We were out by 10 a.m. I made nice fresh meat and cheese buns to take with us for lunch on the road – picnic!! – yum!!!
We have a plan to go to Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise, Herbert Lake, Peyto Lake today….but all depends on timing, what we see, how the weather is, but we know we will have another fun day, seeing things we have never seen before.
Johnston Canyon was about a 45 minute drive from Canmore. Wow – great hiking! We choose to hike the 1.5 km hike to lower falls, but if we had more time, we would have loved to hike the 3 km hike to the higher falls. But there is more places to go and see, and we felt blessed to have been here and enjoyed the hike. I was surprised how much snow was still in the canyon. We pretty much hiked on suspended catwalks on the side of the rock the entire hike. Quite cool! The waterfall was flowing hard and they had a tunnel you could walk through to get up close and personal.
Both the upper and lower falls trails are marked as easy. Apparently this is one of the most visited sites in Banff. We are happy we are coming here in May, as come summer months we know will be crazy busy!!
When we get back in the car……we are hungry, and…………
Dang!!………….I forgot the buns in the fridge. I was so upset. wah wah wah. We ate nuts, cliff bars, candy…..and will just have to wait now for dinner.
We then went to Lake Louise. Gorgeous! The lake was still frozen. Just a small piece was thawed, where you could see the glacier blue color.
I didn’t know they had a Fairmont Hotel in Lake Louise!!
Then we went to Herbert Lake. It was thawed! It was also a blue lake from a glacier, although you don’t really see it in the picture so well. It was an overcast day which probably doesn’t help bring out the colors!
When we were driving, we saw that portions of the highway 1A have seasonal closures. There are restrictions on portions of the Bow Valley Parkway (which is a scenic route that includes Highway 1A). Specifically, the 17-km section east of Johnston Canyon Campground is closed to vehicle traffic from 8 PM to 8 AM to protect wildlife during the spring. Additionally, there are restrictions on motor vehicle access on the Bow Valley Parkway from its east end to Johnston Canyon for a reduced-vehicle cycling experience. I would have loved to bike this 17 km!!! Next time!!
We decided not to go to Peyto Lake, as it is still frozen, but will add it to our bucket list for next time!
We went to Cave & Basin historical site in Banff. With a National Park pass you save and get free admission, otherwise entrance fee is only $11.
“.. like some fantastic dream from a tale of the Arabian Nights. That is how William McCardell described the mist-filled cave on the slopes of Sulphur Mountain in Banff when he, his brother Tom, and their partner Frank McCabe first saw it in the fall of 1883. Considering the archaeological evidence of human habitation in the Bow Valley that dates back 10,000 years, and First Nations stories about the cave and warm waters we know that these Canadian Pacific Railway workers were not the first to discover these springs. But, recognizing the potential profit flowing in these mineral waters, the railway workers erected a fence around their “discovery” and built a log cabin near the entrance to the cave. They unwittingly created the first crude boundary around what would eventually become Canada’s first national park.”
We hit Happy Hour at Tavern 1883 – yay!! 40% off everything. It would have been nice to sit outside, but it was just a wee bit cold for that! We sat in and enjoyed watching the hockey game.
After dinner we headed back to the condo for some more Euchre!
We also spent some time looking at travel spots on YouTube and already chatting about future trips!!
Another great day in Banff area!!
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