Mary Schaffer Loop

Elevation: 1670 m
Elevation Gain: 80 m (cumulative)
Maligne Lake (Chaba Imne) is the largest lake is Jasper National Park and takes its official name from the French word for “malignant” (which was originally applied by Pierre-Jean de Smet to describe its turbulent outlet river). The name has proven to be a misnomer and the beautiful glacier-fed lake is now a popular destination for sightseeing, hiking, boat cruises and backcountry outings. Among the hikes that begin from the lake’s road-accessible northern end, the Mary Schaffer Loop is a 3-km walk that follows Maligne’s east shore. Schaffer was an artist and an explorer who is often credited with the discovery of Maligne Lake since she was the first European to visit it. In reality, the lake’s first recorded visit took place sixteen years earlier when Stoney Nation members Job and Samson Beaver visited the beautiful body of water (which they called Chaba Imne – “Beaver Lake”). During her exploration of the area, Schaffer benefitted from a map that Samson provided her. Although much of the historical credit for the lake’s discovery fell to Schaffer, she acknowledged Samson’s contributions by naming a pair of peaks in the area for he and his wife Leah.
My Ascents:
August 17 2021
Trailhead: Maligne Lake (East Parking Lot)

After a couple of busy days hiking in beautiful Jasper National Park, our kids (and their grandparents) were ready for a break. While some would opt to spend their rest day relaxing in the newly refurbished Whistlers Campground, that was clearly not an option for the Hobbs clan. To us (me, in particular), “rest day” just means “smaller hike!” 🙃

With that in mind, we decided to drive to nearby Maligne Canyon for a little hike (more of a stroll, really). When we arrived and discovered that the popular parking lot was jam-packed, we improvised and elected to continue driving upstream to, presumably nearby, Maligne Lake. Without having researched the lake, we assumed that it was close to its namesake Canyon. As everyone knows, however, assuming makes an a$$ of “u” and “me” (or in this case at least, leaves everyone stuck in the car for an extra 35 minutes)! Indeed, the 38-km drive from Canyon to Lake proved longer than expected and, by the time that we arrived, everyone needed to get out and “stretch their legs.” How better to do so, than with a hike? (MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA)!

LEFT: Moody Maligne views after setting off for a little leg-stretch along the Mary Schaffer Loop.
RIGHT: As with most readily accessible Parks Canada viewpoints, the northeast shore of Maligne Lake featured a pair of red Adirondack chairs. Since we’d already been sitting for the longer-than-expected drive here, however, 5-year-old Mera decided that these seats were actually her own personal dancefloor.

One of Maligne’s popular boat cruises makes its way along the lake’s wind-whipped surface. Sightseeing along the lake is, no doubt, magnificent but, on this rainy day, there was little to see (save for the “Bald Hills” across the lake).

As we followed the Loop along the lake’s east shore, Mera and Penny soon found a beach to play on. Sadly, the beach’s fine mountain pebbles were ill-suited for building sandcastles.

It wasn’t exactly “beach weather” but that didn’t stop the “kids” from playing in the sand! 😂

After wrestling the “kids” away from the “beach”, we followed the Mary Schaffer trail south along the lakeshore for 1 km and reached an interpretive display which discussed the lake’s history. While the trail was named for Schaffer (the first European to visit Maligne), the display, at least, featured a photo and sign that acknowledged Samson Beaver as the lake’s actual first visitor.

Near the display, the loop reached a viewpoint before turning back towards the parking lot(s). Sadly, Maligne lived up to its name on this day and moody mountain weather conspired to keep us from enjoying the full panorama (click to see larger).

Clouds whip about the summit of Leah Peak (named for Samson Beaver’s wife).

LEFT: To the south, the lake stretches some 22.5-km towards 11,000er Mount Brazeau and its icefield. Sadly, Brazeau (and most everything else) was obscured on this misty mountain day. Nearer by, the base of Mounts Charlton and Unwin could at least be identified across the lake.
RIGHT: The “kids” discover another “beach” on which to play.

After turning around, the Mary Schaffer loop veered north through unremarkable forest. Those seeking scenery may be better served by simply walking back along the lakeshore instead of completing this (longer) loop through the woods!

LEFT and RIGHT: While the trail through the forest lacked grand mountain views, it did feature a good deal of pleasant micro-scenery. 🍄 🌸

Brianne, somewhat unamused, enjoys a natural bench while the kids and photographers explore the mossy forest floor for mushrooms and wildflowers.

Nearing the loop’s end, an opening provided views towards the “Opal Hills” (which are rumored to be a spectacular hike – on clear day).

After completing the 3-km-long loop, we reached the day’s crux (seriously): the parking lots! There are several on Maligne Lake’s east shore and we neglected to note which one we’d parked in before setting off! After some asphalt exploration, however, we eventually located our vehicle. With legs sufficiently "stretched", we piled back in for the, surprisingly long, drive back to Jasper.

While the loop wasn’t much to “write home about” (let alone blog about), it proved to be a pleasant alternative to a rest day! 🙃