Day 14: Maligne Lake Cruise
After yesterday’s epic adventures, we were all desperately hoping to sleep in. However, our past selves had other plans: a 9:30 a.m. cruise at Maligne Lake that we had booked weeks in advance. It was time to rally, though the promise of Tim Hortons donuts on the drive definitely provided the necessary spark of motivation.
Arriving early paid off once again with prime parking. We also lucked out by getting the fleet’s newest boat, crewed by two fantastic guides, for the journey out to Spirit Island. While the surrounding mountains were absolutely breathtaking, Spirit Island itself, essentially a small patch of land with about ten trees, was much smaller than we’d imagined. We disembarked for a quick 15-minute photo op to capture the iconic scenery before cruising back.
Back on dry land, we tackled the two-mile Moose Lake Loop. The wooded trail offered up some muddy hoof prints but, alas, no actual moose sightings. We consoled ourselves with sweet waffles before hitting the road. The boys also scored some great souvenirs today: Nicholas picked up a Swiss Army knife, and Cooper opted for two survival books, which made for some highly entertaining conversations on the drive.
We made a brief stop at Medicine Lake on the way back to town, and our timing couldn’t have been better. We were treated to two incredible wildlife sightings: first, a bear wandering just ten feet off the road, followed shortly by a massive bull elk grazing just as close.
Back in Jasper, the boys devoured burgers while Kelly tried a poutine omelette (hold the gravy), which was a surprise hit with everyone. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets, snapping a photo with Jasper the Bear, and grabbing a few groceries before heading back to the RV. Unfortunately, the blueberries we bought never made it home. Kelly accidentally left them on the roof of the car in Jasper, so if a sugar-crazed bear is spotted wandering town, we know exactly who is 100% to blame!
We wrapped up the day with some well-deserved downtime back at our beautiful campsite, enjoying a quiet evening of bike riding and reading.
