Whether you plan to rent a canoe at Maligne Lake or Lac Beauvert in Jasper National Park or Lake Louise or Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, or elsewhere in the parks, there is one thing you can do today to prepare for the experience: learn to properly paddle a canoe.

This article will provide the resources you need to properly paddle a canoe.

I’ve rented canoes in many places – and even paddled amongst large, scary alligators in southern Florida. Before I learned how to properly paddle a canoe, I’d have trouble keeping the canoe straight. It would rock and was hard to keep steady. I’d also get tired and strain my muscles. I lacked knowledge of the proper canoe paddling form.

There is a better way. Learn simple and easy canoe paddling techniques. So, sit back, relax and let’s learn to paddle a canoe for your Canadian Rockies vacation.

If you are new to canoeing and plan to rent a canoe during your Canadian Rockies vacation, learning a little bit about how properly paddle a canoe will help you make the most of your experience and allow you to focus on the wonderful scenery.

These are some of these best instructional videos on how to paddle a canoe. Take a look at these videos to learn about how to paddle and steer a canoe.

This video goes into more detail about the J-stroke.

The following video really gets into some advanced canoe paddling theory – aimed at canoeing enthusiasts. It will make you think a lot about having the proper form and how to most efficiently paddle a canoe.

What happens if your canoe tips over? Since you are now a pro, you shouldn’t have to worry about tipping over your canoe. But if you do, here is a video that shows what to do.

Ok, now that you’ve watched some videos, you should be ready to go. If you’d like more details, read through these articles on other websites which go into more advanced aspects of canoeing:

• How to Paddle a Canoe: The J-Stroke
• Paddling stroke techniques
• Paddling technique
• Copng with wind
• Paddling strokes explained
• Paddling ina tandem canoe

Hope your Jasper National Park and/or Banff National Park canoeing experience is rewarding. Happy canoeing!

Spirit Island in Maligne Lake (Photo Credit - Gene Chambers)

We’re cruising down Maligne Lake south of Jasper. The 22 Km (14 Mile) long lake lies at the south end of Maligne Lake Road. Separated from the Banff/Jasper Highway by the rugged Maligne Range, this 46 km. (29 mi.) road follows the glacial valley separating this range from the neighbouring Queen Elizabeth Ranges. The main access to this road is along Highway 16 (The Yellowhead Highway), approximately 5 km. east of the Jasper townsite.

The Turquoise Water of Maligne Lake (Photo Credit - Gene Chambers)

Maligne Lake is the largest natural lake and the second largest glacier-fed lake in the Canadian Rockies. Ringed by snow-and-ice-capped mountains, the lake stretches past serene Spirit Island right to the melt-water channels of Coronet Glacier. The lake is both fed and drained by the Maligne River, entering the lake from the south and draining it to the north. The name Maligne is French for “wicked”, called so by a French Jesuit explorer describing the river’s condition as he tried to cross it.

At the road terminus at the north end of the lake is a restaurant and gift shop, and the Maligne Lake Scenic Cruise Company, where you can book a 90 minute interpretive cruise down the lake to Spirit Island, described by Readers Digest as the most scenic cruise in Canada. The glass enclosed and heated cruise boats depart hourly from ice-out in the spring until late fall. Heritage Tourism guides provide sightseers with a running commentary of the local history, geology, wildlife and glaciology of Maligne Lake during the cruise. No roads continue south past this point, so the boat cruise is the only way most people get to see the splendor of Maligne Lake. For the more adventurous, there is a nearby boathouse renting rowboats, canoes and kayaks that allow the opportunity for a leisurely personal journey on the lake.

Maligne Lake was originally known to the natives as Chabma Imme, or Beaver Lake. It was found in 1907 by Mary Schaeffer, a wealthy Quaker from Philadelphia, who learned of the mysterious lake. Following a map obtained from Samson Beaver, a Stoney tribesman, Mary found the lake and later wrote about her adventures, making the area a popular tourist attraction in years to follow.

Spirit Island, about 14 Km down-lake, is one of the most famous publicized images of the Canadian Rockies. The cruise boat stopped at the island briefly to allow us to stroll a short path and photograph this spectacular island setting. A neat feature at this site is the solar-powered washrooms located behind the boat dock, reputedly costing $200,000 to build. The day we toured it was calm, with a sun-and-cloud mix sky, and the setting at Spirit Island rivaled anything found in tourism brochures.

