We love traveling off-season to avoid the throngs of folks whose only option is to travel in summer. Booking excursions in Jasper National Park can be problematic because there isn’t much time between the thaw and the throngs. And it’s pretty tough to book a boat cruise if the lake is still frozen!

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit The Trip of Our Lives 2023.

As Luck Would Have It!

When we booked the Jasper Wildlife, Waterfalls, and Maligne Lake HIKE, it was because the Lake CRUISE wasn’t available until a few days after our arrival. We didn’t prefer the cruise because we have an aversion to hiking, but because the only way to see Spirit Island is by boat – and they made that sound VERY appealing in the description of the tour. Just two days before our visit, we got a call that cruise season was starting a little early this year and we were able to upgrade!

Long Story Short

Maligne Lake was formed from the meltwater of five glaciers. The Maligne River drains the north end of Maligne Lake into Medicine Lake, where it mostly disappears underground, only to reappear downstream where it dumps into Maligne Canyon. The Maligne River is a major tributary of the Athabasca River, which we’ll see a lot more of in my next post as our stay continues in Jasper National Park.

We met our bus and our driver/tour guide in downtown Jasper. Jamie was very knowledgeable and vowed to make this one of our favorite days in Jasper. Similar to Marble Canyon Trail in Exploring God’s Country, today’s tour starts at the canyon – but today we’ll not only see where the river enters the canyon, we’ll see where the river originates. We started with a nice walk along the Maligne River to the Canyon.

Maligne Canyon

The Deepest Canyon in the Canadian Rockies

“Maligne (pronounced Mah-leen) is French for “evil” or “wicked.” Father Pierre-Jean de Smet, a Belgian Jesuit missionary, used the word to describe the river after having trouble crossing it on his horse in 1846.” ~ from a nearby sign

The Power of Water

The canyon walls are becoming more evident in the photo above and things are starting to get a little rough. And in the videos below it’s starting to get VERY rough!

A Maze of Canyons, Caves, Sinkholes, and Springs

< A constant barrage of falling and swirling water causes a soluble rock like limestone to dissolve – creating sinkholes, caves, and springs.

> The extensive underground drainage system that connects Medicine Lake to Maligne Canyon could be “the largest undiscovered cave in Canada”. Dye testing showed water can take less than 12 hours during peak run-off times in summer or as long as 88 hours during winter, to complete its 16-km (10-mile) underground journey.

“Peer Inside the Earth. Tour Maligne Canyon in the wintertime and discover the natural wonders of the season. Explore the entrance to a cave system, ice caves, fossils and frozen waterfalls towering more than 30 metres (98-feet) above you, all with the safety and comfort of a qualified guide.” ~ READ MORE and see a beautiful photo of this canyon when it’s frozen!

Bird’s-eye View of the Water’s Work

On our tour, we only saw the canyon from two bridges. If you’re here on your own and really want to dig deeper, there are four more bridges, and a lot longer hikes (up to a 5-mile loop, 2.5 hours). Something to consider for our next visit, since I’m sure it would be fantastic.

The Disappearing Lake

“Medicine Lake has been an object of mystery and Indian legend for ages. Due to its unusual geology, the lake water sometimes disappears in fall and winter. In summer, it looks like any other alpine lake, but as soon as fall comes the water begins to drain into the sinkholes and cave system below the surface, as if somebody pulled the plug in a giant bathtub. When the water is gone, it leaves behind a large mudflat. The lake water travels through the caves and resurfaces 16 km (10 mi) downstream in the Maligne River.” ~ READ MORE

Bald Eagle Nest (unoccupied)

Seen best in the first photo above, Jamie has seen an eagle in this nest on earlier trips and we hung out for a while in hopes of their return. I didn’t have a problem gazing out over this disappearing lake for a little longer while we waited, but an eagle would have been icing on the cake.

Maligne Lake Cruise

Jamie parked the bus close to a visitor center near the dock, and after he made sure we all got through the ticket counter without a hitch, we said goodbye till after the cruise. Since we had taken as much time as we could on the drive from Medicine Lake, there wasn’t much down time before we boarded. We felt very blessed to be surrounded by snow-covered mountains on such a warm and wonderful day.

“Boats Only. Access to the island is extremely limited due to its geography. It’s in on a remote shore in a cold lake surrounded by high peaks and glacier, 14 km (9 miles) from the docks at Home Bay. It’s hard to get to – paddling on your own can take four hours each way!” ~ READ MORE

Off We Go!

The lake was like glass and we took our time to get to the island since the journey was as important as our destination! We had to slow down even further when we saw other people – in small boats or kayaks – so we didn’t overwhelm them with our wake. We also slowed down for this huge boulder that appears a little out of place along the shoreline.

Hall of the Gods

“Artist and explorer Mary Schäffer was the first European to see Maligne Lake in 1908. Although she never mentioned the island, she called the box canyon where it sits “the Hall of Gods”. In comparing it to another place she knew well, she said “If Lake Louise is a pearl, Maligne is the entire pearl necklace.”

Where Blue Becomes Emerald

The colour of the water is different at Spirit Island than where cruises depart at the Maligne Lake docks. The further south on the lake you travel, the closer you get to glaciers, and the more emerald-coloured the water becomes due to the presence of rock flour from the glaciers.

It’s not Actually an Island (most of the time)

In spring, with melting snow and heavy rains, it’s possible for the water levels to be high enough to cut the island off from the shore. The rest of the year, it’s connected to shore. Spirit Island sits in the heart of what’s called a “box canyon” – a narrow canyon with a flat bottom and vertical walls.

Whether the Spirits

The island is a spiritual place for the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, who believe mountains are physical representations of their ancestors. The fact that Spirit Island is surrounded on three sides by the same mountain range is very rare and makes it particularly significant to the Stoney.

Photo Opportunities

Late afternoon at Spirit Island is the best time for photography. As the sun moves west across the sky, it can seem to sign straight on the island like a spotlight by around 4pm (depending on the time of the summer). Our Through the Lens Cruises run three times a week at 4:30pm to take advantage of this magical hour. Guided by a professional photographer, it includes a unique 60-minute stop at the iconic island.” ~ READ MORE

Relax and Reflect

Just as our tour was ending, we spotted more wildlife! We ended this long and fantastic day back in the town of Jasper, where we said goodbye to Jamie for the last time. Before we made the 30-minute drive back to our cabin, we made a stop at Jasper Brewing Co. for a beer and a great dinner.

Another Amazing Day!

Up next: Back Down the Parkway

Happy trails,
Barb