Banff National Park - Johnston Canyon

Well, we couldn't have picked a more perfect morning to go hiking through Johnston Canyon.  We managed to jump on the trail around 9:45/10am to avoid some of the tour groups (it's a very popular site, so plan ahead when visiting) and ensure we got some great views unobstructed.  While it was still a tad busy, everyone took their time with the very icy trail, as many people did not bring ice cleats. The views of the canyon were spectacular, and eventually made our way to the lower falls.

After another mile or so uphill, we ended up at the upper falls of the canyon.  There was of course already a good crowd forming at the top of the canyon.  Since I wanted to get a little close to the falls, I decided to hike down the side of the rock face (out of sight) and walk on the ice itself.  The views were breathtaking!

(Tried to climb in behind the falls for a shot, but did not want to risk breaking the ice and falling through)

So on our drive home from the hike, we managed to stumble across a large group of sheep, grazing in and around the highway.  There were so many, you couldn't help but stop to let them cross the road.  What a better excuse to snap a few pictures as they ran by!

Hope you enjoyed!  I still have plenty of shot to go through and edit, so check back soon!  Thanks.

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary

So I had a rather unusual adventure on this glorious day in February.  Despite a little bit of drizzle towards the beginning of the day, I took my girlfriend Allison to the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, located just outside Cochrane, AB along highway 1A.

While thinking that the facility was going to be rather small, I was surprised to know that each of the 6 pens had a large space for a select few wolf dogs to interact with each other.  There was approximately 2-4 per pen, and also had large wooded areas for the animals to hide.  A trait I did not know about high content (aka the amount of wolf in the select animal) wolf dogs is the lack of aggressiveness they show towards humans.

When visiting inside the pen(s), we were told that the animals would not confront us unless we were in a relaxed environment.  That meant for the group of us (approximately 8 people) had to sit in chairs, and hold some small treats out for the animals.  It was definitely a trust factor having them sniff and lick your face.  But soon enough, they were all very inviting and friendly.  I mean, how could you not when you have a handful of treats for them?  Haha

So I hope you enjoy the photos.  We sure did.  And be sure to visit the sanctuary (click on link for info) in the future if you get the chance.  It's a pretty surreal experience to be that close to a high content wolf.