Wandering Retirees

40 days and 40 nights…

Today was our last full day in Jasper, AB, and we continued our leisurely pace by lounging until 8:30. We had breakfast with Mike from Chicago (still didn’t get his last name!) and saw him off to Prince George, BC on his way to the AlCan Highway and Alaska. For our part, we set off for Maligne Lake within Jasper Nat’l Park. It’s another one of those trips that looks brief but isn’t. According to Google Maps, it is 47 kms, about 28 miles, which might take an hour. That prediction does not include stops for pictures, stops for caribou, so forth. In fact, we spent almost 4 hours heading into the park though the delays were mostly self inflicted. We had the pleasure of sharing the road in with a trio of young caribou who couldn’t seem to decide which side to take.

The road we were following, predictably called Maligne Lake Road, took us by some gorgeous lakes and streams, including the Abathasca River, and the Maligne River that connects a couple of lakes in the north park. The Maligne River got its name from a French Jesuit explorer who thought the trouble the river gave him was wicked or evil: hence the name “Maligne”. The Maligne River has cut its was through bedrock to make a steep, narrow Canyon we reached by a nicely laid out trail. The river then goes underground before emptying into Medicine Lake. The view of the rushing water snarling through the narrow defile dozens of feet below is so striking. At one point, we saw a heart-shaped rock the size of a VW Bug wedged between the lips of the narrow canyon. Yes, Connie got the pic.

We climbed back on Shiny and rode by Medicine Lake, which has a number of islands near its eastern shore that host bald eagle nests. (They look more like airborne condominiums than nests, but I digress.) We didn’t get a pic of the adolescents (they did not yet have the white cap of full adults) but it was impressive. Also impressive was the size of the sheer mountain cliff that lined the road, with signs abjuring us not to stop due to avalanches. It was also clear that there have been big wildfires recently that wiped out large tracts of trees. We chose to heed the warnings and move along without pause..

At last we arrived at Maligne Lake where we took another nice little hike to the shoreline. The first white person to sight the lake was Mary Schaffer, an artist from Philadelphia who rode north with some friends in 1907 and 1908. She was looking for a remote lake called Chaba Imne by the First Nation people. She called it Maligne Lake after the river and explored its shores on lengthy raft expeditions. It’s a beautiful alpine lake that attracts a lot of tourists today. One question that comes to mind is, What drove this Philly woman to wind up so far from home? Is this intrepid explorer recognized in her native city? Inquiring minds want to know. (This brings to mind beloved cheesesteaks and sticky buns. I’m hungry.)

On the road back to Jasper, we were treated to wonderful vistas that revolved around – yes, mountains. Connie got a couple of spectacular shots of our road to the mountains.

Of course we met some folks today who piqued our interest. James and Lisa were visiting Maligne Lake with their pup, Maya. They live near Calgary and are retracing the steps of their honeymoon vacation after 30 years. They were so happy to suggest good spots to visit in and near Banff to folks who were all ears. (Apropos of nothing whatever, did you hear that Ross Perot recently died?) They were eager to hear our thoughts on their country and recent events in the US and the joys of riding in the rain, and so forth.) We had a great visit with them, and we think they felt the same. Oh, and while we were gabbing a big black bear came into view about 200 yards away. Everyone was excited. Including the folks much closer who were running away. Interesting how a large carnivore can generate so much energy.

Tomorrow morning early, we’re heading south on the Icefields Parkway and Banff. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

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Maligne Canyon

Maligne Lake

Medicine Lake