Here’s a photo that got misfiled somehow and so lost for a few years. It’s the first we remember seeing it…and we shot it…and even gave the Lightroom treatment! Damn this getting older sucks. Anyway, we liked it and thought you would as well. If it looks like a scene from some old west movie or TV series, you’re about right. It’s part of a film production set, located where the plains and majestic Rockies meet south of Calgary. If you’ve watched something western themed on the tube, silver screen, laptop, whatever, there’s a chance you’ve seen these very buildings and the many others found at this site before (a link below will show you all).
We’re looking at a ranch house from the 1800s and the effect is convincing. I swear, we’re back in time. There’s nothing as far as the eye can see (a long way at this location) to indicate human activity. It’s amazing – we are actually not all that far from the big city, here at the Scott Ranch, yet it feels very remote, untouched and even lost in time. You almost expect a couple trail weary cowboys to make an appearance over the horizon.
Not sure why this photo was missed but better late than never. Then there’s a discovery…as this is being typed…a closer look shows there’s even more pics from this adventure that have never seen the light of day. Maybe a new article is in order? Or perhaps we’ll save them for our 2021 book? Hmmm…till then, see more of the place here…Scott Ranch – They let us stay till dark!
Short Subjects: reports that for any number of reasons are brief in nature. They might be updates to older articles, previews of posts planned or not yet published, brief snippets of things that don’t fit in anywhere else or subjects that are so obscure that information on them can’t be found. Or sometimes we just ramble on about Lord knows what.
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Date of adventure: May, 2017. Location: South of Calgary, AB.
We used to do something called the "pointless challenge" 🤪 and miss those days. It was so much silly fun and often frustrating as heck. In these we'd invite people to send in random photos of obscure locations, but not give any information, and then we'd track where it was and shoot something similar.
Most of these came from old family collections, as was the case here. Anyone up to resurrecting the series?
In hindsight, why didn't we pose someone in our shot?
Pointless: “Devoid of meaning (or) senseless” Merriam-Webster.
If you like what we do and want to support this ongoing project (12 years now), go here: https://www.BIGDoer.com/help-the-society/ Thanks to Connie for making this post possible.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: ca1970 and 2014. Posted by Connie.
Captured on a cold, cold day many years ago. We've been passing this old house for decades and it's little changed in that time. At some point we expect to drive by and it'll be gone.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
When retired old railway cars usually get cut up for scrap. Sometimes, however, they find their way into the hands of the general public or whomever. Flat cars make good bridges, and boxcars can be transformed into storage buildings and the like. Case in point here. We see them used like this often enough and in this case, it's part of a corral.
Incidentally, this boxcar dates from 1950 and this was found by tracing the old road number, which is still visible.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
This central Alberta racetrack was never a commercial operation but instead just a fun place for car enthusiasts in the area to get together. Early '70s or thereabouts and it only lasted a few years. Even thought it's been abandoned for that long, there is no doubt what was here.
You know we like the the obscure stuff and this one fits the bill perfectly. Found by accident while backroad cruising and the history comes thanks to local car guy Mike.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2022. Posted by Connie.
On top of little Myrtle Mountain in the Kimberley (BC) Nature Park.
There's some good wilderness fun to be had here and nice views as you can see, but the real reason we came is mining history. The whole area near the ski hill was extensively worked over a century ago and we were looking for evidence of this. We didn't find much in the area searched, but it's a big chunk of property and we hope to return to cover more ground again soon. Of all the subjects we cover, mining related is a favourite.
Still, it was a good hike and that can't be bad. Look to the comments for more info 👇.
Exploring nature and history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2022. Posted by Connie.
It's a strange curiosity in south Kananaskis, there on a hillside and we have no idea who created it. We asked around and no one's completely sure about its history. In the past it showed the Canada 100 logo from 1967 but in 2017 someone changed it to reflect the country's 150th.
That's our friend Emily from DanOCan.com having a look.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
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Beautiful shot!
Thank for dropping by.
Epic photo!
Glad you were there along with me.
That looks like the honeymoon cabin. I won’t say more than that in case I am right about where it is. Is there a pond about 100 feet away from it?
No I believe it’s a different place. We saw no pond.
Can’t wait for the book!
Neither can we!
GOD’S country
It’s a gorgeous setting.
Missed out, again.
There will be other chances…
Great photo. Your book will be very interesting.
Thanks and we’re working hard to make sure it is. Hoping to make it EPIC!
I love looking back on my photos from that trip!!
Us too! What a great time.