Jasper Skytram and Whistler Summit
Early that morning, we took the Jasper Skytram. Our plan was to hike to the Whistler Summit. The hike was tough. My youngest son and my wife had to return early. I hiked with the other two sons to the middle of the trail but had to retreat too because the wind was just too strong and the path was too steep. Even though we didn’t make it to the summit, we had a great time. The highlight was eating snacks at the summit restaurant. By the time we were done, we finally met up with our friends from Toronto. It was great to see some familiar faces.
Medicine Lake
In the afternoon, we planned to drive to Maligne Canyon for a hike. Along the way, we passed by the Medicine Lake. Medicine Lake is interesting it has a unique underground drainage system that causes the water level to fluctuate from season to season. As you can see from the picture above, it also has a spectacular view.
Mountain Pine Beetle
Unfortunately, the mountain pine beetle killed a lot of the trees there and the area was in distress. This was not a Medicine Lake only phenomenon, it affected the greater Jasper area as well. It would take years before these trees can grow back to their former glory.
Maligne Canyon
Maligne Canyon was beautiful and was the deepest canyon in the Rockies. It has six bridges connecting the two sides of the canyon. We hiked through three of them and was constantly amazed by the nature.
Maligne Lake
After exploring Maligne Canyon, we drove to Maligne Lake. It was already 3pm. We thought of taking the cruise but we ran out of time. So we took a stroll along the lake and let the kids ran freely in the area. If I were to come here again, I would plan for at least half a day to partake in some of the water activities, like taking the cruise or renting a canoe.