hiking – Page 6 – Wandering the Wild

Icefields Parkway, Banff and Jasper National Parks

June 2, 2015 Anna (North Star) and Chris (Shutterbug)4 Comments

The Icefields Parkway winds through the Canadian Rockies, connecting Banff and Jasper National Parks. We stopped at many viewpoints and did several short hikes off this scenic road when we visited in September.

At Bow Summit we hiked up a trail about 15 minutes to get an excellent view of Peyto Lake.

Looking in the opposite direction from that same viewpoint, Peyto Creek beautifully squiggled across an alluvial fan before reaching the lake.

A group from a tour bus arrived at the Peyto Lake viewpoint shortly after us. They wasted no time taking hundreds of selfies. Five minutes later they were gone. It was pretty comical actually.

Our next short hike took us to Mistaya Canyon. Here the Mistaya River transitions from flowing through a valley into a deep gorge.

Canada Hikes

Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park

May 6, 2015 Anna (North Star) and Chris (Shutterbug)2 Comments

Rewind to last September when we hiked the Teton Crest Trail as our honeymoon. The Tetons were amazing, but our exploring didn’t stop there. We drove north into Canada to sample their slice of the Rockies.

When we arrived in Banff National Park, it was cold, raining, and clouds hid the enormous mountains we suspected were all around us. The good news was that the bad weather made other people depart early, and we were able to score a vacated campsite at Two Jack Lakeside campground. We set up camp. With several hours left in the day we wanted to stretch our legs and go on a hike. Johnston Canyon seemed a good choice because the clouds wouldn’t affect the experience.

Just steps from the trailhead, we found ourselves on a boardwalk, dangling over the canyon edge. The water, turquoise blue due to its glacial origins, rushed by below.

After an easy and scenic three quarters of a mile, we reached Johnston Canyon Lower Falls. The trail presented many vantage points of the falls, including a small tunnel. We ducked through to experience an up close and personal view of the waterfall as it thundered down, spraying our faces with mist.

The trail climbed as it followed Johnston Creek upwards. A raven, probably begging for food, perched near the trail. It was cool to observe this huge bird at close proximity.

Wyoming Hikes

Teton Crest Trail Day 5

November 29, 2014 Anna (North Star) and Chris (Shutterbug)7 Comments

North Fork Cascade Canyon to String Lake Trailhead (11 miles)

We scrambled up onto a large boulder overlooking our campsite and ate breakfast. We packed the remaining food into our now almost empty bear can, just enough for our final day in this awesome backcountry.

Chris’s altitude headaches and fatigue from previous days were completely gone. He was thankful to be back to normal.

A storm loomed in the forecast, so we packed up a little earlier than usual. We wanted to make sure to cross Paintbrush Divide, our high point for the day, before the storm broke loose. Marmots basked in the sunlight as we set off.

Lake Solitude, though early in our day’s walk, was so nice that we opted to stop and and enjoy the view for a while. The water was clear enough to watch fish moving in its depths.

Tag: hiking