Even though it’s an in-town adventure, it doesn’t always feel like it. There’s lots of natural areas, green spaces, the river is always close by and there’s wonderful views west to the Rockies. The hustle and bustle of this fast growing community sort of fades into the background for a bit. There’s a million possible starts, but we decided to begin at the Sheep River Cove neighbourhood. Just because.

Back to the problem at hand, briefly, and then we’ll get down to business. The last couple years pressing health issues have limited our ability to get out and hike. We used to do it weekly, a mix of wilderness and city treks done at all times of year, but now it’s only once in a while.

Connie’s Cancer battle, her second, is the main reason, but frankly it sometimes seems like we’re both falling apart. Hers, of course, is the most pressing matter. Neither the long lead up to her last operation this year, nor the chemo to follow has been pleasant. It’s a rather big bump in the road, but rest assured we don’t think it’s the end of the world.

We should be back with gusto by next year. She’s doing amazingly and any other nagging issues with us, they’ll get fixed. We hope – finger’s crossed.

Our hiking adventures are not the most popular articles on this site, so even if we stopped them completely we doubt anyone would notice. But we love doing them and will continue as long as possible. Now go…

We began at at the very west end of Sheep River Cove, at a small park and hit the paved pathway meandering east in behind rows of homes. Most sections of this hike will be on pavement, but there are some gravel bits (at the end if you follow our route to the letter). Continue on by crossing a road, dipping in behind some homes next to a wooded slope, cross another road, then it’s in behind some stormwater ponds.

Note a junction soon after with a trail heading away and to the left. Don’t take that one now, but continue east. You’ll use it on the return leg, however.

Parallel the Sheep River for a time and if you look across to the to the north, you’ll see where you’re going later. Come to Southridge Drive/Highway #2A and cross over the river heading north. Pass over the CPR tracks – soon after that’s downtown Okotoks to your right – then soon after Elizabeth Street, duck in behind some homes away from the busy road. The way is always clear.

Climb up above the river, and on topping out, take to the streets briefly (left) and then soon after go left again. It’s back on the pathway and it takes a line at the top of this valley. There’s nice views of the mountains far off to the west but it’s been a while since we answered their call. Without a long lens, they’re really not easy to photograph.

The trail drops down to Mountainview Gate briefly and then climbs back up on the other side. The whole time you’ll pass backyards and gardens of homes in the community. There’s lots of places to have a picnic along here. We did! Lunch should be a high-point of any adventures and plain trail food won’t do.

Sit back in one of those easy chairs and enjoy the views. Some cured meats, an extra tasty pretzel thingy, a fruity $7 wine (haha), good company and good conversation makes it all the better. Trust us on that part.

Once in motion again – if you even stop – drop down to Mountainview storm ponds on the left. Loop around them to the right and head out to the parking lot if you so desire. There’s biffies there and when you get to a certain age, it’s good to make note of them. Mountainview Ponds are part of a nice little green space and it’s birding heaven. We noted water birds of all kinds, raptors and owls. And guys with really big lens on their cameras chasing them.

This post dates back early June (yeah, we’re a little slow to the party) and we saw lots of new ducks families swimming about. Lots of big cottonwoods here and it’s a peaceful, natural spot.

Once you’ve looped around further, retrace yours steps back to that junction mentioned earlier. But first, it’s up then down, then up then down.
Later, go right and enter the wooded river flats. It’s a pleasant stroll through the trees, with occasional glimpses of the Sheep River. There’s a lot of off-shoot trails and they go every which way. Stay on the widest and compact one (you’re on dirt now) and you’ll get where you’re going.

The trail bends around and comes out right where it all started. The trail, as you’ll note by this point, was pretty easy. The minor ups and downs on the north side of the river were a bit trying for Connie, but she’s a trouper. In the past would have hardly registered but today felt like Everest. We’ll get back to being better…finger’s crossed…and regain our enthusiasm.

Thanks for joining us on this adventure and be sure and watch for us out on the trails soon. The worst will behind us by earlier next year and then it’s off to the nearest trailhead. In the meantime, we’ll do some little ones and mostly in town.

Know more about the town’s pathway system: (new tab): Okotoks Alberta Pathways.

They’re saying…

“These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!…” Dayna Kent. (We love what we do).

More in-town like this…
Mill Creek Ravine Edmonton Alberta.
Fish Creek Park Western Trails.
Lethbridge Pathways: Under the Viaduct.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: June, 2025.
Location: Okotoks, Alberta.
Distance: 10.5km
Height gain maximum: 40m
Height gain cumulative: 130m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: Town of Okotoks.

Starting out in Sheep River Cove.

For the birds…

Around stormwater ponds.

The Sheep River is close by, but not always in view.

Frequent rest stops are needed.

Deer are often seen along here & appear little bothered by people.

After crossing the river.

A storm threatened overhead, but didn’t deliver.

He’s watching you…

If you’re going to do lunch, you might as well make it special.

In spite of what’s going on, she’s always cheerful.

Looking west – Rockies in the distance.

Nice flowers along the way.

Dropping down (left) to Mountainview Loop.

A natural space with stormwater ponds.

Watching birds and lost in the moment…

A brand new family.

Manhole covers are marked “City of Calgary”.

None of that going on today.

A little driveway art.

Dropping back down.

On the Sheep River Cove Trails.

We were just up by those houses.

The car is only a short distance away and the adventure ends.

10km of fun – X=start.

The post Sheep River Cove & Mountainview Okotoks first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

While there’s a fair bit of cumulative elevation, it’s in short spurts and the hike is pretty easy going really. “Gently rolling”, as the park brochure describes it. To access the trail requires a park pass and if you don’t have one, they’re available at the start of the Meadows in the Sky Parkway (the road up), or in town. That’s nearby Revelstoke, by the way.

This trek begins at the parking lots at the end of the parkway, near the top of Mount Revelstoke. That road is winding and sometimes steep. Switchback after switchback and up and up you go – it seems to keep climbing forever.

There’s a myriad of trails at the stating point leading every which way. We’d love to do others had we more time in the area – it’s just such a gorgeous place. The one to Eva and Miller Lakes begins at the south end of the upper parking lot and is clearly marked.

Sometimes there’s a shuttle you can take, via non-public road, to go a little higher, which takes a couple km off the round trip and some elevation. But why? The scenery and the whole experience is just too awesome to shorten. If you can do it all, please do it all and you’ll thank yourself.

For variety we hiked down the paved road the shuttle uses on the final leg. There’s no traffic other than park’s staff or the people mover when it’s running, and it wasn’t this day.

The trail heads up at a decent grade and initially is wide and well engineered. Later on things get a little more wild, but this section sees more touristy types and is built accordingly. It’s mostly in the trees. At the upper area there’s more trails heading off in all directions of the compass. To viewpoints and little lakes, and each is a spectacular destination in itself. The very summit of Mount Revelstoke is not far away.

Just past Heather Lake, the Eva and Miller Lakes trail continues. Plunge into the wilderness and enjoy the ride. The trail travels though woods and meadows, following the lay of the land in well thought out manner. Later on it traverses a number of talus slopes. Where the trees open up enjoy the view. The mountains around here are big and spectacular.

The woods are described as a temperate rainforest, with some cedar and hemlock in the mix. Those trees are often associated with coastal regions, but sometimes grow in the interior of BC, in cooler and wetter climes. Like up here.

There’s meadows and streams, views aplenty, and if this does not move you, you must be dead. This high county is a bear hang out. We saw signs like paw prints and tree scatchings, but they probably avoid the trail during the day. It’s not wall to wall people, but there’s enough traffic to scare them off (usually).

At select points along the way, at meadows, there’s marked emergency assembly points with a phone number if you need help. We found cell service to be spotty, so connecting with the rescue team might be hit or miss based on this. Problems probably don’t happen often, but that these are in place suggests it’s needed. It is a wild trail and has the potential to be unforgiving.

We suspect most people who go this far are tuned-in and seasoned (it is listed as moderate, but long in the park guide) and approach the trail with the proper mindset. Travel in groups for safety and fun. Bring first aid along and lots of water. That kind of stuff.

In places the flowers were in full bloom. Fireweed and Paintbrush seemed most common and at times they crowded the trail. Little rivulets come off the mountain, to eventually make their way down to Lake Revelstoke. Then on to the Pacific Ocean. The lake can be seen occasionally where the trees thin. The long lake is man-made and part of the Columbia River system.

Pika and Hoary Marmot are common in and around talus slopes. You’ll likely hear them before they’re seen and each gives a shrill alert when startled.

The trail rises and falls, traverses open slopes and overall is a delight. It’s an old trail and we’ve seen photos of it going back a century or more. One can’t help wonder how many folks have passed this way over the years, but at best we can guess.

Where the trail steepens marks the final push up to the lakes. Part way up there’s a split and neither Eva or Miller is far away at this point. So 800m to Eva Lake and 400m to Miller Lake. Pick one and go there and then do the other in what ever order suits you. We did Eva first and only I (Chris) did Miller later. Connie elected to rest for the trip back and waited at the junction.

Continue climbing up to Eva Lake. Along the way, pass another marked junction and that one takes you to Jade Lakes some four kilometres away. It looks like there’s some serious elevation that way and it’s marked expert in the guide (“with long steep sections”). Based on photos, those lakes are also stunning and scenic.

All the trails on Mount Revelstoke shout “hike me!” and we’d love to answer the call, but can only do so much in one day. We’d sure like to return to the area and maybe some day we might know Jade Lakes (so called for their deep green colour).

Pass a little pond, continue climbing and before long arrive at Eva Lake. A sign announces your arrival and then comes the realization that all this work was well-worth it. Eva is spectacular and is rimmed on several sides by rocky crests. At the far end, the lake feeds a little stream and mere metres later, it tumbles over the edge of a rock wall and is gone.

There’s a bit of history with this hike too and take a look at the old rangers cabin on the west shore. It’s almost a century old (built 1928) and is covered inside and out with the signatures of visitors over the years. We found some going back to the 1940s, but we know there’s even older ones, and others are more recent. It seems people are from all over the world have visited here.

Observation: people in the old days had more a elegant writing style than today.

The log cabin served as a patrol base for wardens in the old days, but was kept even after it was no longer needed. It’s historically recognized and was fixed up about ten years back, so it should be around for a long time. It looks so nice from across the lake (there’s a trail circling Eva) and it must have been an amazing place to spend the night. You can camp at Eva Lake, by the way, but not in the cabin.

This place makes a great lunch spot, but eat slow and enjoy the view. The setting is just too spectacular and never has a meal in the woods tasted so good.

Beautiful British Columbia magazine did a piece on the Eva and Miller Lakes trails in the 1970s. The holder of this old collection now, the Royal BC Museum, allowed us use of any we wished for our Then & Now comparisons. We picked a few wide landscape shots we though would work, including a couple shot at Eva Lake.

We’ve yet to get to these, but will soon and hope they work out. We never know if they’re lined up right until we’re ready to put them together on the computer, and sometimes that’s usually some time after they were shot. Stay tuned (said with fingers crossed).

A ranger we passed at the upper parking lot at the start of the hike told us Eva Lake was still icebound a couple weeks before our visit (on July 4th – happy birthday America). Winter hangs around a long time in these high places and we noticed some scattered snow patches in sheltered areas on this hike. The snow pack they get on this mountain is insane and it can last well into summer.

Eventually you have to (reluctantly) head back. Unless you’re spending the night and we bet that would be amazing. Mornings must be wonderous on Mount Revelstoke. I bet you feel alive again.

At the one junction, continue on to Miller Lake. The trail drops down a bit and in no time, there it is. It’s a bit bigger than Eva Lake, and is located in a rocky bowl. It’s different, but no less gorgeous. Look all around and take it in. The water, like at Eva Lake, is ice cold, a deep bluish-green and clear as glass.

A look at the watch tells us time is running out, so the stay here was more brief. We’re slow hikers – mainly because we stop and admire the scenery so much – and beside, Connie was waiting for my return. A quick climb up to the junction and together once again, we’re homeward bound. Recall that rollercoaster profile mentioned before? You really notice it on the way back – “what, another up?” But at least the steepest sections are short.

We started this hike right after the park opened for the day, and the parking area was pretty quiet then. On our return, all were jammed full and the immediate area a tad chaotic. Most of these folks don’t go too far from their vehicle, so you only need contend with this at the very start and the very end. The rest of the time, even with lots of folks spread out on the trail, we knew solitude and peace.

Now comes the car trip down the mountain and there’s no real break in the grade until you reach bottom. If anything it reminds one just how high up you are on lakes trail. Almost 2km! There’s some nice pullouts with viewpoints on the road down and these are worth a stop. Look out over the town of Revelstoke and the mighty Columbia River way down there.

The Eva and Miller Lakes trail on Mount Revelstoke gets big points from us, but we have a couple complaints. 1: it took us far too long to get come here, and 2: ever since we’re sad and dying to return. It had a hold on us.

We had some rather harsh light this day and some haze, but you take what you can get when so far from home. The place looks good no matter.

Know more: (new tab): Eva and Miller Lakes Hike Revelstoke BC.

They’re saying…

“These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!…” Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

BC Hikes…
The Bee Line Cranbrook BC.
Kimberley BC: Magic Line – Moe’s Canyon.
Hike to Payne Bluff.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: July, 2023.
Location: Revelstoke, BC.
Distance: 16km round trip.
Height gain cumulative: 500m-ish.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Technical stuff and notes: lots of bear signs.
Reference: Parks Canada and the Royal BC Museum.

Starting out on the Eva & Miller Lakes Trial on Mt Revelstoke.

It travels through a mix of forest and meadow.

An emergency assembly point.

Later on the terrain gets a little rockier.

The views are nice along this section.

The trail traverses a steep slope here.

The junction – Eva left, Miller right – we recommend both.

A small pond along the way.

Welcome to Eva Lake and it’s beautiful.

This little ranger’s cabin is almost a century old.

It’s historically recognized and has been restored.

A short streams emerges from Eva Lake…

…Then it tumbles down this slope and is gone.

That red shirt guy is shooting the previous photos.

There’s a trail around the lake and no bad views.

A group from Vancouver BC visited on August 8th, 1944.

That’s it, we want to move in.

A little visitor while we enjoy a long lunch.

Dropping down from Eva Lake.

Miller Lake is in a rocky bowl.

It’s no less beautiful and like Eva, a nice blue/green.

Heading back up to the junction.

Connie patiently awaits…

Heading back, but there’s still a way to go.

A little rivulet tumbles down from the slope above.

The view north.

The trail from the lakes is seen cutting across the slope in back.

Paintbush lined the trail.

A nice, leisurely stroll back.

Connie relaxes in the iconic National Park’s red chairs.

A great hike in Mount Revelstoke National Park.

The post Mt Revelstoke (BC) Eva & Miller Lakes first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

We’ll follow the historic route of the old Edmonton, Yukon & Pacific Railway, SE of downtown, on the down leg. It’s a paved path atop the former roadbed and it even makes use of some railway trestles (one original) along the way. It’s all downhill, but it’s a really gently grade, and this route was chosen by the railway so they could head down to cross the North Saskatchewan River.

On the up leg of this hike, we’ll freestyle it and mostly take to gravel paths further down by the creek that parallel the old railway. There’s lots of offshoot trails, heading up in bordering neighbourhoods, but if one keeps to the ravine close to the old roadbed, no matter the trail chosen, you’ll arrive back at the starting point.

We began at the Mill Creek Ravine Park sign off 93rd Street at 68th Avenue (Hazeldean Neighbourhood). This is where the old railway line began its descent down to cross the river after coming in from a Canadian Pacific Railway connection directly to the west. That flat section of trail behind is marked by a wide swath of green separating two halves of the neighbourhood.

Head east on the paved pathway and almost immediately it bends left into the trees. This marks the beginning of the gentle grade down. It’s beautiful through here and made all the more wonderful on our visit in mid-May, thanks to all the flowering trees in full bloom (various types of crabapples we think). A week or so later they were probably done.

The first trestle of several seen this day, comes into view and it’s soon followed by two more. Now they support bikes and folks hoofing it, but in the past this was a train corridor. One of these structures is all new and built in the form of a railway trestle, and the other two made use of of salvaged bits off what they replaced, but also kept their same general form (city of Edmonton info).

The third bridge crosses Mill Creek itself. There’s lots of trails below and it’s worthwhile going down there to get a good broadside view of the bridge. It’s easy to picture a steam powered train crossing it a century ago and while nothing more than a romantic daydream, we say what the heck.

Where 76th Avenue dips down into the ravine there’s another railway trestle soon after crossing the road. This one, according to the city, is at the end of its service life and due to be replaced soon. The new structure will look similar.

From the info plaque: “This wooden trestle bridge, built between 1900 and 1902, is one of the last psychical reminders of the existence of the Edmonton, Yukon & Pacific Railway, the shortest railroad with the longest name.

The EY&P Railway was the first to bring rail transportation to Edmonton. It was connected to the Canadian Pacific line south of Strathcona, and travelled north along Mill Creek Ravine, then across the Low Level Bridge. The first train crossed the bridge into Edmonton on October 20 1902. By 1907 the line was extended westward where it connected with the new Canadian Northern mainline.

The EY&P’s passenger service was suspended in 1928. The line was used to haul coal and freight until 1954, when it closed and the tracks were removed.” – Edmonton Historical Board.

So the very first train into Edmonton proper (at the time, this side of the river was not part of the city) passed this very spot over 120 years ago. We love a bit of history with our hikes.

The bridge is historically recoginized, but this will not prevent it from being replaced. That designation carries little weight, in that regard. “Mill Creek Trestle Bridge is a simple wood trestle structure that was an integral part of the early rail connection between the towns of Strathcona and Edmonton.” – Hermis – Canada’s Historic Places.

You’ll note lots of trails and stairs heading in every direction. Some lead into surrounding neighbourhoods and others drop down to creek level. Pass under the 82nd Avenue – you can hear vehicles up there on the span but they’re unseen. Have you ever noticed we spend a disproportionate amount of time under bridges?

Pass Rutherford Park and the Peace Mile monument: “To honour world leaders in their pursuit of Peace, the city of Edmonton has dedicated this measured section of trail as the Peace Mile during 1986, the United Nations International Year for Peace.” How’s that whole world peace thing working? Actually, let’s not go there…

The trail enters a more open area, and it plus a bunch of busy roads converge close to the river. You can get to the North Saskatchewan and the Low Level bridge from here (the same bridge used by the first train into Edmonton), but we elected to turn around here not far from it. Getting there would require running a gauntlet traffic and the thought didn’t thrill us.

Instead we climbed up a road embankment for a nice view of downtown.

On the return leg (not shown in the GPS track), we kept to a well defined gravel pathway the whole way back. At times, where the ravine pinches, it joins back with the paved pathway used when coming down. But then it separates again and is always below and close to the old railway roadbed. Ignore side trails heading up steeply and away, and you’ll be fine.

There’s oddly one house inside they ravine park and perhaps it’s a grandfathered chunk of land. Otherwise, there’s nothing but greenery and the old railway line.

These folks are Oilers fans, but we won’t hold that against them (said while smiling and winking). The Oilers were hot when we did this hike and it seems everyone in town was flying the flag. By the time we posted the piece, things had fallen apart and the Oiler (or COILers as our Edmonton friends call them) were done after just recently losing the Stanley Cup finals. Next year guys.

A nice treed grove made a great lunch spot. We always celebrate a day like this with good eats and the like, since you never know when it’ll end. Grab on tight and enjoy where you are, with whoever you’re with and chow down on something yummy. No need to be in a rush and we take our time here.

Back in motion, we’re passed by an 1890s-esque High-Wheeler (Penny-Farthing) cycle on the route back. How in the heck do you not kill yourself on these things…or even get on and off? A crash could be disastrous given how high you sit, but you’ll sure turn heads doing it.

The last section of the trail, just before the rise up to the street where we parked, was magical. All of a sudden there was no one about (the trail was busy in places), it was dead quiet and we lost ourselves in the moment. Lost in the woods, in the city. Tree fluff seed-pods rained down from above and made it feel as though it was snowing.

That’s the perfect end to the hike and we love days like this. Just because. Other than the occasional road crossing or odd sign of civilization, you’d never even know this is an urban adventure. Now comes the boring drive home…

Know more: (new tab): Mill Creek Ravine Trails Edmonton.

They’re saying…

“These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!…” Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

More urban hikes…
Fish Creek Park Western Trails.
Canmore Pathways: All Around Town.
Lethbridge Pathways: Under the Viaduct.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: May, 2025.
Location: Edmonton, Alberta.
Distance: 9km out and back.
Height gain maximum: 70m.
Height gain cumulative: 100m.
Notes: only the old railbed portion of the hike is shown on the GPS track. You can return the same way or take to trails down below that stay close to the old line.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

Welcome to Mill Creek Ravine, Edmonton.

It’s a pleasant stroll through the woods…in the city.

We were here at the right to time for flowering trees.

Built atop an old railway trestle.

Trails down below.

Mill Creek from the last trestle.

A little history and the text is shared in the post.

Various trails and stairs can take you down to creek level.

Passing under busy 82nd Ave.

A few roads are crossed, including here at Rutherford Park.

Peace Mile 1986.

It’s a beautiful place.

Approaching the turn around point.

Climbing up to a road to see downtown across the river.

Heading back, but on gravel paths below the old railway roadbed.

Coming down fast.

They live in the middle of the ravine – go Oilers!

Lunch should be an event – cheers to the day!

A passing high-wheeler – how the heck do you even get on?

Dropping down below the old railway line.

The vegetation has such vibrant colours in spring.

Almost done – tree-fluff looks like a dusting of snow.

Following the old Edmonton, Yukon & Pacific. Star=start.

The post Mill Creek Ravine Edmonton Alberta first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

There’s some street running in town on this one, but mostly the trail keeps to green belt along the lake shore. You’ll be beside marshes, at the edge of cultivated fields and in wooded groves. Alix will be in view for a time, and it’s a nice community, but mostly it’s out of sight and you’re in your own little world.

We visited on a cold and blustery day in April. The wind howled, the rain fell in a light mist most of the day and in unprotected areas with the wind, it felt like winter. But the cold had a tenuous hold and in places, even in spite of the chill, new buds were a reminder that spring is around the corner. By the time we’ve posted this, it’s already here.

You can start the Alix Lake Nature Trail from many places, but there’s a designated trailhead with parking spots at the west end of town. Off 54th Street and south of Railway Avenue. We chose a clockwise heading and right way crossed the outfall for the lake. It’s all part of an irrigation network and the town has this to say about it…

“Alix Lake is part of the Parlby Creek Stabilization Program providing water for local farming, and stabilizing the water level of Buffalo Lake (NE of Alix)…”

Then takes to the streets – 53rd Street and further along Jamieson Street – but it’s a quiet little place and we didn’t see a single vehicle. Duck in behind Lakeview old folks home, and enter Alix Park on the lakefront. There’s no trail, so circle down by the lake and head towards the beach.

There’s a campground here, picnic spots and a big playground. Come summer, it’s likely busy, but on this less than nice day, there was no one but us here. It’s a nice spot and it’s right at the edge of downtown.

Sort of double back and head up Main Street – no trail but the way is obvious – then at the very south end of downtown, turn right on Lake Street. Continue on, and at a signed trail head turn right into the woods beside the lake.

Ahead, it’s a dirt single-track, nicely compacted and well drained. There in a belt of trees, the lake’s to the right and almost always in view. Interpretive signs along the way speak of birds and animals you might encounter hiking around the lake. A comment from their guest book on that subject” “Thank you to all who work hard to keep this trail open and accessible to all. We saw loons, an owl, and a lovely little garter snake. What a treasure!” We saw snakes too, a beaver and more birds than we can count.

Prairie lakes often have marshy shores and Alix Lake is no exception. Cattails grow thick at the water’s edge.

Alix Lake is rather oddly shaped and has many coves. At times, the trail has to take a long u-shaped route get around these and then doubles back to the opposite shore only short distance away.

For the entire loop, look down at the side of the trails, on stumps or in the forks of trees for something interesting. There’s a gnome house, tiny dioramas, Batman & Batgirl make an appearance, and other little treasures secreted away for you to find. We saw many, but I bet we missed a like number.

