River Deep, Mountain High

The weather here changes in a few minutes. It has been cloudy the past few days and today we wake to more clouds and some sun. Waking up in the campground is so serene. The sites are very large so it is quiet and there are tall fir trees everywhere giving off a lovely scent. We walk Ziggy around our loop and see a Columbia Ground Squirrel.

We have a 10am reservation to ride the Jasper Tramway and we arrive there to partly sunny skies. It is Canada’s highest and longest aerial tramway and we ride up to 7472 feet above sea level. Dogs are allowed and we have two standard French Poodles in our car. We don’t think Ziggy would have enjoyed the crowded conditions. At the top we can see the vistas of six mountain ranges, lakes, rivers and the town of Jasper. We leave the landing area and start to hike up toward the summit. We see a Hoary Marmot, a rodent a little larger than a ground hog with lustrous fur and big dark eyes.

The views are spectacular, but the path is steep and rocky. Then it begins to sleet, followed by snow. Halfway to the summit I turn back because the snow is blinding and clouds have obscured any view. Back at the bottom the sun is shining and we take off for our next adventure at Lake Maligne.

The Maligne Valley road leads through scenic areas and the drive to the lake is about one hour from town. Along the way we see a wildlife traffic jam and there is a large black bear with her cub. They are ambling along the side of the road eating leaves and grass. People are out of their cars taking pictures, but we feel safer taking photos through the open window. We see some elk along the way and arrive at the lake. After lunch in the cafeteria we go on a 90 minute cruise.

Our boat is enclosed and heated and we have an informative guide showing us the nature sights. The lake is surrounded by mountains and some glaciers and the water color changes from clear to dark blue. We make a stop at Spirit Island to take pictures. Apparently a famous photo was taken from this spot and it won a Kodak competition. A large mural was made from the photo and it hung in Grand Central Station, NY for 15 years. They attribute that photo to the increase in tourism in Jasper Park.

Back in the car we are finally dried out and head back on the same (and only) road. As we come around a bend we encounter a group of Bighorn Sheep. They are funny looking characters with the big horns that curve around their faces. They have no fear and walk right up to the car. Being good citizens we do not feed or touch them but they would allow it or so I have read. A little farther down the road we see another bear causing a jam up and this one has two cubs. We also make a stop at Medicine Lake to see the magnificent views.

Just before town we reach Maligne Canyon and get out to hike around the waterfalls and gorges. The canyon is 50 meters deep and very narrow. The sound of the rushing water is so relaxing.

Back at the campground we settle in for a pleasant evening. We cook dinner and take Ziggy for a walk. Near the main road we saw a large elk and I finally found time to watch the movie The Queen which I had brought along.