Thursday 2 April 2009

Spirit Island

[1-click to enlarge]


This is Spirit Island on Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta.



It is reached by taking one of the scheduled boat tours of the lake.

[2-click to enlarge]














Photo Credits: [1]-raindog CC=nd-flickr, [2]-steeljam CC=nc-nd-flickr.

28 comments:

Cloudia said...

Oh to visit Spirit Island!
Aloha, Barbara

A Cuban In London said...

I felt dwarfed and and awed by your pictures, especially the second one. And that was before I clicked on them. The landscape is breath-taking. I was in the Western coast of Scotland some years ago and the first picture reminded of that time. Although, admittedly in yours there's a lot more greenery. Many thanks.

Greetings from London.

Raph G. Neckmann said...

I'm imagining what it would be like to camp on Spirit Island, and wake up in the morning surrounded by all that lovely water and those magnificent mountains. Life-changing, I would think!

BernardL said...

The boat with the mountain backdrop is breathtaking.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

oh please, what a heavenly place!

Charles Gramlich said...

Man I'd love to have a picknick there.

Teresa said...

I just love the mountains. I would like to take a trip there.

Barbara Martin said...

Cloudia, a great place to visit once the ice is gone by mid-June.

Cuban whenever you desire to see wilderness areas feel free to drop by for a visit.

Raph, you'd have to take care where you put your tent. The narrow link of grass and sand has been known to disappear under water.

Barbara Martin said...

Bernard, this boat trip allows the passengers to stretch their legs at a cabin near Spirit Island.

Gary, you seem spellbound.

Charles, I remembered you liked islands.

Teresa, this is one of many wonderful places to visit in the Canadian Rockies.

Anonymous said...

Two stunning and breathtaking photos. Catching up on previous posts I was delighted to see a photo of a moose, which you feature occasionaly. Have never seen one in reality,...it would make my day! They seem such ungainly and strange creatures.

Barbara Martin said...

Pam, the moose is one of those neat animals that appear frequently in the national parks and in most every wilderness area of Canada, close to rivers, lakes and swampy areas. They are tall animals six to seven foot at the shoulders, the male being the largest. I have seen videos where someone in Europe had a tame one in the house, and another of a moose in harness used for hauling timber.

pattinase (abbott) said...

As always, incredibly lovely.

Eleanor said...

When does the next boat leave? I am on my way across those aquamarine waters, past the stright dark pines to Spirit Island!

Mihai A. said...

Very beautiful place.
I just watched this morning a show on National Geographic about the spirit bear amd those landscapes and forests are amazing. I just hope that the destructive nature of human will not wipe out such wonderful places.

Donnetta said...

Absolutely stunning. And here I am stuck in Oklahoma today. Oh, well, I can dream. D

Barrie said...

Looks like a good place to write. Which I could use, right about now!

David Cranmer said...

I just landed in Maine this week and the beauty here reminds me a lot of your posts. I will try to get some pics posted.

Barbara Martin said...

Patti, soon you will have many places to choose from for your vacations.

Eleanor, there will be a more indepth post on Tuesday about Maligne Lake for the fishing enthusiast; but to answer your question visit the following link for schedules and information:
http://www.malignelake.com/cruises.html

Mihai, I have been posting these wilderness places in Canada to remind people there are still areas that need conservation practices in force. It is important to keep the forested areas in trees to clean the polluted air that covers the planet. The so-called renewable resources are being depleted at an alarming rate.

Barbara Martin said...

Donnetta, it is still winter in Jasper with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark and lots of snow to melt for the summer tourists.

Barrie, the national parks in the Canadian Rockies have a refreshing energy about them when one visits. Probably the first day you would want to soak up the pine scented air and the feel of the place. Perhaps the best way you would get writing done would be to attend one of the writing workshops held at the Banff Centre. There are week long writing courses as well as others lasting three months. The link is on the sidebar just above ZINES, or banffcentre.ca.

David, please post the photos of Maine as it is a gorgeous place of rugged beauty and areas covered in evergreens.

laughingwolf said...

so relaxing... MY kinda country :D

Lana Gramlich said...

Looks like THE perfect place for a nice picnic.

Maria said...

Great place! I'd like to be there in summer, and bathing in the lake with all that great scenery around!

Barbara Martin said...

Tony, it is and I'm already thinking of taking a weeks vacation.

Lana, the viewpoint has a lovely Lodge restaurant set up for meals inside or out on the terrace to bask in the glow of the majestic mountain scenery.

Maria, swimming?? In frigid glacial water.

Linda McLaughlin said...

Oh, what a lovely lake. I've been to Banff and Lake Louise, but not to Jasper and I see now I missed a very special place. One of these days...

Barbara Martin said...

Linda, I will be preparing more posts on Jasper with similar photographs revealing the beauty of the wilderness.

Merisi said...

One would want to travel there,
often!

Barbara Martin said...

Merisi, that is how I feel about the Canadian Rockies.

L.A. Mitchell said...

This setting is going to creep up in my subconscious during writing. Beautiful and unforgettable ...thanks, Barbara :)