At a point of land, there’s a nice little picnic shelter and while it’s not the only one along the trail, for us it was the one. It was Connie’s birthday so we celebrated it right here and now. Some fine cured meats, a bit a cheese and bubbly served in a plastic cup. Classy! Just the two of us, thankful for another year and enjoying an hour long lunch break.

The night before, incidentally, we shot an episode of the Beer Parlour Project at the Alix Hotel. We were beat, but this walk recharged our tired selves.

The Beer Parlour Project? It’s minimally a ten year mission to document small town hotels bars – the people, the places, the stories – with art photographer Rob Pohl. Here (new tab): The Beer Parlour Project.

The trail meanders this way and that. There’s more woods and fields; marshes, full of birds, and open areas. A couple dog-walkers pass by, a canoeist is seen, but otherwise, we’re the only ones around. That’s bliss.

At a rural road, the trails switches to the west side of Alix Lake and like before, it sticks close to the shore.

There’s beavers in the lake and channels in the mud mark where they come on up on land to get at the choicest of the young trees. Look for their prominent lodges at the edge of the water – these are homes of mud and tree parts or other vegetation.

At one point note three cement memorials that looks like grave stones. The Alix Trails website: “There are three cement markers in the form of headstones lying adjacent to the trail approximately half way around the western loop of the trail. They represent the trail builders and the dates of its construction.”

They’re well weathered and the lettering is hard to make out in places. The most clear reads: “1985 – Neil J Bell – Overworked and underpaid – There at the beginning, here at the end – April 1st, Nov…(something).”

So the trail goes back a while and it’s kept up present day by the Alix Nature Trail Society. Thanks Neil, and those other two whose memorials we struggled to read, for putting it in, plus those unnamed folks who continue with its upkeep. We thoroughly enjoyed the walk.

From this side of Alix Lake, the town’s big malting plant to the east is visible and towers over the surrounding countryside. They malt grains used in the making of beer and for this we salute them. In a crackled voice, and holding back tears of joy, we softly profess our love.

There’s more open areas on this side of the lake and with a wind from the east, plus intermittent rain, the cold is all the more biting. It was spring on our visit, but with shades of winter this day.

There’s plenty of benches along the way too, and places to stop and look out over the water. We could do it all day, but then we’d never get home. There’s still a drive ahead.

A sign warn of wasps in the area, but let’s call them what they are…jerks. They must have a nest nearby, but it was too cold for them this day.

Emerge from the trees, and into park/picnic area. The parking lot is just a shot hop, skip and jump away. While we look forward to the warmth of a car, we lament that the adventures has ended. Going home always seems like a downer when out on the road, but we have to head home.

It’s not often we see a small town trail system this extensive, but appreciate the work that went into it. We had a great day and it was made all the better by celebrating Connie’s 63rd. Hopefully we have lots more ahead of us.

Know more: (new tab): Alix Lake Loop Hike Alix Alberta.

They’re saying…

”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!… Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

More…
Diamond Valley Pathways –> Snob Hill.
Lethbridge Pathways: Under the Viaduct.
Drumheller Pathways.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: April, 2025.
Location: Alix, Alberta
Distance: 7km loop.
Height gain maximum: negligible.
Height gain cumulative: see above.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

The day’s adventure begins!

Take to the streets of Alix for a bit.

An old farm wagon is now yard art.

The Cenotaph at Lakefront Park honours those who sacrificed it all.

It’s all quiet now but come summer…

Alix Evangelical Free Church was in service – we heard it.

What’s that…a little trailer?

Passed along the way.

There’s informative signage like this along the trail.

Always close to the shore.

Look for little things like this down below.

Crossing a marshy area.

The trail is beside a cultivated field here.

Celebrating Connie’s birthday with bubbly in a plastic cup.

Smile!

Alixgator, of Alix Lake.

One of the few people we saw this day.

“With my whole heart, for my whole life.” – on a farm fence.

Beginning the west leg of the trek.

One of a number of picnic spots.

Bundled up against the blustery wind.

Signs of spring.

A memorial to one of the folks who built the trail.

There’s three.

With the wind off the lake, this open area was a chilly spot.

We had the trail pretty much to ourselves.

Beavers built this channel…

…To get to these trees (or former trees).

Let’s face it…wasps are jerks.

Back at the start and soon we’re homeward bound.

Alix Lake Loop – the signs said 6.5km, but our GPS logged 7.

The post Alix Lake Loop Alix Alberta first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The Rotary Forest is a place of meadows, wooded groves, and it’s the former site of Beachwood Estates. This neighbourhood of luxury homes was removed due to the flood potential and there’s almost nothing left to indicate anything was ever here.

The adventures begins at the hockey rink and community gardens off Highwood Trail SW at Sheppard Road. On the west end of town and on the south side of the Highwood.

Make note of signage here marking old Macleod Trail linking Fort Calgary and Fort Macleod to the south, in the 1870s-1880s period. Pack trains and travellers passed right by this very spot. There was also a stopping house on the property and it was one of many along the route.

Head west past the rink, hit a section of the (paved) Happy Trails pathway and turn right. Note that stone house and it’s the remains of “Shorty” McLaughlin’s Old Town Farm. The home dates to the late 1890s and had various occupants into the 1970s.

This section of pathway is atop a berm and it’s for flood mitigation. The town is named High River for a reason, and it’s there to keep that nasty Highwood River at bay.

The trail bends east and where it meets up with the Highwood River, make a hard left and head down the stairs. We’ve been walking past that old blue truck off to your right for what seems like decades now.

You’re now in the Rotary Forest Pathways system (named in honour of the local service club) and while there’s a maze of trails here, there’s maps in select places to help you along.

Take the first right and turn left just before hitting the river. If you hear a splosh-splosh sound and feel a cold chill down below, you’ve gone too far. Continue on at the edge of the woods. The Highwood River begins in the front ranges of the Rockies west of High River and empties into the Bow a little northwest of the community

The Highwood River is prone to frequent flooding during spring run-off (or even heavy rains). “Flood events of exceptional magnitude occurred in 1894, 1899, 1902, 1908, 1912, 1923, 1929, 1932, 1942, 1995, 2005 and 2013.” – Alberta Public Works. That’s eye opening.

The Rotary Forest is often partly or fully underwater each time the Highwood floods its banks. That’s not a good time to be hiking here.

In places, the river has eaten away the banks and each year removes a little more material. You’ll see this at one point along the trail. When passing though some meadows (where the utility lines cut across the property) note some old fence lines. In addition to Beachwood Estates, there were some acreages on this land, but the town said they all had to go due to the potential for flooding.

This changed happened not even a decade ago.

The trail meanders this way and that. There’s many junctions, but the route shared here seems the most heavily beaten down. Keep that in mind, if you’re unsure but even if you don’t duplicate our route exactly, you’ll be fine. Trails are dirt single-track and some sections well drained and others perhaps not so much. The clay in the soil here is often slick as ice on Teflon when wet and no fun at those times.

Watch for little Easter eggs along the trail – googly eyes and fairy houses – and I’m sure there’s other we missed. It’s something to look for and make you smile.

A downed cottonwood along here makes a nice lunch spot – down by the river. Bring something to eat, take the time to enjoy it in nature, or minimally just grab a stump and daydream.

If you fish, the Highwood can be really productive and side channels are often full of beavers. Wildlife in general is abundant and you can expect to see deer, coyotes, moose, the occasional bear and all manner of winged beasts. We noted an eagle off in the distance, but by the time the camera was ready, it had vanished. Of course.

Flora includes native grasses, river alder and willows down by the water, cottonwoods (they love river flats) and some spruce.

Follow the most used trail as it bends west. In a short while come to a former road and turn left. It heads into what was Beachwood Estates but if we didn’t tell you about it you might never know. After the last major flood and in anticipation of another (by the numbers a guarantee), the town determined the neighbourhood was too vulnerable and forced everyone out.

The town bought out the residents and sold off the opulent houses in the stipulation they be moved away. There was some nice places here, and many were snapped up. Once gone, they removed almost everything man made – foundations, pavement, sidewalks, fences – and seeded the property. It’s now grassy meadows.

The old roads (still shown as paved on Google Maps) are now gravel tracks. It’s like it was never here. However, the orderly placement of certain hedges and trees make it clear that something was located on this property. It’s not obvious unless you know and then it’s easy to picture.

Interested to see what the neighbourhood looked like before? Go here (shot in 2017): Beachwood Estates High River Alberta.

Before being complete reclaimed, a number of filmed series used the old neighbourhood as a backdrop. The Last of Us comes to mind.

Leave the Rotary Forest and old Beachwood Estates behind. Take to the berm off the west and it’s a short walk back to where you parked. As always, it’s a bummer when it ends, but there’s always next time. Yeah, the next hike will be awesome, just like this one!

Know more: (new tabs): Walking Trails High River Alberta and Rotary Forest Community Pathways High River Alberta.

They’re saying…

”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!… Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

More easy ones like this…
Diamond Valley Pathways –> Snob Hill.
Glenbow Ranch Big West Loop.
Miquelon Lake Park Big Loop.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: Remembrance Day, November 11th 2024.
Location: High River Alberta.
Distance: 6km loop.
Height gain maximum: Negligible.
Height gain cumulative: Negligible.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

The adventures almost at an end.

A marker for Old Macleod Trail at the start.

“Shorty” McLaughlin’s Farm aka Old Town Farm.

Along a section of the Happy Trails Pathway.

Canada’s 150th happened in 2017.

We’ve been walking past this truck for a couple decades now.

About to enter the Rotary Forest trails.

The trail keeps close to the Highwood River for a time.

For our winged friends.

The bank is being eaten away by the river here.

There’s lots of trails so this map is handy.

An old fence line from a former acreage.

It was a brown kind of November day – no snow.

The all knowing, all seeing eye.

They’re everywhere and watching us.

The little fairy house.

We raise a toast to another fine day.

A placid oxbow off the Highwood.

Done on Remembrance Day (with a stop at 11am).

In the former community of Beachwood Estates.

We do love our time together.

A fence and gate from some forgotten place.

There were many expensive houses right here.

The adventures almost at an end.

A fun little stroll at the edge of High River.

The post Rotary Forest Loop High River Alberta first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

You start high up on an escarpment and then drop down to river level. If one desires they could go all the way into downtown, but in our case, some nagging health issues (Connie and her chronic muscle cramping) nixed that plan. We did it on a cold, cold winter’s day and in spite of the chill, this foreshortened outing was still a blast.

Start off by the dam. There’s a little parking spot on 14th Street where it dead-ends, (marked Glenmore Bridge Road SW on Google Maps) and that’s just north of Glenmore Trail. You can only approach it off 14th street northbound and the turn off at the cloverleaf is not so obvious.

A continuation of 14th Street once continued across the Glenmore Dam and on the other side it met up with 56th Avenue. You could drive it once (one way alternating, we think) and this arrangement ended in the 1970s. Now the old road is part of the pathway system.

The dam dates to the early 1930s and the resultant lake used recreationally – boating and fishing – and it also helps supply Calgary’s water needs. Glenmore Park almost surrounds the Glenmore Reservoir and it’s a wonderful greenspace.

Cross the dam and to the left enjoy views of the reservoir, frozen from the deep freeze and featureless on our visit due to fresh fallen snow. To the right, the Elbow River is far below and from here it continues on to downtown Calgary where it meets the Bow River.

You can easily see downtown from this vantage point and it’s actually not that far away as the crow flies. However, due to the winding nature of the river, which the pathway follows, it’s still many, many clicks distant.

Once across, take the first pathway turning right and it takes a line atop an escarpment beside the water treatment plant. There’s some nice viewpoints here, looking up or downstream. That’s the Calgary Golf and Country Club below – established well over a century ago and quite exclusive. You’ll never see the Biggart and Doering names on the member’s lists.

At the dog park (50th Avenue) turn right and take the pathway heading down to river level. Enter Sandy Beach Park (picnic sites, playgrounds, walking paths) and soon after cross over the Elbow River on a pedestrian bridge. This structure replaced a much older, and narrower bridge destroyed during the 2013 floods.

Come to a natural area, pass a small dog park and enter the affluent community of Britannia. Lots of grand old houses here and fine cars. We feel so out of place. Continue along Riverdale Avenue – look for the big tree burl (it’s a huge deformation) and now back on the pathway duck under Elbow Drive. The bridge in places looks in bad shape from below and soon after enter Stanley Park.

This makes a good lunch stop, if you’re so inclined, and if not continue on. To say this day was a chilly one would be an incredible understatement, and it hovered in the -23c range the entire trip. No real windchill, thank goodness, but an otherwise biting cold. Nothing beats hot homemade broth and soon we were oblivious the sub-zero temperatures.

Back in motion, keep to the pathway close to the river. Across is the exclusive neighbourhood of Elbow Park – we step foot in there and the cops won’t be far behind. A steep slope rises to the right.

Enter the community of Rideau Park and soon after cross over the Elbow River again on the Rideau Pedestrian Bridge. Then, come to James Woods Park and turn right. “JH Woods Park is named after Col. James H. Woods who donated the land for use as a park in the 1920s.” – City of Calgary Parks. The pathway keeps between the river and busy Elbow Drive.

Enter the community of Mission and as before keep close to the Elbow. The neighbourhood has French (Quebec) roots and it’s reflected in the bilingual street signs seen here. Stop, Arrêt or both – Calgarians will still run them. Long ago the community was once it’s own town separate from Calgary (as the Village of Rouleauville) and that legacy in some ways remains. It’s close to downtown, but has its own distinct identity.

Pass 4th Street bridge (getting some work done on our visit) and then bend left with the river.

In behind some apartment blocks, come to 25th Avenue, cross over on a road bridge, and take to the pathway on the east side (heading north). It’s shoehorned between the river the a wall of condo blocks. Check out this Then and Now shot here: Crossley Slides: A Corner in Erlton.

Somewhere along here, back when we were kids, there was a big tree here with an attached rope swing for launching one’s self into the river. Every kid in Calgary knew of it back then and on a summer weekend it could be a busy spot. You’d see friends and school mates here all the time. The Elbow is usually pretty shallow, but thanks to an eddy in the river, a deep swimming hole developed here over time.

The tree is no longer standing – perhaps it’s that one half rotted logs on the river bank – and now it’s only a memory.

Enter Lindsay Park (once a railway yard) and where the river bends right, head up to the old train bridge. Cross over the Elbow River one last time and come to the former Canadian National Railways Station. The building dates back to 1905 and functioned as St Mary’s Church Parish Hall until 1911, when acquired by the Canadian Northern Railway for its newly built line into Calgary.

In about 1920 Canadian National took over and used the station into the early 1970s (even if the tracks remained in place for some time after). The building stood abandoned for a time, but since the 1980s a ballet company has occupied the space. The station, in an abandoned state, appears in the 1976 train-themed thriller Silver Streak with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Just had to add that.

After exploring the old station, and perhaps taking a look at St Mary’s Cathedral next door, continue back the way you came. In our case, Connie’s cramping had flared up badly by this point, so we used transit on the return leg. This got us close to our car.

You could also head back to Lindsay Park and following the Elbow River Pathway into downtown, if you so desired. That was in fact our original plan, with the bus trip back, but sometimes things don’t work out. This would add perhaps a few kilometres more, but it’s up to you.

We hope you enjoyed this outing and we sure did. Even in spite of the bitter cold and those cursed health issues. There’s a nice variety of things to see, it’s a good walk and there’s a bit of history to take in. Till next time…

Know more: (new tabs): Calgary Pathways, Glenmore Dam Calgary, CNR Station Mission Calgary and Calgary Mission District.

They’re saying…

“These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris and Connie!!…” Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

More pathway hikes…
Bowness & Baker Parks Loop.
Edgemont Ravine (NW Calgary).
Three Sisters Pathway Canmore.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: January, 2025.
Location: Calgary, Alberta.
Distance: 8.5km one way.
Height gain maximum: 40m.
Height gain cumulative: 80m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: City of Calgary.

The Glenmore Reservoir all frozen over on a cold day.

The Elbow River below the Glenmore Dam.

The pathway crosses the dam and then heads downstream.

On the escarpment and taking in the nice views.

Sandy Beach Park is ahead.

A frigid day (-23c-ish), but you still got to get out.

Crossing the Elbow.

The big burl of Britannia.

There’s some grand old homes in Britannia.

About to duck under Elbow Drive.

Concrete is spalling and exposing rebar.

Hot homemade broth warms you up like nothing else.

Lunch in Stanley Park and we had the place to ourselves.

Pale skies and a certain crispness in the air.

Right beside the Elbow River here and heading north.

The affluent neighbourhood of Elbow Park.

Another bridge leads to JH Woods Park.

Along the Elbow in JH Woods Park and note the beach chairs.

The 4th Street Bridge is being worked on.

In Mission and the sign reflects its French heritage.

Long shadows in the winter.

That rope swing was around here somewhere…

Crossing a former railway bridge and almost done.

The old train station is now used for other purposes.

Nice to see one still on the road – at St Mary’s Cathedral.

The front view of the old CN Station on a different day.

It winds this way and that.

The post Calgary Elbow River Pathways first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Fish Creek Park is a expansive natural green space nestled in a valley at the south end of the city. The biggest park in town (a provincial park at that), it’s home to a huge network of hiking trails and we’ll explore a few this day. The described route passes through open meadows and wooded groves. The park is wild in places and at times it feels like being in the foothills and far removed from a busy city.

There are so many routes one can follow in the park, some official and some not. Most major intersections seem to have have maps, but not so for the lesser junctions. Venture off the main paths and it’d be easy to get spun around.

The adventure begins at Votier’s Flats and it’s at the very end of Elbow Drive. Most of the hike described is on main trails and these are plowed in the winter. Lesser trails are not maintained although they are often packed down and quite passable. We encountered no ice this trip, but if the weather warms, some sections could get slippery. It’s a guarantee in Calgary – chinook = icy buildup.

Once at the the parking spot, a big lot at the bottom of the hill on Elbow Drive, take to the paved trail at the south end and head right. The frigid temperatures made the snow crunch loudly underfoot and a check of the weather service reminded us we’re at about the limits of our tolerance for cold when hiking. Thank goodness, there’s little wind down here in the valley or it could have made conditions unbearable. Windchill is a devil.

Drop down and into the trees. There’s an occasional glimpse of houses on the valley rim above but otherwise the city is mostly out of sight and and out of mind. Pass storm water retention ponds, almost immediately cross frozen Fish Creek and plunge into the trees. These are spruce woods and they grow well down here in the sheltered valley. There are lots of side trails along the way and most hook back up with paved pathway you’re on.

Continue on through the woods, and after crossing the creek again (you’ll cross it often), turn right at the next major junction. Cross Fish Creek once more, pass more storm water ponds and come to Bebo Grove. It’s another access point to the Fish Creek Park, and includes a parking lot, biffies and picnic areas.

Old aerial photos show there were a number of farm buildings here. All are gone, but there is an old chimney in a grove of trees remaining from the house. The view to it was blocked by an excavator this day or we would have photographed it. They’re doing some work down here and replacing the bathroom buildings.

Back into the trees, there’s a pleasant section beside Fish Creek and along here it feels really far removed from the the urban jungle that surrounds Fish Creek Park. Are you sure we’re in Calgary?

Come to Shannon Terrace and this was once the site of Norman Willans’ “Beebow” Ranch, which operated here staring in the 1910s. An old barn connected to the ranch could be seen here up about ten years ago, but it’s gone now. It as almost a hundred years old and removed as it was becoming a hazard.

There’s a plaque speaking of the farm that once stood in that open meadow over there. Is the former ranch at similarly named Bebo Grove somehow connected to this one?

Pass a protected area on your left (the Snake Hibernaculum Preservation Zone) and parking lot on your right. Coming to a road, make hard left, pass the the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre and to it’s right, head back into the woods. Come to Fish Creek and bend left. A downed tree along here makes a good bench and this is where we stop for lunch. Break out that thermos of broth…I’m freezing! And all is good in the world.

People passing by (not many today) give us amusing looks as we sit near the trail. In these temps, who in the world goes on a picnic? We’re all wrapped up and doing OK, but they clearly think we’re a bit nuts.

Watching a couple younger folks across Fish Creek climb a steep and sparsely treed slope keeps us entertained (and worried). A lapse in reason there boys? But then again teenage me would have probably done the same thing…on a whim or dare. What could go wrong with soft snow, loose footing, near vertical drop-offs, and protruding boulders? One slip could set off series of events that would leave you at the bottom in a tangled mess and most likely with a bone fracture of some kind.

The fact that they reached the top — and it’s a long way up — is proof positive that guardian angels exist. This pair lost footing a couple times and we thought them done for, but somehow they recovered and made it up. You can only imagine our shock when they returned down in the same manner. Death wish?

This last section of trail is a bit of a loop and once back in motion and heading east now, reconnect with paved pathway used earlier. One could simply follow it back to the car, but this might be a good opportunity to explore parallel trails instead. Just past Bebo Grove and at the first stormwater pond, go right on the paved pathway that drops down into the trees. There’s a big gate here and it’s hard to miss.

This little diversion takes one past a beaver pond that flooded a section of forest and the site of another ranch here in the valley. The pond is obvious (dead trees from flooding are you’re give away) but of the other, not so much. There’s a meadow (to the right just past the pond) and it’s here where a large house and several outbuildings were located. If you poke around you can see remains of a fence line and a gate, but nothing else.

It was wiped away and you’d never know it was here.

Reconnecting with the main pathway, cross two bridges in quick succession, and after the second turn left into the woods. This little side trail parallels Fish Creek and in places there’s viewpoints to look up at Raven Rocks. It’s big cliffs of sandstone above the creek and quite impressive.

Back on the main trail again and before long the parking lot at Voiter’s comes into view. Jump in the car, leave Fish Creek Park behind and in moments we’re back in the city. It’s amazing how urban and natural places can all coexist so well in such close proximity.

There’s lot of wildlife in the park and in previous visits we’ve spotted deer, coyotes, eagles, owls, songbirds of every kind and porcupines. Nothing today and perhaps the cold was a contributing factor.

Some of the trails followed this day are shared with the Rotary and Mattamy Greenway which circles the city. There’s plenty of other side trails too and they call our name, but can’t answer everyone this trip. Maybe next time.

Fish Creek Park was founded in 1975 but in the old days, there were many ranches here in this valley. It covers almost 13.5 square kilometres and this makes it one of the largest urban parks in North America. It’s almost completely surround by by residential development and bisected by or in very close proximity to a couple major roads.

Know more: (new tab): Fish Creek Provincial Park Trails.

They’re saying…

”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!… Dayna Kent.

More like this…
Paskapoo Slopes Loop from Piita Rise.
Lethbridge Pathways: Under the Viaduct.
Red Deer Alberta: River Loop.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: February, 2025.
Location: Fish Creek Park, Calgary Alberta.
Distance: 10.5km total.
Height gain maximum: 60m.
Height gain cumulative: 80m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: AlbertaParks.ca

Fish Creek Park: Votier’s to Shannon Terrace and back.

A stark, colourless day due to fresh snow and overcast skies.

Stay clear during and after rainfall – or else!

-24c makes for a cold hike.

There’s maps at strategic locations along this route.

The park’s namesake creek.

It’s more fun to hike with a friend.

Side trails beg to be explored.

We’re inside Calgary city limits but you’d never know it.

Chickadees are fearless.

Site of the Willans’ Homestead.

Sometimes you can see the city (way in back), but mostly it’s hidden from view.

The Fish Creek Learning Centre is the turn around point.

See those two people on the slope? Read the post.

Piping hot broth keeps the chill away.

On the return leg now.

It was so cold, we mostly had the park to ourselves.

Ducks find a small patch of open water.

Fish Creek is crossed many times on bridges.

At the (frozen) beaver pond.

About to cross over again.

Raven Rocks – bands of sandstone are exposed at these cliffs.

Snowshoeing along the creek – see the cyclist?

There’s blue skies just as the hike ends.

Fish Creek Park West: fun winter or summer.

The post Fish Creek Park Western Trails first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The route is along paved pathways paralleling local roads and with one stretch sharing the road. But it’s a quiet dead-end lane and so no big deal. The final stretch is along the Jack Bowman Interpretive Trail and there’s signage here where you can learn a little about the discovery of gas in the region, long ago, and how it helped shape the community. And how it shaped the province and its people.

