WHAT'S NEW?
PHOTO OF THE WEEK:
Upper Johnson Canyon Falls, Banff Park, Alberta
WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK:
Thunder and Ice
With ice cleats on our boots, we carefully walked along the snow-covered trail up Johnston Canyon. We had often visited the area during summer when the tumultuous water from snowmelt made us feel full of energy. We wondered how it would look during winter when everything was frozen.
As expected, the deep canyon was silent. There was barely any sound, not even the shrilling sound of a squirrel or the song of a bird. In this frozen world, only the green moss hanging from high cliffs added contrast to the frozen white world around us.
As we continued up the canyon, we began to hear the gurgling of water running under a thin layer of ice and then reappearing swiftly in the next curve. We paused now and then to enjoy the bubbling water that swirled up from the base of the many falls on its journey down the smooth, water-sculpted canyon.
A cave through a rock wall brought us to the first large falls, with water cascading under ice then surging up into a cauldron of black, icy water. As in the summer, the sound and power was thrilling and energizing. After enjoying the sights and sounds for a few minutes, we continued up the trail to the upper falls, the largest in a series of frozen cascades.
A narrow trail along the stream lead us to the middle of a spectacular amphitheatre. Tall pillars of ice covering the rock wall looked like a giant pipe organ in a frozen cathedral of white and blue, which turned indigo as the late afternoon daylight faded. In the alcove, the 30-metre fall created a symphony of sounds, from the deep thundering bass of the waterfall, to the tenor sound of water under the ice, and the high soprano of small pieces of ice against the frozen shoreline.
We stood awestruck, taking in the sights and sounds of the waterfall until cold, moist air seeped through our clothing. Then, with memories of a blue and white world, we headed back down the trail.
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