We woke early to blazing sunshine and clear blue skies. It was going to be another very hot day. There is no air conditioning at Jasper Park Lodge and our cabin had been like an oven when we arrived last night but with windows open and fans working overtime it was much cooler inside now. We were a good ten minute walk from the main building and we hurried over in time to eat a quick breakfast before the pick-up time for our tour by our guide, Joe Urie. We had it in our heads that we were going to be part of a big tour bus so it was a lovely surprise to find that we were in a small minibus with just one other couple. We set off with Joe already regaling us with lively tales and humorous anecdotes.

Within a few minutes we reached Maligne Canyon and took a short walk long the edge watching the watering powering through the narrow gap worn through the limestone rock. Apparently this was once a cave system but the top has since worn away leaving the underground river open to the sky. A beautiful spot but very busy with tourists today. Nevertheless we saw a lively little chipmunk close by the path and showing no fear.

Back in the minibus we travelled along by the side of the Maligne River, pausing to look at a pair of bald eagles in a tree, and at Medicine Lake to admire the view. On arriving at Maligne Lake we stopped by the river to look at the trout which were spawning and we saw the female turn on her side and lay the eggs in the gravel. Fascinating stuff.

At the jetty we boarded the small boat for our trip to Spirit Island, more of a peninsular now but island sounds better! The views across the lake are simply stunning and words cannot easily describe how beautiful it is to see the snow-capped mountains reflected in the mountains below. I guess it helped that we had such a beautiful clear, sunny day. It was really hot! On one side we saw the Maligne Glacier and on the other was the Charlton Unwin Glacier, with a teapot shaped rock on top. We stopped on Spirit Island for a 10 minutes photo stop and had a wander along the shore. There truly are some amazing views and Spirit Island is Jasper's most iconic image.

After the boat trip we sat outside the visitor centre for a quick lunch with the hot sun burning down upon us. On the journey back we hoped to find bears but thought we might not be lucky. However, Joe saw a 'bear jam’ ahead with lots of cars stopped and sure enough there was a pair of black bears just back from the road. Some people were getting out of their cars to take photos which is really crazy as bears can move very fast! We were very pleased but more was to come. We were almost back when Joe spotted another bear and this one turned out to have two cubs with her as well so a real treat to watch. We had seen five bears so were very happy about that!

Joe dropped us off in Jasper for a look round and then we walked back to the hotel. We walked along the red squirrel trail, round Lac Beau Vert, across the golf course and eventually back to Jasper Park Lodge. It was boiling hot and at least twice as long a journey as we had been told but still very enjoyable.

Much later in the evening when the day had cooled down we walked over to the main lodge for an evening drink overlooking the mountain. There was a cheeky red squirrel searching under the table for nuts and it was very pleasant sitting in the evening light and admiring the view. It was still very light at 10.30pm, and only just becoming dark by 11pm. What a lovely evening.