Johnston Canyon

On Saturday morning, we had booked a tour through the fairmont hotel to visit Johnston Canyon. The canyon was 1/2 hour drive from the hotel. We shared the tour with one other person - so the tour was quite personal - just the 4 of us.

We started off on the wrong foot. Anne had the wrong shoes. We were wearing "death cloth" (i.e. jeans. because jeans is made out of cotton and cotton when wet, does not dry). Shan was wearing "summer hiking shoes". Anne had the wrong gloves. urgh - we are such tourists. But we went ahead anyway! We equipped ourselves with ice cleats (http://cozywinters.com/ice-cleats/ice-cleats.html) which are basically grips that attach to shoes and make walking on slippery services a lot easier.

The place is famous for its waterfalls (Upper & Lower) - but as you can see from the photos; they were frozen! We will definitely be back to see the waterfalls in summer - to compare. On our way back from the frozen waterfalls, we saw lots of people with backpacks and ropes. These guys were frozen waterfall climbers! Our guide tried to convince us that frozen waterfall climbing was less risky than skiing - but I don't buy it! People use picks and spikes to climb up these waterfalls - not for me thankyou!

An extract from the web "Johnston Canyon was named after a prospector who struck gold while panning in the creek. The Lower Falls are arguably the most famous in Banff National Park. The rushing water of the creek and the interesting rock formations along the recently upgraded hiking trail offer an exhilarating experience for the avid hiker or relaxing ambiance for a leisurely stroll. Then venture on to the breath-taking Upper Falls. The beauty, serenity and splendour of this wilderness retreat continues to inspire many photographers, nature lovers, birdwatchers and sightseers. At an elevation of 4710 feet above sea-level, Johnston Canyon is literally one of the top sites of the Rockies in Canada."