August 2023 Expedition
Maligne Lake/Chaba Imne, Jasper National Park
In 1908, Mary Schäffer embarked on a weeks-long expedition from Laggan (present-day Lake Louise) to Chaba Imne/Maligne Lake with friend Mollie Adams, guides Billy Warren and Sidney Unwin, as well as a botanist (Stewardson Brown), his guide (Reggie Holmes), 22 horses, and a dog named Muggins. They found the lake thanks to a map drawn by Sampson Beaver, a member of the Îyârhe Nakoda, whom Schäffer had encountered the summer before after a previous search for the lake. Upon finally arriving at Maligne Lake, Schäffer’s guides built a raft, which they named the H.M.S. Chaba and used to explore the lake for several days before continuing on their journey to Mount Robson and the Athabasca River. Three years later, Schäffer was asked by the Geographical Board of Canada to survey Maligne Lake.
[Mary Schaffer with horse] V527 / PS 1 - 151 WMCR.
Looking for goat while baking bread. Camp at lower end of Maligne Lake V527 / PS 1 - 72 WMCR
A key sequence in Wildflowers will be the team’s August 2023 expedition, which will take a small cast and crew on the final leg of Mary Schäffer’s 1908 journey to Chaba Imne/ Maligne Lake, a 43-kilometre backcountry journey on largely unmaintained trails starting from Poboktan Creek trailhead, up the Maligne River valley, to the shores of Maligne Lake. While Schäffer did it on horseback, our modern-day group will be on foot.
In Schäffer’s account of the expedition in Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies, she makes no real comments about the Maligne River Valley apart from her group’s frustration in not knowing how far away the lake was. Remember, Schäffer had no real map beyond Sampson Beaver’s and certainly no satellite imagery! Sidney Unwin, one of Schäffer’s guides, scrambled up a peak just off the valley to see if he could find the lake. He returned several hours later with a report that he had spotted it. From his high vantage point, he took a photo that we intend to replicate.
“With lunch over, up came the everlasting question: “Where is that lake? Do you think we are on the right track?? “K.” [Sidney], who had grown more and more solemn for days, suddenly jumped up and shaking himself violently said: “Well, it’s two o’clock, but I’m going off to climb something that’s high enough to see if that lake’s within twenty miles of here, and I’m not coming back till I know!”
-from Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies by Mary T.S. Schäffer (1908)
Sampson's Map '08. V527 / PS 1 - 53 WMCR
[Mary Schaffer and Mollie Adams on trail] V439 / PS - 4 WMCR
Mt. [Mount] Unwin from Camp [Maligne Lake] V527 / PS 1 - 68 WMCR.
Reviews are mixed, but as of this writing, some of the trails in the Maligne River Valley trails are known to be in terrible shape. No doubt, Schäffer’s guides were clearing the trail as they ventured through on horseback, especially seeing as they were the first in a long time to journey up the valley. Today, the Maligne River Valley trail system, previously maintained by Parks Canada, was decommissioned back in 2012. The valley is incredibly hard to access due to strict restrictions on human use. Though overnight permits are granted (one permit/ campground/ night), largely to assist those hiking the Great Divide Trail, parts of the trail have fallen trees and overgrown willows, as well as several river crossings with no bridges. One guidebook listing recommends that for a portion of the trail, it’s best to simply plug in the next campground’s GPS coordinates. We are curious to see what we encounter ourselves when we get in there and are preparing for every possible scenario.
Lake Maligne [Maligne Lake] fr. [from] summit of Unwin V527 / PS 1 - 61 WMCR
Prior to reaching the lake, our team will attempt to scramble a shoulder on Mount Unwin (named after one of Schäffer’s guides) in order to reach the same vantage point of the lake as Unwin did in 1908. Once at Maligne Lake, the team will transfer to watercraft to begin a 20+ kilometre paddle on the lake, split over several days. The goal is to retrace Schäffer’s journey up the body of water (and 1911 survey), with the aim of reaching as far up the lake before returning to the boathouse at the northwest end. The trek and paddle will take 6 days.
Schäffer herself will be along for the journey through the photographs, published manuscripts, and correspondences she produced about her own expedition 115 years prior.
If you’re interested in supporting our expedition through gear provisions, financial support or otherwise, please review our Support + Sponsorship opportunities or simply contact us.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Poboktan Creek Trailhead to Avalanche Campground (11 km)
Day 2 - Avalanche Campground to Mary Vaux Campground (7 km)
Day 3 - Mary Vaux Camground to Mary Schäffer Campground (11 km)
Day 4 - Mary Schaffer Campground to Trapper Creek Campground (14 km)
Day 5 - Paddle Exploration at Maligne Lake; night at Trapper Creek Campground
Day 6 - Paddle Exploration at Maligne Lake; return to Maligne Lake Boat Docks