 |
| Water vs. Rock, Johnston Canyon |
Waterfalls, Lakes, Canyons and Lots of Hiking
The National Parks here in the Canadian Rockies all border upon one another, making it possible to explore sites in each park.
From our campsite near the town of Lake Louise we took a drive out toward Yoho National Park to see some falls that were recommended to us.
Takakkaw Falls, Yoho National Park
At 380 meters this is one of the highest waterfalls in Canada. And is it ever spectacular! A very nice paved accessible trail from the parking lot, crosses a bridge over the river and takes visitors, along the river to a very close viewing spot near the base of the falls. As the water plunged over the cliff high above our heads a fine mist filled the trail and coating us with a cooling layer of tiny drops of water.
Johnston Canyon, Banff NP
We enjoyed exploring Johnston Canyon on our trip two years ago. We were concerned about overcrowding on the trail so we went to this beautiful hike late in the afternoon. As we are experiencing here if you go to a popular spot around 4:30 or 5:00 pm the crowds are dissipating and with sunset at almost 10:00 pm there is still lots of time and daylight to enjoy a hike!
This trail leads into a narrow canyon, some of the path is alongside the river and some parts of the trail are over catwalks anchored into the cliffs! It’s an exciting walk leading to several waterfalls.
We turned around at the lower falls after waiting our turn to enter a cave at the base of the falls for a view point from the back side of the cave where we were almost in the falls!
Troll Falls and Haystack Meadow Loop Trail
Bow Valley Provincial Park
Our exploration of this hike, promising several waterfalls, was filled with surprises and delights.
Along the tree shaded path from the trailhead we came across several lodges made of downed tree trunks. All the logs had been gathered somewhat like a pyramid to form a lodge which could be walked into and through. We saw at least three of these structures amidst the thick stands of trees.
Moving along the trail we gradually started to ascend higher. Some parts of the trail were quite steep, but the most difficult areas had railings along one side of the path. After many breaks to catch our breath we came to more gradual inclines and could hear that we were nearing the river. A few clouds began to cover our clear and sunny skies and we were treated to a light rain, which brought some coolness to the hot day.
We reached the lower waterfall and the air around us was cooled by the cascading waters. The trail continued toward the upper falls, passing Marmot Falls along the way. This was a beautiful falls which we were able to walk behind for some more natural air conditioning!
 |
The trail steepened again with several flights of stairs and some climbing up rocky ledges to a fantastic area alongside the Marmot Creek bank. Ahead we could see the Upper Troll Falls cascading over the edge of the cliffs.
Reluctantly we headed back down stream to a fork in the trail, taking an alternate route back to the parking lot. The Haystack Meadow Trail led to meadows surrounded by Aspen trees, and the trail brought us to the edge of the Kananaskis River, with lots of wildflowers along the way.
This diverse trail brought lots of variety and some unique surprises that made for a very delightful outing!
Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show
The Calgary Stampede is an annual Rodeo/fair event which draws huge crowds to enjoy the rodeo events, the carnival midway with its unique foods and rides, capped off at the end of the day with the Grandstand Show!
Because we were camping in Banff near Lake Louise, this put Calgary about a 1 1/2 hour drive from our camp site. Because of this distance we knew we could not take advantage of a full day at the Stampede. Instead we did the Troll Falls hike, described above, in the midday. This was located about half way to Calgary. From there we stopped at a spectacular golf course in Kananaskis for lunch on the terrace with views of the golf course and mountains.
After our lunch we drove to the Tuscany Station of the C-Train. By taking the train into the city we could park safely at the train station and avoid driving into the traffic around the Stamped grounds. The 1/2 hour train ride took us to our stop just outside of the Stampede Gate nearest to the stadium for our enjoyment of the spectacle which is the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show.
The evening preshow consists of some exciting and unique events such as Chuck Wagon Races, First Nation Relay Races, and a First Nation Women’s Bareback Race.
The evening show is a three hour extravaganza, including Drones, dancing robots, fireworks, popular bands, acrobats and more! Think of what they do for halftime at the Super Bowl combined with a three ring circus and multiply that by about ten and you might understand a bit of what this show is like! After seeing it two years ago we knew it would be worth a long travel day from Banff and back and it did not disappoint us!
Pictures were difficult to get during the show from our seats high in the stands, so I borrowed this from the internet. It just shows the stage, the backdrop, which included multiple digital screens and small stages. Fireworks shot out from the top of the back drop's frame and fire lept from all areas of the stage during the show! It was quite indescribable!
Lots of Lakes
While Lake Louise (with the 9,000 visitors a day) and Moraine Lake (5,000 visitors a day) are the best know and most popular lakes in the Banff NP, there are many other lakes to see and enjoy. We headed out for some hiking around three lakes in the area.
Lake Minnewanka
This was a large lake with lots of picnic areas and a lake side hike. A marina afforded lots of options for boating and getting out on the water. Looking out over the lake with the mountains in the background we spotted a pair of bald eagles soaring out over the water and along the hillside.
One of the eagles flew low over our heads and landed at the very top of a pine tree which was about twenty yards away! They were so fun to watch before we headed on down the shoreline trail.
Johnson Lake
This lake had lots of families and couples enjoying picnics and water play along the shore line. A trail led around the Lake, offering many different viewpoints, varied colors to the water and some separation from the crowds.
Two Jack Lake
This beautiful lake was also very popular with families and couples, many of whom brought their own canoes and paddle boards. Some spread blankets along the shoreline to relax or enjoy a picnic lunch. We took a short hike along the shoreline, which ended at the nearby campground. More families and children were playing in the water and launching canoes and paddle boards from the water's edge below their camp sites.
It looked like a great place to camp, especially with children who were enjoying playing in the water. Most people were camping in tents in this part of the campground. There were also sites for rent that had platform tents, a sort of cross between a tent and a cabin. Lots of sites had views of the lake or were just steps away from the shoreline.
Kootenay National Park
Marble Canyon
While its name suggests we should find a canyon of marble, there is no marble stone in Matble Canyon. When the rock is wet it has an appearance of marble though! In one area of the trail, water was seeping from the canyon walls, covering the trail with about half an inch of water, showing off the vibrant colors of the rock below our feet!
The glacial blue Tokumm Creek, running far below the top of the canyon now, has been eroding and chipping away at the stone walls of this narrow winding canyon to make what we see here today. At the upstream end of the narrow gorge is a powerful waterfall. Downstream the creek connects with the Vermillion River.
Seven bridges have been built across the chasm to allow views far down to the blue river still churning away at the rocky cliffs. It’s amazing to see how powerful moving water, ice and gravel can be in wearing away layers of stone to create such dramatic canyons!
We have had such a great time exploring God’s magnificent creation here in the Canadian Rockies. One could imagine what it’s like to be in the Alps! Soon we will cross back into the USA 🇺🇸 as our Adventures on the Road continue. We will see more wonderful landscapes but we will miss the grandeur of the True North which is Canada🇨🇦 🍁
Every day and every adventure is a gift from the Lord!
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
Psalms 23