It begins the corner of Main and Sunset Boulevard (also shown as Highway #22, where it make a right angle turn) in Turner Valley. Turner Valley and Black Diamond, a few clicks away, were separate towns not that long ago, but have amalgamated under the name Diamond Valley. The new name refers to it as a whole but the old ones are still used too.

There’s on-street parking here or at Royalite Millennium Park kitty corner to the start. We found some in front the distillery and not far from the famous Chuckwagon breakfast place. The smells were intoxicating. Poached eggs on toast and with bacon can’t be beat but if we did that too often, it’d be our downfall. It’s so bad for you…but so good.

In a moment of weakness we’ve visited the Chuckwagon. Once or twice…no more…honestly. It’s our shame.

Take to the roadside pathway on the southwest corner of Main and Sunset and begin the journey. You soon pass a cute little church: St George’s Turner Valley ( <-- a history write up from a few years back ) and soon after the path heads to the other side of the road.

It then makes a left at Decalta Road and runs in behind the old Turner Valley gas plant. A small section is still active, but most of infrastructure is a historic site. Team BIGDoer got to tour it some years back but unfortunately, the resultant post is no longer online.

For someone into history, it’s an amazing place and that it’s so intact is nothing short of incredible. Founded over a hundred years ago, it was added to piecemeal over time (most of it from the 1930s-1950s period) and when closed in the 1980s it was a literal operating museum.

The plant was built around the very first wells in the area, the legendary Dingman #1 and #2 from 1914. The Turner Valley field was the first in the province to be exploited on such a scale, so in a sense it all began right here. Turner Valley is the birthplace of a province-wide industry, both via the discovery of the first major field in the province and thanks to the plant, the first of its kind in Western Canada.

The view to the complex is mostly obstructed by terrain, although the Horton Spheres can clearly be seen. There’s a better, more elevated angle from he lookout at the end of this hike and there, the entire complex can clearly be seen. Those big round tanks date to the early 1940s and were for the storage of high-performance aviation fuels used in the war effort.

Cross over the Sheep River and if you look back to the plant at this point you can see the gasoline/propane processing sections near the river.

The pathway and adjacent road make a broad curve here as they climb up the hill, but the grade is never that steep. Once at the top, make a hard left and double back on Imperial Drive. It’s all flat from here on and easy going.

You’ll now have to walk in the street itself, but it’s quiet. It used to be a through road but was truncated some years back. You are now atop Snob Hill (unofficial name) and it’s where all the executives and big-wheels associated with the gas plant once lived (but a bit more to the east).

Snob Hill: in direct contrast with Poverty Flats, Whisky Row and Dogtown, down where the worker bees lived.

There’s an occasional break in the trees where the gas plant can be viewed below, but the best vantage point is at the end of the hike. After the road ends continue along the paved path and enter the Jack Bowman Interpretive Trail. There’s a number of lookout points along here, but the final one offers the best angle. There’s benches and picnic tables at regular intervals too.

Jack held a prominent position at the Turner Valley Gas Plant in the 1960s-1980s period.

Interpretive signs share the history of the operation, the people associates with it and of Snob Hill. Somewhere in that group of houses across the golf course (directly east and to the north-ish) are ones that date back to the early days. The once belonged to prominent higher-ups employed at the plant and the name given .

At the final lookout, there’s a viewer that allows to take a closer look the whole complex below. The plant sits on a large plot of land and when shut down, it’s like they just up and walked away. There’s a high level of historic integrity here.

The group of buildings below once processed the raw material (naphtha & natural gas) into gasoline and other products. That includes propane, they extracted sulphur here and made aviation fuel for a time. A maze of pipes ties all it all together. There’s storage tanks (many more when the plant operated), pressure vessels, manifolds and absorption towers. It’s all so complex, barely understood by us, yet quite fascinating.

Support buildings include those used for maintenance and offices.

While a big plant for the era it’s tiny by today’s standards. We wandered about the property one time (on a history tour) and by the end of the day we had many kms under our belts. Buildings are well space to help isolate them and mitigate the chance of a fire consuming the entire complex. One big building in back houses the compressor station and this is where they shipped out stuff by pipeline. The din from all those compressor engines must have been incredible.

Remember the Dingman wells spoken of earlier? The site of both are within the plant property but what little remains of them is lost in the clutter. If a Then & Now shot this day works out (knock on wood), we’ll post a comparison so their location can be seen relative to everything here present day.

We in fact shot a few T&Ns from this Snob Hill position (it must have always been free of trees) and we’ll post them as the get processed. If they work out and even then they take time, unfortunately. Keep a watch for them down the road. The old photos used date back to as early as the 1910s (so, back when it all started) and a few are more modern.

The viewpoint on Snob Hill is a good lunch stop and a great place to doddle. Take in the view, soak up a bit of history and enjoy some good eats if you got them. It was a rather cold day (-15c, but with a biting -25c windchill), so we we had an abbreviated visit, even though well prepared. All the winter-wear in the world couldn’t keep away the chill forever, but we did have a hot beverage which helped for a bit. Mulled Wine is the best on days like this.

Return via the same route and in no time it’ll be done. It’s short one but still great fun. The history angle (for us, at least) was the highlight of this adventure, but even in spite of this, it’s still a nice, pleasant walk. We’ll see you next time…

Know more: (new tabs): Diamond Valley Alberta Pathways and Turner Valley Alberta Gas Plant.

They’re saying…

“These two are amazing!!” Dayna Kent (straight to the point and we love it!).

More town pathways…
Canmore Pathways: All Around Town.
Edgemont Ravine (NW Calgary).
Mirror Lake & Stoney Creek Loops Camrose.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: January, 2025.
Location: Diamond Valley (Turner Valley), Alberta.
Distance: 6km out and back.
Height gain maximum: 40m.
Height gain cumulative: 60m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: Town of Diamond Valley and Alberta Cultural & Tourism.

St George’s at the start.

A cold, blustery, overcast and colourless day.

The Turner Valley Gas Plant – the hike ends at that bluff in back.

Heading up to Snob Hill.

On Imperial Drive.

Turner Valley is down there in the back somewhere.

The road ends and the Bowman Interpretive Trail begins.

There’s informative signage along here.

Learn about Dingman #1, which started it all.

The plant comes into view.

Taking a closer look…

Lookout over the entire complex.

It speaks of Turner Valley, Snob Hill, Dogtown and all the others.

The Horton Spheres were built in support of the war effort (WW2).

The gasoline and propane processing area.

The small brown building is all that’s left of the plant to still operate.

We have hot beverages!

That’s one cold picnic (-25c with windchill).

Dropping down on Decalta Drive.

One last look from the Sheep River Bridge.

Turner Valley to Snob Hill – 6km there and back total – star = start.

The post Diamond Valley Pathways –> Snob Hill first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The access road is closed to vehicles in the off season but you can explore McKinnon Flats on foot (or two wheeler) all year long. We did it late in the fall and with very few people about. No snow surprisingly, but crisp and cool. With everything covered in a delicate hoarfrost, it was beautiful and that made it all the better.

It seems there’s a number of interconnecting trails here and they can be pieced together to make a big loop. It’s all dirt singletrack and perhaps the best pace to begin is up high above the river.

The trail keeps to the top of the valley for a while, then drops down to the treed flats and then back up again. There’s nice scenery and lots of solitude. Along the way there’s interesting rock formations and remains of an old homestead to explore.

It begins off Range #274 – just drive south and you’ll hit McKinnon Flats. It’s at the very end of the road and where pavement turns to gravel there’s a place to park. Walk down the access road a bit and just beyond the entrance gate trails head off both left and right. Ahead, the road bend left and descends down into the valley.

We choose to do this loop anti-clockwise and so went right here, but it makes no difference.

The trail continues through the grass and in places it’s waist high. There’s cultivated fields to your right and to the left, the land slopes away down to McKinnon Flats. Continue on, admiring the view below of the Bow River Valley and it’s cut a deep scar across the prairie here. Listen to the birds and feel the gentle breeze.

Pass under the power lines and soon after the trail makes a hard left and almost doubles back on itself. The descent begins but it’s easy going. In places the slope drops off steeply to the right so don’t trip or fall off your bike here. If icy, it could be a nasty stretch.

There’s several offshoot trails, but keep to the highest one which will eventually get you above the rock formations. Pass the remains of several fences, and these are connected to the homestead spoken of earlier. There’s more interesting remains to come.

Drop down to hoodoo like formations of sandstone and wander about. These were sculpted by time and the elements – it’s all pretty and geologically fascinating too.

Descend further and follow a trail down to the river. This waterway starts in the Rockies, passes through Calgary along the way and then joins up with the Oldman River in Southern Alberta. At that confluence they become the South Saskatchewan River. The fishing’s good on the Bow and it’s used a lot for recreation.

A side-channel makes a nice lunch or rest spot. This area along the river’s edge was the site of an archaeological dig a few years back. “As a result of the 2013 flood…a ten metre strip from the front of the site’s river terrace was removed, leaving a 400 metre exposure in the river bank that contained cultural evidence.” – Albertashistoricplaces.com.

They found bison bones and fire pit remains, among other things. These flats were a nice sheltered spot to set up camp and probably used often.

At the parking lot and boat launch, turn left onto the road and follow it for a bit. But first, spin back towards the river and take in the view. Where as the north side of the valley (here) is grassy, the south slope seen across the Bow is heavily forested and the terrain quite a bit steeper.

Just before the road bends left and begins heading up, turn right onto the trail. In moments pass the remains of the McKinnon’s LK Ranch. There’s an old tractor here and the stone foundation of a barn. An orderly line of shrubs mark the location of the farm house.

The ranch dates to the 1890s but the buildings once located here were a few years newer. While the property has been used for recreation since the 1980s, this group of buildings stood until recently. Fire did in some of them.

The old tractor used to be hidden away in the bush, but was put on display close to the homestead site. Take time to explore and imagine what used to be.

The McKinnon’s had extensive land holdings and raised 13 kids in their spare time.

The trail starts climbing but never too steeply. There’s a couple others branching off to the left (up) but keep to the lowest one if you went to follow our route. Once a little higher, look back to old homestead site and you’ll know why the McKinnon’s settled here. It’s gorgeous down there among cottonwoods and so peaceful.

The slopes along here are a mix of natural grass and with occasional shrubbery. At a draw turn left and head up. A trail continues straight on along the slope, but it must dead end later. Once at the top, the trail bends left (west) and like earlier, keeps to the valley lip next to cultivated land. Rocks removed from those fields are piled near the trail in places.

Stroll along in the deep grass and look down at the river below. It’s just so nice…and near the city yet. The trail soon arrives back at the access road, and from here it’s a short stroll back to the car. It’s a pleasant little hike (first time for us) with some nice scenery. We really enjoyed our time here and hope you do too.

Till next time…

Know more: (new tab): McKinnon Flats near Calgary.

They’re saying…

“Can we all take a moment to appreciate how great this website is?” Monica & Leslie.

More like this…
Glenbow Ranch Park Bow River Loop (also along the Bow).
Rampart – Isadore Loop (Cranbrook BC).
Brown-Lowery Perimeter Loop.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: November, 2024.
Location: McKinnon Flats (SE of Calgary).
Distance: 8km loop.
Height gain maximum: 90m.
Height gain cumulative: 130m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

It begins up above the Bow River.

A frosty morning.

If in Calgary, it’d rent for a couple thousand.

The trail will soon double back and start the descent.

What’s left of old fence line.

Interesting sandstone formations.

The only other hikers we saw this day (down by the river).

Meeting up with the Bow.

A still side-channel.

A natural place to get away from the city, but still close at hand.

Along the road, but, no traffic this day (road was closed).

At the the old LK Ranch at McKinnon Flats.

Remains of the barn in back.

It starts climbing.

High and higher above the flats.

A nice stroll on grassy slopes.

The trail continues up this draw and then tops out.

The Bow River looks beautiful down there.

On the valley lip – rocks came from adjacent fields.

Brown and blue, with a splash of green.

Back at the road.

Parking ahead (left).

8km and you’re back to where you started.

The post McKinnon Flats Perimeter Loop first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Both parks are across the Bow River from each other and getting from side to side is easily done thanks to pedestrian bridges. There’s one hill part way in, but otherwise the elevation profile of this hike is almost flat as pancake. There’s a bit of history along the way too and that’s always fasinating.

It begins at the main parking lot in Bowness Park and that’s off 48th Ave NW. This large urban green-space dates back well over a hundred years and has always been a popular destination. Then and today.

There’s picnic sites, playgrounds and countless things to do here. Dip your feet in the Bow or sit back and enjoy the view. Play with kids or toss a ball around. Or maybe skate on the lagoon in winter or paddle it in a boat come summer. It’s passed on the drive in and usually quite busy any season.

It’s in the city, but feels far removed from the hustle and bustle. That’s even if one of the busiest roads in Calgary runs a little west of the park. The traffic’s high up on bridges and sort of out of sight.

In the old days Bowness Park was reached from Calgary by a streetcar and it was a popular weekend day trip. Still is. Bowness was an independent town into the 1960s but not heavily developed until after World War Two.

Head to the river, intercept the gravel pathway and turn right. That’s Baker Park across the way and for a time parallel a little railway. It’s been here since the 1950s. In years past there was a merry-go-round on the grounds (now at Calgary’s Heritage Park), a dance pavilion and swimming pool.

Pass under 85th Street NW and enter a wooded area. Seen under the bridge, we share a message to Dan: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Dan, we suggest taking the next flight out of town. You are in a world of trouble, dude! There’s other messages to him below and while his transgressions don’t seem to be clearly stated, he’s a marked man.

Keep to the (now) paved pathway. It makes a hard right where some houses block the way and head’s to the street for a shorty detour. Not long after, take a left down some stairs and right after take a pedestrian bridge over a channel of the Bow onto Silver Springs Island.

This span is built in a form similar to the train bridge just downstream and to your right. Back when we were teens (when not fighting dinosaurs) and before this area became a park (this section is now part of Bowmont Park), the flat down by the train bridge was a place to party. It got crazy some times. Big bonfires, beer swiped from the old man and much debauchery.

Cross a second channel of the Bow, and turn left. The trail runs beside a dog park for a time – you’ll hear the excited barking soon enough. Pass under 85th again and shorty after enter Baker Park. From the 1920 to 1979 it was home the Baker Sanatorium (later Baker Centre) to treat tuberculosis and later other health issues.

It was a large complex and there used to be many buildings on the grounds. The landscaping and sidewalks in Baker Park date back to when this facility operated. We have some old photos of the place we hope eventually incorporate into BIGDoer Then & Nows. The trees will help us line up the shots or so we hope.

The park is a popular venue for wedding photography and we sometimes play disc golf here…although not very good.

Pass a boat launch and city water pumping station then arch left and cross the Bow. The pedestrian bridge used is suspended well below the roadway.
The one you’re under is from the 1990s (Chris here, and back when I was driving truck, I often delivered construction materials while it was being built) and the one beside only a few years old, but built in the same form.

These bridges support the ring road and the section along here is called Stoney Trail.

Upstream and to the right is the old location of the Bowness Ice Plant in business into the 1950s. The pond where they harvested ice is still there but not easily see due to trees. That big building seen back there is stables belonging to the Shriners. The steep wooded escarpment to the left is home to the Wood’s Douglas Fir Tree Sanctuary and you’ll get to know it soon enough.

Climb the stairs or take the switchback ramp to gain height and soon you’re in behind some fairly new houses in the Valley Ridge community. Long ago this land was agricultural and evidence of that use (old fence lines) will be seen from time to time.

Pass the Halloween/Christmas Tree (we think it’s decorated other ways depending on what ever holiday is next) and at a four way junction turn right onto a dirt singletrack. That’s about mid-point between the 200 and 300 blocks of Valley Springs Terrace NW if looking on a map. There was a “Calgary Pathways” sign at this point on our visit and so it’s fairly obvious.

Enter the Wood’s Tree Sanctuary and start dropping down (sometimes on stairs). This little urban forest has ties to the Wood’s Home and they’re a family social organization with property bordering on Bowness Park. This grove is home to a stand of Douglas Fir and they’re rare trees this far east. One was officially dated at more than 280 years old and was standing long before Calgary ever existed.

There’s many trails down this way, but keep to the most trodden. It continues to drop down through the cool forest till it’s just above the the Bow River. It’s a steep slope in places but thanks to the trees the ground is solid and stable. We visited just before the first snow of the year and this section is likely to get icy once winter happens. Traction devices would be a good idea then.

Is that an air gun? From hunting Dan? It’s clearly broken so no threat I guess. Note sections of barbed-wire embedded in trees along the lower section and they’ve been here so long that the wood has grown around them. Come too the Stoney Trail Bridges again and take time to look up. There’s lots of traffic up there, but it can’t be seen and not really heard. Thank goodness, but still once in a while some noise filters down.

Hit the paved pathway, then soon after transfer left to a well-trodden gravel affair and follow it back to the Bow River. Turn right and soon after come to the parking lot. Along the way pass a memorial to Grama Bling (Annabelle McIntosh) 1948-2015 – “Love you to pieces”. She must have had a fondness for Bowness Park and she’s not alone we suppose.

So it ends – a chance for some fresh air and to commune with nature – in the city. The parks weren’t even that busy and once in the Wood’s Sanctuary, we had the place to ourselves. It’s good little hike (especially consider some nagging health issues we’re having), easy to get and quite interesting. If you do it, we hope you have fun like us.

Know more (new tabs): Bowness Park Calgary, Baker Park Calgary and Wood’s Douglas Fir Tree Sanctuary.

They’re saying…

“Can we all take a moment to appreciate how great this website is?” Monica & Leslie.

More in town…
Nose Hill Park Centre Loop. A big Calgary greenspace (mostly grassland) and also with a bit of history.
Cochrane Pathways: Glenbow – Riversong.
Urban Trek: Bridgeland-Crescent Heights-Renfrew.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: Late October, 2024.
Location: Bowness, Calgary.
Distance: 8km Loop.
Height gain maximum: 100m
Height gain cumulative: 120m
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Technical stuff and notes: sections will be icy in winter.

Starting out and next to the little railway at Bowness Park.

Dan: don’t know what you did but you’re in a world of trouble.

Out on the streets for a couple blocks.

Back on the pathway, the low winter sun makes long shadows.

Crossing the Bow.

Entering Baker Park and they need a new map.

Baker Park was once the site of Sanatorium to treat TB.

The two bears.

Baker and Bowness Parks are across the river from each other.

They’re plastic and real flowers would be dead by now.

The first Stoney Trail Bridge finished in 1998.

Bow River below and pumping station in back.

Climbing up the escarpment.

One switchback and top out.

The Halloween Tree.

Right at this sign into Woods Douglas Fir Sanctuary.

Enjoying the last few days without snow.

A pleasant stroll through the trees.

In the city, but from this view you’d never know it.

?????

An old fence and the tree has grown around the wire.

Back at the Stoney Trail Bridges – the left one is recent.

A memorial to Grama Bling 1948-2015.

Looking across to Baker Park.

The loop is almost complete and the day is done.

An easy and fun 8km loop with lots of variety.

The post Bowness & Baker Parks Loop first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

It’s a short one but still quite delightful. There’s a bit of a history angle here (remains of an old homestead) and the trail passes a large glacial erratic. This big rock came from somewhere far away and it happened long ago. There’s a number of erratics in the city but none have a better view than it.

There’s a maze of trails here so duplicating our track might be hard. At the same time, there’s always a trail going in the direction you need, so you’ll get there. There are no signs that we saw so you’ll have to rely on your wits and instincts.

Begin off Piita Rise and just up from the roundabout. There is one house at the end of the road and this parking lot just before, and that’s all. The Winsport Ski Hill (formerly Canada Olympic Park and earlier Paskapoo) borders the opposite site of the road.

Note the old ski jumps from the ’88 Winter Olympics. They’re not used any more, at least in that capacity, although one tower was incorporated into a zip line. It ends right near the fence at that elevated platform.

This hike happens on Medicine Hill/Aiss ka pooma. Paskapoo is the old name, one mistranslated from the native tongue and not recognized officially anymore. Yet it’s still used to describe the slopes. They’re a prominent landmark in Calgary and seen by many motorists on the #1.

From the plaque at the trailhead: “Medicine Hill refers to a place of health and well being, a gathering place that the (Blackfoot) community returns to for renewal and natural healing.”

Drop down and take the most defined path into the woods. This trail angles up the slope at an easy and fairly consistent grade. Small spring-fed streams are bridged and this keeps the habitat from being chewed up. There’s lots of minor dips and rises thanks to the many ravines on Paskapoo Slopes.

If you visit in the fall, the colours will be amazing, but we came a little late and most trees had already dropped their leaves. The bright red berries of Mountain Ash were nice and colourful though.

This trail is marked “Ridge Run” on some maps.

In no time the glacial erratic comes into view. It’s a big one, and standing atop it give one a nice viewpoint to look down on city below. There’s nose hill (a huge urban natural space) far in the distance and many residential neighbourhoods between here and there. The rock was transported down from the Jasper area (some 300km distant as the crow flies) to Paskapoo Slopes and it happened some 12-18k years ago.

Those old photos got the gears grinding…I wonder if we could find the originals and use them for a comparison view? File that for later.

Continue on this line and as before ignore any trails heading more steeply up or down. At a open area, the trail bends right and tackle the slope head on. Keep this line (through several junctions) until you top out at a broad landing and turn right on a well defined trail.

The neighbourhood of Cougar Ridge is off to your left but mostly obscured by trees.

At a large meadow, note an old and well graffitied foundation off to the right. It’s remains of the Gerbrandt Homestead and from 1943-1956 home a family of ten. Ten…in that small place? An old railway boxcar once sat atop that long section of foundation and connected to the house to be used as a kitchen.

All that white stuff in the photo is animal hair and we’re not sure what happened. The amount suggests something bad befell what ever left it behind.

There were other buildings on the property, including a barn and other outbuildings, but there’s no evidence of them any more. Expect to see old fence lines in the area, however, both out in the open and deep in he woods. The trees are a fairly recent thing and old aerial photos of the slopes show there were few here in the past, save for the more sheltered ravines.

We came with some old images of the old homestead and used them as fodder for some Then & Now comparisons to be shared later. If they work out.

Continue on and keep the same heading on what was the old road into the homestead. It drops down the slope at an easy grade and parallels the trail used on the up leg. It’s marked “Lemon Orchard” on certain maps.

Once the trail enters the trees, it becomes clear that it’s an old road and it’ll be used almost to the end. Ahead, there’s two old cars at a small pond. They’re easily of the 1940s or 1950s era and have likely been here a long time. They’re too mangled to make out what exactly they are but if we had the time, you know we’d try and ID them.

It’s not known if they’re connected to Gerbrandts or dumped by someone else. It was not odd in the old days to take junkers into the woods and abandon them when no longer needed. Out of sight and out of mind. We see dumped cars all the time while out exploring and back then it was an almost acceptable way to dispose of them.

Proceed along the old road, pass below that one house we spoke of and bending right hit the paved pathway on Piita Rise. It’s just a short jaunt back to the car at this point and almost quickly as it began, it’s over. It packed a lot of interesting things into that short distance – nature plus natural and human history. That’s a hiking trifecta in our world.

Look at that, only a bit more than an hour has passed and it’s still early morning. It was quick but thoroughly enjoyable.

Know more (new tab): Paskapoo Slopes Calgary Trails.

They’re saying…

“This is a magical website!” Johnny Deutch.

Calgary Hikes…
Nose Hill Park Centre Loop.
Edgemont Ravine (NW Calgary).
Fish Creek Park West.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: October 2024.
Location: Paskapoo Slopes, west end of Calgary off the #1.
Distance: 3.5km loop.
Height gain maximum: 100m.
Height gain cumulative: 125m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Technical stuff and notes: Watch for bikes.

A little history of Medicine Hill, home to these trails.

Thinking back to the ’88 Winter Olympics.

On a cool and crisp fall morning.

Ridge Run is a gentle traverse of the slopes.

Most trees had already dropped their leaves. but not these.

The glacial erratic comes into view.

Dropped here 12-18 thousand years ago.

The city in view only once in a while.

Pleasant going on the forested slopes.

A few spring-fed streams are born here.

Heading directly up now.

The Gerbrandt Homestead – that’s animal hair.