Tour Boat at Maligne Lake (Photo Credit - Gene Chambers)

Tickets can be bought at the office on Maligne Lake, but in July and August you’re liable to find that by the time you get there the day’s cruises are already sold out. It’s better to buy in advance at these times. You can do so online at their website, or there is a ticket office in the town of Jasper, at 616 Patricia St. We went there and got a package deal – the cruise and the Jasper Tramway together, and saved $9 per person.

On the road into Maligne Lake you drive by Maligne Canyon, which is well worth an hour stopover in itself. You also drive by Medicine Lake , which is a scenic stop. There is a great photo op just at the very north end of the lake that provides a great shot of the whole lake with the mountains as a backdrop.

If You Go

• Maligne Lake website
• Map of lake
• Jasper National Parks info
• Wikipedia – Maligne Lake

Guest author Gene Chambers is author of three secondary school textbooks on computer studies in data processing, and the following travel articles:

www.whattravelwriterssay.com/johnsoncanyonalberta.html

www.whattravelwriterssay.com/barkervillebc.html

www.whattravelwriterssay.com/invermerebc.html

Article and photos:  © by Gene Chambers

The area offers spectacular scenic views, is home to many species of wildlife and has many kilometers of hiking trails. The park has much to offer and adults and children alike will find it to be a wonderful and interesting place to visit.

No matter what your fitness level is you can find many fun things to do outdoors. The area abounds with wildlife and opportunities to see them. You can take a scenic drive or try a more adventurous hike. There are many kilometers of scenic hiking trails. Visit the Athabasca waterfalls, which require only a short hike. Down below the river offers more adventure. Try taking a whitewater rafting trip or a river float trip. Take a scenic drive on Icefields Parkway to see the Columbia Icefield. You can actually go on the glacier with an ice buggy.

Maligne Lake is just a short drive away and while there you can take a boat cruise, rent a canoe or even go fishing. Mount Edith Cavell is another scenic drive. There you’ll find a path that leads to the bottom of Angel Glacier. No trip to Jasper is complete until you take a soak in the natural warmth of the Miette Hot Springs. The springs offer clear and soothing mineral water that is naturally warm from inside the earth to give you a truly natural and relaxing experience.

Jasper National Park is home to many different species of wildlife. You’re bound to see many of them on even a short hike. You can even take a guided birdwatchers hike to see some bird species that you’ve probably never seen before. You can plan on taking any of the designated hikes through the park. Many are short enough to walk with children. The town of Jasper offers many eateries and pleasant shops.

When choosing accommodations you’ll find it easy to log onto HotelsCombined.com. This site offers the ease and affordable pricing options of all the popular hotel-finding sites such as Orbitz, Priceline, Travelocity and Hotels.com to name just a few. You’ll be able to choose from many different local hotels and resorts each with their own amenities. You will be sure to find a hotel that offers the features you want in the price range within your budget.

To see the famous Spirit Island in person, take a cruise on Maligne Lake – a must do even without a camera. At the end of the cruise, the boat drops passengers off at a dock for a short break. Walk from the dock up a small path up to a vantage point looking out towards Spirit Island.

Here’s more Spirit Island photos from Webshots, a popular photo website.


(By lizawati100)

(By bobp30)

(By pfjc)

Learn more about the Maligne Lake boat ride.

Back in August, 2006 I wrote “Maligne Lake – World’s best 90 minute boat ride?” here on Jasper Journal.

Just recently, Reader’s Digest named the Spirit Island cruise as Canada’s Best Boat Cruise in the 2^nd Annual “30 Best of Canada”, calling Maligne Lake “Alberta’s turquoise jewel”.

“It is indeed an accolade to be recognized along with special places like the Cabot Trail and Whistler-Blackcomb” said Maligne Lake’s manager, Pat Crowley. “More-over when one considers the steep competition from high caliber boat tours in gorgeous places in Canada like Desolation Sound, Gros Morne, Nunavut and the Yukon – just to name a few – this is a very real mark of distinction”.

The verdict is that if you are going to Jasper National Park, you have to visit Maligne Lake and take the tour.

What’s next?

View a list of Maligne Lake itinerary ideas.

“With so much to do at Maligne Lake, a full day of activities is in order that could include an itinerary of cruising Maligne Lake to Spirit Island and other popular Maligne Lake activities.” says Pat Crowley, CEO of Maligne Lake Tours, Ltd., the company that runs the only boat tour on Maligne Lake.

