Tierbeobachtungen on the way to Lake Maligne

What a start to the day! After breakfast, I casually walked to the car and then I saw two young elk right in the neighbor's front yard. Wow! They were leisurely nibbling on the neighbor's hedge. I watched them for a while and followed them around the small town in my car. The residents didn't seem very impressed, apparently it's a common sight here. But for me, it was amazing to see. Inspired by this start, I decided to see more animals today, so I continued on my way with the cruise control set at 40 km/h and kept looking left and right along the roadside. Just to be clear, I didn't see a bear today. But I did see plenty of other animals like a wolf, moose, squirrels, rainbow trout, and more. The encounter with the moose in particular left a lasting impression, as I had a hard time spotting it and needed a stroke of luck to see it. I stopped the car for a while, just 3 meters away, and watched it while it was eating. An amazing experience. My original plan for today was to drive to Lake Maligne and possibly rent a kayak to paddle around on the lake. I read on a flyer that the boat rental doesn't open until early June. However, I read on another travel blog that it opened in early May last year because the weather was so nice. Today was also beautiful weather, so I took my chances. On the way there, I stopped by Maligne Canyon, a 25-meter high mountain crevice through which water has been making its way for many years. In winter, the canyon is frozen and guided hikes between the rocks are offered. Not today, so I continued towards the lake. When I arrived, I could already see that the lake was mostly covered in a thick layer of ice. The boathouse sign said that operation would resume on May 27th. Well, never mind, this lake with its boathouse was still a beautiful photo opportunity and I saw all the animals along the way. So it was worth it anyway! In the afternoon, I visited two lakes around the town of Jasper. It was beautiful there too, just like everywhere else in the Rocky Mountains. I particularly love the reflection of the mountains and forests in the lakes. In the evening, I took a short walk through the town of Jasper and enjoyed the last rays of sun with a to-go coffee. Tomorrow, I will continue to Banff National Park and I'll pass by the Athabasca Glacier again. Keep your fingers crossed that I might see a bear again :)