An old fence line.

More remains in the woods.

One of two old cars at this pond.

The second.

On the Lemon Orchard trail.

Early morning long shadows.

Mountain Ash provides food for many bird species.

Near the end – zipline platform in back at Calgary Winsport.

A nice little outing on Paskapoo Slopes.

The post Paskapoo Slopes Loop from Piita Rise first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

It starts west of Bragg Creek and at the very end of West Bragg Creek Road. At this point, you’re just inside Kananaskis, in a area of low ridges and gently rolling hills. The network has a million options and this is a just one.

The trails here are managed and curated. Open to bikers, hikers and equestrian riders all year round, it’s also home to an extensive network of ski and snowshoe trails come winter. When there’s no snow on the ground and it’s warmer out, those ones are multi-use.

In spite of all the different user bases, everyone seems to coexist well in West Bragg and that’s wonderful. The network is well signed and we think all or minimally most junctions have maps. To get lost here would require lots of determination or a blindfold.

The elevation gain on this hike is minimal and there’s no real hills of speak of or worry about the whole trip.

From the parking lot, head west and let the fun begin. In this case, we choose the West Crystal Line snowshoe and hiking trail (pink on maps). It’s a little more interesting than the ski trail of the same name (blue on maps) and which runs beside. The latter makes use of an old logging road whereas the former winds through the trees and is not so boringly straight.

Many of the XC ski trails used this day were once roads used during timber harvesting (and they still do some logging in the area today) or connected to gas exploration.

Cool and wet weather brought out the mushrooms. We’ve read all the books and studied up on the subject, but still struggle IDing most. Some here were the size of dinner plates and others almost microscopic.

Some seem to flourish on cattle droppings. Cows free roam here in the summer and this is made evident thank fences and cattle gates. Some brightly coloured mushrooms grow in dense groups on decaying stumps and fallen trees.

Bunchberries and their little clusters of bright red fruit blanket the forest floor in spots. So pretty.

After a while come the Moose Connector XC trail (blue) and turn right. There’s a lot of junctions along the way, but there’s signs to keep you on the right path. Soon after come to Moose Loop proper, also blue on maps and with sections shared with the Tom Snow Trail. Turn left and head west.

Like the Moose Connector trail, this one is wide and in the trees. It circles a large low area of meadows, bogs and ponds. Once in a while the trees thin enough that you can actually see it. Moose are drawn to places like this and if you’re lucky you may spot one down there. No luck for us today but we did see signs of them being in the area (big hoof prints).

At one point, drop down to a little creek, and cross over via a bridge. There’s a nice picnic spot here and others along the way too.

At a junction (go right) the trail is shared with a pipeline right of way. Moose Mountain, the closest large peak can sometimes be seen poking out above the forest (or cutblocks) to the west. Cross another creek and bend east on the same pipeline right-of-way.

Rather than follow it, we choose to take to the Moose Trail (brown on maps) that runs beside Moose Loop, but just to the north and in the woods. It’s more winding and interesting.

The low Moose Meadows are not often visible from this side, except when you bend around the east end. That’s a nice view west.

Back on Moose Connector, intercept Mountain Road and turn left (east). This is a main artery of the West Bragg trails and used by anyone, no matter the conveyance or season, as a direct route in or out of the western reaches of the network. Like we were doing here and so were many others. It’s a like a superhighway and no different this day.

Sections of the system, like here, can be busy, but once everyone spreads out further afield, traffic is not a problem. There’s a lot of trails and offshoots. We saw only a few folks along the Moose Loop section and seen this day were near the parking lot. If you like solitude, like us, you can find it and pretty easily too.

It’s Chris writing this, and back in my oilfield truck days, I actually drove this road while delivering some pipes to a well in the area. It is still a service road (gated at the parking lot) but mostly used by trail users. Those having fun and enjoying nature.

Soon after the beaver pond arrive at the parking lot. The adventures is over, but there will be more another day. Here in the West Bragg trail system or elsewhere in Kananaskis. So many trails and so little time.

This route is just a suggestion and one can hit up Moose Loop from a number of other connectors. The possibilities are endless and consults a map (they’re online too) if you want to do it different.

We truly hope you enjoyed the little tour presented here and if you follow the same path, that it’s similarly enjoyable as it was for us. A day in the woods is a good one but a day in the woods, with great company, a nice lunch and the day’s problems temporarily forgotten, well, that’s epic.

Know more about the WBC trail network: (new tab): West Bragg Creek Trails.

They’re saying…

”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!… Dayna Kent. (It’s really is like a vacation).

More easy ones like this…
Baldy Pass to Lusk Pass Loop.
Adair Ridge – Porcupine Hills Ridge.
Ford Knoll Loop.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: September, 2024.
Location: West Bragg Creek Trails, Kananaskis.
Distance: 12km loop.
Height gain maximum: 100m
Height gain cumulative: 140m
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: Bragg Creek Trails Association.

It happens in the West Bragg Creek Trails Network.

On West Crystal Line and headed to the Moose Loop.

Cool weather brought out the mushrooms.

Cattle gates – the trails are sometimes shared with cows.

Speaking of cows, their calling card and more mushrooms.

On the Moose Connector Trail.

Little Bunchberry plants at ground level.

Now on Moose Loop proper – lots of maps in the network.

A pleasant and relaxing stroll in the forest.

Dropping down to cross a creek.

A pleasant picnic spot.

Moose Loop circles this big, sometimes marshy meadow.

They grow big…

The grow tiny…

And they grow in colourful clusters on decaying wood…

This section of the trail is shared with a pipeline right of way.

Moose Mountain peeks out over the forest.

On Moose Trail – it very closely parallels Moose Loop.

A nice and easy time the whole way,

In the low rolling foothills of the Rockies.

No moose at the moose ponds.

On Mountain Road, the WBC Network’s superhighway.

Passing the beaver ponds and almost done.

12km of fun and very little elevation.

The post West Bragg Creek Trails: Moose Loop first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

If you like solitude this trail isn’t ideal and we passed maybe a couple dozen people on the hike. Most, as could be expected given the specular surroundings, seemed to be in a jovial mood. The mountains have a way of doing that to folks. To avoid the crowds go during the week when it’s quieter and you should be fine.

The trailhead is located at the Lantern Creek day use area on Highway #40 south of Highwood Pass. Cross the highway, head north a bit and take to the obvious path on the far bank of the creek. That’s Lantern Creek gurgling away beside the trail.

For the next bit the trail climbs rather gently in the trees but later traverses steep grassy slopes high above the creek. But also at a gentle grade. The trail is narrow here, and passing opposing hikers is like playing a game of twister. The side-slope is too steep on each side to do much else.

Along the way there’s bridges or boardwalks that cross wet and swampy areas. The whole trip you’ve been heading roughly northeast, however at a side valley, the trail turns north for a bit.

Soon after tackle a steep and treed slope ahead. In years past, it did so straight on, but since our last visit in 2014, a switchback trail was built. The old one was probably eroding, and the new one, while longer, has a gentler grade.

Here’s what we said about the old route from a trip report that year: “…a long leg burning forty five degree angle plod where you head straight up. Levelling off briefly, if one desires, they can do some scrambling by tackling the obvious rib that drops down from the right. Turning east again, soon there is another steep climb (shorter) which brings you to a low rock band.” If we were to describe the current path now, it’d be rather mundane in comparison.

Once at the high point, things open up and the trail is seen descending down to the first of the Picklejar Lakes. You can see its waters shimmering off in the distance and it beckons you to come.

There’s a good viewpoint from here looking north and we recognize place we’ve been up to, but from a long time ago now. There’s a group of bumps called the South Mist Hills and we’ve been eyeing them up for a triumphant return. Our little hiking journal tells us it’s been a decade since we last visited. That’s Mist Mountain further back.

There’s a rockslide to cross, which happened a decade back, but the trail is well beaten down now. It was a little more rough on our first visit, but well established now. Interestingly, what was swept away was replaced with an almost equal amount of material from higher up, and therefore it was not that big of a problem. But it did look ugly back then, but nature has a way of healing itself.

In no time arrive at the first lake and it was a pretty busy place this visit. Rather then doddle, we made a run for the last, upper or fourth lake, then planned to leisurely work our way back.

Getting to second of the Picklejar Lakes requires climbing a small head wall but it’s no big deal. The second lake is rimed on all sides by trees and feels the least open. Like the fourth seen a little bit later, it’s quite shallow and has a a muddy bottom. A gurgling stream and cascading falls connects the second and first lakes.

Climbing a little more, the third and arguably the most photogenic lake, comes into view. You can follow a trail in the scree on the south bank and on return can loop around the other side if you so choose. In fact, there’s many offshoot trails one can take, if they wish to explore more and have the time. The third lakes appears the the deepest and as such the most colourful. It’s deep, sparkling blue and a photo from 2014 we’ve included really shows that.

After another short climb come to a large rock bench and directly below is the fourth of the Picklejar Lakes. It’s the shallowest and more like a seasonal pond. It was rather dry and unattractive on this visit. We’ll show some photos from a previous time we were here when it looked better rather than ruin the series with ugly ones.

There’s some woods beyond the final lake, then it’s solid, barren rock rising ever higher and higher.

To the south, Lineham Ridge is seen, along with one of those mountains whose name is simply an alphanumeric “grid reference” sequence (GR593982 – yup, that’s it). The ridge that wraps around to the north, to the best of our knowledge is not named officially, but maybe considered an extension of Highwood Peak, far to the north and unseen from this angle. Some call it Picklejar Peak but we call it awesome.

Speaking of names, on Google some of the Picklejar Lakes have been given some silly monikers by someone having a little fun. One is Polski Ogorki Lake and another Baby Dill Lake.

The first of the Picklejar Lakes (so Polski Orgoki) later became our lunch spot and we enjoyed some yummy eats, and wine, while in awe of the view. It was intoxicating. We were not alone at this spot and in fact, most of this trip we were in the company of others who came, like us, to revel in this amazing place.

It starts pouring and refuge is taken under group of trees part way into the meal. Many people turn and hi-tail it out of the valley, but the jokes on them. They’ll still get wet and this is Kananaskis anyway, where one minute there’s a deluge and the next it often tapers off to a light mist. Like it did here, and right on cue the downpour stops. There’s odd bits of blue sky too, but still, the whole forest is really wet now and we end up soaked. So be it.

We passed many anglers this day and it’s clear fishing here is good. Most congregated at the third lake. From what we saw nearly every cast resulted in a strike and while quite tiny, the little trout proved feisty. The fourth lake (and perhaps the second too) may be too shallow for fish.

Many anglers do the fly fishing thing and when done by someone proficient, it’s art in the purest sense. It’s magic to watch. The fishing here is strictly catch and release. All the lakes have very clear water.

Random camping seems to be allowed and we saw a few people set up for an overnight stay at many points in the valley. We bet it gets real dark here, and deathly quiet…and lonely…come 2am.

When you’ve had your fill, if you ever could, retrace your steps back to the day use area. In no time hikers will be back at their car and with a very satisfying adventure completed. Amazing scenery is a hallmark of hiking trails in the area, and trail up to the Picklejar Lakes does not disappoint.

What’s in a name? Fishing at the lakes is said to be so easy, that it’s suggested one could use an empty picklejar to scoop them up. Or that it’s like pulling pickles from a jar and both are mentioned.

Know more: (new window): Picklejar Lakes Kananaskis.

They’re saying…

”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!… Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

More like this…
Baldy Pass to Lusk Pass Loop.
Jumpingpound Mountain East Ridge.
Raspberry Ridge via Switchback Route.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: August, 2024.
Location: Highwood River area, Kananaskis.
Distance: 12km out and back.
Height gain maximum: 550m.
Height gain cumulative: 650m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: The Daffern’s Kananaskis Trail Guides.

The Picklejar Lakes hike begins off Highway #40.

An old sign at the start.

It begins in the trees but later there’s open slopes like this.

Paintbrush grows in open areas.

The scenery just gets better and better.

The old steep section was bypassed.

People up on the ridge above.

Looking back from the high point.

The South Mist Hills.

Entering the valley of the Picklejar Lakes.

Before you cast, a few rules to consider.

The second lake is small, shallow and the shore well treed.

The third lake is most spectacular of all.

The fishing appeared good.

The second lake on Google Map is called Baby Dill.

A little stream tumbles over the rocks.

Cheers!

There’s a downpour and we take refuge under trees.

The first Picklejar Lake.

On Google Maps it’s Polski Olgorki Lake.

There were lots of Goldenrod in the slide zone.

Back up to the highpoint, marked by that outcropping.

Soaking up the views – looking south-ish.

Back into the trees for a time.

A field of Fireweed.

Bridges and boardwalks cross wet areas.

We didn’t want to leave…

The forest was wet and we were soaked.

The map to a wonderous place.

From 2014…

The third lake was spectacular that visit.

The fourth Picklejar Lake is the typical end of the hike.

The cirque in behind.

We always toast the day.

At the outflow of the first lake.

Mist Mountain peaks out from behind the Mist Hills.

The post Picklejar Lakes Kananaskis first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

It takes a bit of effort to arrive at the pass, but it’s well worth it. There’s two steep pushes, one about halfway in and again near the end (bonus – it’s all downhill on the return leg). Otherwise, it’s pretty easy going and in many place the trail is rather flat. It begins as a forest hike, but later on they thin and views open up. There’s big towering walls of limestone all around and they’re starkly beautiful.

The Burstall Pass trail is along the Smith Dorrien/Spray Lakes road, a dusty, gravely affair, and is a little northwest-ish of the Kananaskis Lakes. It’s an official trail, meaning it’s marked and maintained. You can bike it for the first few kilometres, if you so wish, but have to do the rest on foot. There’s a place to lock-up them up part way in.

Bringing sandals is a good idea as there is often an unavoidable water crossing a few kilometres in. Across the glacier outflow and damn, can it be cold.

From the Burstall Pass parking lot head west and pass aptly named Mud Lake. Follow the signs to an old logging road, enter the trees and turn right (west). A second trail heads south and takes you to French Glacier and a lower road goes somewhere else but we’ve never followed it. Take neither. The road is wide and the hiking pleasant.

It gains a little elevation but it’s subtle and you’ll barely notice. At times you can hear a stream gurgling in a deep gorge below but it’s rarely seen. Along the way, there will be many side roads heading off in various directions and these date back to when the valley was logged. Avoid them and head west on the most obvious route.

At a break in the trees, you can see one of the Burstall Lakes off to the right. Take some time to visit it, and another a bit further west, both via side trails.

The logging road soon peters out (at the bike locks) and reverts to single track. It’s still a very easy stroll and in short order, you’ll come to a broad gravel expanse that is the glacier outflow flats. There are many braided streams along here and sometimes (like this visit) a person can pick their way through without getting wet. But most times you’ll need to don sandals, go barefoot (if you have tough souls) or deal with soaked footwear.

The dense brush here means it would be easy to get lost, but fortunately a number of markers are in place to guide one along. From here there’s fantastic views of surrounding mountains – on the left and flanking Robertson Glacier in the west, is oddly named Piggy Plus. That’s Whistling Ridge on the opposite side but Google calls it Whistling Rock Peak and others named it Whistling Rock Ridge.

On the north side of the valley there’s Snow Peak, Mt Birdwood, Pig’s Tail and Commonwealth Peak. All are are stunning! Robertson Glacier is a small one, relatively speaking, but still a huge mass of ice and snow. It’s seems to be shrinking too and we’ve noticed it’s smaller when comparing it in photos from many years ago.

On the return leg of this hike, we were passed by some folks that climbed up and skied the glacier. They looked rather odd flying past on bikes with unwieldy skis strapped to their backs. It was a hot and very summery day.

On hitting the woods, follow the trail as it tackles a headwall and this is the first serious elevation gain. Huffing a puffing along, enter a nice sub-alpine valley and here the trail levels out for a time. Nice and pleasant. The trees thin again and this affords one the first view of Burstall Pass, at the base of Snow Peak in the west.

The trail turns left into the trees and again heads up steadily for a time. On arriving at the pass, finally, the trees thin again and prepare yourself for some spectacular views. Burstall Pass is awesome! Up there in the alpine, it’s stark and the rock mostly barren limestone. Yet at the same time it’s of an incredible beauty and you’re sure to be in awe.

A few hardy larches grow here and there. It’s a tough environment, doubly so in winter (and we’ve visited it then) and only the hardiest of plants are able to survive here.

A ledge allows a good look at the valley you just came up and beyond. The smooth slabs of Whistling Ridge (west side) really stand out. To the north is Mt Sir Douglas and then South Burstall Pass. To the right is a modest ridge (unnamed) which one day, we keep telling ourselves, we’ll visit. By the time we reached the pass it was well over thirty degrees and this had us worried it’d be too much. Hot is our kryptonite. This happened on other visits too, so for now it’s eluded us.

That’s Snow Peak to the north and it’s a moderate scramble route. At its base a deep sinkhole is seen and which likely was created when a cave system collapsed. This area has many underground voids and that this one drains of water means there is an outlet somewhere down there. Over time groundwater dissolves the rock and creates fissures, passages and caves.

Many karst formations can be found near here and these were also created by groundwater reacting with the rock. Precipitated material from long ago has created odd formations and while spectacular, one should be careful around them. There are in fact lots of possible dangers in karst areas. Cracks can twist your ankle and sharp edges could cut you good. Trust us and a certain unnamed Team member suffered the consequences of inattention on a previous visit. Gashed up a leg real bad and learned a lesson.

Making one’s way to the west side of the pass opens some new vistas. We noted not every hikers up here walked the short distance to this side, oddly, even though it takes minimal work.

The views overlooking the Spray River Valley are stupendous and at this point you’re close to the border with Banff National Park. To the south, among others, is Mt Leman. Below it is a lake of the same name and it’s a brilliant deep blue/green colour. There is a back country campground on its shores and they can be reach from a connecting trail down from Burstall Pass, among others.

To the north are Mounts Leval, Vavasour, Warre and Currie. Peaking out from behind another summit is Mt Assiniboine. It’s called Canada’s Matterhorn and is the tallest peak in this part of the world. Sometimes and that’s when there’s some now up there, it almost looks like the Egyptian Sphinx. There’s a few groves of trees here and there, on this side of the pass so it’s less barren.

Leaving is the hardest part but at some point hikers will have to head back. The same way. This day the temperature had risen by the time we left Burstall Pass and as a result water levels at the glacier outflow had increased considerably since the up leg. Cool, cool water, and this case, we liked it. The rest of the trip back was rather uneventful and quick. We’ve included a photo from 2014, when it was really flowing.

It should come as no surprise this hike is quite popular and we saw perhaps a dozen other people this day. On earlier visits we’ve sometimes seen many more than that.

The parking lot for the Chester Lake and Headwall Lakes hiking trails are directly across from the Burstall Pass trailhead. Both are fine destinations in themselves and truth be told, most trails in the Smith Dorrien area lead to stunning places.

Know more: (new window): Burstall Pass Kananaskis Hike.

They’re saying…

”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!… Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

More hikes…
Grass Pass to Fir Creek Point & More.
Devil’s Hole (East Kootenay BC).
James Walker Creek.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: August, 2023.
Location: Smith Dorrien area, Kananaskis.
Distance: 18km there and back.
Height gain maximum: 465m (a previous trip said 485m)
Height gain cumulative: 550m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Technical stuff: none to speak of.
Reference: The Daffern’s Kananakis Trail Guides.

Mud Lake at the start.

Interesting patterns in the mud.

Long shadows of morning.

One of the Burstall Lakes.

You can bike to here but no further.

Almost at the glacier outflow.

On the gravel flats.

It’d be easy to get lost, but fortunately there’s signs.

The first of two steep pushes.

Burstall Pass dead ahead centre.

Mushrooms, mushrooms everywhere.

Heading up again – South Burstall Pass in the distance.

You’ve arrived! Snow Peak in back.

The Burstall Pass sinkhole (circled).

Leman Lake in Banff National Park.

We’ve studied many guide books, but still can’t properly ID them.

The rock here is comprised of Limestone.

A few hardy trees have somehow managed to survive.

Hikers below.

Lunch in a sheltered spot.

Mt Birdwood, Pig’s Tail and Commonwealth Peak.

Not in trademark yellow this day.

Back at the glacier outflow.

Almost at an end.

The Burstall Pass trail goes wonderful places.

Burstall Pass 2011…

The smooth slabs on Whistling Ridge (Whistling Rock Peak).

A winter’s view.

2014…

Mt Assiniboine takes on the appearance of a sphinx.

The water was flowing this day.

2008…

Robertson Glacier has shrunk a bit since this photo.

The post Burstall Pass is Awesome! first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

The property is mostly grasslands and for much of its history part of a working ranch. Even today, some sections are used seasonally for cattle grazing. The town of Cochrane butts up against the west end of the park and Calgary’s knocking on the door to the east. Still, there’s plenty of solitude to be found.

All trails begin at the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park office. It’s located on a slope above the park and this means that there’s always climb out at the very end of every hike. For our route, which mostly keeps to the flats down by the river, it’s the only up this day. Other parts of the park can be quite hilly.

Hit the trail and almost at the start, there’s a little side spur on the left where one can view remains of a ranch house that once stood on the property. All that’s left are the chimneys and we’ve shared photos of these before (see it here: Glenbow Ranch Big West Loop). Just before that there’s another short trail to a nice lookout off to the right.

At the office, stop and take in the views. There’s a Bow River down there, the Canadian Pacific’s Mainline (their track bisects the park), lots of pasture, some trees, many trails heading in as many directions and cultivated fields across the river. The city is that close but mostly out of sight and out of mind here.

The town of Glenbow was once located down there on the flats and there’s some remains of it even today. The old store, remnants of a brick factory and other bits. Still, most of it is long gone.

Drop down on the Glenbow Trail, one of the main thoroughfares in Glenbow Ranch Park. It’s paved but once on the loop portion of the route, there will be gravel underfoot. We sort of like the crunch, crunch of natural material verses asphalt, but that’s us.

Note the Yodel Trail part way down – it zig-zags up to the top of a low bump to the left. This was going to be used on the return leg of the trip (it reconnects back with the Glenbow Trail later on) but it’s calving season and the far section is blocked from use so the cows can get a little peace and quiet raising their young ones.

Dropping down further still, come to a junction. There’s some interpretive signage here (and at many other places in the park). Learn about the town, animals that frequent the area, flora seen in the park and other things.

You’ll see an old building down by the train tracks and it’s the former store in the town of Glenbow. Later it was used as a granary and old photos show it was brick sheathed earlier on. There’s a side trail that can get you closer. It closed about 1918 according to history records.

Proceed left.

Make note of a pit off to the right along this stretch and it’s here where clay was extracted for the brick plant. If you look close on the far side you can see a few cement piers that supported some kind of structure. Just beyond and also not easy to see are some discarded reject bricks. They’re those orange piles. The plant only operated for a short time and had quality issues.

Glenbow as a town existed for only a short period from about 1907-1920. A nearby sandstone quarry was the main employer in the early years and we’ll chat about that operation soon enough. We can’t shut up when talking about industrial history.

Incidentally, trail users are asked to not go off-trail to view any remnants.

Pass some corrals on the left – part of the ranching operation that still makes use of park lands – and at the next junction turn right. There’s a shelter here and it’ll be put to use by one of us when the rains come later. The trail to the left connects with the Yodel Trail mentioned earlier, but is fenced off so the cows can doing their thing without being disturbed.

A sign marks the location of Glenbow School but you’ll have to take their word for it. There’s no obvious evidence over there in the field that it ever existed and only a single photo found in any archives searched. The one on their plaque.

The town came and went in the blink of an eye, but even so had a population that sometimes was in the hundreds. Glenbow makes mention in old CPR timetables and even after the town ceased to be, it continued to be used as a cattle shipping point on the railway.

Cross the racks and bend left. The CPR line is busy one and in our time in the park we saw or heard the passing of many freights. Six or seven I think. The gravel path to the right is where the Bow River Loop section of this hike returns back to pavement.

Parallel the tracks and at a biffy and picnic area, take a right onto the gravel pathway. The Glenbow Trail continues east for sometime and eventually will reach all the way to Calgary. They’re already pretty close.

This is a good lunch spot and as we always do, we take an extended break and make a toast to the day. These long lunch stops are always something to look forward to.

