Johnston Canyon

Years ago (1986), when I was 12 my parents did a road trip from Kamloops, up to Jasper, through Banff and eventually back to Kamloops.  At the time, it felt like a 4 year journey, but it probably took about a week - maybe less.  One of the places we visited was Johnston Canyon.  Years later (2000), while visiting Mike in Calgary, we took a winter trip out to Banff and explored the canyon and I was amazed how much I remembered - bridges, rock sections and water falls.

Visiting now, just a few years later, everything was very familiar - yet different.  No snow - just way too much rain.  Being able to see the water surface and the deep greens was great.  There is so much more detail to the canyon when you can see the walls.  You appreciate the effort that went into building the cat walks that allow you to navigate so deeply in the Canyon.

As you hike further up the route, you exit the canyon (those catwalks must be expensive to build), and get a different view of the waterfalls.  These falls don't have a name (at least on a sign post), but the view from above was beautiful - in BC this one fall would be a worth destination for a half day hike.

And then you get to the magnificent High Falls - the end of the canyon experience.  On my last visit, the wall was covered in ice and ice covered in climbers, but this time it was just a large moist rock wall covered in slowing growing algae mats.