Day 29 Jasper Maligne Canyon 16th May 2015
By Chris
Up bright and early we walk into Jasper to get our tour to Maligne Lake which we have heard people rave about.Normally we would be able to take a boat on the lake but of course it is still frozen over.We had heard tell of our driver Fred and he lived up to expectations-very knowledgable and able to communicate his love for the local flora and fauna.
We walked around Maligne Canyon,a deep glacial cut with rushing water and then drove via
Medicine lake to Maligne Lake.The name coming apparently from a french explorer caught there in winter who thought it was a place of evil and therefore malign.
After an amble around the lake,Fred gathered us up and took us back to Jaspe whilst Fred told us stories about bear attacks and the various methods of defence. These range from bells worn whilst hiking,launched exploding noise makers to bear spray.Apparently the latter can blow back on you and temporarily blind you.As well he told us that they have bears who are addicted to garbage and they had to make the dumpsters bear proof as they had learnt how to open them.They thought they had get them fooled by putting catches on the dumpster that can only be opened by animals that can turn their hands over and grab.This worked until one bear worked out if he reached over the dumpster from behind that he too could be like a human. The concern seems to be that the bears might hurt humans so they take them off to the wild if the same ones come back they shoot them-another case of who got here first?
Quick lunch walk around and then I dragged Mel out to the Jasper Brewing Company and walked right past it until we hit the edge of town.
Retraced our steps and had a craft beer sampler and a plate of nachos the size of Everest.
Packed ready to go on the next part of the adventure.