A storm approaches from the west and soon it’d be raining hard. Getting soaked is nothing new and just part of hiking.

The Bow River Trail loops around the pasture here and the river is close at times. Look for raptor nests in the cottonwoods along here. It’s an idyllic scene, yet just a few clicks to the east, but out of sight at this point is a population of one point something million. The affluent area of Springbank is just up and beyond those trees across the river. The illusion is of a place remote and distant, but in all honestly it’s anything but.

Before reaching the the river look back to the slope above the railway. You’ll notice a distinct shelf about halfway up (with lots of trees) and this is where the sandstone quarry operated. A number of buildings in Calgary and Edmonton were made using blocks from here. It operated 1907-1912 and closed due to declining demand and quality of material extracted.

There’s shortcut on the Bow River loop about halfway in and with the rain pelting down, Connie retreats to the shelter seen earlier, while the other of us continues on stubbornly. She was smart enough to bring an umbrella where as a hoodie this guy had.

At times, one can see some old-looking structures across the river and it’s the Bow Valley Ranch set used by a number of filmed western productions. We’ve visited other western sets in the Calgary area, but not this one.

These river flats are gorgeous. Looks for wild strawberries growing beside the trail. Golden Bean (I think that’s what they’re called) also grows in proliferation here and are a bright yellow colour (so BIGDoer approved). The opposite bank is well treed, but on this side there’s not many.

The trail doubles back to the tracks and parallels them back to pavement. Note more corrals to the left and it’s thought these were used to load cattle onto trains at one time.

Hit the pavement and retrace one’s steps back to the office. The rain’s stopped by this point and while one of us is wet to the bone, the other is all fine and dry. And smug.

Next, comes a climb up and soon the parking area comes into view. The lot always seems busy here at Glenbow Ranch Park, but there’s so many trails that congestion never seems to be an issue. We saw only a few folks this day and no one along the Bow River Loop section.

One last look back on the way up and enjoy the view. It sure is nice having a place so natural that’s so convenient to town.

Know more: (new tab): Hiking Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.

They’re saying…

“Well written and well researched. You feel part of the adventure!” David Fionn Clarke.

More easy stuff like this…
Nose Hill Park Centre Loop.
Miquelon Lake Park Big Loop.
Cross Conservation Big Loop.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: May, 2024.
Location: Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park (west of Calgary).
Distance: 10km – part out and back, part loop.
Height gain maximum: 110m.
Height gain cumulative: 120m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park between Calgary and Cochrane.

Welcome to Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.

Dropping down – old Glenbow Store in back.

Corrals in back – sections of the park are still used for cattle grazing.

Like here…

The school for the former town of Glenbow was once located nearby.

An old railway timetable mentions the town.

Along the Glenbow Trail.

Lots of interpretive signage along the way.

A toast…to the day!

A storm approaches and soon it’d be raining hard.

Wild strawberries everywhere.

The sign speaks of sandstone quarry that once operated on the slope in back.

A closer look at the quarry location – that green belt mid-slope.

Little yellow flowers were everywhere – Golden Bean I think.

At a cattle gate.

The Bow River comes into view.

The rain begins & Connie retreats via a shortcut to the shelter not far away.

Note the big nest – chicks were making noise up there.

It’s really coming down now.

We’re so close to the city, but you’d never know it.

The trail loops back beside the train tracks – more rain.

Glimpses of a film set across the river.

Busy tracks bisect Glenbow Ranch Park.

A bug’s view.

The old clay pits for the brick company.

Trains are frequent.

The view by the park office.

Glenbow Park Bow River Loop, an enjoyable 10km.

The post Glenbow Ranch Park Bow River Loop first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

First, there’s a section along the river flats of Fish Creek Provincial Park and then it’s up along the bluffs on the far side before looping back. It’s a mix of gravel and paved pathways, with the Bow rarely far away and almost always within view.

It begins at the Bankside lot off the south end of Bow Bottom trail. Take the first left into Fish Creek Park and then proceed to the very end. Feet in motion, take to the gravel path in behind the washrooms and head north. The river’s just a stone’s throw away and on each of our visits here, busy with anglers. Fishing’s good right here in the city and that speaks of a healthy waterway.

The trail roughly parallels a paved pathway on the same heading, and it can be used if you wish. The gravel path is more relaxed and scenic, however. It bends left at a side channel in the river (Mallard Point Channel on maps) and that’s Poplar Island, a nature preserve, there to your right.

It’s off limits to all but our animal friends. Deer, coyotes, eagles, owls, many other furry and winged creatures all make their home. Expect to see something moving over there. Except for this day…of course.

At points along here the river has eaten away at the bank and compromised the pathway a bit. This section is marked as the Trans-Canada trail. At the Mallard Point lot return to pavement and soon after cross over the Bow River on a pedestrian bridge. This area was particularly busy with anglers on our visit. They were both on the shore and floating by in little dories.

Enter a wooded grove, and we timed it so this area became our lunch stop. The cottonwoods grow well here and a fallen one makes a handy little bench. Now comes the best part of any hike, good eats, good company and a nice bottle of wine. This is the reward and we stretch it out as long as we can.

The pathway meanders this way and that, before meeting up with the Bow River again. The neighbourhoods of Douglasdale and McKenzie Lake back on the parkland here but it still feels quite wild.

The trail rises up on the bluffs and this the only elevation gained on this Bow River Loop. This high position affords one some nice sweeping views. There’s downtown to the north, and its big towering office blocks. In every direction, there’s the city below – houses and highways – it seemingly goes on forever.

Off in the west and not that far away, the still snow-bound mountains look as though an impenetrable wall. It’s spring in Calgary, but winter is not quite ready to let go there.

Little signs new life are all about and this makes everyone a bit giddy. Prairie Crocus, the first flowering plant of the season, are seen underfoot. The trees are budding and the grass a vibrant green. Little songbirds happily chirp as they flew about chaotically. It’s a new beginning for everything and everyone.

There’s Canada Geese by the score, Ducks, Terns I think, and more Gulls that can be counted. A million? More? The din they made at times was incredible. The Bow is a superhighway for waterbirds and it was rush hour down there. Nature’s Deerfoot Trail.

The pathway runs atop a long retaining wall for a time and the pathway almost in some people’s back yards.

Soon after come to the site of the old Paterson Homestead and take a little time to explore some history. There was a farm here, going back well over a century and this memorial placed in its honour. Not all that long ago, this area was fields and pastures, and the Patterson farm lasted well into the 1990s. Now it’s all houses and that’s as far as as the eye can see. Most of Calgary is very new and expanding at an incredible rate.

Take the next right and drop down to the South Fish Creek pedestrian bridge. Cross over and you’re back in Fish Creek Provincial Park. Take to the gravel path winding among the cottonwoods – they grow big – and in no time, arrive back at the parking lot.

A good in-city hike is something we really enjoy and while we like a history angle, a walk with bit of greenery like this is never unwelcome. Variety make life interesting. This one was mostly flat and super easy, so just the ticket.

So ends about a ten-k hike and it was such a good one that time seemed to zip past. Thanks for joining us on this little adventure and maybe it’ll inspire you to follow the same route. Calgary has lots of pathways, so why not enjoy them and this one’s a good suggestion. The Bow River Loop and the wine, both get and enthusiastic thumb’s up.

Know more: (new tabs): Calgary Pathways System and Fish Creek Provincial Park.

They’re saying…

“The strange ability to make even the ordinary seem interesting.” Avenue Magazine.

More in-town fun…
Lethbridge Pathways: Under the Viaduct.
Red Deer Alberta: River Loop.
Urban Trek: 17th Ave SE.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: April, 2024.
Location: SE Calgary, Alberta.
Distance: 10.5km loop.
Height gain maximum: 40m.
Height gain cumulative: 60m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

Starting out in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

Pica hudsonia – Black-billed Magpie.

Looking across to Poplar Island.

Along a side channel of the Bow – trail is being eaten away.

Poplar Island is a nature preserve.

This route is a mix of gravel and paved pathways.

Crossing over the Bow – a little fishing in back.

Today’s wine selection gets a thumb’s up.

Close to the river along here.

It’s a in-city hike, but that’s not always apparent.

Poplar Island across the way appears quite wild.

Up atop the bluffs.

These honkers were unhappy with our presence.

The view west to Fish Creek Park and beyond.

Downtown is some distance away.

Spot the angler?

A big retaining wall supports the pathway here.

There’s good fishing on the Bow.

A memorial to Milo?

Site of the Patterson Homestead.

Signs of spring and that’s wonderful!

Crossing back over.

Big Cottonwoods grow down here on the flats.

Looking across to where we were earlier and note all the waterbirds.

Bow River Loop: In the city, but with a natural flair.

The post Bow River Loop SE Calgary first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

What you won’t see much of is Canmore itself and mostly the town is hidden by trees. Other than the backyards of homes lining the pathway, or other occasional glimpses, it’s often not even in sight. It feels far removed from anything urban and a cool illusion.

This trek begins at Riverside Park off River Avenue and just a little west-ish of downtown. This part of Canmore can be chaotic, especially during tourist season, but as the most direct way to get to Riverside Park will require that sacrifice. It can be crowded and busy, notably so on a summer weekend, but still, it’s not Banff bad.

Head towards the river and intercept the pathway. Already there’s views and take in Mount Lawrence Grassi, Ha Ling Peak and East End of Rundle. A little further back and to the east The Three Sisters are seen. There’s the mighty Bow and its emerald coloured waters. It’s all gorgeous and overwhelming (in a good way).

Turn left and in a short distance use the pedestrian bridge to get to the other side. Once on the other side, turn right and follow the pathway along a berm.

Come to the TransAlta Rundle Powerplant and it’s fed by water coming from high up above town. At this point you’re along the old spur into the various Canmore Mines. It was coal that once drove the local economy, where as today, it’s tourism and outdoor activities. Many houses on this side of the river, a bit downstream, sit atop the old workings but most evidence of these operations are gone.

A railway bridge takes one onto an island and soon after a second much larger structure crosses the main channel of the Bow. This is Canmore’s “Engine Bridge”, a popular spot and the subject of a bazillion photographs. It’s historic, unique as railway bridges go, and more so that incredible backdrop of mountain scenery means it attracts a lot of folks. As such it’s popular for wedding or family or group photography.

It’s of a rare truss design, older than any railway bridge we know of, and to learn more go here: Canmore “Engine” Bridge.

On exiting turn left at the three way junction and parallel the river. The route straight ahead, built atop of the old railway line, will be used on the return leg. The main channel of the Bow and the pathway parts ways and for the next while stroll in the trees in behind houses.

The Canmore Pathways route used today is a mix of gravel and paved surfaces. On our visit, early in April, packed ice was encountered in shaded areas and we had to don traction devices. If it’s winter, bring spikes even if they may not be needed for all sections.

The path comes to a golf course and at a junction take the main trail right. Continue on behind more homes, beside the links and in back of a school. The way is always obvious. That river backwater channel to the right is often dry over winter but with the spring melt later fills up. You’ll parallel it for a while.

Cross 17th Avenue and continue on the same heading on the Canmore Pathways, alongside what most maps call Policeman’s Creek. At a junction continue straight but make note that (paved) trail heading right which will be used a little later.

In quick succession cross 10th and then 8th Street. There’s some restaurants nearby and the smell of grilled meats near drove us crazy. Resist the urge to seek them out! Watch for the Big Head here and there’s an uncanny resemblance between it and one member of Team BIGDoer. Won’t say who.

Now comes the boardwalk. It’s follows alongside a channel which most of the time is filled with water but on our visit, dry as a bone. It’s the calm before the spring melt. This section is particularly enjoyable and the scenery, as always, is amazing. Perhaps more so than any other section of the trail. The mountains are majestic any time of year, but even more stunning when snow-capped as they were on out visit.

On Spring Creek Drive, cross over Policeman’s Creek and double back on the far side. Chalet style condos back onto the trail and some benches along here make a nice picnic spot. Thanks to the Easter Bunny for helping with lunch – left overs from our grandkid’s egg hunt a few days earlier.

We can see why people choose to live here in this mountain community, even if the costs are high. All the scenery you could ever ask for and the Canmore Pathways system is extensive and wonderful.

Back on the road, come to a pedestrian bridge, cross back to the other side of the waterway, turn left and in no time, you’re back on the boardwalk. Continue on the same path used earlier – at the big head you can head left into downtown if you’re looking for some action. Lots of shops and eateries there.

At the paved pathway turn left. The trail here is atop a built up berm and it’s clear this was an old railway line. Cross a couple roads – these houses were not here when the railway line was use, that’s for sure. Incidentally, the coal moved out along this spur from the 1895-1979. Then: a gritty coal town in every sense but with some amazing scenery. Now: a tourist mecca with no less a view.

At the Engine Bridge turn left. Just before make note of a railway telltale and it’s a warning device for train workers riding atop rail cars that there’s low clearances ahead. So the bridge and little chains dangling down would hit anyone standing up that high. Back in the old days, it was common practice to ride atop cars to set the brakes.

In no time you’ll be back at Riverside Park and your car. We decide the scenery is too good to say goodbye too, yet, and we find a bench so we can take it in more. Peer out over the river towards all those majestic peaks and be in awe. We sit there for a good twenty minutes, saying little and lost in our own thoughts.

We’re so lucky to have such a wonderful playground in close proximity to home. Kananaskis and the Bow Valley are for outdoor enthusiasts a little slice of heaven and that’s proven this day. Had a blast!

Know more: (new tab): Canmore Pathways.

They’re saying…

”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!… Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

More info about the Canmore “Engine” Bridge.

More in-town hikes…
Lethbridge Pathways: Under the Viaduct.
Didsbury Alberta Town Loop.
Mirror Lake & Stoney Creek Loops Camrose.
Urban Trek: 17th Ave SE.

If you wish more information about this adventure or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: April, 2024.
Location: Canmore, Alberta.
Distance: 10km.
Height gain maximum: negligible.
Height gain cumulative: see above.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

This Canmore Pathways adventure begins at Riverside Park.

Crossing over the Bow.

Downtown Canmore is just behind those trees on the right – honest.

Along the former railway line into the old coal mines.

Canmore’s well known Engine Bridge.

Beautiful views in every direction.

The old bridge plus Mount Grassi & Ha Ling Peak (right bump).

Looping around the edge of town.

When the river’s higher this backwater will be full.

Walking is the perfect therapy.

An odd number of burls.

Along Policeman’s Creek Boardwalk.

Condos with a view.

The Easter Bunny helped with lunch.

Along Policeman’s Creek.

You can see why people move here.

Canmore is often hidden from view.

Simply stunning.

At the Big Head.

The resemblance is uncanny.

Along the former railway line again.

Take a stick, leave a stick.

A telltale overhead – read the post to know more.

One last look before we go.

Canmore Pathways: here, there and everywhere.

The post Canmore Pathways: All Around Town first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

It sounds complicated but really isn’t. Junctions are marked with maps and trails are signed, so it’s a literal walk in woods. It truly and surely is and you’ll know the forest well by the end. It’s all around and rarely is there a break in the trees, but that’s really not such a bad thing.

Our visit happened to be the day after a fresh snow and the forest was a winter wonderland. Thanks goes out to snowshoers that proceeded us and tamped down the trail. Still, the further in we went, the less people had passed, so there was some minor postholing to do at times.

Most of these trails are multi-use and are part of a huge network here in the foothills of the Rockies. There’s option for hikers, bikers, snowshoers, cross country skiers and equestrian riders. Some are shared use and others specific use, but of course that also depends on the season.

Some of the trails used this day are managed by Kananaskis staff and have been in use for many decades or more, where as others are managed by trail society volunteers and fairly new. The Ridgeback sections are the latter and have markings of the Canadian Mountain Bike Alliance.

The fun begins off Highway #66 and at the Station Flats Day Use area. There’s a ranger station just to the east and that’s where the name comes from. The trail starts at the west side of the lot and almost immediately there’s a junction. At this one, and for the next three, you’ll keep right. You’ll later return on the trail seen to the left.

This is the Tom Snow section and one of the older trails in the area. It winds through the woods, later rises up a low hill and then drops down to meadow. Easy going stuff and make note of the junctions passed along the way.

There’s evidence of and signage pertaining to recent logging in the area. Most of Kananaskis is open to trees harvesting, but from these trails, it’s not always obvious around here. They always leave a good belt of woods on either side to mostly block the cutting areas from view.

At the forth junction turn left and take to Ridgeback (R2). There’s four Ridgeback trails off Tom Snow, and we’ll make use of the southern-most pair. These take a higher line and are far less direct but more fun overall. Some sections cross boggy areas on boardwalks and there’s sweeping banked corners for cyclists on downhill runs. Always watch for bikes.

The trail keeps below a ridge crest and then after a broad zig-zag, loops back to Tom Snow. Along the way a suitable fallen log makes a nice bench and we enjoy a little lunch. A baguette and bruschetta makes up today’s lunch. It soon attracts a group of Whisky Jacks who pester us in hopes of scoring a morsel or two.

It’s amazing how bold they can be and how quick they zero in on food.

Almost immediately after joining back with Tom Snow, turn right in Ridgeback R1. It too takes a more leisurely route but this section is relativity short and in no time, you’ll be back on familiar Tom Snow once again.

In a short distance, turn right on Diamond T. There’s both an ancient Kananaskis trail sign here and one much more up to date put in by the trail’s group. Most of the West Bragg Creek trails are a decade or less in age and well engineered.

Diamond T is another old trail and partly makes use of old seismic lines. These were put in long ago for natural gas exploration and usually run arrow straight even in rolling terrain like here. There’s a few meadows along this section – scared a few deer here and they scared us. The crest of hill to your left will be the high point of this hike and will be visited soon enough.

The trail bends hard left and soon climbs up another seismic line before gaining the ridge. After a little more climbing look for a spur trail going off to the left. No one had used it since the snow fell, but the way was still obvious. The hill top is a bit rocky, but treed so there’s no real views. Still, one must do a victory pose on top – another airy summit conquered!

Backtrack to the main trail, turn left and now the descent begins. Pass though a cattle gate – there was one earlier too – and these help keep cows that free range in the area come summer away from the highway. Watch for them and their fragrant calling cards later in the year.

Soon, a thinning of the trees affords one the only real view of the day, in a southwesterly direction and of more rolling hills. They seem to go on forever.

The trail drops down further still and with the highway now in view, makes a hard left. In a few moments you’ll be back at Station Flats and your ride home.

This was not a wow hike in any sense, but any time spent outdoors is beneficial. For body and mind. The world’s problems seem to melt away and for a short while, all is right and good. It’s why we do it.

Stay tuned for more hikes to be posted soon. Now that Connie’s Cancer therapy is done, and the horrible side-effects that came with it dimishing, we should be able to do more ambitious outings again. We hope and we’ll share them here with you.

Know more about the area: (new tab): West Bragg Creek Trails.

They’re saying…

“These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!…” Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

Hikes we like…
Grass Pass to Fir Creek Point & More.
Jumpingpound Mountain East Ridge.
Crimson Lake Amerada Trail.

If you wish more information about this trail or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: March, 2024.
Location: Kananaskis, Elbow River area.
Distance: 8.5km loop.
Height gain maximum: 120m.
Height gain cumulative: 300m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

It begins at Station Flats Day Use area in Kananaskis.

Coming to a cattle gate along the Tom Snow Trail.

A winter wonderland.

Junctions, and there’s lots, are marked with signage.

It’s a forest kind of hike.

Turing onto Ridgeback R2.

A boardwalk over a boggy section.

Cheers to the outdoors.

A group of Whisky Jacks pestered us during lunch.

Now on Ridgeback R1.

Along Diamond T.

Out of the trees for a short stretch.

Old (arrow straight) seismic lines make up sections of the trail.

A spur trail to the highpoint is there under the snow.

On top and this is as good as it gets.

Come summer, cattle free range in the area.

The only views of the day.

Dropping down and minutes from the parking lot.

Three interconnected loops – looks complicated but isn’t.

The post Tom Snow – Ridgeback R2 R1 – Diamond T first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

It’s an urban hike in every sense but one might be hard pressed to know it when in the centre of Nose Hill. The city can be completely out of sight at that point, but when in sight a lofty position affords one a good look out over a sprawling metropolis.

It’s a very natural place even recalling the gravel pits that once operated on its southeast quadrant. There were also some agricultural buildings here at one time, barns and such, but for the most part it was formerly field and pasture. It was well outside the city until the 1960s but today completely surrounded by urban sprawl.

As the city encroached, a proposal was put in to development the land for residential housing, but instead became a park. That’s a better outcome. Cultivated fields were allowed to return to nature, structures removed, junk cleaned out (but not all old junk as it turns out – they forgot that car) and paths put in, all circa early ’80s. Otherwise, it was left as is.

The fun today begins at the Many Owls parking lot off John Laurie Boulevard at Brisboise Drive. There’s a plaque here speaking of John Laurie, educator, political activist, First Nations advocate and it’s worth a read.

Take to the paved path at the NW corner and ahead comes the most of the elevation to be gained on this hike. It’s not much though and the grade is easy. There’s a lot of trails, some official, many not, and thankfully there’s maps at select junctions. Look for interpretative signage where you can learn about past uses of Nose Hill Park and there’s many benches along the way should a rest be needed.

An old car can found off to the right and sort of hidden away when you enter the trees (right side). It’s a short way off the path and looks to be an Austin A40 Devon from the late 1940s/early 1950s period. The car was dumped here before the land came a park and the trees since grown up around it.

It was common for people in the past to rid themselves of unwanted cars by abandoning them in out of the way places. The paved pathway was built atop an old access road into some farm buildings and one of the gravel pits (there’s many) so it would have been easy to do so here. Old aerial photos show a lot less growth on this slope before it became a park, so it was likely once more out in the open.

It’s said there were other dumped cars on Nose Hill that were also removed, but not this one for what ever reason.

Continue up the paved pathway and once higher the trees thin and the views begin. Look west over the city to the Winsport Ski Hill (to old Calgarians, Paskapoo) and in back, the majestic Rockies. It’s like you could reach out and touch them but they’re actually 80-100 kms away.

Top out on and keep to the paved pathway as it bends hard left. The top of Nose Hill is flat, with broad grassy sections and for the most part devoid of trees. For a time it looked like a major storm would be rolling in and attempt to sullen the day but instead petered out. The weather in Calgary is all over map and can change from minute to minute as anyone who lives here can tell you.

Nose Hill trails can be done all year but no stranger to bad weather at any time. They can get icy in winter but thanks to a warm spell were not an issue this visit.

Just past an overlook (our lunch spot – mulled wine = heaven) and at a four-way junction, take to the gravel pathway heading north towards a clump of trees. It’s the only grove in that direction and at the next junction near them make a hard right back on pavement. Shortly after return to gravel after taking a shallow right.

At this point the city is completly unseen and it feels like your in the country. It’s a cool illusion and won’t end for a kilometre or two. When you come to the edge, don’t drop down but turn right and at a dip in the trail walk out to a point overlooking Nose Hill’s glacial erratic.

It was carried here from a point many hundreds of kilometres away (Jasper area according to experts) by advancing ice and randomly dropped. There’s many erratics in Calgary and surrounding area.

Backtrack a bit, then continue south out of the dip and enter the old gravel pits. There were many here, exploiting valuable deposits and the scars are still obvious. Trees seem to like this sheltered area and grow well. Keep close the edge of the shallow, broad former diggings for a while and enjoy the views if you can. There’s downtown and its many tall towers or maybe turn east and watch the action at Calgary International Airport. Or the action on Deerfoot – there’s good odds someone will be driving stupidly.

Head for a radio tower to the south (shack beside is painted with a mural of a dog) and just beyond at a viewpoint come to the Nose Hill Medicine Wheel. It’s not an old one but put in about a decade ago by native groups to honour their history in the area. The wheel takes the shape of the Siksikaitsitapi logo, representing the Blood, Siksika, plus Northern and Southern Peigan tribe alliance.

“…This was a sacred place for ceremonies and vision quests, as well as a lookout for buffalo, the weather and danger.” Elder Andy Black Water. To know about Medicine Wheels refer to a link posted further down.

Retreat back and turn left atop a berm – old gravel pit below – then drop down to the right when you see the Nose Hill Stone Labyrinth. Like the Medicine Wheel, it’s recent and according to the maker doesn’t make use of the countless boulders found within the old quarry. They were carried in!

