Jasper getaway & backcountry canoe trip

I love canoeing, hiking and back country camping in beautiful Jasper National park. We recently returned home from a nearly perfect trip to this jewel of a park in Alberta. Spring arrived late this year in the high alpine but summer was in full swing by the time we arrived. Ken managed to secure us three nights of back country camping on Maligne Lake during the August long weekend. We had intended to also hike the skyline back country trail before the canoe trip but conditions on the notch (midway on the hiking trail) were described as poor with deep snow and the suggestion for ice axes. We decided to postpone that hike for another time and simply visit Jasper and area for a couple of days prior to our canoe trip. Once again we stayed in a private room at the HiHostel in Jasper and it was lovely. Covid times meant we never really met anyone at the Hostel and we wore our masks around but the staff are doing a great job keeping all of the guests safe.

I have not hiked around Jasper much so we decided to do a hike called Bald hills trail. It was a fun and gorgeous trail but a bit short since we retreated from the summit when a thunder & lighting display began. To make up for failing to complete the loop we decided to add another hike on to the day and hike up Opal loop trail. That was amazing and we could see there was an easy(ish) way to gain a higher ridge so we did that too! We ended up hiking 23km and nearly 1400m elevation on a hot day. The hikes were super fun and very buggy. mosquitos and black flies everywhere because of the late thaw. We did see a grizzly bear (far away on another ridge) and foxes and marmots too. We were thrilled to discover Lake Annette as a perfect swimming escape. The water was perfectly lovely and not freezing cold like most alpine lakes. Highly recommend. We made our own meals and did not eat out due to Covid but I’d like to shout out the store Ransom clothing for awesome customer service during Covid times (ken bought some new sun glasses). Also- we did some modelling last year for Banff/Jasper Collective and found it hilarious to find our photo life size on a downtown Jasper window. We bought more bug spray and sunscreen while shopping as well (we needed every bit of it the next few days)

On the day we were to launch our canoe we got up really early (4:30 am) so that we could drive to Maligne Lake and get on the water before the winds began. We have paddled the lake several times before and the headwinds can be fierce and cause you a lot of extra paddling time. On this morning it turned out to be not much of a concern. We paddled leisurely on a glassy lake for much of the trip to Coronet creek campground. The water was not as cold as usual so some quick dips to cool down were possible. We stayed two nights and met some super nice people at Coronet campground. It’s easy to distance outdoors while sitting around a big campfire so everyone was happy, talkative and just glad to be outdoors in that beautiful setting. I will have fond memories of this trip because of all the nice people we spent time chatting with. Thank you. Ken and I did a bit of hiking, sunrise seeking and more canoe exploring until the third day when we needed to go back halfway on the lake to Fishermans Campground.

Naturally we got up very early again. Partially to get our boat on the water before the winds but also to make a stop at Spirit Island for photos. The morning was completely wind free again and we made it all the way to Spirit Island in an hour and a half. Most canoe campers try to get to that location early in the morning or late in the day in order to avoid the sightseeing company boats. We arrived with lots of time to play around and get some amazing photos. on Maligne Lake- only the sightseeing tour boats and the Conservation Officers are allowed to have gas powered motors. All other boats must be self propelled or use small electric motors that make no noise. We like Coronet Campground best as the sightseeing boats only go as far as Spirit Island so you don’t hear them all day.

In previous visits, Ken and I have experienced heavy rains, snow storms, big winds, whitecaps and all sorts of adventure trials. This trip had clear skies, warm temperatures and easy paddling (there was one storm but we were in camp at the time). The bugs were bad and we used a lot of Bug repellent but still left with dozens of visible bites each. Totally worth it. Our day and evening at Fishermans was uneventful and quiet since the campsite was not full that night. The paddle out the next morning was beautiful and easy again.

If you are thinking of going- This is a back country trip and best back country practices are required by law. Pack out all garbage and food waste. No radios are allowed on Maligne lake. There are posted quiet hours. You must have a permit to camp in one of the campgrounds. Bring bear spray, use the bear lockers and don’t cook, eat or urinate near your tent site. All of the awesome young adventure couples and singles we met were highly educated about best back country practices.