Maligne Lake itinerary ideas include:

10:00 a.m. — Cruise to Spirit Island
Visitors can get acquainted with the history of Jasper National Park at Spirit Island. A 90-minute cruise in a glass-enclosed boat departs each day starting at 10:00 a.m. (from May through September). These interpretive tours, staffed by Heritage Tourism Guides and Ministry of Transport licensed Pilots, offer an exciting look into geology, wildlife, and the glaciology of Maligne Lake. A short walk to the spectacular and famous viewpoint overlooking Spirit Island and the mountain-ringed southern shores of Maligne Lake is the highlight of the cruise. If you are short on time, just do the cruise and skip the rest of the activities.

11:30 a.m.—Lunch overlooking the lake and mountains at the View Restaurant
The Lodge overlooking Maligne Lake affords day trippers delicious cuisine with equally appealing views. Eat inside or outside on the terrace if the weather is nice. The restaurant serves salads, home-style sandwiches, homemade soups, stew, and vegetarian chili as well as fare from the on-site bakery.

For a Jasper National Park souvenir, try the Day Lodge Shop in the Lodge. Items include Jasper photography, historical books, children’s books, pottery, linens, and more.

1:00 p.m.—Canoeing, kayaking or trout fishing on Maligne Lake
Equally relaxing as a fishing excursion, The Curly Philips Boathouse rents sea kayaks, freighter canoes with electric motors and batteries, Coleman Canoes, and Aluminum Rowboats. Surrounded by the dramatic Canadian Rockies, floating atop azure waters – this for many provides the perfect Canadian rockies experience.

Stocked with rainbow and eastern brook trout, Maligne Lake provides the best fishing opportunities in Jasper National Park. Half- and full-day guided Maligne Lake fishing tours are available or for those who prefer to navigate the waters alone, fishing boats and gear may be rented at the Curly Philips Boathouse, a registered historic building.

Maligne Lake is situated just 30 miles southeast of Jasper townsite within Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada and a Jasper shuttle service is available daily to pick up guests at several of the hotels within the town of Jasper.

“Best” is a term relative to a traveler’s past experiences, but the Maligne Lake boat ride is not likely to be disappointing. The lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains – even in July.

This traveler has been on New York’s Lake George ferry, the ferry from Manhattan to Ellis Island in New York, a cruise down the Connecticut River, and the Martha’s Vineyard ferry from Rhode Island. Even a recent cruise around the harbors of Barcelona, Spain is second to the Maligne Lake boat ride.

Though these other boat rides were enjoyable, they lack the blue-green glacier water. They aren’t lined by the most incredible mountains you will have ever scene. They don’t have the clean mountain air or that feeling of relaxation that you can only get when you are a day’s drive from any city. The Canadians have a hidden gem on their hands.

The boat tour runs about 90 minutes and a guide talks part of the way and gives a nice history of the lake and points out some of the sights. The tour stops at Maligne Lake Lodge and there’s a short break where everyone gets out. Once on the shore, there’s a short looping trail that offers some spectacular views of Spirit Island.

Parks Canada provides this advice about driving to Maligne Lake:

“Watch for elk, sheep, bears and moose along the road, especially at dawn and dusk. Trails for hikers, cyclists and horseback riders intersect the road. Adjust speeds accordingly. Weather at Maligne Lake can be more extreme than in Jasper townsite. Make sure you are well-prepared for cold and wet conditions.”

Alright, you made it to Maligne Lake. After you park in the parking lot, there are two buildings on the south shore. The first is a lodge type building and houses a tourist shop, a simple restaurant aptly named View Restaurant with a nice outdoor deck and the necessary bathrooms and of course a great view.

Inside the lodge is place to buy tickets for the boat tour. At the time of this writing, adult tickets were $41.00 Cdn. and children (6-12 yrs) $20.00 Cdn. – a little pricey buy money well spent.

The second building is the Maligne Lake Boat House. The boat house is the place to rent canoes and kayaks. They even rent canoes with trolling motors alongside rods and reels for fishing.

Especially in July and August, I’d recommend calling a day ahead of time to make a reservation. When I visited in July, the boats where all booked and there was a waiting list, so I missed out. The Maligne Lake boat house phone number is (780) 852-3370.

If you are staying in Jasper townsite without a car, there is a shuttle service to Maligne Lake available.

Watch: Canoe on Maligne Lake video (13 seconds)