Banff & Radium Hot Springs

Wednesday 20th June

This morning we headed off to Banff for a bit of walking. We checked out the Upper Hot Springs – all the natural springs are set in rectangular pools (easier for cleaning I suppose) rather than natural rock settings. We drove out to Lake Minnewanka to do some of the short walks but it became a bit wet – typical mountain weather! We drove down the Bow River Parkway to Johnson Canyon – by the time we got there it was sunny again. We had lunch and did the walk to the lower falls – catwalk around the edge of this sheer gorge.

Fairmont Banff Chateau

Woodland Caribou beside a walking track in Banff

Johnson Lake, near Banff

Johnson Canyon, near Banff

The highway down to Radium Hot Springs had a number of scenic walks – we did the Marble Canyon walk. This is a boardwalk zig-zagging across this very narrow slot in limestone, with a waterfall at the end. The canyon is up to several metres deep and only a couple metres wide. The water was rushing through, as it has been in all the waterways we have seen.

Falls at the top of Marble Canyon

Radium Springs is a tidy town with very wide streets. It’s claim to fame is the hot springs and bighorn sheep. The sheep hang out at the springs but we have also seen them in town.

Bighorn Sheep, Radium Hot Springs

Radium Hot Springs

The weather is warming up tomorrow and getting finer (of course we start heading back to Vancouver tomorrow!). I writing this sitting outside in the warm evening, at our motel, after bbq dinner & a couple wines.  Nice views of the mountains. Looking forward to getting on the water – up here the water is icy and flowing rather rapidly and shallowly – better suited to a different sort of kayak.