Johnston Canyon & Ink Pots

On Ron's days off we like to explore and we decided to try a hike to Johnston Canyon.  "They" say that it is an easy hike.  I'm not sure who "they" are but off we went to attempt it.  The trail head started about 20 km west of Banff.  It was a bit cool as we started but that usually is pretty good when you are hiking.  You are bound to heat up.

We decided that we would plan to at least get to the Upper Falls and then see how we feel at that point.  It was a good time to try this trail as it is known as one of the busiest in the Rockies.  The start of the trail began over a creek with water flowing through ice.

The trail leads through the forest on sturdy catwalks overhanging canyon walls.  It's really quite a unique trail and it leads to some quite spectacular views of falls.

 

 

 

The hike to the Upper Falls was 2.7 km with an elevation of 1565 m. 

Ron enjoying the view.

 We decided that we would keep going.  This is where the walkway changed quite a bit.  The path was less travelled and snow and ice covered.  At some points it felt like it was straight up (a little exaggeration).

At the summit the elevation was 5400 ft. (1645 m).  At this point my heart rate was about 170 and so we stopped for a couple of pictures. 

Amazing!

The view was spectacular.  At this point we started to decline and it was tricky with the icy path but slowly we made it down to the meadow.

And even though I knew that I would have to climb back up the steep slope it was worth the effort.  It was just breath taking scenery.

Notice the ink spots.

We took a little bit of time to relax (catch my breath), have a snack, take some pictures and just enjoy the beauty that surrounded us.

The entire hike took us around 3 and a half hours.  I must admit that I felt very out of shape and took lots of time going up the path.  I had great trail partners who were very patient with my effort.  At the end of the trip I burned almost 1600 calories which was very rewarding.  The total hike was 11.2 kms.  Today, the day after, I am able to move; although, my legs are certainly feeling the work out.  It was much easier going back down the trail but it took effort not to slip and fall.  Definitely a great day.  We bought a book listing many trails to try and I downloaded an app to be knowledgeable on what to expect.


And yes, this was supposed to be an easy hike.  Oh boy, I don't think I am ready for any hard ones then.