On the day we visited this April however, there was no sailing or swimming or anything and the boat house was very much closed! We had the place pretty much to ourselves and I couldn't resist a short, timid stroll as it's often been said that I couldn't walk on water! Usually by people who inwardly like the thought of me falling in of course. I didn't venture out too far as it was starting to show some signs of thinning out, a bit like my hair, but I did it... I walked on water!
It was a stunning late April day and Janet and Eamonn made the most of this opportunity to catch a few well deserved rays and just a few Z's. Indeed, when I took this picture they had both been snoring for nearly two hours. No doubt still traumatised from our wild adventures around Patricia lake the day before! (we got lost!! and we got quite scared when we saw fresh Moose poo... and Cougar poo... and Bear poo!... in the woods... how did we know so much about poo? We were walking in the woods... and you need to know)
Back along the beautiful Maligne Lake road towards Jasper is Medicine Lake which during the summer months fills with bright blue rock flour filled melt water from the mountains and then empties away again in the winter. This has for years haunted the natives as they believed it was magical powers that filled and emptied the lake. It is still somewhat unknown exactly how big and complex the underground system of drainage is although scientific experiments have shown that it feeds many different lakes and rivers. It was of course empty during our visit and having been once before, during the summer, I can understand why it freaked out the locals!
Where we were stood in this picture we could hear the water draining away just behind us... Much like a gurgling bath tub. Stunning views all around us, typical of Jasper National Park.
After eating in Jasper town that evening we caught the sunset over beautiful Lac Beauvert which lovingly hugs the Jasper Park Lodge hotel. This is way better than watching any TV! The scenery changes constantly as the light dies down over the mountains and bounces itself around off the trees and the water. The only sound being Canada Geese deciding that it was time for bed. Shortly after taking this picture below we were in near darkness.
North from our guest house in Hinton we called in to try and find the 'Beaver Boardwalk'. Our hosts had recommended this as a really good evening wildlife spotting opportunity. We were concerned when we eventually found it and got out of the car to this sign....
The boardwalk is a wooden pathway through the woods and wetlands of Hinton which is over a mile long. Built entirely by volunteers to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hinton pulp mill 'West Fraser', who supplied all of the materials. It's a lovely walk and we picked the perfect evening with everything being so very still and quiet. Needless to say because it was so still and quiet, we could 'hear' a cougar... around every corner. It didn't take us too long to come face to face with wild beavers but it did take the kindness of a local guy who was out walking his dog to notice us wandering around haplessly with our cameras and looking lost. He pointed us in the direction that he'd just come from.
Up close and personal with nature once again we were truly mesmerised by the way in which these beautiful little creatures went about their business of chewing... squeaking to each other... chewing a bit more... swimming off and coming back with more twigs... squeaking more and chewing even more.... Fabulous!
They we really enchanting to watch and just far enough away from us that we didn't disturb them. We were also getting up close and personal with nature in other ways, mosquitoes! in April!
We stood in awe of their habitat and wondered how such small beasts could be responsible for constructing such a vast and complicated series of waterways. Like a miniature Miami housing and marina complex with dams, ponds, lanes, and buildings, they've adapted their environment very much to suit themselves and we couldn't help but wonder about the logic of building a wooden walkway around this place. Wood... Beavers... Hhmmmm... We supposed that there were enough trees to keep them busy for a good few years yet. This small hump is about 70 feet wide by 20 feet above the water!!
We thoroughly enjoyed our evening encounter with a true Canadian symbol and most enjoyable of all was to see how dexterous they are with their front paws and to hear how chatty they are with each other. Very sociable chaps indeed! 
As if we hadn't been spoiled enough with wildlife encounters, on the way back to the house in pitch dark, we spotted a young Moose at the side of the road. Nice to see and a really fabulous way to finish of our latest Rocky Mountain adventure.
