Ridin solo part 2

I’m back and feeling so much better guys! Just getting everything off of my chest helped me clear my head and now everything is looking up 🙂 now I’ll regale you with my Calgary tales!

Ok so by Saturday I wasn’t really riding solo anymore. But the drive home on Sunday was looming which was a total bummer because I’m a chatty bitch and hate driving alone.

Anywho… We got up early-ish Saturday and made our way to Banff! Not a bad drive, it’s so close to Calgary.

Once we got there, we explored the shops a little and then decided to follow the Bow River down to the falls.

I’ve never been before, despite being in Banff countless times. It was super beautiful. I love any kind of falls. It surprisingly wasn’t very touristy, which is strange for a Saturday. I guess we lucked out!!After the falls, we wandered into the Legislature grounds and walked through the not yet planted garden. I’ll go back and get pictures for ya’ll later in the summer when it’s not just dirt there haha I’ve been before during the July/August weekends, and man do they ever go all out. It’s beautiful and a must see. It’s free and easily accessible, so if you’re shopping down the main drag you have no excuse not to go!

Basically, the garden is beautiful and that’s where I’ll be married. Beautiful flowers and a mountain view, what more could a girl ask for?

Unfortunately we couldn’t spend all day wandering Banff, since we were going back to Calgary for a bbq/party that my sister’s friends were throwing.

Despite being Recruitment Chair, VP Membership Educator, and then President throughout my time in the sorority, I’ve got social anxiety like you wouldn’t believe. I think I’ve just gotten good at hiding it though. Wine helps, not even gonna lie.

So Saturday night was basically us getting pretty drunkypants. And me finding a new Game of Thrones buddy to talk to and tell my lame theories to. Good night had by all!

Drunk Kelsey is such a gem though. She updated the iOS on my phone for me so now I have new emojis (something I’ve put off doing for 6 months). But she also set my alarm for 8am so I won’t give her too much credit.

Sunday wasn’t too crazy, slept in, got up to go get some pho. Went to see Captain America (Sebastian Stan and Chris Evans, good lord you have my heart). 

Then next thing you know the day was over and it was time for the dreaded drive home DUN DUN DUUUUN. It rained, which kept things interesting. I think I’ll download an audiobook next time! I actually don’t mind driving in the rain, I’m a good driver (but I’m sure everyone says this about themselves) and there’s something very peaceful about being able to watch the rain. 

What keeps you guys entertained in the car?

The last day of the trip is always the worst.

 

It’s not the worst in the sense that the day isn’t as fun or anything. It’s the worst in the sense that it’s time to pack up and go home and end the adventure.

On our last day, we got up early and packed our bags, ready to head out. We took a quick pit stop in Banff to visit Johnson Canyon and do one last hike!

  
Johnson Canyon is beautiful. It’s not a long hike, nor is it a strenuous one. If you travel past the upper falls, the hike to Ink Pots is a little harder, but we ran out of time to go that far.

The lower falls is my favorite. You cross a bridge and then go through a tunnel to get there. It’s a little wet though, but well worth it!

  
The upper falls is pretty neat too; it’s quite large and you don’t get quite as wet! The rock wall next to it is amazing – with little streams running down all over it, it’s become smooth and shiny. 

  
Most of the hike is uphill, and a few days into the trio my boyfriend ran into some knee problems. Not hard going up, but going down was not fun for him! I on the other hand was fine 😉 (which is downright amazing because I’m defs out of shape).

  
After Johnson Canyon, we stopped in the town of Banff for some Cows ice cream. We’ve been to Banff dozens of times, and he always says he’ll take me but we never end up there. It was well worth the wait though!!

 

The rest of the drive home is pretty uneventful. That’s the worst part of leaving the mountains: all of the beautiful scenery is in the rear view mirror…

Exploring Johnson Lake, Banff

 If you’re looking for an easy hike with amazing views, the trail around Johnson Lake in Banff is the hike for you! I’ve been looking at some of my old hiking trips, getting prepared for the next trip I take to Banff. When we head out to Banff and Jasper, the vast majority of the trip will be hiking different trails. Prior to this past February, I had never hiked Johnson Lake before, which is surprising considering how often my family used to go to Banff. I’ve really been missing out by not coming here! 

My first visit here was back in February, so there was still a lot of snow, but still hikable. There are two trails – the upper and lower – and we chose the upper. The lower is quite close to the lake, and looked pretty icy. We didn’t particularly feel like getting hypothermia that day, so we settled for the upper trail. I’m sure when the snow melts the lower trail is a great hike, I know I’ll be trying it later this summer! The upper trail gave fantastic views, as you can see from the above photo! It’s a pretty easy hike – I would probably consider it more like a walk than a hike. 

There are also some hidden gems on the upper trail. We came across a nice place to rest – reminded me of what a true “Canadian” beach is! (Snow, snow, and more snow). Of course I had to get the boyfriend to stop for a self-timer photo op, and awkwardly balanced the camera on a pile of mittens (how very Canadian of me!). The view was absolutely breathtaking – mountains that just went on and on. I can only imagine how amazing it must be to live somewhere where you can always see the mountains. We had to convince ourselves to get back up and keep hiking, which was not an easy task with views like that.

  
We also found a cute swing where you could swing yourself over a ledge! A little scary at first, but so much fun! Don’t worry if you fall off, you won’t die. You will however roll down a hill and probably get pretty hurt, so be careful! From the swing, you get a pretty good view of the mountains that are framed by massive pine trees. 
  
The upper trail and lower trail converge at points where there are wooden bridges to cross the streams that feed the lake. Next time I head out there, I’ll definitely be taking advantage of those bridges and taking the lower trail!

I think we may have chosen the best time of the year to go (thanks to the Chinook we had this winter). The parking lot was absolutely empty, except for our car, and we didn’t see any other people until the end of our hike. When planning a hike in Banff, a week day is probably the best time to go to avoid the crowds. It also helps to go early early early! On the weekends you won’t stand a chance when it comes to parking (which we’ve learned the hard way many times), so we try to avoid peak season. 

Where do you guys like to hike when you’re in Banff or Jasper? Let me know, I’m always searching for new hikes! 🙂