomplish the feat.
We could see Mount Victoria and Mount Lefroy on the far side of the Lake with Victoria Glacier visible on their slopes. The Victoria Glacier, a key source of the lake’s turquoise colour, is a major highlight.
Of course canoeing can be enjoyed by families.
I accompanied my son to the Fairview Lookout Trail. It was a relatively short but moderately steep hike up a mountain to a viewpoint overlooking the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Lake Louise itself. Since it was early June, we had to negotiate some icy sections carefully. The trail begins near the boathouse on the lakeshore and climbs through a sub-alpine forest, culminating in a viewpoint with stellar scenery.
moraine lake
Finally, we reached Moraine Lake, which was much quieter and prettier than Lake Louise. Hiking with my family around the periphery of the lake, I was able to take many shots.
The most prominent peaks visible are the Valley of the Ten Peaks. In this picture, 8 of the 10 peaks can be seen.
wildlife of banff that I photographed
Wildlife that I photographed at Jasper National Park also frequents Banff National Park. In order to see the mega-fauna of the Rockies, please read my blog on Jasper National Park here.
Above: American porcupine at Lake Louise
A grey jay at Bow Valley Parkway.
A Clark’s Nutcracker at Moraine Lake
A flock of grey headed cowbirds waiting for handouts from visitors at Bow lake
A raven at Bow Lake
where to stay
Brick and mortar accommodation in the city of Banff was expensive. We stayed in Golden, BC with cheaper equal quality alternatives. Another option is to stay Canmore, which is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Parks in any case.
final words
Until our next blog, au revoir! Be outdoorsy, embrace diversity, and support causes for the conservation of nature!
K2, the Kuvasz, and me 