Labyrinths are fun and all, but no doubt the meanings run deeper than that and perhaps not fully understood by everyone, us included. “The labyrinth was a place of “being”; being oneself, being together, being connected to something greater.” Dan Grassick, creator.

Next, head north a bit and then turn left. There’s countless trails in this section, crisscrossing in a crazy pattern, so take which ever you please. Just be sure to head directly west and don’t take any heading down slope. In a few moments leave the pit behind and shorty after be back on pavement, the same pathway used on the up leg.

Simply follow it back down to the parking lot and your car. That place was busy by the time we got back and many people were impatiently waiting for spots. Speaking of people, Nose Hill is a popular park with numerous entry points but it’s so large and with so many trails that everyone soon spreads out.

So ends a wonderful trek. It was a bit gloomy for us, a day of angry skies and drab earth tones, but it’s still nature and getting out into it is a good thing. Many wild animals make Nose Hill Park their home and in the past we’ve seen deer, coyote, porcupines and skunk. However, we didn’t spot any this trip.

Thanks for stopping by and if you follow this route we hope it’s as enjoyable for you as it was for us.

Know more: (new tabs): Nose Hill Park Calgary and the meanings behind Native Medicine Wheels.

They’re saying…

”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!… Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

In town fun…
Three Hills Pathways & Sidewalks.
Red Deer Alberta: River Loop.
Urban Trek: 17th Ave SE.

If you wish more information about this hike or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: November, 2023.
Location: Calgary, AB.
Distance: 12.5km.
Height gain maximum: 110m.
Height gain cumulative: 140m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

There’s maps throughout the park.

A little ice at the start.

The Nose Hill Car.

Dumped here before it was a park.

The trail winds higher and with that comes some nice views.

Getting to know a little history of the park.

In memory of Cindy…

A storm threatened, but soon fizzled out.

Looking back – downtown is almost hidden now.

Looking west at homes in Edgemont.

Something mulled to warm body and soul.

Winsport Ski Hill (Paskapoo to older Calgarians) & the Rockies.

The top is grassy and flat.

Some sections are paved and others of stone.

You’d never know you were in the big city.

The Nose Hill Park erratic is seen below.

This is as creative as we get folks…

Downtown comes into view.

Left overs from a gravel pit operation.

Resting tired legs at a strategically placed bench.

It’s one of Canada’s largest urban parks.

A utility building made a little nicer thanks to art.

The Nose Hill Medicine Wheel.

Trees grow well in the old pits – Nose Hill Stone Labyrinth below.

Nose Hill became a park in the 1980s.

Another summit conquered.

Dropping down.

Getting to know John Laurie.

12.5km of fun – spurs lead to overlooks or features.

The post Nose Hill Park Centre Loop first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

There’s a glimpse of Barrier Lake to be had too and it standouts with that splendid blue-green colour.

In no way is this a wow hike, but instead a simple get walking, get grounded, get back nature and get the heck out of the city kind of adventure. The day’s problems are sure to melt away once you get moving and they sure did for us.

The fun begins at the Lusk Creek Day Use Area, along Sibbald Creek Road (aka #68, a gravel affair) just east of Highway #40 and some eighty kilometres from Calgary. We’re at the eastern edges of both Kananakis and the Alberta Rockies at this point. Or what we call the gateway to fun and adventure.

This route comprises former roads, old pack trails and newer single track. Most trails used this day are official and that is they’re overseen by K-Country staff, signed and maintained. You know, fallen trees are cleared and stuff like that. There’s an interpretive section and the final stretch is along an old but officially decommissioned, yet still quite usable section of Lusk Pass Trail.

Keep an eye on junctions, most of which appear to be signed, and you’ll do fine. This loop can be done pretty much any time of the year (traction devices in winter recommended) but if our visit was typical, it’s not a terribly busy at any point. We saw no one else this day nor any other time we’ve been in the area.

Cross the gravel road and aim for the footpath on the far side heading up into the trees. Along here the trail is an old road and quite easy going.

Look for a singletrack coming in from the left and it’s the (old) Lusk Pass Trail used on the return leg. After a half a click or so take to the marked Kananaskis Integrated Forestry Interpretive Trail on the left.

It’s a singletrack and more interesting plus a shorter alternative to the parallel Baldy Pass Trail. The two shall join later. Take time to read the interpretive signs along the way and there’s benches too at select viewpoints. Young trees in the various cutblocks look to be thriving and nature does seem to have things well in hand.

The trail/road you just left, for one, leads to the University of Calgary’s Biogeoscience Institute’s Barrier Lake Field Station and this area is their open-air lab.

Baldy Mountain can be seen to the south and further in back there’s a wall of rock comprised of Mary Barclay’s Mountain and Grant MacEwan Peak. To their right is connected McConnell Ridge and Yates Mountain. There’s a nice hike up to the the fire lookout there and while we haven’t been in a while, perhaps we’ll return this year. Until then, see: Barrier Lake Lookout.

Barrier Lake can just be seen just below and on a dull winter’s days, like on our visit, it’s a real colourful standout. It sparkles like a jewel and is so lovely.

The Interpretive Trail joins with Baldy Pass Trail (the old road left earlier) and then seemingly heads off in the wrong direction. At a sharp bend, the Baldy-Lusk Pass Connector comes into view and heads in an easterly direction through more cutblocks. That’s the one to take.

BTW, neither Baldy Pass nor Lusk Pass will be visited on this hike, even though the trail names suggest otherwise. We’re just using parts of the aforementioned routes and not doing them in their entirety. Visiting either requires putting on many additional kilometres and much more elevation than will be seen this day. Leave that for another time…when it’s not so wintry.

Speaking of elevation, this junction is about the high point of the day (not that it’s much, anyway) and from here it’s mostly downhill.

A suitable fallen tree at about the half-way point, at the edge of a cutblock, makes a nice bench to have lunch. We always bring something wonderful to eat (damn to those protein bars) and this makes a great day all the better. If there’s one thing to trust us on, it’s this.

Horton Hill can be seen to the north (you’re parked right at its base) and named for the Tim Horton Camp (of Tim Horton Coffee fame) that’s located on it’s west side. The Hunchback Hills can be seen to the east – we’ve been up, but we understand the trail is now different from when we did it. Still, here’s the post: Hunchback Hills.

Old (interpretive?) signage is seen along this section. Several were seen but anything written on them has long since faded, and a couple posts were quite chewed up, interestingly.

Come to another junction – boy the signage here is old and in needed of updating. In many places the paint’s worn off this map and it’s not all that useful any more. Thanks to who ever brought a marker and filled in the blank spots as best they could. Right is Lusk Pass Trail and left, the Old Lusk Pass Trail, which will be used to complete the loop. It’s listed as out of service but still seems well used and in good shape.

TCT? That’s the Trans Canada Trail, of which Lusk Pass and Baldy Pass trails are part of as it spans the country. Lusk Creek can be heard in the trees far below, but is not be seen.

This section of trail is quite old and goes back further than any hiking guides we can find. We have some from the late 1970s and it’s listed as being having been in use for some time even then. The trail keeps to a ledge above the unseen creek and to the side various cut blocks.

At one point, enjoy a clear view of flat-faced Mt Yamnuska off in the distance. It’s distinctive appearance makes it a well known landmark and reference point.

We find some wilderness cams along this stretch – maybe connected to the university field station – and have a little fun. Connie said no mooning…what a buzz-kill…so silly faces it is.

Soon enough, join back up with the trail leading back to your car. It’s done and chalk this up as another thoroughly enjoyable experience. And it was all ours this day, which we really love.

A PSA if you want to hike the route described: from Alberta Parks “A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required to park your vehicle in Kananaskis and the Bow Valley.” So that means here, but it’s a worthwhile investment given the joy it returns and it’s not terribly expensive anyway.

Know more: (new tabs): Baldy Pass Kananaskis and Lusk Pass Kananaskis.

They’re saying…

”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is…jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!!… Dayna Kent. (this job really is like a vacation).

More easy ones like this…
Adair Ridge – Porcupine Hills Ridge.
Merlin View.
Lesueur Ridge.

If you wish more information about this trail or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: November, 2023.
Location: Barrier Lake area, Kananaskis.
Distance: 8.5km loop.
Height gain maximum: 230m.
Height gain cumulative: 250m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: Alberta Parks and the Daffern’s Kananakis Trail Guides.

It begins: aiming for the trail heading up on the left.

It’s an old road along this section.

On the Kananaskis Integrated Forestry Interpretive Trail singletrack.

Mt Baldy to the left.

A little glimpse of Barrier Lake.

Interpretive signs are found along this harvested section.

(Tim) Horton Hill to the north.

Along Baldy Pass Trail proper.

Junctions are marked.

Along the Baldy-Lusk Pass Connector now.

At about the halfway points – cheers!

Hunchback Hills to the east.

There were a number of old signs like this along the way.

Joining up with the (Old) Lusk Pass Route – TCT = Trans Canada Trail.

We could hear, but not see, Lusk Creek below.

This section of Lusk Pass Trail has been decommissioned.

The Solitary Tree.

The flat face of Mt Yamnuska, centre.

Trail-cam antics.

Parking is at the Lusk Creek Day Use Area behind the trees.

An nice loop through easy terrain.

The post Baldy Pass to Lusk Pass Loop first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Most of the hustle and bustle is higher up and not really in view so that’s s good thing. For this outing we followed a trunk pathway in, then free-styled it on the return leg and used what ever dirt or paved trail was heading back our in our direction. It worked well and this carefree approach is recommended.

It begins at the parking lot at the Oldman River crossing and on the south side off Highway #3. This is the main road through town and it dips down to river level here before heading back up into town. Backtrack to the access road, point south and in a short distance intercept the Coal Banks Walking Trail. Right away the giant train Viaduct comes into view and for the rest of the trek is often visible.

This section of trail is through the Lethbridge Nature Reserve, keeps to the base of coulees, with many side trails heading up and into downtown (just above, but unseen). Other trails head into the treed river flats to the right.

Pass the Helen Schuyler Nature Centre and soon after there’s a display that touches on the coal history of Lethbridge. There were many mines right within town limits and starting in the 1880s. There’s little evidence to show they were ever here but if one had x-ray vision, you’d see they made Swiss-cheese of ground underneath much of the old city.

Pass under the Viaduct/High Level Bridge. It’s a monster and no less impressive today, than when it was finished back in 1909. An incredible feat of engineering, it’s over 1.6 kilometres long and at the high point, almost a hundred metres above the valley. As such it holds title as the biggest in all Canada and is one of the largest in the world.

This structure allowed the CPR a direct line to the west, verses the long tortuous, steeply graded route used before. It went down to river level and then climbed back up, south of town.

The Viaduct costs $1.3 million, which today might get you a fairly decent home in one of city’s more affluent neighbourhoods. The bridge is still in use and sees a fair number of trains per day. If you’re lucky you might catch one passing by, high overhead, and most fit on the structure in their entirety.

Note the concrete bridge piers and each is uniquely numbered. Then look up and be in awe – train crews must have an amazing view from up there.

Enter Indian Battle Park, in reference to a conflict between the Cree and the Blackfoot that took place close to here in the 1870s. In more recent times, before it became a park, this land was the site of coal mines and the community of Coal Banks.

The area has been a public green space since the 1960s and home to a replica of Fort Whoop-up, a whisky trading post from long ago once located somewhere down here on the floodplains. We’ve never been but would love to check it out sometime.

The trail passes under Whoop-up Drive, one of the few times when the noise of the city becomes noticeable, soon after passes a boat launch, ducks in behind police training grounds, parallels a side channel for a bit and then it’s into the a cottonwoods. These trees thrive on the river flats, help stabilize the soil, provide homes for countless critters and were in full fall colours on our visit.

The paved pathway turns west and then does a small loop back on itself. At this point you can retrace your steps or like us, simply take the next side-trail (and there’s many) heading back the way you came. With the river on one side, and bluffs on the other, you can’t go wrong.

Look for Lethbridge University across the river and it’s the most prominent building on that side of town. The Lethbridge Peace Shrine can be seen on an island to the west from the side-channel area. We knew it was somewhere in the valley, but didn’t know the actual location of this labyrinth-type structure until it was spotted. Next time.

The world is still at odds, there’s hate and conflict at every turn, more so than ever it seems, so it might not be working. Just sayin…

Back under Whoop-up Drive we make a line for the picnic areas in the centre of Indian Battle Park. There, almost under the Viaduct, we say thinks to the city, the people, the pioneers, the railway crews, the guys down on the reserve across the river, and anyone else we could think of. We raise a toast…cheers…for what it’s worth.

There’s a number of graves in the area and these go back to when there were homes and such down here on the flats. One is still marked and it’s just down from the playground in a fenced compound. The inscription reads:

In
Memory
Of
Henry Stafford.
Son Of
William & Jane Stafford.
Born in Scotland Aug 29th 1866.
Died At Lethbridge, ALTA Aug 4th 1883.
Aged 17 Years.
He Is Not Lost But Gone Before.

It seems Henry lived nearby, died of typhus and is one of the earliest recorded burials in the city. It’s suggested that Henry’s remains were moved to Mountain View Cemetery in town, at some point, but that’s unconfirmed. Of the other folks interred down here, it’s not clear if they were right close by nor what became of them.

If only Henry could see what’s happened Lethbridge since his demise. Back then is was a remote outpost with few residents and and now a dynamic city home to over one hundred thousand. The Staffords were connected with the early coal mines of the area and have quite the legacy here but that’s another story.

Duck under the Viaduct for a second time (look up, again, and be blown away at this marvel of steel-work), and before long you’re back at the parking lot. All trails lead that way. It was gorgeous fall day for us, but we’ve done this same route (roughly) during the heights of summer or depths of winter and it’s been great each time. Different in personality, but otherwise no less interesting.

This is just one possibility in the extensive Lethbridge Pathways system and you can bet we’ll be back to try other routes. We visit Lethbridge often enough, it’ll happen and we look forward to it.

Know more: (new tab): Lethbridge Pathways.

They’re saying…

”Thank you for all the engaging write ups and pictures…you two are a national treasure!” Bonnie & Gerald McDonald (some mighty fine and humbling praise).

Urban walks…
Three Hills Pathways & Sidewalks.
Chestermere Town Loop.
Mirror Lake & Stoney Creek Loops Camrose.

If you wish more information about route or love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: October, 2023.
Location: Lethbridge Pathways, Lethbridge Alberta.
Distance: 8km there and back.
Height gain maximum: Negligible.
Height gain cumulative: See above.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: City of Lethbridge Pathways system

Lethbridge Pathways: it begins!

The Viaduct is always in view.

Visited on a gorgeous fall day.

Lethbridge was built on coal (literally).

Many mines once operated within the city.

It’s a sight to behold & one of the biggest bridges anywhere.

The structure dates back to 1909 – each pier is numbered.

The Oldman River is never far away.

Hello!

Under the Cottonwoods.

The trees were a brilliant yellow.

Leaving the pavement behind for a bit.

The University of Lethbridge is seen in bank.

The Lethbridge Peace Shrine across a channel.

Back on pavement…for now.

A toast to the city, its people, and that big old bridge.

The grave of Henry Stafford at Indian Battle Park.

An engineering marvel, it’s still in use to this day.

In the Lethbridge Nature Preserve just before the car park.

It happens on the flats down by the Oldman River…

The post Lethbridge Pathways: Under the Viaduct first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

As each article is posted we’ll include a link below the respective photo and write up here so you can learn more. Patience and curiosity will be rewarded. These are by no means all that will be shown you, but just some of the highlights and best ofs. There’s lots more not touched on here coming down the road, and plenty of impromptu short subject posts and more Bolers. Of course. Keep tuned to this channel.

What’s left in Pilot Bay.

We’re looking at the remains of a smelter built in service of local mines on the east side of Kootenay Lake. The plant only ran for only a brief time in the late 1890s and found to be unsuited to process complex ores of the area. It’s sat by the lake ever since and all that remains of any note today are two smoke stacks. We’ll show you these and touch on how the plant operated and what went wrong.

Pilot Bay Smelter Remains.

A lost cemetery deep in the mountains of BC.

We search out these cemeteries and in particular those in former mining communities. Given the oftentimes extreme boom and bust cycles of these towns, the stories of these burial places are often sadder than most. Lonely guys, with no local family and often from far away, killed in some unsafe mine, laid to rest and then forgotten of. It’s repeated time and again. This cemetery was fixed up at some point not that long in the past, after being neglected for decades, but it’s still seldom visited. We’ve come to pay respects and hold in high regard those who toil underground.

The Forgotten Cemetery of Morrissey BC.

Another in a former coal mining community.

This grave yard is seemingly completely forgotten and nature has taken over. Not that it’s such a bad thing. Most burials here date from the 1900s-1910s period, although there is one late comer from this century. No doubt they had family connections to the area. This cemetery is huge in size, but most graves seem to lack any markers. This happens if wood ones were used, as was once common, so they rot away over time and then vanish. We’ll show you what we found and chat about those interred here.

Forgotten Coal Town Cemetery.

It’s the Garbage Gobbler!

If you drove highways of British Columbia in the 1950s-1970s period, you might have seen one of these fibreglass monsters at some rest stop or tourist booth. A sign would instruct you to “feed me” and dispose of trash responsibly instead of simply tossing it in the ditch (as happened and sadly still happens). As a kid they were either fun or terrifying and quite memorable. Team BIGDoer knows of them!

This restored examples sits outside a highway’s maintenance yard and no doubt is responsible for many double-takes from passing motorists. The older ones that recognize a Gobbler from long ago…and then the memories come flooding back.

Highway History (BC): the Garbage Gobbler – Feed Me!

A “super” place with Jim Bowers.

Jim is the authority when it comes to the original Superman movie franchise of the 1970s and ’80s. Many scene from the series were shot around Alberta and Team BIGDoer has visited most of these sites. Here we accompanied Jim to one and he came all the way from Nevada to see it for himself. This was the location where Pa Kent (so Clark/Superman’s dad) was laid to rest and for the movie this grassy knoll was a set made up of a church and cemetery.

Here Jim is holding his book (Superman: The Richard Donner Years) which is a showpiece for many production related and behind-the-scenes photos from the first film. Donner was the director of that one. If you look close you can see its open to the pages where this very site is shown.

While here, we reshot a Then & Now from long ago, which we’ll post about soon. In fact, we’re thinking all the Superman Then & Nows we did a decade ago deserve a fresh take. Those old ones really aren’t that good. Plus we’ll post about our time with Jim and his co-conspirator radio host and news anchor Jay Towers of Detroit and our visit to Superman locations in the Alberta Badlands.

Superman 1978: Cemetery Scenes.

Jim and Jay host the CapedWonder Podcast and were a pleasure to hang with. More about this good day and what we all did, coming soon!

Burstall Pass is awesome!

We’ve hiked up to Burstall Pass many times over the last couple decades (because it’s just so darn scenic) but not recently. It was time for a revisit and it’s exactly as we remember…spectacular! How nice to see an old friend and we’ll post about the experience in short order. It’s a good hike, not terribly hard nor technical, and with such an amazing varied personality. There’s deep dark forests, alpine meadows, barren rock gardens, views into Banff Park and a little glacier along the way. We’re eager to show you!

Burstall Pass is Awesome!

Abandoned in the middle of nowhere.

Railway archeology is a passion, but that’s probably pretty obvious to our readers, and here’s something on a grander scale than most. It dates from the 1910s and witness to it last train some six decades later. Ever since, so from the ’70s on, it’s stood abandoned and the remote location means it’s seldom visited. Lay some track across and we’re sure this old bridge would function just fine.

Given how long it’s been out of service it’s surprisingly in good shape and looks straight and serviceable. They built things good back then!

CPR Bow River Bridge (Abandoned).

As seen in the movie Silver Streak.

Here’s the site of a train bridge, but it was removed concurrent with the line being pulled up. Except for the concrete bits that is which are seem across on the other side. The structure dates from the early 1910s and when a dam got put it a few decades ago, it had to be removed due to rising waters. Normally that valley is full, to about half way, but on drier years it can look as it does here.

This bridge appears in the 1970s action movie Silver Streak, for a moment or two, and we’ll show you that scene and chat about everything here. We’ve got a thing for infrastructure the railways left behind and this fits the bill nicely. This visit required land access and the hike in was a good one.

Ghosts of the Crowsnest Subdivision.

Bella the Boler goes home.

Bella the Boler belongs to some dear friends and emerged from the Neonex factory in 1977. That’s the building seen right behind and we believe new trailers, back then, came out this very door when completed. Bolers were made in many factories over the years and this one was only in production for a short time in the late ’70s. Best we can tell, they only made seventeen foot models here, but research continues.

The structure today is a building supply firm and they were so helpful in making this happen and we’ll tell you all about it in a post that’s coming soon!

Bella the Boler Goes Home (Cheers!).

The wrecks of Royston, Vancouver Island.

There’s over a dozen old ships that make up the Royston (Vancouver Island, BC) breakwater. These were deliberately scuttled here and are comprised of craft from the 1870s-1940s era. They were used to help stabilize a wharf used by a logging firm back in the day, and today are part of a protected marine park. Once junk, they’re now historical artifacts – funny how that works. They’re best viewed by water craft (seems kayaks work well), but we’ll do our best to show you them from the shore.

Royston Wrecks (Vancouver Island BC).

The old store on Denman Island BC.

After Denman we zipped over to Hornby…

One day while exploring Vancouver Island, we decided to visit the islands of Denman and Hornby off the east side. Just because. The two are very close to each other and can be reached by a couple of ferries. Those are fun in their own right. We came with no set plan and just kind of explored and quite happy to see what ever came our way. There were old boats, wonderful geological formations, wind ravaged trees, the occasional old building and a real laid back vibe. San Francisco 1960s laid back.

1 Day: Denman & Hornby Islands (BC).

The fishing boats of Comox Harbour.

We simply wandered the docks in search of old fishing boats. There were a lot and all were tied up between calls to service. There’s restrictions on harvesting, so they sit a lot and we’re not sure how they make a go of it. So this post will be different and a bit casual. Sometimes no plans are the best plans and wandering about with no direction is a whole lot of fun.

Comox Fisherman’s Wharf Comox BC.

A spooky walking tour of Riverview Hospital.

If you’ve seen a horror/thriller film or series set in a hospital, or especially an “asylum” type setting. it may have been filmed in Riverview Hospital (formerly Essondale Hospital) out in Coquitlam BC. It’s a huge complex that’s quite old and most of the buildings seen in our posts are from the 1920s-1950s period. Other than a few newer structures (not seen in our photos), most are empty but maintained and watched over.

Riverview/Essondale functioned as a mental health facility and mostly closed by the 2010s. Some parts are used for native healing now. The rest of the site is sort of in limbo and it’s not clear what might happen to all the surplus structures. Many are historically significant, even if their resultant stories touch on the meloncholy. Mental health was not well understood in the old days and treatment sometimes questionable.

We simply walked about and covered as much of the complex as time would allow. It’s eerie, a touch troubling (especially given there’s a family connection here) and yet the architecture is something else. Coming soon.

Riverview Hospital Coquitlam BC.

Spanning the mighty Fraser and no longer used.

The highway through the Fraser River Canyon is an exhilarating one at the best of times and is winding, narrow and sometimes clings to the side of a mountain. But it’s better than it used to be. Back in the 1920s to 1960s, this single lane bridge was part of the mix and the narrow roads on each end no doubt a thrill to drive.

Alexandra bridge used some footings from the original of the same name, which dates back to the 1860s and a former link in the Cariboo Wagon Road. That span was no more by the 1910s, but in a way it lives on in the present structure erected about a decade later. The bridge is historically recognized and kept up. You can walk down from the highway and enjoy the views and marvel in its construction. BTW, the deck is expanded metal, so you can see right down to the boiling river far below. That’s scary stuff if you’re subject to acrophobia.

Alexandra Bridge Fraser Canyon BC.

At the Victoria Hotel for the Beer Parlour Project – coming soon!

If you’ve been following our exploits the last while, you’ve heard us speak of the Beer Parlour Project. It’s a multi-year project where we visit small town hotel pubs (quickly vanishing places) to document their history and chat with patrons present day. This is being done with large format film photographer Rob Pohl – we hang out a lot – and will results in a gallery exhibit. And probably a book.

