Banff,
Alberta, Canada
Prior to this trip, I was obsessively checking the weather and webcams (they have some in the park you can view). I was concerned because the area had been covered in smoke for a couple months because of wild fires. We were camping, backpacking, and canoeing in Banff so I was really hoping we could enjoy nature. I was also concerned the smoke would cause a headache or difficulty breathing with asthma. Banff also had a fire ban and it was getting quite cold. However, we complete lucked out and a few days before our arrival, rain and cold weather helped smother the fires/smoke and while we pulled into the park, the fire ban was lifted!
We flew into Calgary after a layover in Toronto with our $250 round-trip tickets (thanks for finding those, Austyn). The Toronto airport seemed very spread out and I'm pretty sure we covered every part of it. After landing, we got some lunch and stop by a grocery store to pick up some produce for our camping portion. When you eat backpacking meals every day and Apple is very refreshing. I took around two hours to get to our campsite but the drive it was beautiful. I always get so excited when you're driving and then the first mountain star coming into view. We stop by the town of Banff of the way to the campground to pick up fuel and bear spray. The first hardware store was out of fuel because the fire ban had just been lifted that day so because so many people did not have campfires a lot more were buying camping fuel.
Johnston campground was easy to find and the sites were well marked. They also have heated restrooms with showers and small buildings could serve as a cooking area if you wanted it. Our site hade fire ring and a picnic table. Because of the wildfires, there had been a fire ban in effect for a very long time before we went. You can imagine how excited we were when as we were pulling into the park the fire ban had just gotten lifted. It was in the 20s at night and that fire really helped keep us warm until we got into our tents. We did end up having to buy firestarter though because we didn't bring anything with us thinking we weren't going to be able to have fires. The wood was a little damp so it did takes a little extra to get it going. They do have firewood in piles there that you can carry to your campsite for free which was very nice.
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Our GPS worked most of the time when traveling around the area. Every once in a while we would lose connection or service and we had paper maps just in case. However, the roads are well marked and usually you can get along by just following the signs.
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Because we were at Johnston Canyon campground, we decided to head over to the Johnston Canyon trail which is located just across the road. We didn't have a lot of time since it was getting late but we managed to hike up to upper falls. There were only a few people on the trail too! The trail does have some incline on the way to upper falls but overall it is not too strenuous. I thought lower falls offered a better view. The Canyon is gorgeous and offers different scenery than the rest of the park.
We headed back to make a fire and did need fire starter due to the wood being damp. Fortunately they did get rain before we arrived which allowed the fire ban to be lifted (it wasn't expected to lift until Oct 3) and cleared up the smoke from the wildfires.
My sister had missed a flight and then was delayed so she didn't arrive until 12:30 AM. Fortunately she didn't have any trouble on her drive.
We all were very cold overnight. It wasn't supposed to be any colder than the backcountry portion in high elevation but for some reason all of us were much colder on the first night. I also was cold when I hopped in my sleeping bag which didn't help. We woke up early the next morning to try and see a lot during the day. I heard it was difficult to find parking at the lakes and wanted to try and beat the crowds. We were going to Lake Louise first because I wanted to have more time at Moraine to do a hike. I don't know if it is always like this but Moraine had a lot more people trying to get to the lot. Lake Louise is 27 miles from Johnston Canyon Campground.
Photos of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (Valley of the 10 Peaks)
We had to park in overflow parking and ride the shuttle to Moraine Lake. There were signs notifying us from the main road that the lot at Moraine was full so that was nice that we did not have to waste time trying to find out. We ended up waiting around 45 minutes in the lot (they will have a line and multiple busses taking tourists). It was cold! We saw a few girls in shorts and figured they would not last long. Shortly after, they went back to their cars and left. If we did it again, I would have probably done Lake Moraine first just to avoid the crowds but I also think there are more picturesque hiking options around Moraine.
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At Moraine Lake, we hiked up to Larch Valley. The trail requires you to hike in groups of 4 for grizzly precautions but it was plenty crowded so we were not concerned. It was a beautiful, sunny September day so this was a popular hike.
Above: Larch Valley middle of September
Side: Who doesn't love coffee while taking in the view of Moraine?!
The hike up to larch valley is approximately 5.3 miles and 1,755 feet of elevation gain. The trailhead is on the right side of Moraine Lake if you are looking straight at the lake from the road/parking area. We packed some food for lunch and ate it once we made it to the valley. On the way up the trail, you have partial views of the lake and the color becomes even more vibrant. This trail is considered a moderate day hike and the park recommends allowing for 4.5 hours to complete it.
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Once we took a few more photographs, we headed back to the shuttle. It was neat getting to meet other people while we headed back into town. There were many people visiting from other countries.
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We rented canoes from Banff Canoe Club and I would definitely recommend it. We did not have much time because of it traveling to see the lakes so we only went out for a short while. The canoes are first come first serve but I was told there probably would not be a wait in mid September. They shop is open from 10am-8pm, with last rentals going out at 7pm. We did not have to wait for canoes and it was a quick process to fill out the paperwork.
Canoeing on Bow River, rental from Banff Canoe Club
The canoeing was wonderful! It was beautiful. We passed a couple other people on the water that told use there were beavers up ahead. We decided to keep going to try and see them. For a while, we wondered if they had left but eventually we did see them. It was difficult to see much of them because they are small and we did not want to get too close and disrupt them. We did not see a lot of wildlife in Canada so I was happy to watch them for a bit. Then, we went into town to eat dinner.
