Trail Description:
Weather: Warm at start cool on top hot on return, Mostly sunny cloudy.
This trip occurred just prior to Maligne lake burning down to at least some degree in a forest fire. In fact we cut our trip one day short, and would have seen the fire the following day. If we were a few days later, we would have been flown out of the lake, as the fire started/burned on the single road used for accessing the lake.
So we had an amazing bit of luck in that we got to see the lake in all its glory, where as it may be a year or two before it is back to what it was (assuming not to much tree kill). TODO: should check to see how much damage was actually done... the lake itself may be just fine
Anyways, this hike starts off at Coronet Creek campsite, at the end of Maligne lake. There is no easy drive to get to this campsite. The Southern half of Maligne lake is a "no power boat" stretch of lake, so you either hike out here (21 km of bush whacking, last I heard there is no trail), or paddle a boat. You also have to book the campsites on the lake, and should do so months in advance if you want to use them on the weekend. I believe it is typical to book a night or two at fisherman's bay to cut the time paddeling down to roughly half.
We came out in three kayaks and three people in our group, however for this hike I went with the (only) other two people we were sharing the camp site with, as my pod mates were not interested.
The Hike begins with a handy sign pointing the hiker to proceed through the back of the campsite towards the creek for which the campsite is named. It starts with a flat walk through the somewhat sparse trees, which eventually opens up with a glimpse of Maligne lake in the distance and the creek flowing towards it. The trail however is not going towards the lake, instead you turn you back on the lake and start to head around between Mt. Mary Vaux on the West side of the valley and Mt Warren on the East (which becomes Mount Brazeau further up the valley). Initially the best views are back the way we came.
The trail is well maintained and very obvious at the start which is flat and easy, although soon it is taking you up away from the creek a bit as the creek runs through a really small, but steep sided canyon. After that the trail alternates between running along the side of the hill a short distance from the creek, and running along the creek bed itself. You will clamber up and down the creek bank several times. At times the trail transitions from a trail, to more of a route consisting of braided trails, especially along the creek where it gets washed out. The trail is (I'm pretty sure) on the East side of the creek, although we did in fact lose the trail from time to time, even when it should have been obvious in the trees. I suspect we missed the points where we should have gone from the creek to the trees, which will change based on water level. Perhaps the spring floods have washed out the older portions of the trail
The forest is standard fare for the Alberta Rockies in the Jasper area, that is a mixed spruce and pine forest in this case mostly spruce, with scraggly deciduous trees along the creek and at the edges of the larger forests.
Levels off through sparsely treed section with lots of flowers just prior to the Henry MacLeod back country campsite. The site is equipped with a fire pit/box and a beautiful setting, and not much else. it is 8km from the trail head, and definitely a camping option. However you can only book the Coronet campsite for 2 days at a time, I assume you are allowed to leave your boats there for longer than that.
Continue on for anther 2 km or so
The trail (at least the one we took) eventually follows the creek, which is not becoming much more braided, we jump across the creek a few times. it always seems to be just wide enough that you are not quite going to make it across. At one point we had to double back a bit to find a crossing.
Walking along the widened creek bed does allow for better views looking up and down the valley. Slowly the trees get fewer and smaller, in part due to elevation but in part as we are walling up the tailings of the glacier that used to be here. The last leg of our trail turns from South to West, and becomes a rolling hills of gravel/rocks that the steam has pushed its way though. Interestingly the stream seems to have more water at the surface here than in sections further down stream. Moving across the stream is fairly difficult.
The glaciers here are not yet gone, there are still remnants up on the slopes
higher up on Coronet Mountain. Coronet creek being one of the many glacier fed creeks flowing into Malign lake. The main tributary cascading down a long water fall. It is at the base of the scree slope that we turn back the way we came. The scree slope itself is fairly steep, and it is cool in in the shade with the icy mist coming off the falls.
The walk back is on the same route (but not necessarily trail) as the way in. For us at least once we spent 10-15 minutes bushwhacking up higher on the hill than when we came in. the trail really seemed to go up there and disappeared.
While coming back down, on a route where there was not much of a trail at all, you find evidence of past campers, an old fire ring. Got to wonder how old it is, a few years at least as small trees are growing in it. The trees close by are 10-20 yrs old. If the trees were not here this this would have been a nice camp site. right now there is little room to sit around the fire.
While off trail we also came across this grouse and chicks.
Once back on the actual trail, the walk back was as per the walk out, as always easier going down hill, but doing so tired.