We visited maybe twenty hotels so far, have a number lined up in the near future and many times that are planned. One hundred maybe? Something more? We don’t know but it’s been a wild ride so far and the results beyond expectations. Stay tuned. Below it’s a sign announcing our arrival at the Victoria Hotel in little Bruderheim Alberta not long ago. We’ll be posting about that adventure and of other hotels we visited in recent times soon enough.

To keep up with the latest Beer Parlour happenings, please visit our companion website (new tab): BeerParlourProject.com.

Our popular Then & Now posts don’t preview well but rest assured there will be a number of them coming soon. These are both a labour of love and the biggest pain’s in the behind, of all the posts we do. Love and hate them. When they work, they’re amazing, but when they don’t, and it happens more than you know, it’s a big downer. Anyway, watch this space for some new postings on this topic coming soon.

Bellevue & The Frank Slide ~55 years apart.
JB Fletcher’s Ainsworth BC ~45 Years Apart.
Dunshalt Alberta 1974 and 2013.
Silver Creek Coal Mine Skunk Hollow.
Grain Elevators of Turin Alberta.
Coleman Miners’ Hospital 100 Years Apart.
Calgary Inglewood Haskins/Victory Block.
CPR Illecillewaet Bridge Revelstoke BC.
MacDonald Bridge Calgary ~70 Years Apart.
Downtown Calgary & CPR Tracks 1977-2014.
You Are Here: Corral 4 Drive-in Calgary.
Superman 1978: Cemetery Scenes.
The Greenhill Hotel Blairmore AB is Timeless.

That’s it for this “Coming Soon”…for now.

Know more about some of the subjects seen in this post (new tabs): BC Garbage Gobblers, Superman Jim Bowers, Royston BC Wrecks and Alexandra Bridge Fraser River.

They’re saying…

”Thank you so much for your fantastic articles and photos…I could spend 24/7 here with you! I especially love the before and after articles. Keep up the great work guys!! I was born and raised in Calgary in the 50’s so this history is my passion.” Joanne Winchester Honer. (Thank you!)

The first installment…
Coming Soon (1)!

Curated just for you…
Historic Pilot Bay Lighthouse.
Prairie Sentinels: Fort MacLeod Alberta.
Calgary Transit #7632.

If you wish more information on what’s seen here, don’t hesitate to: contact us!

Date of Adventures: 2023-2024.
Location(s): All over the place.

The post Coming Soon (2)! first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Once a post is published we’ll include a link to the resultant piece below each photo and that will start happening soon. It may take a while to completely finish the list, but they’ll be steady in coming, save for the summer break. Only glaciers movie slower. There will be a second “Coming Soon” post to follow this one and it’s not too far behind.

Searching out ex-Safeway stores in Calgary.

In the 1960s to 1970s period Safeway held title as king of the hill in Alberta and had a near monopoly on the grocery business. How the mighty have fallen and today they are but a sidebar in the industry, in this market at least, and for those branded stores that are left, they’re simply a Sobeys with a different name. We’ve decided to document any and all former Safeways left in Calgary.

They can be identified by the unique design of their buildings. While the flagship stores used the familiar Marina arch roof, as you see in the photo, smaller outlets of the era were often different in form.

We’ll track them down out and stay tuned to see how many were found. Spoiler: there were a lot! Some remain in use as independent food stores and for others the space has been repurposed. We’re talking Dollaramamas, bikes shops, auto parts suppliers, fitness places and so on. Some still look the part but for many we had to examine them hard to spot the trademark design cues. We’ll talk about it all and it’ll make sense.

Wandering historic Fort MacLeod Alberta.

We’re out in Southern Alberta, in a mood for a walk, have cameras in hand, so come join us for a little tour of historic Fort MacLeod. There’s lots to see in and around downtown, and with the light failing, we have to hustle. But what ambience! It’ll be interesting and we’ll touch on the history of pretty much everything you’ll see. Doesn’t it look like a magical place?

Historic Fort Macleod After Hours.

On the job with pinball technician Gary Makota.

It’s been a while since we posted about our silver ball obsession, but that will change soon enough. For countless years we’ve shadowed pinball technician Gary Makota while on the job, but for the last while have only stockpiled the work and not posted anything. We’re not exactly sure what we’ll do with all the hundreds of photos, but we’ll think of something creative. Yeah, we will. There’s lots of captivating pics and stories in the mix, that we know, so it’ll be something good. More pinball: coming soon!

In the photo above Gary is seen tackling a gorgeous Williams Fiesta from 1959 and getting it back to full playability. It’s an brutal game to master, and showcases a feature common to the era, that of mid-field gobble holes to compilate gameplay. One wrong move and the ball vanishes right before your eyes – son of a $*&@*!!!!

Exploring remains of this old mine right at lake level (British Columbia).

There’s countless abandoned mines scattered across BC and this one is rather unique in that the work took place just above the water line. You usually think some precipitous mountain side or of other rugged setting for such workings, but here the location is rather placid in contrast and quite scenic. A cool dip after work? This operation dates back to the late 1800s and functioned (often sporadically) for some four decades or so. It was known as a silver property, but a smattering of other metals were also found in the mix. So lead, zinc, gold and copper.

Remains include a few concrete machinery pads, odd bits of metal, an adit (with a stream following from the opening), and remains of the mine railway. There used to be a wharf extending from the rocky shelf seen and out into the lake, but it’s long gone. We’ll talk about the history of workings, what they produced and anything else we can “dig up”.

Molly Hughes by the Lake (Ag-Pb-Zn-Au).

Paying respects at this mining camp cemetery.

It’s a bit of an uphill trek to get to, but a good walk in the woods is never something we’ll turn down. Sure, we probably could have driven the road in, carefully, but why? We’re at a cemetery connected to the mining camp in the Kootenays of BC and we’ll see what we can find about the people interred here. The cemetery is still used to this day, but many burials date back to the boom period of over a hundred years ago.

Historic Ainsworth Cemetery in BC.

A hike to Eva Lake in Mount Revelstoke National Park.

And Miller Lake is not far away.

The hike to Eva and Miller Lakes in Mount Revelstoke National Park have been on our radar for eons. We’ve been in the area many times, but either the timing proved wrong (other commitments for example) or circumstances wouldn’t allow it. So like when the park closed during Covid, or when forest fire smoke kept us away. Most people seem only visit one lake (usually Eva) but the two are so close that we combined them.

It’s a rugged hike and has potential to be unforgiving, but the parks people keep the trail in good condition and it’s well engineered. What a good workout but the rewards make it well worth the effort. Finally, we did it and even though Connie at the time was suffering through her post cancer therapy, she put up a herculean effort and survived it all. Barely, but still it’s a success. To us, it’s one of the hikes of a lifetime and certainly we can’t be alone in that sentiment? This adventure is coming soon!

Mt Revelstoke (BC) Eva & Miller Lakes.

Visiting the Civil Defence Museum in Alsask Saskatchewan.

Scanning the skies for enemy aircraft.

The Canadian Civil Defence Museum’s Alsask Dome (Alsask Saskatchewan, right on the Alberta border) is a national treasure and the last of its kind. It was one of the many in a network that watched the skies during heated times between the Soviets and the West, but advancing technology made these radar domes redundant. Still, it harkens back to a time when the world was convinced that nuclear war was an inevitably and death would reign down from the skies.

We’ve visited many times before, but we’ll update the information and present some new photos. Plus we’ll show how you too can visit and take in what’s presented here. We’ve known the fine folks at the Civil Defence Museum for a long time now and a more dedicated bunch could not be found. Don’t go too far away!

RCAF/CFS Alsask Radar Dome.

In heaven at the Medicine Hat Vintage Trailer Rally.

While open to anyone with a with a retro camper, the majority of participants of the 2023 event owned Bolers. You know we were giddy just thinking of it and the euphoria of the day meant we lost count of how many were actually there. Fifty? Sixty? Maybe more? There were thirteen and seventeen foot trailers, some original, many customized and in our eyes every last one is beautiful. Let’s not forgot to mention all the other vintage trailers that were also there, but for us Bolers are king.

Come join us as we wander the grounds, chat with owners when we can, and simply soak up the ambience. It was a huge party and an honour to be witness too it all. We’re not owners (long story) but that doesn’t stop us from being big fans. It’s a strange obsession but we submit.

Medicine Hat Vintage Trailer Rally 2023.

The Great Beater Challenge is about to begin!

Taking over MV Osprey 2000.

S******s Full! For one weekend each summer a group of…let’s call them weirdos…gets together and attempts something incredible. They take neglected cars, beaten up trucks and even ancient motorhomes, all well past their prime and as a motley convoy drive them over a tortuous route on what is perhaps for many old rides their final adventure. It’s a merciless journey, which differs with each run and is selected for its innumerable challenges. You know, steep unrelenting grades, remote byways and hairy stuff like that. It’s not a short afternoon drive, but one of perhaps a thousand clicks or more over two tortuous days.

If you survive there’s proof positive that miracles happen. It’s not a race in any sense, but the chance to test oneself in a way unlike any other. It’s also a points game and the worse a vehicle appears, the better the odds of coming out ahead. There’s a yearly theme, with costumes encouraged and it’s part treasure hunt too. While it sounds complicated it will be fully explained in the post. Surprisingly attrition is not as high as one might think and most complete the course. For these guys it’s generally on a wing and prayer.

Remote remains of a CPR Section House.

The depression seen in front marks the site of a Canadian Pacific Railway section house and keeps company with a lone tree. This was home for the section man, whose job it was to inspect and maintain a defined length of railway track. Given these jobs were sometimes out in the middle of nowhere, the company would supply them (and their family) a home from which to work. There were countless section houses up and down the CPR and each generally similar in appearance.

The branchline that once passed here goes back to the 1910s and closed some six decades later. Never a busy stretch of track, even if the lengthy time it remained in service belies the fact, and it probably never should have been been built. At least if you were to ask the railway you might hear that said. The agricultural potential of the region was never properly exploited and settlement never more than a trickle. We don’t know much about this site as we type this, but expect research will help fill in the blanks. Or so we hope. It’s obscure mysteries we love the most.

The Sectionman’s Home (Middle of Nowhere).

Then & Now Fodder – Sandon BC in the 1950s!

A dear friend recently acquired a collection of vintage slides and suggested we take a look. They from a Calgary based photographer and cover a multitude of subjects from all over Alberta and BC. They start in the early 1950s and the newest dates from a few decades later. It was suggested, on initial inspection, there might be some images that would be good fodder for BIGDoer Then & Now photos. We’ve checked in more detail and yes, that’s exactly the case. We’re going to scan them and then get down to the fun part.

Plus there is lots of images that simply should be added to the historical record.

Seen in the photo is a slide from Sandon BC some seventy years ago. We showed the fine folks who caretake the historic ghost town this very image and they’re on board and want copies of all we find for their records. There must be twenty, thirty or maybe more showing the town. We’re stoked at the possibilities! Not just about Sandon but the other places seen in these expertly done photos.

The first Crossley Slides Then & Now: Crossley Slides: A Corner in Erlton.

Dock remains at Union Bay BC (1880s-1960s).

From the 1880s and into the 1960s, Union Bay on BC’s Vancouver Island was home to a coal loading wharf. The material got brought in by train from the Cumberland area further inland and transferred to ships and barges for further transport to market. A huge operation, it was home to a processing plant, storage areas and a number of piers that reached out into deeper water. Even thought all the structures were removed, many things remain behind, included machinery bits, various giant timbers and plenty of coal slack.

Union Bay (Vancouver Island) Coal Wharf.

The giants of Cathedral Grove BC.

The trees out on the west coast can grow to gargantuan proportions and dwarf anything out in our forested areas of Alberta. They’re monsters, fir, cedar and hemlock, with the one seen in this photo a top contender size wise in a grove of big, big boys. The picture does not do it justice.

In a break from the usual, our subject will be a chunk of land that for some reason was never logged and now a nature preserve. Trees here date back many centuries and via a boardwalk and trails, they can be explored without harming the fragile understory. To someone used to the stick trees out in Kananaskis, this experience is recalled as something short of overwhelming.

The Giants of Cathedral Grove (BC).

The lost town of Ioco – there’s lots coming soon!

Going back to the 1920s, it functioned as a company town in support of the Imperial Oil Company plant on Burrard Inlet out near Port Moody BC. Out on the west coast. A couple homes are still occupied in the community, but all others that remain standing are boarded up and empty. Many were torn down decades back and now what’s left has been historically designated in one way or another. The Ioco Groceteria functioned until the mid-1990s and it too stands empty. We spent a couple hours simply wandering the community and taking in what we could see. There among the ghosts and lost memories.

Ioco Port Moody BC (Ghost Town).

We’ve been busy and recall there will be a part two of this post which will get published soon enough. Then we’ll get down to writing and researching the various subject presented here in these sneak previews. In addition to these, there are plenty of other things coming soon, including more hikes, historical stuff, countless short subjects, our strange predilection for Bolers and our popular comparison shots where we use old photos as a guide. Stay tuned for more fun and action!

Know more about a select number of subjects seen here (new tabs): Marina Roof Safeways, Historic Fort MacLeod Alberta, Williams Fiesta Pinball, Mount Revelstoke National Park Hikes, Alsask Saskatchewan Dome, Great Beater Challenge and Cathedral Grove Vancouver Island.

They’re saying…

”Chris & Connie research the details of their subjects and share their awesome photography! Thank you!” Sandra Beaudoin – Hanna Roundhouse Society, Hanna Alberta.

Part two…
Coming Soon (2)!

Good times ahead…
Marblehead Underground Quarry.
A Few Minutes in Stavely Alberta.
Didsbury Alberta Town Loop.
Downtown Bawlf Alberta.

If you wish more information on what’s seen here, don’t hesitate to: contact us!

Date of Adventures: 2021-2024.
Location(s): All over the West.

The post Coming Soon (1)! first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

A day in the woods always trumps one at the office.

It begins at the far-end of West Bragg Creek Road, west of, guess what, Bragg Creek and at the south end of the parking lot. There’s a huge number of trails here and while it might seem too busy from all appearances, everyone seems to choose different routes and the crowds soon spread out.

Our track will be making use of several trails of varying types. There’s old logging roads, broad and easy, plus winding single track.

This is an area of thick forest, reclaimed cutblocks, the occasional meadow and is rolling in nature. It’s the pre-foothills and the Rockies are well off to the west.

They still harvest trees here and while always busy with bikers, hikers and equestrian riders (who mostly have their own exclusive-use trails) all year round; and skiers come winter, everyone seems to get along. Nations of the world should take notice.

Leave the parking lot at the SW corner, immediately cross a little bridge and shortly after, turn left on East Crystal Line. It runs arrow straight, while rising and falling with the land. At a broad meadow go right on Sundog (East) and climb up a bit to another meadow and beyond where it levels out for a time.

Several junction will come in quick succession but keep to Sundog until it morphs into the Iron Springs trail and on the same general heading. There’s lots of posted maps to help you along and trails are also signed at regular intervals, so you’ll be hard pressed to get lost. That sounds like a challenge…

Many of the trails thus far are for cross country skiers later in the winter and for their exclusive use then. There’s no hiking if they’re groomed but otherwise they’re yours the rest of the year. These XC trails are all former logging roads, grassed over and with zero difficulties. You’ll pass through former cutblocks of varying ages as you go.

Cattle free range in the area, so don’t be surprised if you round a corner and come face to face with one. These woods are truly multi-use.

The trail rises and drops a bit, but it’s hardly much. Boundary Ridge and its west facing slope, showing signs of recent logging, can be see to the left. Once you get to the south end of it (it runs N-S), the trail doubles back and makes for the (lofty – haha) “summit”.

At a low marshy area (to your right) and at a four way junction, turn left onto the single track and start climbing. This, the Boundary Ridge Trail takes an easy line and elevation is gained slowly. They engineered the trails here real nice. Watch for fast descending bikes and keep tabs on your direction at any interim junctions.

At an opening in the trees (few and far between), make note of Snagmore Hill to the south.

Boundary Ridge runs fairly level at the top and thanks to a big windstorm a couple years back, is full of blowdown. Many ridges in the area got hit bad and fallen trees blocked numerous West Bragg Creek trails. It took volunteers a while to clean up and even now the scars of this event are clearly evident.

A cattle gate marks the high point of the ridge. Well, according to the GPS and it didn’t seem any higher or lower than any other part around. There’s a couple breaks in the trees allowing one to look to the east and west towards endless rolling hills and Moose Mountain. This is not a hike for views, but more for getting out and working out.

Fireweed has moved in the areas decimated by the wind and can be seen in dense stands all about. They like disturbed areas and have pretty purplish flowers when in bloom that later turn to large clumps of fluffy stuff.

The descent begins and like the up section of Boundary Ridge, the line down is always gentle and well thought out. This was done so bikes always have a manageable grade, but it makes it easy on a hiker’s legs too.

Keep on the Boundary Ridge Trail until it intersects Sundog (East – remember it from earlier?) and turn right. Dropping down, pass East Crystal Line, to next west trending trail further down, next to a road, and soon after the bridged crossing come to the parking lot. It’s over…sorry…but you can come back.

Joining this day was our son’s dog Drea. She thrives on adventure, is calm and totally disinterested in cows, horses, bikes or seemingly anything else outside her pack and accompanies us from time to time on hikes. Dogs are allowed on trails if kept under control always and probably should be leashed up in congested areas.

Know more about the WBC Network (new tab): West Bragg Creek Trails.

They’re saying…

”Relevant, authentic, real!” David W Brandenburg.

More from the area…
West Bragg Creek Snowy Owl (mostly).
Merlin View.
Iron Springs – Elbow.

If you wish more information about this trail or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: September, 2023.
Location: Kananaskis, West Bragg Creek.
Distance: 9km loop.
Height gain maximum: 200m-ish
Height gain cumulative: 350m-ish
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Technical stuff and notes: none and it’s nothing but easy.
Reference: Greater Bragg Creek Trails Association.

Early in the hike on Sundog (East) with Drea.

It’s a place of gentle wooded hills and occasional meadows.

An interpretive sign about logging in the area.

Transferring to the Iron Springs Trail.

Drea and cow, both unconcerned.

Boundary Ridge barely rises above the lower trail.

This section is along an old logging road.

On Boundary Ridge Trail proper now.

Snagmore Hill to the south.

The ridge crest has been subject to much blowdown.

Trails in the WBC network are well marked.

Views from the “summit” of Boundary Ridge.

The wind came and made a mess – looking east.

Moose Mountain well off in the distance.

Fireweed likes it up here.

Dropping down now.

Maps are posted at every junction.

Drea is our son’s and loves adventure.

Back on Sundog.

The parking lot is minutes away.

An easy little loop in the West Bragg Creek trail system.

The post West Bragg Creek Boundary Ridge first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

It’s in the west reaches of the hills, affording some delightful views of the Rockies and of the valley below. It’s home to cattle, cowboys and busy Highway 22. We drive that road often and know in the fall the area is often spectacular with colour. We saved this hike for just that time of year.

This ridge walk is a little different than most in that you start up high and stay that way the entire time. Still, it has a roller coaster profile, so it’s a bit of workout. This area is in the Porcupine Hills Public Land Use Zone (aka PLUZ) and open to random camping (with permit) and ATV use. The trail is sometimes shared with a motorized vehicle track, but mostly not. Equestrian riders can also be expected.

Still, it’s not a terribly well used trail based on our research and we saw only two other groups of users. Early on too. There’s two versions of differing length. The first is to the balancing rock, the shorter option and by appearances where most people turn around.

The second is quite a bit longer and continues on to a high point further along the ridge and is the route explained here. There’s many meadows along the crest so no matter which you choose, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular scenery to look out over.

For the most part the Adair Ridge – Porcupine Hills Ridge trail parallels a fence atop the ridge-spine, so keep it close by and you can’t go wrong. We kept to the left side which seemed to work well. There’s a number of off-shoot trials and cow paths along the way (cattle free range here at times) so the fence is useful in keeping on track. In some places, about mid-point, the path is sometimes faint, but the way obvious.

You’ll note we’ve been using two names for the trail and since both seem in common usage, somewhat equally, we thought it best to include both.

It all begins along East Trout Creek Road off Highway #520 and both are gravel affairs. After gaining elevation, East Trout Creek Road bends right, at a meadow with a west facing view and this is your parking spot.

Note the cross close by. There’s no plaque that we could find but there was a plastic cup taped to it on our visit. I’m sure it has a meaning of some sort, but perhaps only to the person who left it (or the deceased person it honours).

Follow the obvious ATV track south and after rising up coming to a t-intersection at a drift fence. Go left – ATV track goes right. From here on, there’s a few gated fence crossings and be sure to close any you use back up again.

The trail rises and falls, sometimes in the trees, and other times in open meadow. There’s plenty of views and other times nothing but forest.

In more open areas expect strong winds – they’re famous here. As a result trees that grow along the west-edge (windward side) are weather ravaged, often lopsided and with a lean. Many just don’t make it due to the trying conditions and standing snags are frequently seen.

At the next fence, turn left and make a short side trip to the balancing rock (it’s nice), then backtrack, pass through the barbed-wire at a gate and continue on north. There’s a lot of diverging trails along this section and later on it becomes pretty faint, but remember the advice to keep near the fence. Sometimes the wire is anchored to trees which has grows around them and suggests it’s been here a long time.

More ups and downs along the Adair Ridge – Porcupine Hills Ridge trail. Each loss or gain is nothing much really but there’s plenty of them and don’t forget you have to come back the same way. So they’ll be double.

More forest, more meadows, more views, more colour and we’re in in a happy place. Occasionally you’ll be atop cliff bands and other times, the ridge slopes gently away to the west.

ATV tracks announce you’re close to the destination. Motorized vehicles get this far via a different trail (that comes in at the high point – marked by a cattle gate) and are blocked from going too far along this single track due to thick forest.

There’s one steep push, up a loose ATV track, then shortly after come to the destination atop a series of sandstone cliffs. Look north to the Chain Lakes off in the distance, the ranch lands below, and the 22 (the Cowboy Trail) snaking though the valley.

Note all the Bearberries underfoot, a tiny bush with bright red fruit that thrives in harsh conditions (like up here). While the berries are edible we’ve tried them and didn’t care for the mealy texture and the subtle earthy taste. We’re told they’re more palatable when cooked down but we’re not fully sold.

We find a suitable tree to hunker down behind (more wind) and enjoy a tasty charcuterie-style lunch. We always make the meal stop awesome so it too becomes memorable part of the hike. Afterwards, we explore further.

The ridge drops down to the north which we followed for a bit. It looks like one could continue on to another hill further in that direction, after a bit of elevation loss, without too much difficulty. Its west face is marked by an obvious cliff band.

For the first time there’s a real view to the east and it’s of more low rolling hills. Looking west is the good stuff, though. The Livingstone Range can be seen off in the south and is associated with the Crowsnest Pass region (a favourite destination for us).

There’s gas installations below, a pipeline right-of-way, the odd ranch but otherwise it’s mostly wilderness and rolling grassland. The wind keeps on blowing…

The rock formations are interesting up here and one at the high-point makes a great platform for photo ops.

Retrace your steps back to the start. But take it slow and marvel in the wonderful scenery along the way. Hold on to your hat at any meadows – the winds have picked up. We’ve seen where people have done this trail in colder months and can’t image how miserable it’d be up here at the time if they were blowing. Even on a warm fall day, it was fierce and biting.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Adair Ridge – Porcupine Hills Ridge and it’s made us think more of the area and what possibilities await. Had a blast and hope you do too!

Know more (new tab): Adair Ridge Porcupine Hills Ridge.

They’re saying…

”Relevant, authentic, real!” David W Brandenburg.

More like this…
The Bee Line Cranbrook BC.
Saskatoon Mountain.
Strawberry Hills.

If you need more information about this trail or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: September, 2023.
Location: Porcupine Hills, Alberta.
Distance: Adair Ridge – Porcupine Hills Ridge – 9.5km round trip total.
Height gain maximum: 100m-ish.
Height gain cumulative: ~400m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

A cross at the trailhead along East Trout Creek Road.

The fun begins on the Adair Ridge – Porupine Hills Ridge trail.

