Another long day.
We went to Maligne Canyon, which is the connection between Maligne Lake and Medicine Lake. This Canyon is about 5-10 feet wide, and has about a 450 foot drop for the river. It is VERY impressive. The river has cut down up to 50 feet from the surface. It may have been an underground river and the ceiling collapsed. We walked the trails and crossed the river multiple times to see the power of the river cutting through the limestone. Then we hiked back up to the top. Huffing and puffing.
Driving from the Canyon, we saw some elk grazing by the side of the road. Cool
We went onto a boat on Maligne Lake which took us halfway out to a little outcove called Spirit Island. The views here were spectacular, even more so than previously. A little hike (much less than before) gave some great views.
On the way back, we passed the remnants of an old fire from 2003. The burnt trees were still standing, but you could see the new growth coming behind. Interestingly, fire is needed in this area. It seems the pine cones are covered in sap that only release their seeds when exposed to high temperatures (as in a fire). Thus, previous fire suppression activities was actually harmful to the forest.
After lunch, we went on a tram in Jasper to a magnificent overlook. There was another 3/4 mile hike to the top, which both Ann and I passed on.
Dinner on our own was actually pretty good. Most of the food has been meh - adequate but not much to write about. The restaurant, Fiddle River, was an exception. My appetizer was Bison Meatballs which was very good. I had the Western Trout, which was pink. Glen (one of our tour mates) had a meat loaf of a combination of bison, elk, and other local fauna.
Tomorrow to Banff.
No comments:
Post a Comment