Trip Coordinator Name(s): Evan Jones
Date of Trip: June 30, 2018, July 1, 2018
River Reach: Lake Louise to Banff
River Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Water Level: Medium
# of Adults: 7
# of Minors: 0
# of Guests: 0
Rescues(aka Swims)?:
Events,Observations,Comments:
After leaving a shuttle vehicle in Banff, our group of 7 met up at the Parks Info Centre in Lake Louise at 10am. Two of the group decided to put in at the access point on Hwy #1 below the Louise rapid. The rest of the group loaded up at the access point opposite the old railway station. Set off at 11.30am, river running at about 25cms which made it easy to deal with the turns, the rocks and the low bridges through the campsite. Pulled off on river right before the Hwy # 1 bridge and scouted the access to and top of rapid. All 3 boats ran without incident, met up with the other two solos just below their put in. Very pleasant paddling from there down to Castle Junction, with occasional showers. From there it was 7km (1 hour) to Johnson Creek campsite where we had an exclusive group booking. Arrived there about 5pm and got set up just before the rain came in. A few hours of dry weather allowed us to enjoy dinner and socializing before the drizzle started again. The next morning (Canada Day) we were on the water at 10am and reached the Redearth Creek rapid at 10.30am. Colin set a good line on river right and the whole group enjoyed the adrenaline rush of this section. From here on the river mellowed out and really slowed down, giving us a chance to enjoy the amazing mountain scenery and getting our paddling muscles working. We took two 1/2 hour breaks and arrived at the Banff Boat house ramp at 3pm. A classic trip with a great group (2 tandems, 2 solos, 1 sea kayak). The flow rate at Banff was 120cms when we set off on Saturday.
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