Banff

We drove with Tom and Nanci to Banff this morning, via Hwy 1A, the alternative to the Trans Canada Hwy 1, in hopes of seeing some wildlife. The wildlife were all too smart to come out in the rain to pose for pictures, so we went on to Banff. We saw the Bow Falls (on the Bow River).

Bow Falls

Banff Springs Hotel

Next we drove up to the Banff Springs Hotel, an opulent tribute to the Canadian Pacific Railway's designs to lure tourists to this beautiful country. In the courtyard stands a statue of William Cornelius Van Home, who said "Since we can't export the scenery, we will have to import the tourists." His plan appears to have worked quite well, since millions now visit every year. We visited the Hoodoos--strange rock formations. One sign read, "What the heck is a hoodoo?"--just what we were thinking....

What the Heck is a Hoodoo?

Here are the hoodoos

Then we walked around downtown Banff, had lunch and checked out some of the many the tourist shops before stopping at Safeway to stock up on groceries before our trip to Jasper National Park tomorrow.

By the time we headed back towards Lake Louise, the sun was trying to peek out, so Tom took Hwy 1A again. This time we did spot some elk by the roadside--not a difficult feat, since there were several vehicles stopped to view them.

Nanci ready for the trail

Might not see another bear

Boardwalk along Johnston Canyon

We stopped at Johnston Canyon, and Nanci and I hiked in to the lower falls. At least we thought we had reached them, though when I described our day, Ed and Marlyn said we had stopped short and just seen one of the small falls along the way. The hike was still a great experience, with views of the rushing Johnston Creek, which over millennia has created a gorge 62 feet deep and very narrow. Much of the hike is along a catwalk attached to one canyon wall.

It was rather late when we got back to camp. We fixed dinner and Ken put away some of the outside stuff preparatory to moving in the morning.