#18 Where’s the Queen?

You say Maleen, I say Maline

We met our tour group and guide in downtown Jasper. We had heard that Maligne Lake was a place we needed to visit so I booked a tour and I was excited for the day to begin. I’m sorry but the adage, you’ve seen one lake you’ve seen them all just doesn’t fit. There is something about seeing steep peaked mountains, blue skies and shimmering lakes of green and blue that makes each one unique and …Wow!!

Might as well hang out by the local Jasper totem pole while we wait for the van.

Van’s Here!!! All aboard.

Our driver was a Jasper local who had to evacuate and lost his home in the fire. His overall comments were very positive about the situation and he too was looking to rebuild. Biggest problem was finding enough construction crews and supplies to rebuild all that was lost. Patience was the natural resource for moving forward.

I was happy that we weren’t on a big bus tour but instead a nice small group in a van. There seems to be more comradery between a newly formed small group. Anyhow, we were all on our way to Maligne Lake for the first time and that was our common thread.

We waited for our cruise boat to arrive at the dock. There was a cafe on property that made the most delicious waffles or that’s what I sniffed. That sugary, pastry smell alone is a compelling reason to place an order. Somehow, I don’t think it was will power, Pam and I resisted the urge and enjoyed a couple oat lattes instead. Bummer.

There’s our boat. Ooooh so close to nabbing one of those tasty waffles but alas it was time to board. As you can see, Maligne Lake has plenty of beauty to share.

Another beautiful Canadian Lake. This one was edged by 2 separate mountain ranges, Queen Elizabeth Range on the left and 12 Peaks Range on the right. The highest peak on the left is Coronation Peak.

And glaciers all around.

In 1953 the people of Jasper wanted to honor the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. They struggled to think what gift to give a woman who had everything. Then they popped up with an incredible idea. Let’s dedicate a mountain range to her. “Brilliant!!” as the English say.

Plans were set, the dedication plaque was ready for display and the locals were enthusiastic. Queen Elizabeth flew to Jasper for the dedication.

The big day finally arrived. But wait, what happened to the Queen? The day passed and Queen Elizabeth never showed up at the dedication site. What could have transpired? Mystery solved but the solution to the puzzle was a sour note to the Canadians. The Queen chose to stay in town and enjoy high tea instead of driving to Maligne Lake for the ceremony. She probably had some of those yummy little finger sandwiches too. In her 3 trips to Jasper she never made the venture to see her dedicated mountain range.

But she missed seeing the sheer cliffs surrounding this deep greenish blue basin. The day was a gorgeous one for a cruise and our captain pointed the bow toward an iconic, sacred, landmark called Spirit Island. The name was given to this island on Maligne Lake by the Stoney Indigenous people who lived on the island 100 years ago.

We all got off the boat to hike around the area. See the island to the right with about 6 trees on it? That’s Spirit Island. Pam has her keen eyes focused on the islet. Could be she’s looking at a bunny but I’m going with islet.

See that human in the water at the end of the dock. Look again. That’s our esteemed captain. I’m not sure if that water dive was brave or crazy. As quickly as she swan dove into the lake she hastily pulled herself back out. That lake is 800 feet deep. It sits 6000 feet above sea level. The crazy part is the water temp is 38 degrees. Yikes!!! Crazy, right?

Before I forget and you leave this blog thinking that the Royals, Queen Elizabeth in particular, were snobs, I have another story.

Mount Eisenhower

In the town of Banff there’s a place called Castle Mountain. In 1946, Banff wanted to honor General Eisenhower for his bravery and efforts during World War II. A decision was made to rename Castle Mountain to Mount Eisenhower.

The dedication ceremony was set. Sound familiar? On commemoration day Eisenhower was having a particularly wonderful day of golf. He decided it was better for him to finish his round of golf than attend the dedication. Snobbery too? You decide.

The Canadians never really forgave Eisenhower for his gaffe and in 1979 they rededicated mountain back to its original name, Castle Mountain. The Canadians have long memories.

Medicine Lake

The Captain and Crew of the good ship on Maligne Lake navigated us back to shore safely. We boarded our van and continued our tour.

We drove by a mountain called Old Man Mountain. I think you can see the face of the old man lying down. His eyebrows, nose and chin are very prominent. The view reminds me of Grandfather Mountain in Boone, NC.

We proceeded to Medicine Lake. I hiked down to touch the water and feel the temperature. It was cold but not horrible. Pam opted to watch from afar. It was hot so I didn’t blame her.

When our tour was over, we left with more than memories. We made some good friends. We made arrangements to meet for dinner at the Raven Restaurant in downtown Jasper. Pam and I arrived a little early and enjoyed the gardens downtown. I don’t know who does the gardening but the town was blossoming.

I thought it was really cool how they constructed outside seating with individual booths. We opted to eat outside. It was such a lovely evening.

Across from me is Doug and John is across from Pam. I’m the one with the striped shirt, in case you have forgotten. Doug and John have been friends for years and they meet once a year to go on a hiking adventure. This year it was Banff and Jasper.

Look at the size of Pam’s chicken schnitzel. I had shrimp, cod, salmon and scallops and was drinking some sort of purple something. Dinner was a surprisingly delicious meal for each of us. Afterward, we hunted for ice cream. As my mother would say, “I need ice cream, Charlotte. I have to get that fish taste out of my mouth.” Who am I to disagree with mom?

The day was a full one. In Jasper the summer day is long. The sun sets around 9PM. The sun rises around 5AM. So by most standards that’s full day of sunshine to enjoy. By the time we returned back to the camper it was close to 10 and time for bed. You must be tired too.

Tomorrow is designed to be another full day. It’s glacier walking day. You have seen the glaciers from afar but in the next blog we will step on a glacier together. Come along for some really coooooool fun.