I have written about Johnston Canyon in the past, as we have hiked it several times during the summer months. I even have photos of myself as a child, feeding chipmunks and hanging from branches as my family and I hiked up to the falls. Now it is my turn to take photos of my own children doing the same!
However, despite being very familiar with the canyon, I had never hiked it during the winter. So for Christmas this year, I gifted my husband a weekend family trip away to Banff, where we'd visit Johnston Canyon and do the 'Ice Walk'.
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| My kids and I about to embark on a winter adventure in the mountains! |
Driving to Johnston Canyon is beautiful in itself. It is a quick 5 kilometre jaunt from Banff to the canyon turn-off on the Trans-Canada highway. Signs are clearly posted to turn onto the Bow Valley Parkway to access Johnston Canyon - you really can't miss it. After that exit, there is a 17 kilometre drive down a forested access road, lined with towering pines that will have you craning your neck in awe the entire way.
In the winter the road was very well maintained, although we found in a few spots going downhill it got a little slick. Several spots were marked 30 km/h so it was slow going. Give yourself a little extra time in the winter to drive this road, and no speeding! You'd have a very difficult time getting unstuck if you happened to skid off the Parkway.
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| The wooded access road to Johnston Canyon makes you feel very remote! |
The parking lot is easy to find, but there were spots with deep snow that might make parking in a small car difficult. I suggest an SUV or truck for winter excursions to the canyon, but that's just me.
Once we were parked, we hauled out all of our winter gear and suited up for the Ice Walk. It was a lovely day, but we donned our snow pants, toques, mittens, and scarves anyway. The walk is a bit long for little legs, and I wanted my kids to be warm the entire way. (Also, I am a wimp when it comes to the cold, and let's be honest, I probably needed the warm snow pants more than the kids did!)
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| The trail head to the Johnston Canyon Ice Walk. |
Another piece of winter equipment we brought along with us for the Ice Walk were crampons. These are little rubber shoe covers that wrap around the bottom of your boot, stretching from toe to heel. On the underside of the rubber sole are tiny spikes that assist you in gripping the snow and ice as you walk, and help to prevent falls and slips.
I bought ours at a local sporting goods store for $18, so they are quite affordable, but you can also rent them at pretty much any rental place in Banff for about $14. This is definitely one of the tips I want to offer you: buy or rent crampons so you don't slip and slide the entire time you are trekking the canyon.
Once everyone was ready to roll, we began our hike. There are three ultimate destinations at Johnston Canyon that you can aim for, depending on your fitness level, how far you want to hike, and how much time you have to spend at the canyon. The first destination is the Lower Falls, which is a 1.1 kilometre hike one way, estimated to take 30 minutes. (Oh man, did we ever take longer with a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old!! So much longer. So, so much longer...)
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| Johnston Canyon trail map. |
The second destination is the Upper Falls, which is a 2.6 kilometre hike from the parking lot, estimated to be at least an hour of hiking one way - remember to give yourself time to get back too! The final destination are the Ink Pots, which are at the end of a longer and more natural trail leading along the top of the Johnston Valley. The Ink Pots are six blue-green spring-fed pools that are apparently very pretty to see - I wouldn't know as I have never hiked that far. Maybe next summer!
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| A foggy mountain view from somewhere along Johnston Canyon Ice Walk. |
As you can guess, my little family was only able to hike to the Lower Falls this time around. The kids did spectacular - 2.2 kilometres of walking on snow and ice is a formidable feat for little ones. My son did get quite whiny on the way back, and my husband had to carry him pretty much the entire return trip. But my daughter was a trooper and made it the whole way herself! Good girl!
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| My little family all bundled up and ready for a winter hike. |
The walk to the Lower Falls is fairly easy. It consists of small hills and straight, flat sections that lead through stately pines frosted with snowy branches. Down a rolling bank to your right is Johnston Creek, bubbling and flowing through patches of ice and open water.
Watch out for some of the more interesting landmarks as you make your way to the falls. My favourite is the S-shaped tree growing beside the path. My mother has a photo of me when I was about six sitting on that tree, and it is still there. Now I have a photo of my kids sitting on the same tree. Pretty neat.
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| The cool s-shaped tree that has been on the trail since I was a kid! |
Further down the trail, the valley walls become more prominent, growing steeper and steeper. In order to continue walking towards the falls, you must hike along a series of catwalks mounted into the side of the rock. This is my favourite part, as you are literally strolling overtop of the creek, hanging mid-air halfway up the cliff. For those of you who get vertigo or are afraid of heights, stay focused on the pathway ahead of you, as the catwalks are sporadic and each one is fairly short.
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| One of the suspended catwalks hanging over Johnston Creek. |
Finally, you will encounter a bridge that crosses over the creek, although at this point the creek looks more like a deep pool. This is the base of the Lower Falls. In the winter, the Lower Falls are frozen into a curtain of ice, and if the ice is thin enough, you can witness the actual waterfall rushing down behind it.
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| The deep pool in Johnston Creek that has been carved by the Lower Falls. |
To get a closer look, you can hunch over and walk through a short cave tunnel to a narrow lookout on the other side. This lookout has been carved into the limestone wall surrounding the Lower Falls, like a balcony overhanging the grey-blue pool of glacial water. There are railings built into the balcony to prevent anyone from slipping and falling into the pool, which would be terrible. So cold!
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| Avy standing outside the Lower Falls cave. |
On a safety note, the access to this little balcony is quite slippery. There are three little rock steps hewn into the floor of the cave that help you make your way up to the viewing area, but with the spray of the waterfall freezing into a slick frost on the stairs, it can be treacherous. This is where the crampons really helped me, but I did watch a few people slip while trying to go both up and down these steps. Be prepared!
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| The frozen Johnston Canyon Lower Falls. |
After viewing the Lower Falls, you can return to the main path by crossing back over the bridge. At this point, the path forks. You can continue onwards and upwards to the Upper Falls, where in the winter people enjoy ice-climbing on the tall, frozen waterfall. Or you can go back the way you came towards the parking lot.
Obviously, we chose the latter, although a part of me was crying inside because I really, really wanted to see the ice-climbers traverse those majestic Upper Falls. When the kids get bigger, we will finish the entire loop.
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| Checking out the creek while surrounded by towering canyon walls. |
At this point, Parker was pretty much done. The sporting goods store I bought our crampons from didn't sell any in kids' sizes, so my offspring had been slipping and sliding the entire walk, holding our hands for dear life. Parker had hit the ground more than once, and he wanted no more to do with this walking business. So Joey carried him.
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| Kid down! Parker slips yet again on the snowy trail. |
We made it back to the parking lot however, and after that all the kids could talk about was how pretty the trees were, how amazing the frozen waterfall was, and how much they liked crawling through the cave. I am thankful that all those memories of being tired and frustrated had vanished. This means they will want to come again!
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| Another view of Johnston Creek from a top one of the catwalks. |
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| Making our way towards the falls - I loved the views from the catwalks! |
I have a question for my readers, as well. Since I have never seen the Ink Pots for myself, what are they like? Would they be worth the view in the winter, or would they just be frozen over and impossible to see? I am curious if the Ink Pots are a winter activity.
Let me know in the comments below! If you have photos of them in the winter, post one on Instagram with the hashtag #downthewrabbithole so I can leave you a comment too!
Hello, I log on to your blog on a regular basis. Your writing style is witty, keep doing what you're doing!
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