Unfortunately our time in Charltons has come to an end – it’s probably for the best, I was getting a little bit too used to my fluffy white robe and swimming in the pool. We packed up, checked out, stopped in Banff for some cash and then we were off. The check in at our next hotel didn’t open until four so we decided to stop off at Johnson’s Canyon.
It’s meant to be a really popular hike so I wasn’t expecting much but I’m pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The car park was heaving and we had to drive around about ten times before we could get a space but when we were actually on the trail it wasn’t that busy. The water was a really beautiful colour and we followed it through the canyon to the lower and upper falls. I had hoped to see some wildlife, a moose or a bear but we weren’t that lucky. We did see lots of these little ground squirrels – their tail is much more condensed than that of a regular squirrel and they’re much braver. They come right up to you and if you put a hand down, they’ll grab on, see what’s inside and then quite happily pick out what they want to snack on. You’re not supposed to feed them and we didn’t but I imagine that being fed is what makes them so tame.
When we’d finished the hike we had some lunch and headed to Storm Mountain Lodge. We were a bit early but they showed us to our cabin anyway – yes, that’s right, our cabin. Built in 1922, by the railway company, you can now rent the cabins out. I’ve always wanted to stay in a legit log cabin and when we found them on Tripadvisor, I knew exactly where I wanted to stay. The cabin itself is quite small but it has everything we’d need. There’s a roll top bath, a comfy leather armchair, an amazing wood frame bed and... a log fire! I spent the afternoon sitting on the porch, reading my book and enjoying being outside in the fresh mountain air. Rory on the other hand fell asleep but I suppose it’s a holiday so I’ll let it slide.
Sleeping Beauty eventually surfaced and we decided to explore the main lodge. They have a small shop selling Canadian goods, a restaurant area, a bar and a huge fire. We grabbed a spot on the sofa, ordered some hot chocolates and played chess. I’ve never played before but Rory filled me in and it’s actually quite fun – who knew?! When I was tired of beating Rory (he might say he won but that’s definitely not true) we came back to the cabin, lit a fire, watched The Following and spent the rest of the night worrying that we were either going to be murdered by a serial killer or killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. What a way to end the day!
