Saturday, 4 August: As tempting as it was to laze around the resort, by 9.30 we were in the coach to start the day with a cruise on Maligne Lake to Spirit Island. Set amongst towering peaks, Maligne Lake is the largest glacial fed lake in the Canadian Rockies and interestingly, the water is a different colour at Spirit Island than it is where the boat departs from. As you get closer, the water changes from blue to emerald, due to the presence of rock flour from the glaciers.
Maligne Lake
Spirit Island is one of the most photographed places in Canada and we could see why. Beautiful, peaceful and a very special place.
On our return we hopped back on the coach and headed to Athabasca Falls. This waterfall is not known so much for its height (at 23 metres) as for the force of the water falling into the gorge.
Next stop was Maligne Canyon. This canyon measures over 50 metres deep and we did an interpretative walk, learning about the underground river system while following the canyon’s trail past beautiful waterfalls and spectacular rock formations. Several bridges crossed where you could see the water far below. It was very interesting to read how the churning water is constantly eroding the canyon.
The rest of the day we had to ourselves, which gave us another opportunity to explore the resort and later in the day I walked around the lake which took 1-1/2 hours at a leisurely pace, stopping to read the many boards set up at intervals, with interesting information about the plant and animal life around the lake.
Quilts, Cats and Me 