Bald Hills at Maligne Lake in 1958 In the shadow of the looming caribou/winter user decision, concerning the fate of JNP’s caribou and winter activities in the Maligne Valley, I’d thought I’d back ski through many decades, to 1958. Warden Klettl, was briefly stationed at Maligne Lake, intermittently from 1958-1960. He was fortunate to be included in a long string of prestigious Maligne Lake Wardens, dating back to 1919, when Ed Macdonald was believed to have built a lakeside cabin, somewhere near Picnic Point(just beyond the boathouse) He was like all the rest of them, buoyed by diehard duty, a Park Warden in our national parks. He also was fueled by a powerful, high octane gas...called the desire to ski, and was a Bald Hills ski patroller, for the winters of 1958-1959. Maligne Lake was a tough place to get to in the early years, as there was no direct road access for many decades. In 1939, Fred Brewster decided to open up his Maligne Lake Chalet...for skiers. The first year was a huge success, as skiers were super keen to sample the fabled Maligne snow, and gaze at all her wintery, sparkling grandeur. The enterprising, ever motivated Fred Brewster worked out an efficient system, to get skiers from Jasper, up to Maligne Lake. They were picked up off the train and, “by three types of transportation, automobile from the station to Medicine Lake, across Medicine in a snowmobile, where sleigh and team would wait, to take them to Maligne Lake Chalet” All this only took one day! Schuss ahead to 1958, Maligne Lake was pretty much the same as the late 1930’s. It was still a long, eventful journey that many old timers understandably, like to reminisce about. Skiers still stayed at the comfortable, oh so accommodating, Maligne Lake Chalet. They would awake to one thought, and one thought only; “let’s go skiing” Schuss bomb ahead to 2014...decades of skiers have dissolved into the melt waters of the ever abundant snowpack of the Maligne Valley. Thousands of eyes have watered with delirious and descending delight, as the last fading light ray, forces skiers down, down to the valley below. Warden Klettl, in 1958 had no premonition of the looming decision; his only priority was the safety of the Bald Hill skiers, and like so many other ski patrollers, then and now, was a addiction, a snow fever, for a few precious, on the side line, exploding, swoosh turns in abundant, and perfect snow of the Maligne Valley. Loni
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 03:18:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015