Day Tripper

Sat. 28 July:  Day Tripper

Head out to Banff National Park on any weekend in summer, and expect to share your trails with an international crowd.  So it was today.  And one such international visitor was my cousin PT from Leeds in Yorkshire.

Our day evolved, rather than being planned.  We started off by visiting the immensely popular Johnston Canyon, being very fortunate to get a perfect parking space in a very busy car park.  Just across the bridge, over the swirling waters of Johnston Creek, there’s a lovely old-fashioned café and gift store.  We sat out on the verandah enjoying a hot chocolate, and swatting away the pesky mosquitoes.  Of course, there was a constant procession of tourists making their way up the often narrow trail, as we strolled up the canyon.  The path is often dramatic, clinging to the cliff-face suspended above the fast-flowing waters below.  People were swarming around the base of the lower falls, waiting for their turn to creep through the narrow tunnel for a front-row view of the falls, and receiving a soaking at the same time.  We did it too, and were awed by the volume of water thundering down into the pool at the foot of the falls.

The crowds thinned out a little as we continued up the path to the end of the tourist trail. Here, a spectacular platform juts out into the chasm, with a perfect view of the much more spectacular upper falls.  I think P wanted to hike all the way to the Inkpots but I wasn’t really prepared for a proper hike, and so we returned down the increasingly busy path back to the car.  People were stopping to admire the chipmunks, and we held up a few people as P conversed with a lady about her dog and what she feeds it!

We decided to continue along the relatively peaceful Highway 1A westwards, stopping at a nice picnic area above the Bow River.  Here a helpful young National Park guide told us about bears and what they like to eat.  As we sat there eating our lunch, she showed us photos of bear poop which seemed to consist mostly of berries.  We were hungry enough not to be too put off.  Further along the road, we stopped at the classic viewpoint for the Canadian Pacific railway.  At out previous stop we had seen a couple of long freight trains pass below us.  Nearby were a couple of huge elk stags grazing beside the road, and being photographed by the tourist paparazzi.

Statistics
Johnston Canyon
Sat. 28 July
Total Dist.	5.4 km (hike)
Height Gain	410 ft.
Max. Elev.	5,135 ft.
Time	2 hrs. 46 mins.

Other Stats.
Start hike:    10.40 am Upper Falls: 12.22 pm Ret. to start:   1.26 pm	Sun, cloud.  Warm.

If there is any place busier than Johnston Canyon, it is Lake Louise.  Cars were parked for a good kilometre beside the road leading up to the lake.  Again by good fortune we found an ideal parking spot in the upper parking area.  Down by the lake there were serious crowds.  A slightly harassed Mountie, in red tunic and Mountie hat, was standing among the crowds, having his photo taken with excited tourists from around the world.  Talk about a classic Canadian scene!

P and I wandered into the Chateau Lake Louise hotel to admire the superb views of lake and mountains and glaciers from the windows of the lobby.  P was keen to stroll along the popular lakeside trail.  So we headed out and eventually found ourselves at the far end of the lake, heading up the trail towards the Mt. Victoria glacier.  I had to suggest that it might be time to turn around! 

Being early evening the crowds were finally starting to subside, and on our return walk it was a lot more peaceful.  People were out on the lake in canoes, and judging by the yelling and the singing, everyone was having a great time out there.  Several climbers were up on the cliff faces beside the trail.  The magic of Lake Louise is known around the world, so we were happy to share some of this magic with the crowds around us.  By now the sun was breaking through, and the reflections in the lake were intriguing.  In the hotel there is a very nice deli, and we stopped for a bite to eat alongside a pair of Japanese women, one of whom lives in Calgary.

There were still plenty of vehicles in the car parks at 7 pm as we headed out and down to the Trans-Canada Highway.  On the way we drove up to the old-fashioned Lake Louise railway station to watch a train coming by - which we had hoped was the Rocky Mountaineer passenger train.  Instead it was a freight train headed east.  We stopped at the handy café beside the highway in Canmore for a meal.  By the time we reached the city, the light was fading.  It had been a long, enjoyable day trip in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Now if I can be as active as my cousin is when I am 75, I will be pleased enough.

Statistics
Lake Louise lakeside
Sat. 28 July
Total Dist.	5.0 km (hike)
Height Gain	30 ft.
Max. Elev.	5,770 ft.
Time	2 hrs. 15 mins.

Other Stats.
Start hike:      4.53 pm Far end:         6.07 pm Ret. to car:     7.08 pm	Temp: +16 C Clouds breaking up, evening sunshine.  Warm.