After dark, Johnston Canyon becomes a corridor of frozen waterfalls and blue ice, lit only by your headlamp. At the trailhead, your guide fits you with a headlamp, ice cleats, and optional poles, then leads the way along the canyon's steel catwalks, explaining how the canyon formed and what lives here as you go. The Lower Falls are about 30 minutes in (1.2 km, 50 m elevation gain). From there, head back to the trailhead or keep going to the Upper Falls. The extension adds another 30 minutes and 1.3 km, ending at the canyon's tallest frozen waterfall, a wall of ice glowing in the beam of your headlamp. Round trip to the Upper Falls: 2 hours, 5 km, 120 m elevation gain. Suitable for guests with average fitness.

Where we set up depends on the night. Your guide reads the sky, the cloud cover, and the moon phase, then picks the spot with the clearest view: sometimes Vermilion Lakes, where open water near the springs can catch the Milky Way, other times the Mt. Norquay lookout, where the valley opens up in every direction. Once we're settled in, it's hot drinks and a sweet treat while your eyes adjust to the dark. No rush. Just time to let the stars take over, with constellations, satellites, and the odd shooting star pointed out along the way. Away from town lights, the sky does most of the work. Your guide brings the rest: the stories behind the constellations, a bit of astronomy, and an eye for exactly when and where to look.