After dinner, we cozied up in our sleeping bags for an early morning alarm. I wanted to take my sister to see Johnston Canyon since it was just across the street and she arrived too late to go on the first night. We arrived early, probably around 7:00 and it was perfect. It was very cold but there was only one other car in the lot. We went to lower falls and looked around the canyon areas, talking about Game of Thrones as we walked. My sister had been watching it for years and I was just getting started on the first couple seasons when we left for Banff. As we were getting ready to leave, we passed a couple that told us there was a black bear just up the road. We did not have much time but decided to go a short distance to see if it was around. We did not see the bear so we were going back to the campground when I noticed a couple vehicles pulled off the side of the road. I told my sister that I bet it was for the bear. We stopped and sure enough, the bear was walking up a hill on the side of the road. I grabbed my camera and we watched as the bear wandered back to the woods.
Our group resorting to sitting in the car so we could feel our fingers again.
We were not sure if we needed to check in anywhere before our trip such as a backcountry office or a kiosk but we ended up not needing to do anything more. We went to the Fish Creek Trailhead which is in the Lake Louise ski area. There is a small parking lot there. We weren't sure if we were in the correct spot but there were other people there that told us that was the starting point for the Skokie Loop. The beginning of the hike was not anything special because you hike straight up a 4 km gravel road. The rest of the trail makes it worth it though!
Heading towards Boulder Pass and eventually Baker Lake
It was a beautiful day with the sun shining the entire time. For part of our hike, I took off my layers and wore a t-shirt. We eventually come to Boulder Pass (photos below) and decided to take a rest break. We were making good time and enjoying ourselves. I was thrilled we had clear views and the wildfire smoke had not obstructed them because for a short while, it appeared it was going to creep up on us.
It was nice that during this portion of the hike, we could see where we were headed which helped with morale and time management. After Boulder Pass, we came to Ptarmigan Lake. You hike around this lake and if you need fresh water, there are plenty of places to filter.
The rest of the hike from this point to Baker Lake is easy (i.e. downhill/flat). Baker Lake was a more populated place. They have tent pads for you to set up, an outhouse, bear poles to hang items, and tables. It was definitely different than many backcountry spots we have been! We made great time and set up camp and began preparations for dinner. We filtered our water out of Baker Lake and watched the sunset.
Baker Lake and view back towards camp from the lake. You can see our green tent among the trees.
Baker Lake backcountry camping
The next morning was beautiful. We watched the sunrise, ate breakfast, and headed out on the trail. We walked through a forest for a bit before the trail opened up. We kept our eyes out for wildlife but did not see any. We were sure to make a lot of noise to avoid surprising a bear. The trail takes you around Fossil Mountain.
The photographs above are shortly past the signs for Red Deer Lakes camping area. We found a spot to set up for lunch in the meadow. We enjoyed our break and then, the wind REALLY picked up. They say be ready for the weather to change in an instant in the mountains and they weren't kidding. I remember Tim trying to put on his jacket and the wind almost taking it away - the gusts were wild. Then, it started snowing. A LOT. The snow was beautiful but my only concern was that we might have a tough time seeing the trail if we had too much. Fortunately it was marked pretty well. There was one time we took the wrong way at a fork and it led us to what looked like a horse camp (no horses just poles and an area for them). We turned around and made our way into the woods towards Merlin Meadows.
Take a look at how quickly the weather can change! The middle photo is what it was like before the wind and then the other photos are right after. I ended up trying to fit a poncho over my pack and coat and the end result looks ridiculous but oh well. :) The trees were beautiful and the trail was slippery. There were some steep declines on the approach to Merlin Meadows. I figured we were on the correct path but it is always a relief to see the actual sign indicating you have reached your destination. When we arrived at Merlin Meadows, there was not another person in sight. The area was completely empty. We were VERY happy to find some old logs under the snow in some areas. We collected the logs and started a fire. I have never camped while it was snowing (hiked and camped in Yosemite with some older, melting snow). I am bad about skipping meals when I am cold and tired. Fortunately, Kaitlin was more determined for dinner and her and the others made food while I began drying off my items and some others by the fire. I accidentally melted part of Austyn's shoe by the fire--oops!
The next morning was cold, very cold. I am also someone that is already always cold. My co-workers would laugh at me wearing a winter coat in the office. However, I enjoy seeing different landscapes and hiking so that means dealing with the varying temps. My ski pants have only been used twice for skiing but many more times for keeping me warm on trips like this! We decided to hike for a short while and boil our water for breakfast at Skokie Lodge. The lodge does not like hikers inside any buildings or use any other services there. They have guests that stay in small cabins. There are also signs everywhere notifying hikers not to use the restrooms, and so on. I felt much better when I was moving but sitting still was uncomfortably cold. I snuggled up with the girls and we had our breakfast.
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We kept moving and eventually you will approach Deception Pass. We didn't know the true history behind the name but we were pretty sure it was because it is very deceiving! As you hike, it appears that you are approaching the top and then will descend. However, you get farther ahead only to discover that there is more. It also didn't help that I told everyone this would be a mostly downhill day (which after this point it is!). We saw some birds but no other wildlife on this portion. It was nice at the top of Deception Pass to look down and recognize some of the sights we previously saw. At this point the trail met up with the trail we took to Baker Lake. It looked much different with the snow! As we lost elevation, the temperatures slowly warmed up and we noticed less and less snow.
We loaded into our rental van and traveled back to Calgary. We stayed in a hotel and Tim and Sean picked up the pizza and beer (thanks guys!). Another great trip in the books.