Lower Sulphur Mtn & Johnson Lake Off-Trail Hike on 2-Oct-2009

We had a nice easy day in the trails around Banff.
The weather report on Thursday called for a nice day, by this morning it called for poor weather moving in in the morning. Unfortunately the later was right. The cloud ceiling was quite low and so we decided against the Cory/Edith circuit.
Instead we headed in to Banff for a long coffee break and then out to the Cave and Basin. We started out on the Sundance Canyon trail but then took a side trail up the very lowest flank of Sulfur Mtn. After climbing to a small viewpoint we saw a way to cut over the flank to the Sulfur Mtn fire road.


Climbing an older prescribed burn site on the flank of Sulfur Mtn
Climbing an older prescribed burn site on the flank of Sulfur Mtn

As we climbed the road the weather and visibility got considerably poorer. After about about 300 m of climb we decided to have lunch and turn around.


At our highest elevation on Sulphur Mtn fire road
At our highest elevation on Sulphur Mtn fire road

At lower elevations the weather was actually quite nice. We took the longer Marsh trail back to the Cave and Basin center along the Bow River.


By the beautiful Bow (near Cave and Basin)
By the beautiful Bow (near Cave and Basin)

We then drove across the highway to Minnewanka and decided to walk around Johnson Lake top finish off the day.


Above the Hoodoos (Mt Rundle in background)
Above the Hoodoos (Mt Rundle in background)



Fairholme Range reflected in Johnson Lake
Fairholme Range reflected in Johnson Lake

Thank you to Christine for getting us out, participants Jean, and Carl (scribe).
Edit report | Back to List