BIG LOVE for Connie & anyone fighting Breast Cancer. Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie - BIGDoer.com: Over 1730 articles! Over one point three million words! Over 25k photos! Tens of thousands of hours invested! Tens of thousands of visitors per month! 37k registered users!To view all content, please log-in with email or social: Log In! (new window) This also enables the contact us page, commenting and pop-ups are eliminated.Or signup free, here: Subscriber Register .Hiking & Boler articles are never restricted. News: 2nd Quarter 2024 -If you appreciate what we do, please Help the Society .- Comments are currently offline and we're uncertain if they'll be turned on again. Bad users spoiled it for all.- Chris joined Jim Bowers and Jay Towers for the Superman Caped Wonder Podcast (Facebook new window).- After all that effort, we've mercifully pulled the plug on the book "Lost Alberta: Forgotten and Abandoned History" announced in 2020. Read about it on Facebook (new window): Cancelled! EMBRACE THIS MESS!

BIGDoer.com is unpolished in every way and simply casual fun. Tips and pointers for new users...-We do this for the pure joy of it.-This site does not make money.-We failed English class.-Some posts and/or photos, older ones especially, are pure cringe.-Commenting is encouraged, especially if you add to the story and really helps to motive the team.-Speaking of comments: refer to them for reader updates.-Older section of this website are slower to load - sorry.-When we chat about history: things were different then and may be in conflict with contemporary views. In other words, the olden days were weird!-If a location is not mentioned, it's by design and done to protect sensitive sites.-If you read something that requires correction, bring it to our attention and we'll fix it and send you a gift (plus we'll give you a shout out).-Posts reflect what we knew at the time and some are horribly outdated.-The site is a little repetitive but also know this: the site is a little repetitive.-If you don't like the subject of a post, move on and find something else of interest - there's a lot here! But pace yourself.-Odd, obscure. offbeat and a different take - that's us.

Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie/BIGDoer.com Stats: Over 1730 articles! Over one point three million words! Over 25k photos! Tens of thousands of hours invested! Tens of thousands of visitors per month! 37k registered users! And it's all growing. On the menu every day: -Abandoned Places-Hiking Adventures-Vintage Machinery-Historic Sites-Then & Now Comparisons-Train Stuff-And Random Silly Things (Boler!) Why so many differing subjects? Why have one obsession when you can have many? There's lots here for everyone to enjoy. Why do this? The big question is why not? We love to discover and share adventures with others of a similar passion. Enjoy the ride! Why do I have to sign up to see more posts? To keep out the riff-raff, of course! Haha. This is busy site is so costly to run that we have to restrict access or go broke. How is this all paid for? We get a few donations (much appreciated) and the occasional grant for historic themed work. Mostly, it's self funded, however. We don't want ads even if it'd go a long way in covering costs. Why are some locations kept secret? This is to protect sensitive sites.

Off The Beaten Path – with Chris & ConnieHiking-Adventure-History-Exploration Journal of the BIGDoer.com Society, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Presented by Chris “BIGDoer” Doering & Connie Biggart. Your hosts... Come with us and discover! Team BIGDoer.com's mandate: to document historic sites and things before they're gone; to experience life in a crazy way, to play in the great outdoors, to observe, learn and share the experience with others. We are the curious. We hope you are too. BIGDoer.com operates as a non-profit. This site makes no money. Our stuff's seen far and wide, all over the internet, in print and on TV... BIGDoer? Pronounced big-door; a compound (or portmanteau) word arrived from the names Connie BIGgart and Chris DOERing. Now you know! This website is an ongoing work in progress. There are regular updates in the form of new articles, and revisions and corrections to old ones (yes, we mess-up). Of course, we always welcome input from our readers. Images and content are copyright Chris Doering & Connie Biggart and BIGDoer.com, unless otherwise noted. Sharing our work is encouraged, as long as credit is given. Unsure where to begin? Try this page... BIGDoer.com sitemap . Reach Us! -suggest a place to visit, invite us to your historic site, show us something old, hire us or host us, suggest a website to visit, inform us, tell us it’s your birthday, tell us you like what we’re doing… BIGDoer.com on Facebook (new window) – for the latest news!

Hikes And Summits

Foran grade – an easy trail with rewarding views

by Chris Doering · Published December 18, 2012 · Updated August 15, 2022

This post has been updated and now here: Foran Grade.

See you there!

_________________________
BIGDoer.com: Doing it Different!

Something to say in private? Click here to: Reach Us!
NEWS! – First Timers – FAQ – Meet the Team
BIGDoer.com on Facebook
If you liked this post, please tip your server…

Or

© 2012-2024 Chris Doering, Johanna (Connie) Biggart & the BIGDoer.com Society. 🍁🎀

The trail up is always easy.

