Samson Beaver was the son of Job Beaver, a guide and trail setter of the late 19th and early 20th century. Both were members of the Stoney First Nation and worked in the Rocky Mountains of Canada. Job Beaver's contributions to exploration of the Rockies is recorded in Job Pass, Job Creek and other locales. As a boy of fourteen, Samson accompanied his father on a trip to the lake they called Chaba Imne (Beaver lake). Sixteen years later, in 1907, Samson met Mary Schäffer, who had just failed in an attempt to find the route to a reputed large lake high in the mountains between Lake Louise and Jasper. Samson sketched a map showing the route to Chaba Imne. The following year Schäffer returned with her friend Mary Adams, guides Sid Unwin and Billy Warren. Using the map provided by Beaver, they found the lake, and explored it by raft (which they named HMS Chaba). The lake is now known as Maligne Lake.
Samson Peak, located in the Maligne Lake Valley and visible from Maligne lake, is named for Samson Beaver. Nearby Leah Peak is named for his wife. The peaks were named by Mary Schäffer, in honour of Samson & Leah's contribution to her survey work and Rocky mountain exploration.
Samson, Leah and their daughter Frances Louise have been memorialized in a photograph by Mary Schäffer (1907). The photo has since become a highly popular post card image, and the subject of academic discourse.
Jasper National Park, in Alberta, Canada, is the largest national park within Alberta's Rocky Mountains, spanning 11,000 km2 (4,200 sq mi). It was established as Jasper Forest Park in 1907, renamed as a national park in 1930, and declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984. Its location is north of Banff National Park and west of Edmonton. The park contains the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains.
Maligne Lake is a lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The lake is famed for the colour of its azure water, the surrounding peaks, the three glaciers visible from the lake, and Spirit Island, a frequently and very famously photographed islet. The lake is located 44 km (27 mi) south of Jasper town, and is accessible by motor vehicle, including shuttle buses from Jasper. Boat tours run to Spirit Island in the spring to autumn season. The 44 km Skyline Trail, Jasper's most popular, highest and above treeline, multi-day hike, begins at Maligne Lake and finishes near the town of Jasper. Other popular day hikes include the Opal Hills and Bald Hills loops. Winter activities include cross-country skiing and snowboarding.
The Skyline Trail is a hiking trail in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It is known for its views, with much of the hike being located above the tree line. It is also known for challenging weather conditions above the tree line, which can be a problem for hikers, who can lose sight of trails.
Mount Unwin is a 3,268-metre (10,722-foot) mountain summit located on the west side of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, in the Queen Elizabeth Range of the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Brazeau, 13.0 km (8.1 mi) to the east-southeast.
Lars Jonson Haukaness was a Norwegian born American-Canadian impressionist painter and art instructor who was known for his landscapes.
Chaba Peak is located in the Chaba Icefield south of Fortress Lake in Hamber Provincial Park on the Continental Divide marking the Alberta-British Columbia border. It was named in 1920 after the Chaba River by the Interprovincial Boundary Survey. Chaba is the Stoney Indian word for beaver.
Thomas Edmonds Wilson was a Canadian outfitter and guide.
Mount Charlton is a 3,217-metre (10,554-foot) mountain summit located on the west side of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Unwin, 1.2 km (0.75 mi) to the west.
Mary Schäffer Warren (1861–1939) was an American-Canadian naturalist, illustrator, photographer, and writer. She was known for her experiences in the Canadian Rockies in the early 20th century.
Edith May Farr (1864-1956) was an American botanist noted for her study of Rocky Mountain and Canadian flora. Originally from Philadelphia, she was active collecting plants in the Selkirk Range and in the southern Canadian Rockies. In 1904, she collected specimens for the University of Pennsylvania in the Rocky Mountains with Mary Schäffer Warren and Olive S. Day.
Samson Peak is a 3,081-metre (10,108 ft) mountain summit located on the eastern shore of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The nearest higher peak is Mount Charlton, 7.26 km (4.51 mi) to the east. Samson Peak is situated 1.72 km south of Leah Peak in the Queen Elizabeth Ranges.
Leah Peak is a 2,801-metre (9,190 ft) mountain summit located on the eastern shore of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The nearest higher peak is Samson Peak, 1.72 km (1.07 mi) to the north.
Mount Paul is a 2,850-metre (9,350 ft) mountain summit towering 1134 metres above the east shore of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The nearest higher peak is Maligne Mountain, 1.81 km (1.12 mi) to the north-northwest. Mount Paul is situated north of Monkhead and they are often seen together in the background of iconic calendar photos of Spirit Island and Maligne Lake.
Endless Chain Ridge is a 16 kilometre long, 2,867-metre (9,406-foot) high, mountainous ridge located in Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The ridge is situated at the southern end of the Maligne Range, and east of the confluence of the Sunwapta River with the Athabasca River. Seen from the Icefields Parkway, the ridge is relatively unimpressive, but from the east side it appears as a rugged chain of peaks, all quite difficult to climb.
Mount Warren is a 3,362-metre (11,030-foot) mountain summit located at the southeast end of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Warren is often seen in the background of iconic calendar photos of Spirit Island and Maligne Lake. The mountain rises 1,690 metres (5,540 ft) in less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the lake giving it dramatic local relief. Mount Warren is situated at the northwest edge of the Brazeau Icefield, and its nearest higher peak is Mount Brazeau, 2.26 kilometres to the southeast. Monkhead is a lower secondary summit to the northwest of the true summit.
Maligne Mountain is a 3,200-metre (10,500-foot) multi-peak massif located east of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Maligne Mountain is surrounded by glaciers, and its nearest higher peak is Monkhead, 7.8 km (4.8 mi) to the south.
Opal Peak is a 2,840-metre (9,320-foot) mountain summit located northeast of the northern end of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Opal Hills, west of Opal Lake and 5.44 km (3.38 mi) northwest of Leah Peak.
Abraham Mountain is a 2,820-metre (9,250-foot) mountain summit located in the North Saskatchewan River valley of the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Its nearest higher peak is Allstones Peak, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) to the west. Abraham Mountain can be seen from David Thompson Highway and Abraham Lake. Precipitation runoff from Abraham Mountain drains east into Abraham Lake.
The Watchtower is a 2,791-metre (9,157 ft) mountain summit located in the Maligne River valley of Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Maligne Range and is visible from the Maligne Lake Road where it towers over Medicine Lake. Its nearest higher peak is Sirdar Mountain, 11.64 km (7.23 mi) to the north.