The weather was perfect…hot and sunny without a cloud in the sky.  The mountain air smelled clean and fresh.  When we reached the top we discovered that the summit of the mountain was actually another 30-minute hike away, and the trail up was STEEP.  I mean seriously steep, so steep that every step was a constant reminder of how badly out of shape I am.  The air was thin, which made it hard to breathe.  I made it after a while, and took a shitload of pictures at the top.  Had to.  Won’t be back up here for a hell of a long time.

It was pretty cool being on top of the mountain.  Because there were no clouds we could see Mount Robson in the distance to the northwest….to the south we could see down to the Icefields, and to the east and north we could see the Maligne valley.  It was all rather spectacular being above the treeline.  Somehow it made the mountains even more mysterious…they are all lined up in rows like they were deliberately placed. I could sit and stare at them all day.  The forests below looked like green carpets laid out neatly in between the mountain ranges, and were broken only by bright blue lakes and the Athabasca river meandering through.

By 11:30 we were back down the mountain and back in Jasper.  We stopped for a quick lunch, grabbed some needful things, and headed southeast to Maligne Lake.

The whole Maligne Valley is a pretty cool place.  This was a first for all of us, and I think it’s safe to say that we were all awestruck by the beauty of the place.  We ended up taking a boat tour down the lake to see Spirit Island on the south end. The Lake ends up being surrounded by the mountains of the Queen Elizabeth Ranges, and there are five glaciers smattered along the tops of them.  The rock silt in the glacier waters of the lake create a blue hue when light reflects on them, creating a rich colour that looks almost artificial.

We were done with the lake around 4pm and the 30 degree heat was getting to us.  After the hour- long drive back we ended up at the Jasper Brewing Company for supper.  The beer was ok, the food was plain, and the air conditioning didn’t work.  Altogether a poor meal but a good visit nonetheless. We tried to go for a stroll after but we were just too tired.  My brother and I had a few cocktails later in the evening, and even considered checking out the U2 cover band in the bar next door, but we ended up packing it in at around 10:30pm.  Everyone had an early morning.  My brother and sister were leaving at 7am for Edmonton, and I was leaving at 8am…but I was heading southwest into wine country.

All and all, a pretty solid little visit with my siblings and some great touring of some of the most fantastic sites on the planet.  Nice day. Could easily do another.