Hiking Johnston Canyon: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

During Spring Break in March, Paul and I were able to take some much needed time off.  We decided that the short drive to Banff was going to be our destination.  We are super lucky to be so close to a world destination.  

Going to Banff during Spring Break is a risky choice.  The weather might be awesome- or you might be in a blizzard, wishing you packed your parka.  The town might be packed shoulder to shoulder with tourists- or you could be rubbing elbows with the locals. 

We were able to get a good deal on a condo close to town and thank goodness it was only the two of us, as I don’t think there would have been room for even Ruby to join us!  It was super tiny and dated.  But, we decided to make the best of it (since we didn’t plan on being in the room much anyway) and we got out on a couple of great hikes.  

One of the hikes that we chose to start out on was the famous Johnston Canyon.  Now, this is basically a walk along a canyon but it is very beautiful and worth it.  Paul is a TRUE hiker . . . he wants to be out in the woods, stomping through the forest, establishing his own path, so this was definitely not his idea of a good time!!  But, he sucked it up and we were able to get a good video out of it! 

The canyon is natural stunning beauty.  There are a number of stopping points along the way for great pictures and views of the water, below and above.  

As you hike, you follow the canyon upwards, toward the start at the waterfalls.  

The waterfalls at this time of year were frozen and the ice is so beautiful.  The giant icicles hang individually and in giant groups. 

Though you aren’t supposed to, we climbed over the railing and jumped down on to the frozen creek bed to get some cool pictures of the frozen falls.  We weren’t the only ones rebelling against the boundaries . . . many others did it too.  In fact, a tour group guide scoffed at us and informed us that just days before the falls had broken off right onto where we were standing.  Oops.  Won’t do that again! 

But, if we hadn’t jumped the rail, we wouldn’t have gotten these cool pictures!!  

After the first lookout point of the falls, you can continue another couple hundred feet up to a higher lookout point, and as shown below, it is the start at the top of the falls. 

The one thing about Banff is that it is close to all of the city folks in Calgary, which we small-towners like to call the “yuppies”(with love of course!).  Being from the small, albeit hick town that we are from, we are used to coming across animals on the trails that we hike.  We’ve seen deer, elk, sheep, goats, and horses, but something we’ve never seen before is a pig.  

Being on a hike near Banff was the last place that I ever thought I would see a pig.  A pet pig.  With a leash.  Yes, some people (yuppies) were on the trail, with their PET PIG ON A LEASH!  I’m all for a pet pig given the proper place and environment, but it was freezing cold outside and we were on a hike!  

The man yuppie carrying it, came down the trail with the pig inside his jacket, and set it on the snow/ice to have a look around at the lookout point.  The woman yuppie was embarrassed that the pig had pooped (in the man’s jacket?) and decided that she needed to clean it’s bum with the snow.  So the poor pig, standing on the freezing snow, had it’s bum wiped with the frozen snow!  It was totally howling/snorting/whining, the poor thing.

Is this story too good to be true?  Check out the picture of the event below.  

All kinds of people make the world go ’round, right?