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Published: July 15th 2010
Lake Maligne
Shauna and I on the pier at the Boat HouseThe short and skinny is this...
We packed the car with extra clothes (just in case we fell into the lake while canoeing), our frozen yogurt breakfasts, bug spree (because no matter where I am those Mosquito's find me!), our cameras, some water and sunscreen. Just a quick jaunt down the winding twisting road and we were back at Hwy 16A heading West to Maligne Lake! It took twenty-three minutes to reach the correct road. And another forty-three minutes to reach the lake thanks to the avid circuit driving skills securely implanted into my arms, hands, eyes and feet! "Honestly, officer, I didn't see the sign stating 50km per hour due to Caribou crossing the road?" or "Didn't you see the sign with the Large Bull Elk drawn upon it, this is why you need to drive 55km just in case it climbs into your front seat, sonny!"
Obviously, I cannot read driving signs when I am driving 75km per hour, screaming down the mad twisting road way, dodging RV's and trailers cruising at 20km's per hour! Sorry, Judge! Sorry, Officer, Bob! But I need to make Maligne Lake by Noon, so I can
cool off the afternoon heat with fresh brewed beers at Jasper Brewing Company!
Typically, it should have taken any sane person, a bit over an Hour and Forty-five minutes to arrive at our destination... clearly I am not sane!
Just before the parking lot to the lake, there was a pile up of cars on the side of the road, meaning "someone spot a wolly mammoth" on the side of the road, paused their car, their kids jumped out, they all grabbed cameras and are now pursuing it through the bush (forest) to catch a photograph or a glimpse of the beast before it takes their heads off! There were sixteen cars, two minivans and three RV's plus all the people running into the bush!
We squeezed past these morons, who've never seen a Mule Deer, and skidded into the parking lot!
We grabbed our half-unthawed yogurt cups and started to eat quickly. I sprayed bug spray on my open legs, arms and neck, while Shauna packed away her things and figured out what to take out onto the lake.
We left the car. Shauna went to the 'Loo and I went to look at the
Canoe
On the lake paddling around water! We met up, took a couple of picks around the boat house and went inside to rent a canoe. After reading the warnings, having the instructions told to us about swimming back if we roll the canoe, and what ever we do, don't get in front of the cruise boats that take people for an extreme ride to the other end of the lake, "they try to avoid you as much as possible, but if you get in their way, well that's what this waiver form is for!" We paid our $30 for the hour and received an hour and twenty minutes via the three-Aussies working in the Boat House! Go figure... Aussies on the water! ha ha ha (you'd find this ironic too, if everyone you met was Aussie!)
Okay, Okay...
We donned on the life jackets, proceeded out onto the dock, and slipped into the Canoe. Shauna started off as the steerer and I her little helper. She tried to talk to me about paddling procedures but it turned ugly quickly, because I've never been in a Canoe! She, said like this, not like that, do this not that, try this not that...
Twenty
Canoe View
Cruising the lake gets you spectacular views minutes into this "fun on the lake" I wanted to toss her out of the boat and Canoe my damn self back to the boat house. That's when Shauna came up with the brilliant idea of "changing places!" And it's easy to do, trust me 😉
So, I did as I was asked, I paddled us as close to shore as possible, just in case, I shook her butt out while we were "changing places" at least the swim to shore would be quick. And one of us could row the boat either back to the boat house or to shore for the other to climb her soaking butt back in!
Neither of those happened.
I went backwards, squatted down, Shauna climbed over and got in place at the front. I then pulled myself to the back of the Canoe, and we had changed places, easily within a few minutes. As soon as we were ready, I was barking out orders, this way and that! But I still had no idea how to steer us, which paddle took us right or which took us left? It was more about the scenery then if I knew what the
Medicine Lake
The big horn sheep, were coming up from the lake on the left crossing the road, licking the cement and grazing on fauna in the ditch. heck I was doing in this Canoe?
The scenery was Gorgeous!
We took some grand photographs.
And made it back before being run over by the cruise boats, too!
We were all smiles when we finally, reached the boat house!
Turning over our life jackets... and agreeing that next time we rent something, it should be
solo-passengers only! Like a kayak! A sea kayak at that! (perhaps we should start in a swimming pool or a lake or even a pond first?)
We had fun.
We took ourselves to the bathroom...
then raced back down the mountain winding roads until we reached Medicine Lake.
that's when the Big Horn Sheep decided to climb out of the lake and start trying to cross the road!
Cars where stopping, left, right and center for the sheep.
Hazard lights came on, people took out cameras and Shauna rolled down her window for a better view!
The Sheep, crossed into the ditch, tried to look at people and looked at who we were!
They touched us, played with us, and then came straight to the window for a little refreshment.
Honestly, both Shauna and I thought he was about to
climb in the window!
Just as I got my camera ready to snap the sheep kissing Shauna through the open window, he decided the grass hill to his left was more thrilling and jumped down!
Seriously Funny! (wish I had this photo? oh well, next time!)
We sped off again and in fifteen minutes came across another road block of cars!
Except this time it looked like the zoo was coming in both directions! People everywhere were skidding to a screeching halt, getting off their motorcycles, out of their RV's and 1/2 ton pickup trucks! The line up around the bush was incredible! What was it? Another Wolly Mammoth?
Nope! A freaking 7-point Bull Elk, munching on Grass!
We popped out of our car too!
Grabbed our cameras and moved in for the shot of a lifetime!
Soon, I couldn't stand the ridiculousness of this scene and stepped back to get a Grand View!
The grand view I found was Gigantic Bull Elk all 6-foot 6-inches and a 7-point fuzzy rack on one side of a bush and 35-googly-eyed-travelers-with-cameras on the other side!!!!
I needed a photo, and I got into my position.
Eventually, the
Elk - Bush - Tourists
The question is; how many tourists does it take to piss off a 7-point Wild-Elk before attacking and charging takes place? idiot googly-eyed-travelers followed
and I grabbed Shauna and ran for the car!
We sped off before the cars were loaded with their idiot-savants!
Another ten minutes down the road we ran into two more large Elk running amuck on the off skirts of the highway. Except these were fuzzy headed females and not as tempting to maim anyone without their gigantic racks! We stopped for a brief moment to take in their full height then darted off towards town.
Ten minutes later, we were in the town of Jasper.
We looked around. We saw souvenior shops lined up the street.
And then we found the brewery!
Great Beer, Great Food, Bad Service! or at least this bartender wasn't working for a tip, today! 😊
Blueberry Vanilla Cream Ale and 6060 Stout were our favorites!
The VW Van (a vegetarian meal) and the Bison Burger, became our Linner (Lunch/Dinner) because
we somehow kept skipping one or the other? huh...
Eventually, we wondered around Jasper some more to seek out tomorrow's activities.
We found nothing and opted for the Tramway tomorrow before returning to the Jackson Family Retreat!
And no matter what anyone ever tells
Jasper Brewing Co.
6-Sample tray with our two favorites Blueberry Cream Ale and 6060 Stout you about Jasper and Banff, do not, ever believe anyone who tells you that they are "similar" or "the same" or anything to do with "like the other one" because that is truly all BS coming straight out of their mouths!
Jasper is nothing like Banff. And vice versus.
We drove out of Jasper, back to the Hot Springs, to enjoy another dip into the Miette Hot Springs Pool, finish off our cheese & cracker platters and sleep the night away in our not so hot hotel room...
The bed was firm, the room smelled clean but the guy next door snored up a thunderstorm all night long.
Travel tip #1... always, no matter what you think, bring Ear Plugs!!!
Gotta go... day three next time around...
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