Canadian Icefields Road Trip (Day 15)

[Gilligan]

Day 15 – 07/02/09 --- 64 Miles (Jasper, Alberta to Maligne Lake and back)
33 at 7:45 AM --- 70 at 4 PM

We left at 9:30 and stopped to hike the Maligne Canyon, which is 167 feet deep.  We rode past Medicine Lake to Maligne Lake and took a boat tour.  The Queen Elizabeth Mountains are on the east side and the Malign Mountains are on the west side.  There were many glaciers.  The Coronet Glacier is at the south end of the lake.  We then rode back to Jasper.  On the way we were confronted head on by a Big Horn sheep head.  The wildlife highlight, however, was a Black Bear feeding at the side of the road.  This time Navigator had the camera.  We had dinner and wine at Fiddle River.  Navigator had bison bourginone.  Gilligan had buffalo & elk meat loaf with juniper berries and blueberry demiglaze.

535

                         Maligne Canyon

544

                         Maligne Road and Maligne River

548

                         Medicine Lake

554

                         Medicine Lake and Maligne Road

559

                         Maligne Lake

566

                         One of the Glaciers

569

                         Coronet Glacier

575

                         Spirit Island

577

                         Coronet Glacier

584

                         Another Glacier

593

                         Sinking Ship

605

                         Big Horn Sheep on Maligne Road Within 5 Feet of Valk

607

                         Black Bear at Side of Maligne Road

[f-Stop]

Magical Country!

[blackvalk]

Gilligan,

I've only seen a handful of your posts on your Canadian trip. Is there a way to capture each day so I can go day by day?

I live in a Chicago suburb and met my cousin from California in Vail Colorado. We headed north through Yellowstone, Glacier Nat'l Pk and up into Canada. We hit Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. We headed back and ended up in Charlamaign, Idaho (sp). We split off from there and headed east and west.

YOU have encouraged me to go back this fall to see the sites north of Jasper and some of BC. We met such nice people and had numerous conversations with wonderful people which usually happen on our motorcycle trips.

If I could accumulate the days of your trip, it may help me organize and incourage my cousin to ride Canada again. Thanks for the great pictures. Your's turned out better than mine, I'm impressed. I have three 8"x10" pictures of that trip on my office wall and people that come into my office always want to talk about those and not my ski and mountain biking pictures.
Thanks again, Bill (bill@kitchenvillage.com)

[bg]

i've always been impress with the pics and also with the proper names and specific places you went.
such time given to detail, almost seems you had a secretary on the road with you.

[fudgie]

Blackvalk- just go back page by page till you hit day 1 and then follow from there. Thats what I have done.

[fudgie]

I think gilligan and normandog are doing great with these pictures. Makes me want to get out there and ride. Gonna be 35 on sunday so there is hope. If all this new snow is gone from the roads.

[Normandog]

Best yet  We had a free day in Jasper so Carolyn and I and a British couple walked about 8 miles. When we got back to the cabin, they crashed and I rode over to maligne lake. Was gonna take the boat ride but the last one was pulling out before I could get a ticket.  We saw several elk, one black bear with cubs on our trip. I really wanted to see a moose, a grizzly and a bighorn sheep but no luck.
Beautiful shot of Spirit Island. 

[Ken Tarver]

those are just beautiful pictures.......i'm headed to AK at the end of May....will be coming back through Jasper & Banff

[blackvalk]

Normandog,

You have to be carefull with GRIZZLY'S. If you hike you need to make lots of noise as you walk. It's best to hang little bells on your jacket or shirt just to make constant noise. Also, you should cary Pepper Spray.

When you walk keep a look out for bear poop. If you see poop with berries and rabbit fur, you are getting close to a BROWN BEAR. If you are approaching a GRIZZLY the poop will have bells in it and it will smell like pepper spray.

I couldn't resist!

[Gilligan]

Gilligan, I've only seen a handful of your posts on your Canadian trip. Is there a way to capture each day so I can go day by day? 

Bill, just click on my profile and scroll to the bottom and click on "Last Posts."  All of them will come up.  I hope that works for you.

[Gilligan]

almost seems you had a secretary on the road with you.

  Yep.  She was not only the Navigator, she was the secretary, etc...   

[Normandog]

almost seems you had a secretary on the road with you.

  Yep.  She was not only the Navigator, she was the secretary, etc...   

I've been trying to figure how to break the news to Carolina Girl that she's gonna have to start taking notes as well as pictures while riding pillion. 
I had been wondering how you knew the name of all those mtn peaks. 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Beautiful pictures very well done ride report