Day 8 - A Lazy Day in Jasper
After we completed our move to the Jasper Inn on Sunday we went into town to the Park's center to get some information. We grew excited seeing the "log" of all the wildlife (including wolves) that visitors were seeing. Maybe we'd be so lucky?We also learned that the Jasper Wildlife Museum was right across the street in the lower level of the Whistler Inn. The charge was nominal and contained some remarkable specimens of wildlife from the area. Among the more interesting was a huge bull moose and a very realistic mountain lion.`
We picked up some groceries and then took it easy from our hectic day before (although you do feel a bit guilty not doing something when you are in such a remarkable spot!). Later that afternoon and evening we had some showers run through the area but between breaks in the clouds we decided to at least drive out to Maligne (Mah-Lean) Lake. On the way out the rain came again but we were treated to a beautiful rainbow as compensation!
On the way to the lake we saw signs posted warning all traffic to proceed very slowly due to the presence of a wolf pack in the area. Apparently one of the biggest threats to the wolves in the area (and wildlife in general) are people traveling too fast and hitting them. Hard to believe that anyone in the area would feel compelled to "hurry" through the scenic Maligne Lake road.About midway to Maligne Lake we came upon Medicine Lake. The lake apparently is drained by underground rivers so that during the spring and summer when the run off is high the lake swells, but in drier autumn it recedes, sometimes completely disappearing. For this reason the native Americans considered it a spiritual place of wonder and magic, hence the name. As we looked upon it we could appreciate how mysterious it would seem to have such a large and beautiful lake routinely disappear and then return.
Medicine Lake
