Everyone felt better after a hot shower and a night on a mattress back in Jasper. We were off bright and (to Little Koi’s dismay) early to see Maligne (pronounced “Maleen”) Lake and Spirit Island via boat.
We arrived in the parking lot with some time to spare. And there, on the ground… is that a small donkey?
No, in fact, it’s the blurry hindquarters of a moose! The only one we saw in Canada, in fact. For the rest of the day, whenever there was a lull in conversation, someone would say “Hey, guess what? I saw a moose!”
Apparently, moose like to snack on the aquatic vegetation in the lake due to the increased sodium and other minerals that aren’t as common in terrestrial plants.
Maligne Lake was one of the early attractions in the area when non-indigenous guides started showing tourists the area in the late 1800’s. One of the guides had a canoe livery and built the boathouse.
Long before European tourists started visiting, Lac Maligne and specifically Spirit Island had been an important ritual and spiritual site for local indigenous communities. They did not live on the lake or use it for fishing, but they would visit seasonally to hold rites on the island. It was abandoned for a time during Canadian government suppression of First Nations culture, but has recently become utilized again. Non-indigenous are not allowed on the island except by invitation. (While it looks more like an isthmus now at the end of summer, it is an island at higher water levels). No one knows where the name Spirit Island originated.
After the cruise in the morning, we spent the rest of the day viewing the local wildlife.
And in some cases interacting with the wildlife…
We also needed to start school assignments for Little Koi. Fortunately the hostel had WiFi. Her curriculum is an asynchronous curriculum provided by our local school, where she is still enrolled. She has to turn in assignments regularly, but the asynchronous nature gives us the flexibility to do schoolwork during downtime or travel.
Later that evening, we scheduled a horseback ride through the woods at special request from Little Koi. We’d been doing well not eating out, so there was a little wiggle room in the budget. Unfortunately, there weren’t many pictures as some of us found it challenging to ride a horse, watch for bears (none seen), and take photographs concurrently.
Soon enough it was time for bed, as we were leaving early to board the train on the way out of Alberta!
Leave a Reply