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Jasper Park Lodgeby Dave Shultz
When Maralyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum were filming the River of No Return, they stayed at the Lodge. It is said the one evening Maralyn came to dinner at the main dining room and was turned away. She was politely informed that the facility was family oriented and that her skirt was far too short for public decency. She returned to her room, changed into more appropriate dress and returned to dine.
One of the advantages or disadvantages depending on how you look at it to being surrounded by a national park is the abundance of wildlife. Elk have become quite domesticated and wander around the property in great numbers. They obviously have the right of way where traffic is concerned and it’s a full time job to keep them from becoming a nuisance. I awoke one morning to find a rather large elk just outside my bedroom window looking for anything green to munch. Within moments, a Lodge employee arrived to toss handfuls of snow in an attempt to herd the animal back toward the fringes of the property. They soon disappeared from view and I’ll always wonder who was victorious in that battle of wills.
Jasper Park Lodge Jasper Adventure Centre Ltd. Getting There Lodge at Kananaskis Chateau at Lake Louise Back Banff Springs Hotel |
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TM
No place in the Canadian Rockies has a more fascinating
history than the Lodge at Jasper.
The Lodge has been temporary home to movie starts like
Maralyn Monroe, Bing Crosby, Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Rita Hayworth and
Dinah Shore.
The ultimate stay at the Lodge would be in either Point
Cabin or Outlook Cabin, the choice of past and present celebrities.
The main dining room still serves great meals
today and boasts large black and white photos of stars that visited
the Lodge, but for an intimate and elegant dining experience, try
the Edith Cavell dining room. The food is served beneath
silver domes and servers gather around the table and reveal the
dishes all at once with a great flare. It's well worth the
wait.
Not
far from the Lodge is a seasonal attraction called the Maligne
Canyon Ice Walk. We weren't given too much information about
the walk before hand and when Murray Morgan of Jasper Adventure
Centre showed up with waterproof boots and ice crampons, there was a
slight trepidation among the troops. We were driven to the
site in one of the Adventure Centre vans well after dark and given
headgear with lamps. A rushing river could be heard in the
background as we started up the trail. 
An
abundance of moonlight made the headlamps nearly unnecessary as we
walked single file on a narrow trail that followed an ice melt river
upstream. We eventually made our way down into the river
valley and were almost immediately greeted by thick ice walls on the
sides of the canyon. The walk progressed deeper into the
canyon and soon the walls narrowed and towered above us. Ice
waterfalls lined our way and we walked on the frozen river to a
beautiful spot where the water had carved out a large amphitheater.
The moonlight filtered down the narrow canyon opening above us and
leant an otherworldly feel to the landscape. The trip ended
all too soon and the walk back felt as if something very special was
being left behind. It was an enchanted evening in an ice
palace I won't soon forget.|
-Updated 5-5-99- |