Day 19 Jasper

Today we set out for the quintessential Rockies, the Canadian view most photographed and most painted by artists the world over – Maligne Lake. We were a little apprehensive as we drove the 90 minutes to get there (the size of Jasper is difficult to comprehend until you’re here). The road was yet again an incredible trek through the mountains but the weather either threatened or delivered rain most of the way. But we’ve been here long enough to realize that the west shares another characteristic with the east coast besides its beauty. Don’t make plans here based on current weather! To begin with the weather in one spot is no indication of the weather conditions a peak away. Also the conditions are so variable that if you aren’t happy with the weather, wait a minute, it’ll change!

We decided to book a boat tour to Spirit Island. Maligne Lake is well regulated and, like most of Jasper, is a naturalized environment meaning humans must adapt to the terrain and the wildlife, not the other way around. Often the best (and safest) way to see some of the more remote areas of the park is with a guide.

Tour boats at the dock

Sailors at the ready!

Deer everywhere

Even the parking lots here are beautiful.

 

We arrived at the head of the lake to a lovely visitor’s center and a beautiful tease of what was to come as we admired the view of the lake. A most striking green-blue the water is fed by three glaciers and is the second largest glacial fed lake in the world. Boarding our boat we spent the next 90 minutes surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery this planet has to offer. Our guide spent the first half of the tour providing a wealth of information about the history and geography of the lake. We saw sections of the surrounding mountains that appeared to be meadows. Referred to by our guide as goat slides, they are sections where an avalanche has not only cleared the forest but also deposited large boulders, not only on the near shore but also on the far shore. The lake is 1.5km wide!! Interesting that researchers have shown that it isn’t the avalanche itself that clears the mountain; the snow moves with such force and creates a wind so strong, it snaps trees in its path before the snow even reaches them! After we got off to explore Spirit Island and take more stunning photographs we sat in awed silence as we made our way back to the visitors centre for a BBQ lunch.

Maligne Lake

Maligne Glacier

Athabasca Glacier

Great sea legs on this treasure.

Spirit Island

A solar powered outhouse! Or as our guide described it, the most photographed outhouse in Canada!

The colour of the water is unbelievable ... due to the mineral deposits from the glacier

Once again Jeffrey and Nancy amaze us as they not only treat us to lunch and arrange the whole thing as we sit and play with Cecilia but they also manage to arrange her lunch and “make do” as she enjoys lunch from a plastic beer cup … clean, available … what more do you need? She happily rolls with it and soon we are off again to meander our way back to the campsite – stopping when it suits us and appreciating everything the day offers.

Lunch tastes great from a beer cup!

Guess which plate is my dessert and which is Jeffrey's!!

 The differences between one mountain and the next is just amazing! Evidenced by these two pictures taken side by side!

Mountain #1

Mountain #2

Nancy and Jeffrey bought a game for the RV. Officially called Bananagrams, they made the rude mistake of calling it Bananahammock! Guess what it’s “officially” called now? It’s hilarious, and we spent the night laughing our way though a cutthroat game!

Really wanting to see the stars from a dark sky preserve, I decided that tonight was the night. I bundled up (nights are quite chilly here, just as I like them) and headed out into the night. I could certainly see stars and it may be free of artificial light but dark it wasn’t! I wandered until 12:15 and, cold and tired, headed to my cozy little bed because IT WAS STILL LIGHT OUTSIDE! Oh how incredibly diverse this country of ours.