We steadily gain elevation and here’s the view to the south.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know we always bring wine.

Time to take care of business – cheers!

The view west – deep in the mountains it’s still winter.

Jill 19 says:
December 19, 2012 at 15:19
I live in Calgary and where did you get those steel wine glasses?
- ChrisBigDoer says:
  December 19, 2012 at 15:35
  Mountain Equipment Co-op on 10th Ave SW.
  http://www.mec.ca

Posted

Rob Pohl & Arturo Pianzola: Alexandra Bridge Fraser Canyon BC
Bob Fortin: CPR Illecillewaet Bridge Revelstoke BC
Rory Brown: Downtown Calgary & CPR Tracks 1977-2014
Dale: The Forgotten Cemetery of Morrissey BC
Sharon Wingenbach: MacDonald Bridge Calgary ~70 Years Apart
Gary Small: Polish Hall Coleman Alberta (1927)
Twold7: Calgary Inglewood Haskins/Victory Block
Gary Small: CPR Bow River Bridge (Abandoned)
Ken Newel: Grain Elevators of Turin Alberta
Gary Small: Silver Creek Coal Mine Skunk Hollow
Bonita Hudson: Coleman Miners’ Hospital 100 Years Apart
Gary Small: Dunshalt Alberta 1974 and 2013
Rob Pohl & Arturo Pianzola: The Giants of Cathedral Grove (BC)
Gary Small: Highway History (BC): the Garbage Gobbler

Posting soon!

Byron Robb - Sharon Wingenbach - Zeke - Rob Pohl & Arturo Pianzola - Don Wilson - Johanna (Connie) Biggart - Dale

It costs a King's ransom to run BIGDoer.com and your help is appreciated!

Want to join in?

Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie - BIGDoer.com11 hours ago

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.

4031View on Facebook

Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie - BIGDoer.com17 hours ago

April 13th 2024, the Beer Parlour Project visited the Viking Hotel, Viking Alberta and it too was an awesome time. There's Rob Pohl with his curious view camera and in the other photo Chris is seen interviewing local character Doug.

The Viking dates back to the 1930s and replaced a hotel on this same lot, which had earlier burned down.

Incidentally April 13th is also Chris and my 28th anniversary. Chris said he forgot this when scheduling this but that's fine and it doesn't matter where we celebrate but that we celebrate.

Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.
Photo: 2024. Posted by Connie.

4248View on Facebook

Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie - BIGDoer.com19 hours ago

April 12th 2024, the Beer Parlour Project visited the Warspite Hotel, Warspite Alberta and it was a great success. They put up our sticker and look for it if you ever drop by. This will be another chapter in what will be a multi-year adventure documenting small town hotels all over the west. We chat with owners, patrons, old timers, local characters and we learn about the building too.

It's believed this one is 100 years old in 2024 and we'll confirm details during the research phase done later.

When we're done we'll have a huge collection of digital and film photos, plus voice recorded interviews for an art exhibit and a book is likely.

Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.
Photo: 2024. Posted by Connie.

4862View on Facebook

Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie - BIGDoer.com1 day ago

This little stone house was built in the 1910s and while it's not exactly clear when last occupied, research suggests it was empty only a couple decades later. This is a dry area of the Alberta and most settlers moved out by the '30s. Trees in back were planted by the folks that lived here and there's no others around as far as the eye can see. In fact, there's nothing but natural prairie in every direction. When the word "remote" comes up, this is the place they're speaking of.

Look to the comments for more info and to see a stone smokehouse also on the property 👇

Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.
Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.

246910View on Facebook

Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie - BIGDoer.com1 day ago

The hardware business is long gone but their old sign from about a century ago remains. We were doing a little walk-about in Three Hills and had a tip to look here. It's little things like this that we love the most, hidden reminders of things that came before and clues to the past that aren't so obvious.

More info in the comments👇

Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.
Photo: 2023. Posted by Connie.

9972View on Facebook

Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie - BIGDoer.com2 days ago

The Canadian Pacific Railway at Summit Lake Crowsnest Pass in 1983 and 2023. The trains still run, but the railyard and associated infrastructure is a distant memory. Haze in the now photo is from distant forest fires. The old Summit Hotel can be seen in back in both and it's one of the few things still standing here from earlier times.

The Then photo come thanks to the John Bjorklund collection at the Center for Railroad Photography & Art and is used with permission. They sent us others and we'll hopefully be putting them to use later this year.

Go to the comments for more info 👇

Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.
Posted by Connie.

Thanks to the The Val Family for making this post possible. 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/