Maligne Lake

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After our day of driving from Canmore to Jasper, we were ready for a slower morning, and we were looking forward to spending time at Maligne Lake.

Maligne Lake is the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies, stretching for about 22 kilometres through the mountains of Jasper National Park. It is a glacial-fed lake, surrounded by mountains, glaciers and thick forests. The water is that beautiful blue-green colour that you see in so many photographs of the Canadian Rockies, although on this particular morning, the skies were doing their best to hide some of the scenery.



The weather was looking rather threatening when we arrived. It was chilly, and there were dark clouds hanging over the mountains. We debated what to do, but in the end decided to take the boat tour out onto the lake.

I was glad we did.

The boat took us out into the lake. Even with the grey skies, we were excited to be on the water. Every once in a while the clouds would open up enough to give us a glimpse of the mountains, and then they would disappear again.

Maligne Lake can be a pretty wild place when the weather changes. Parks Canada notes that high winds are possible and that the water remains extremely cold, even in the summer. The lake itself is about 22 kilometres long and reaches a maximum depth of 96 metres.

We did get a little rain while we were out on the boat, but fortunately it wasn't enough to spoil the trip.

Our destination was Spirit Island, one of the most photographed spots in the Canadian Rockies. The tiny island is about 14 kilometres from the north end of Maligne Lake and there is no road or hiking trail to reach it. The only way to get there is by boat or by paddling the lake.

When we arrived, we were able to get off the boat for a little while and walk out to the viewpoint. Of course, everyone wanted that iconic photo of Spirit Island. Visitors are not allowed to step foot on Spirit Island as it is considered sacred by the Stoney Nakoda First Nation.  Instead, we  were deposited onto the mainland where we were able to take some pictures.



The weather wasn't giving us the brilliant blue skies you often see in photographs of Spirit Island. Instead, we got to see it under a moody sky. It certainly didn’t quite have the same backdrop that we’d seen online.

After our stop, we made our way back toward the dock. We were almost there when someone spotted something along the shoreline.

A moose.

And not just any moose. This was a big bull moose standing right at the edge of the lake. He was gorgeous!



 We'd spent the morning surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery in the Rockies, but it was a moose standing quietly on the shore that gave me one of my favourite moments of the day.



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Red Flags have corresponding blog posts. White Flags mean I still have yet to write about it