We almost never stay as long as four days in one place on a tour, but here we are at the end of our four day stay in Jasper and I’m sorry to be leaving. We could easily have stayed another two or three days here and checked out some of the places we ran out of time for. I really hope we can make it back someday.
We weren’t sure if we’d be getting a ride in today or not. When we retired last night it looked as though most of the day would be rainy, but when we woke this morning the weather had moved out and looked like it could hold through early afternoon. We got an early start, and were on our bikes heading east for Maligne Lake (pronounced muh-leen’) by eight.
Riding to Maligne Lake has been on my wish list for about forever - I had hoped to include it in my first tour through here 30 years ago, but Jean and I were on a fixed-length tour with a plane to catch in Calgary, and were already behind schedule. It is one of the premier destinations near Jasper, and is famously beautiful with both banks of the lake lined by limestone ranges.
Our plan for this ride was to start directly from Jasper, making a sixty mile ride. Given the weather situation today though, we decided to cut it short and drove part of the way in the hopes of getting back dry. After parking the car at Maligne Canyon we began biking east to the lake, about 24 miles away. The road climbs gradually for the first seven miles before dropping to Medicine Lake; follows it for its length, and then continues climbing to the end. For the most part it’s a steady, gradual climb of about a two percent grade, and closely follows the Maligne River or the shore of Medicine Lake.
It’s a famously scenic ride, but we’re hardly seeing it at its best. The sky is solidly overcast, and the cloud ceiling hangs quite low above the road. We really can’t see much but the road, the trees, and the river. It could be any ride in the woods, for all that we can see this morning. And, it’s damp and chilly - maybe 50 degrees when we start, and dropping as we gain elevation.
Still though, it’s good to be out and it’s a nice ride - not much traffic this early in the morning, and peaceful. It’s only a disappointment due to our expectations and the knowledge of what we’re missing behind those clouds. As we ride, I harbor the hope that the formation will break up a bit by the time we return, but it doesn’t seem likely.
Our ride began at the Maligne Canyon overlook, about seven miles east of Jasper. You can see the town in the distance, toward the right. We could have started the ride in Jasper, but we’re concerned that a sixty mile ride would blow us past our window of dry weather.
Starting out on the ride toward Maligne Lake, gently climbing. I told Rachael that we had a short climb to the first rise and then would drop, but was wrong. It gently climbs pretty much the whole way to the lake, gaining 1,800’ in 23 miles. She wasn’t amused, since she had volunteered to carry the pannier today on false information. I owe her one.
Looking across Medicine Lake. This area is famously scenic, but we aren’t seeing it at its best this morning. I imagine some pretty spectacular peaks hidden behind those clouds, and wonder what the odds are that it will lift at all by the time we ride back.
By he time we reach Maligne Lake, conditions are changing a bit. The sky seems lighter and is thinning out in spots, and clouds are lifting enough that we can see a bit of the mountains at the far end of the lake. I’m in favor of staying around for awhile, maybe get some coffee at the lodge and wait to see what develops, but Rachael thinks not. She’s cold already, and is concerned that we might still get rained on biking back.
It’s a good thing we didn’t hang around, because the ride back is more of a challenge than I expected. With a 1,800’ drop ahead I expected a fast, easy ride; but with the shift in the weather the wind has picked up significantly, and is blowing directly into our faces the whole way back to the car. We keep up a fast pace, but the cold is the issue. We’re both anxious to get to the car, but I also want to take a few photos on the way back of features that are starting to emerge now that the clouds are gradually lifting.
Rachael takes the keys to the car and rides on ahead for about the last ten miles while I lag behind, stopping for photos and then racing to catch up a bit. I don’t want to leaving her waiting too long, but at least she’ll be in the car, dry and warming up while she eats her lunch.
A few miles from the car, it starts to rain a bit. I bike harder, helped by riders ahead of me serving as rabbits - they’re part of a commercial tour operated by VBT, just starting up from their lunch break. Seven or eight of them are already down the road a bit, and I chace them all down one or two at a time, finally dropping the last of them on one of the few hills in the way. Along the way, the rain thankfully stops and I get to our turnoff to the car, tired but dry.
I find Rachael waiting by the side of the road waiting for me, rather than inside the car warming up. She had a GPS malfunction, lost her route, and isn’t sure which turnoff the car is located at so she’s waiting for me. Good thing I raced!
Spectacular Maligne Lake. The sky is just beginning to break up, and I wonder how soon we could see any of the ranges that line both sides. We can’t wait though - it’s 23 miles back to the car, it’s quite cold, and it looks like it could rain.
On the way back to the car. It’s gently downhill much of the way, but for this one steep bit. Unfortunately, the wind picked up, it’s blowing directly in our faces, and it’s cold.
Back at Medicine Lake, the clouds have lifted significantly and are starting to break up. We see enough to whet our imagination about what it might look like on a fairer day.
By the time we descend the last few miles to our car, the day has brightened up considerably. You wouldn’t know it from this photo, but about a mile earlier it was lightly raining. Rachael raced ahead by herself for the last ten miles so she could sit in the car and warmed up. I raced too, when I wasn’t stopped for a photo.
It’s only about two, and it’s not raining. Still time to do a bit more, so we decide to take a hike along Maligne Canyon. It must be something worth seeing, because the parking lot is jammed with cars, campers and tour buses. It’s a good thing we did this, because it’s quite spectacular. The Maligne River drops precipitously here through a very narrow slot canyon cut through the limestone, on its way to the Athabasca Basin a few hundred feet below. There is an excellent, well developed trail that includes a series of railed staircases and six small bridges spanning the narrow river. Hiking the entire length took more time than we had, so we turned back after the third bridge when it started to rain again.
Looking down into Maligne Canyon from near the Second Bridge.
Back at the car again, the rains have ceased and the sky is clearing up again. We decide to take the short drive back to Medicine Lake to see if the clouds have cleared away yet. They have, and it’s a sight to behold - the beautiful limestone Colin Range is almost completely visible now, looking a bit ghostly as it towers above the lake. With more time in the day I’d have liked to drive all the way back to Maligne Lake too, but this late in the day it really doesn’t make sense. You can’t see everything. Just one more reason to make it back to Jasper again some year.
It’s only a few miles from where we parked the car back to Medicine Lake. We decided to drive back to see if the sky had cleared any more. It had! The beautiful limestone Colin Range, which lines the north shore of the lake, is almost completely exposed.
Scott AndersonTo Ron SuchanekPretty sure they’re from fire; although the beetles might have gotten there first and set the stage. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
Now this is a serious scene. The road is completely blocked, until that tour bus advances. Since we can’t move anyway, we slip into a gap on the shoulder and look to see what the excitement is about.
Wow - by sheer luck we’ve pulled into the perfect spot. This youngster is contentedly grazing in the berry patch, just 30 feet from our car, seemingly oblivious to the riot scene on the road.
As if we didn’t already have more than enough content for one day, Rachael insisted we include a photo of the beautiful petunias hanging in front of our lodging. She’s right, of course.