Dropping down a bit – the ridge has a roller coaster profile.

Trees are wind ravaged and lean as a result.

The trail keeps close to a drift fence at the ridge top.

Along here the path is well defined.

Many folks seem to turn around here at the balancing rock.

A heavily forested section – drift fence to the right.

The bone tree.

The trail is less distinct along here.

There’s many open meadows along the way.

The steepest push on an ATV track.

Leveling out atop a cliff band.

Almost there…

Lunch is always as enjoyable as the hike.

Exploring beyond the high point.

Highway 22 far below.

Fall in the Porcupine Hills is spectacular.

A blanket of Bearberries.

An opening in the trees affords this rare view east.

Note the hole in this rock formation.

Chris at the viewpoint.

And now Connie’s turn.

Looking north towards the Chain Lakes (distant, right frame).

Trees have a hard time up here and many don’t make it.

This hike timed well for the stunning fall colours.

Pleasant going.

Looking SW – Livingstone Range in the very back.

One final photo and it’s done.

Adair Ridge – Porcupine Hills Ridge: pleasant and scenic.

The post Adair Ridge – Porcupine Hills Ridge first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Whatever the moniker, it’s an easy and sweet hike to a wonderful viewpoint in the Front Ranges of the Rockies west of Calgary. Ahead, there’s an interesting trail and not long after starting, you’ll be rewarded with amazing views.

Other than at the beginning, it’s a steady push up to the top the entire time, with only one or two flat sections along the way. There’s some stuff to be mindful of, the ankle-twisting rocky spine and some steep, loose stuff very near the summit. A tumble on either is a definite possibility and likely to be bad news, so be cautious.

It begins at the Rainy Summit pullout on Highway #66 west of Calgary – there’s a large info sign here about timber harvesting. This is about where the highway tops out before dropping down to the Elbow River. In the warmer months cattle free roam the area, and year round it’s also home to many feral horses. Look for either of their calling cards underfoot.

The horses gave their name to the Mustang Hills on the opposite side of the highway.

Fall in Kananaskis can be spectacular and this is a good time to tackle Rainy Summit Ridge. Those glorious colours marking the end of the season are always too fleeting but stunning while they last. It was somewhat hazy on our visit but this didn’t really ruin things.

Cross the meadow, and on the right side find a former logging road heading into the trees. The going is easy and quick along here. Take the first left on a second road, and follow it till it bends around and dead-ends. Continue on the single-track afterwards and soon the climbing begins.

The rocky spine, seen in a bit, adds an interesting element to the hike and it comes to quite a sharp point in places. Careful and deliberate placement of steps is a serious consideration. Along here the trees thin at times and with that comes the first views of the day. It seems a good amount of elevation has already been gained at this point, but there’s more to come.

Arrive at a meadow, climb up in the trees once again and top out at the first lookout. It’s flat, mostly open area and we understand that many people make this their objective. Admire ForgetMeNot Ridge and Mountain to the right, the Elbow River flats and rolling hills to the south and Îyarhe Îpan far left. Up higher they look even more awesome.

To the west and a bit above is today’s goal, Sunrise Hill/Rainy Summit Overlook. It’s not far but it’s still a bit of a climb and ahead comes the steepest part of the trail.

Drop down briefly and then tackle the slope head on. The trail takes a pretty direct line and is soon out of the trees. A few more grunts and the summit is reached. It’s truly spectacular up here and the views much more broad and encompassing than the first viewpoint which is seen directly below.

Look west to Mount Glasgow, Mount Cornwall and Banded Peak. See the Big and Little Elbow Rivers join right beside sparkling ForgetMeNot Pond. That long treed mass to the west is Powderface Ridge and it extends north for quite some distance. It’s a fine objective too and there’s some fun to be had exploring its open summit (not seen from this angle).

To the east there’s a barren peak called Moose Mountain and to its right Prairie Mountain. Both are popular hiking destinations and as you can see we’ve visited both. The view south is all the better at this higher elevation and Mt Quirk off in the distance is the biggest mass in that direction. There’s patches of brilliant yellow below (if done in fall) and you can even see where you parked. Hey, there’s the might BIGDoer-mobile!

If you look down in the draw to the west of and below Sunrise Hill/Rainy Summit Overlook you can see the trail to Powderface Ridge. We spot a few people hiking it but none did the side trip to our location, so it was all ours.

Soak up some of that Kananaskis vibe and when full, return via the same route. But take time to stop and admire the scenery along the way, when you can. Leaving is the hardest part and the descent is always a bit of a downer (literally and figuratively).

The Rainy Summit Ridge trail was pretty quiet on our visit and we only passed a couple other hikers. This was actually a Chris solo outing, but Connie’s always along in spirit even when she’s at work. Hence the use of us, we and our, which is done out of habit I guess.

The horses and their cow companions had moved on by the time this adventure ended. Seems they all went home and it looks like that is our destiny too. Turn around around and take one last look up at the summit that not all that long ago, you were standing atop.

What an awesome time!

Know more about the trail (new tab): Rainy Summit Ridge to Sunrise Hill.

They’re saying…

”Relevant, authentic, real!” David W Brandenburg.

More short ones…
Devil’s Hole (East Kootenay BC).
Mesa Butte (The Grind).
Ford Knoll Loop.

If you wish more information about this trail or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: October, 2022.
Location: Kananaskis Elbow River area.
Distance: 5km round trip total.
Height gain maximum: 410m
Height gain cumulative: 430m
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Technical stuff and notes: some rocky and steep, loose sections.
Reference: Kananaskis Trail Guides by the Dafferns.

It begins! Free range cattle mixed with wild horses back there.

The Rainy Summit Ridge trail initially follows an old road.

One giant burl.

The trail is now singletrack.

On the rocky spine.

Where the trees thin – Forgetmenot Ridge and Mountain in back.

Rolling hills to the south on a hazy day.

Weathered by time and the elements.

At the first viewpoint where many people turn back – looking west-ish.

Îyarhe Îpan in back.

Sunrise Hill proper (aka Rainy Summit Overlook).

The trail here is steep and loose.

Looking east – Powderface Ridge left.

On top! That’s the south end of Powderface Ridge.

The Big and Little Elbow Rivers meet by Forgetmenot Pond.

The first viewpoint is seen directly below.

Soaking up that Kananaskis vibe – Prairie Mountain back right.

People on Powderface Ridge Trail.

Moose Mountain.

The Mighty BIGDoer-mobile can be seen down there.

Carefully making the descent.

A brief flat section.

Back into the trees.

You gotta stop and admire the scenery.

A bit of care is needed along this section.

Interestingly lit.

Fall in Kananaskis is always spectacular.

Back on the old road and almost done.

They’ve left their calling cards.

Looking back at Sunrise Hill/Rainy Summit Overlook.

A short but sweet hike.

The post Rainy Summit Ridge to Sunrise Hill first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Posting at BIGDoer,com has restarted after taking most of the summer off and to that we say: hurrah! We’ve been busy the whole time hiking, shooting Then & Nows and visiting so many historic sites. Just you wait and we’ll be sharing these adventurers soon enough. We have a backlog that should keep us busy for some time to come and more keeps coming.

Start at the south edge of town along First Avenue East at Eleventh Street and down there by the tracks. It’s where the pathway starts and there’s plenty of parking here.

Head north and follow the railway. This is a Canadian National line connecting Calgary to points north and it sees a handful of trains per day. Even though we held out hope, none showed for us.

After a few blocks two historic and quite photogenic grain elevators come into view. There used to many others here and now this pair are the only ones left. They sit right across the tracks from each other and one (the blue/green former Alberta Wheat Pool elevator) remains in use privately, and the other (former Parrish & Heimbecker) stands empty at the moment. It has for some time and that it’s fenced off suggests it’s not got much time left.

The Pool building is fairly modern, as wood grain elevators go, and dates from the 1960s. The other is well over a century old (with some newer additions) and yet the two don’t differ all that much in form or function. It’s not clear when either last loaded grain shipped out by rail, but the late 1990s/early 2000s is likely. At least for the newer elevator.

Know more about the pair: Prairie Sentinels – Three Hills Alberta.

It’s hard to imagine that at one time, not all that long ago, there were hundreds and hundreds of grain elevators scattered across the Alberta prairies. Now there’s so few left and more are lost each year.

Just past the fire station the pathway ends, so cross the road and continue up First Street North then almost immediately take a left on Second Avenue. It does a little jog a block or so later and shortly after enters the Prairie College Campus. This was formerly Prairie Bible College and it has roots in Three Hills that go back about a hundred years.

In the past, the college and associated housing took up most of the north end of town. The complex has shrunk considerably over the years yet it still has quite the footprint, both space wise and in terms of impact on the local economy. Go right on Third Street North and pass right through the heart of the campus.

There’s a mix of old buildings here and many more that are much newer. Prairie High School is housed in one of the former. Empty lots and sidewalks to nowhere mark the sites of former houses and dorms for faculty and students. The old East Gym Quonset seen is likely to be demolished based on the talk we’ve heard, but it’s no longer of use anyway.

Go right on Seventh Avenue North and just before the main road into town, turn left and take to the pathway in an easterly direction. Just past Prairie Tabernacle Church (it’s huge and connected to the college), cross over the highway to a pathway on the opposite side, then turn left.

Ahead it’s the Three Hills Museum and this makes a good turn around point. There’s some outdoor train displays (two thumbs up from us) and if it’s open there’s always the option to venture inside and look around. It was closed this day but we’ve been inside before. A quick detour into the campground behind the museum is made and that’s to seek out any Bolers that might be lurking, but none were seen. No trains and no little fibreglass trailers – this day is a bust!

After a little rest (benches and shade here) head back the way you came. But don’t cross the highway as before and continue straight while paralleling the main road (aka Second Street North).

At Sixth Avenue North, leave the pathway and turn left towards downtown. Just before that and straight ahead, the town’s iconic water tower can be seen a couple blocks away. It’s the tallest thing around and can be seen for quite the distance. See: Then & Now: Three Hills Alberta.

Turn left on Main Street and enter downtown Three Hills. There was not much going on the day of our visit, but recall it was a Sunday after all. There’s a mix of new business blocks here and few that are clearly quite old (Three Hills dates back to the early 1910s). We admire an old sign connected to a laundromat and while here shot a Then & Now which as yet is unpublished.

We take in the murals here and it seems that every single wall is so adorned. One honours those who served in the military, another depicts the various churches in the community and a third pays homage to the grain industry (which was and is big business here).

There’s more, but we didn’t want to overload you with photos. Especially since the light was horrible this day and made ugly for flat images (our apologies).

A little birdie told us to look for a certain doorway and lift up the entry mat. There it is! The hardware store is long gone, but their tile entryway remains and looks in good shape. It’s these little discoveries we treasure most and we’re thankful for that tip from a local.

At the T-intersection a couple block hence cross over to the pathway on the far side (the same one you used on the first leg of this adventure) and turn left. Some blocks later, you’ll be back where you started and the trek will be at an end.

We find these in-town walks are a great way to get to know a community, even if we don’t always see everything that might be of interest to us, and a great way to keep fit too. We can’t always make it to the mountains for a hike so these work well and are thoroughly enjoyed.

Nagging health issues sometimes forces us to keep to the streets as wall and this is yet another reason we do these. Plus they often come with a history angle, which of course is draws us in. We have an insatiable appetite you know.

We enjoyed our little tour of Three Hills Alberta and hope you did as well. Adios and until next time, keep exploring!

Know more about the community (new tab): Three Hills Alberta.

They’re saying…

”We’ve been following your adventures for years and have done many of the walks you’ve posted. Thanks for being such a great resource!” James and Ashlee Sandler.

More like this…
Didsbury Alberta Town Loop.
Chestermere Town Loop.
Drumheller Pathways.

If you wish more information about this route or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: May 2023.
Location: Three Hills, Alberta.
Distance: 7km total.
Height gain maximum: Negligible.
Height gain cumulative: See above.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

It begins at the south end of town down by the tracks.

A great way to waste away the afternoon – CN line on the left.

Someone’s future project?

Three Hills Alberta is home to two old grain elevators.

The one in the foreground is not in use.

It was election time.

Pretty things along the way.

Lilacs were in full bloom.

Site of a former house in the Prairie College complex.

We play…but not very well.

Prairie High School on the college grounds.

The old east gym is likely to be demolished.

The former site of dormitories.

A lot of prairie towns are putting in pathway systems.

The Three Hills Museum is our turn around point.

A rail display next to the main hall.

A little break before continuing on.

Heading back now.

Next stop: downtown.

Not much happening on a Sunday afternoon.

Some of the oldest business blocks here.

Rather than throw it away make it into a planter.

That retro sign!

Murals cover nearly every visible wall.

Lookie here!

An homage to the grain industry.

And a tribute to those who served.

Almost at the end.

Three Hills Pathways & Sidewalks: seven clicks of fun. Star = start.

The post Three Hills Pathways & Sidewalks first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

It’s a fair sized loop with a bit of elevation gain, but it’s done in fits and starts, so doesn’t feel particularity hard. There’s a confusing array of junctions to deal with and while they’re marked with signs, be sure to download the map to your device or get a paper copy so you don’t find yourself in a pickle.

Today’s fun begins the Campground Entrance opposite Kimberley Riverside RV Resort, off St Mary’s Lake Road and a little outside Marysville. It’s #5 on the Trail Map. Speaking of maps, there’s one at an info kiosk here at the start and they post trail updates here too.

Now let’s get walking and for the next few kilometres the trail climbs, but the grade is never steep. Start out on Campground Trail, then in a short distance turn left on Jimmy Russell Road. Jimmy was an avid outdoor enthusiast back in the day and these hills were his haunt.

Come to the first of many junctions this day – right is Duck Pond Trail, which could be used as a shortcut when coming off Myrtle Mountain. Use it if you later run out of steam. At one point come to a recently logged area, and at the edge of the block, at a junction, keep to the road. The grade levels out somewhat, and for the next couple clicks the going is real easy. Real pleasant and so peaceful.

Go right at Army Road and continue on through lush Whitetail Valley. This is a trail put in by the military in the 1940s and used to access a shooting range. There’s more junctions along here but the only one of importance this hike is Mountain Mine Road, seen after about a kilometre and a half.

Go right and begin climbing again, at one point steeply, through a dense matchstick forest. The hills around Kimberley held metallic riches (lead, silver and zinc mostly) and were heavily prospected in the late 1800s/early 1900s. The closed Sullivan Mine, in production for almost a century, is legendary and just to the north. Kimberley is a tourist town now, but not that long ago it was mining that drove the local economy.

Myrtle Mountain was explored for its potential and while nothing much was found, evidence of this work is said to be visible in places along the trail. They speak of small excavated pits and the like. We didn’t notice anything, but we are guilty of daydreaming sometimes and perhaps missed the markers.

After a while, a short spur trails leads to Myrtle Mountain Lookout. You’re now atop a rather lowly lump of rock, more befitting of hill status, but there’s still some wonderful views to be had from up this way. Where the trees thin, that is. Here’s a great lunch spot and we soak the scenery while enjoying yummy eats. It’s doesn’t get any better than here and now.

The towns of Kimberley and Marysville (technically part of Kimberley) can be seen below. Then look across to the the mighty Steeples and its tallest mountain, Fisher Peak. The broad expanse below is the Rocky Mountain Trench and is home to the Kootenay River.

We go off trail for a bit to explore the rest of the summit and it’s actually quite broad and rocky but mostly tree covered, so no additional views were had. Kimberley’s original ski hill was somewhere on Myrtle Mountain’s slopes, but that operation is long a memory and now the runs are on North Star Hill nearby.

Some flagging is found and suggests maybe a new connecting trail is being scouted out.

Up to this point, we only saw a couple other trail users, but as we were leaving two large groups headed to where we had just been passed us by. Then it was quiet again and we’d see no one else for the rest of the day.

Back on the trail, it’s a short jaunt to the last junction and from here take the SW Passage Trail straight ahead. It traverses Bump Mountain, looses elevation at a leisurely pace and is always in the trees.

Come to a junction with Skid Road (skidding: a logging term, to drag timber to a loading point) but first, continue on SW Passage for a short distance, then take a marked spur trail (left) to a second spectacular lookout. The views here are best to the south and southwest up the remote St Mary’s River Valley. Grab a bench, enjoy the scenery and you might not want to leave.

Backtrack to the last junction and proceed down on Skid Road.

The trail crosses a boggy area lower down on a boardwalk and then connects with Duck Pond Trail (continue straight ahead). Dropping further, and now trending south, pass a couple side trails, then at a four way junction transfer to Sunflower Road. Note the marked protected wildlife trees along here – dead ones that are home to certain birds.

That shortcut we spoke of earlier (a continuation of Duck Pond Trail) drops down steeply to Jimmy Russell Road, where it’s an easy jaunt back to your car if want to end the adventure sooner. Sunflower Hill has a lot to offer, however, so stick it out of you can. It’s only a couple clicks more and the first half flat and then it’s mostly downhill from there.

There’s nice views all along the way and after a bit, double back to start the final descent. The hillside is sparsely treed, grassy and at certain times of the year, its slopes are blanketed with flowers. From the Kimberley Nature Park Society guide: “In May there is a profusion of yellow Balsamroot flowers (a member of the Sunflower family) on the hillside that photographers will not want to miss.”

By our standards, this was not a big hike, but normal is out the window these days. With Connie’s health issues, it took all she had to see it to completion. A celebratory photo rounds out our presentation and at this point, trailhead parking is just a short distance away. Cheer her on!

Drop down to Jimmy Russell Road, head up it a bit (the last elevation to end the day), then make a left on Campground Trail. Then it’s over and you know, that’s always bummer.

We’ve done a couple hikes in Kimberley Nature Park now and really enjoyed each one. There’s so much variety, diversity and a million different possible routes, so the fun can go on almost forever. We’ll be back next time we’re in the area and already planning our routes.

Know more (new tab): Kimberley Nature Park Trails

They’re saying…

A true “Rare Hidden Gem!” Ian Thomas McAlpine Paterson.

Out that way…
The Bee Line Cranbrook BC.
Mother’s Day Hill (East Kootenay BC).
Rampart – Isadore Loop (Cranbrook BC).

If you wish more information about this route or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: September, 2022.
Location: Kimberley, British Columbia.
Distance: 13km loop.
Height gain maximum: 390m.
Height gain cumulative: 420m-ish
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
Reference: Kimberley Nature Park Society.

At Kimberley Nature Park, Kimberley BC – St Mary’s Lake Rd entrance.

The fun begins on Campground Trail.

Signs of logging on Jimmy Russell Road.

A biker passes, but we mostly had the trails to ourselves.

There’s plenty of signage to help you along.

This Army Road section visits a lush valley.

Mountain Mine Road is next.

A dense matchstick forest.

A steep section.

A spur trail (left) leads to Myrtle Mountain Lookout.

Almost there.

Looking out over the Rocky Mountain Trench.

A toast @ Myrtle Mountain Lookout!

Going off trail to get this north view – note flagging.

Back at the lookout.

A long wall of rock called the Steeples is seen in back.

The community of Marysville below.

The Juniper crop is a good one.

Descending on SW Passage.

Pleasant hiking in the woods.

A side trail on the way down takes one to another lookout.

To every thing there is a season…

Soaking up the views – pointing south here.

A boardwalk on Skid Road.

A protected Wildlife Tree.

Easy and flat – Sunflower Road.

A little rest stop.

Fisher Peak centre.

A sharp bend on the drop down.

Looking west into the remote St Mary’s River Valley.

Almost done and Connie’s rightfully a proud hiker.

It’s a pleasant loop – spurs mark lookout points.

The post Kimberley Nature Park Myrtle Mountain first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

For this outing, we did the trail in a counter-clockwise direction, but it would be just as fine and interesting, the other way. Once up at the top there’s pleasing views of the Kootenay Ranges and Rocky Mountain Trench – cherry on top stuff. There’s two fine viewpoints and each looks out in a different direction.

The adventure begins at a paved pull out just a few clicks east of Cranbrook (where the passing lane starts) and off the eastbound lane of Highway #95/3. Drop down to the Chief Isadore rail-trail and proceed east for a short while, before coming to Bee Line proper, there on the right.

In a few moments there’s a junction and go right again – left will be used when coming down. Almost immediately, the climb begins but it’s rarely steep. The hill is a mix of forest and grassy meadow, plus it can be quite rocky in places.

A bee-line is typically in reference to something arrow straight, but this trail is anything but. It follows the lay of the land and the resultant track a squiggly line. There’s a number of offshoot trails along here, but the route is pretty obvious and just keep heading up to keep on track.

The summit is quickly reached and from the first viewpoint, one can look west towards town. It’s sort of obscured by a low rise, but not terribly far away and behind, there’s many wooded hills.

Hobgoblin Lake can sort of be seen below, but it’s more clear from the second viewpoint, which is not far from the first. That’s Mount Baker in behind and if you look close, you can see a bunch of communication’s towers up there. A prominent wall of rock called the Steeples is off in east and the tallest of the group goes by the name Fisher Peak.

The broad flat area below is the aforementioned Rocky Mountain Trench and a mix of pasture land, cultivated fields and forest. A haze hangs in the air and colours our scene a dusty blue. The rail grade mentioned earlier, runs at the base of our hill, but is unseen from this angle.

Once you’ve had your fill, head back down and while the descent begins right away, it’s not all that different from the ascent section done earlier. Not too steep, not too hard and quite enjoyable.

There’s one final view, of a hill to the north, with distant peaks as the backdrop, and then it’s back into the trees. Note the bike features along this stretch and they look fun but a bit scary.

BTW, always keep an ear open for two-wheelers on Bee Line and while we saw none, it’s clear bikes frequent the trail. The only people we saw on this outing, was one other group of hikers and no one else, for what it’s worth.

Trend this way and that, all the while dropping down further. It’s a quick and easy descent, then when back at the old rail line, simply retrace your steps back to the car. This was a short trail and done in no time.

Not wanting the fun to end, we delay the inevitable and take to the rail trail instead. It’s flat and easy, but helps use up a little excess energy. An out and back east to Isadore Canyon seems about right. It’s just shy of a few clicks each way and ends where they punched the railway roadbed through a rocky outcropping. The rail trail does not end there, but it’s where we turned back.

This stretch of track was abandoned about fifty years ago, for a new route a bit to the east and all this was caused by the filling of Lake Koocanusa reservoir. The water flooded out a section of track and they had to find a new way around. This line belonged to the Canadian Pacific Railway and dates back to the 1890s.

If you listen close you can hear the horn and clickety-clack of an approaching freight. The trains still run but only if you imagine it so.

The Chief Isadore rail trail is well packed down and nicely scenic in its own right. There’s trees and rock formations, little marshes, and plenty of nature to take in. While arguably better suited for biking, it did the trick and was thoroughly enjoyed.

It’s one final push up to the parking spot and another good time hike comes to an end. We hate this part, but we all know there will be more to come and that’s a good thing. Hope you enjoyed Bee Line as much as us and we’ll see you soon.

So much to do, so little time (new tab): Cranbrook Community Forest Trails.

They’re saying…

”Adventurers with a true heart, in a soulless world.” Peter Sisgo.

In the area…
Mother’s Day Hill (East Kootenay BC).
Kimberley BC: Magic Line – Moe’s Canyon.
Devil’s Hole (East Kootenay BC).

If you wish more information about this route or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: September, 2022.
Location: Near Cranbrook, British Columbia.
Distance: 5km loop.
Height gain maximum: 280m.
Height gain cumulative: 300m-ish
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

About to turn right off the old railway line.

The climb begins but it’s never that hard.

This is the Bee Line Trail Cranbrook, BC.

Crossing a decommissioned road.

It’s a pleasant stroll to the top of a low hill.

A long dead tree.

Cranbrook is just over that rise, but sort of hidden from view.

Cheers!

A wall of rock called the Steeples.

Fisher Peak is the tallest of the group.

Little Hobgoblin Lake and Mount Baker.

There’s a bit of haze in the air – pointing south here.

Turning more east-ish now.

Looking north up the Rocky Mountain Trench.

A mushroom atop a burned stump.

A little hill to the north.

Back into the forest.

Another old road.

Watch that drop.

Almost at the bottom.

Wanting a bit more fun, we take to the Chief Isadore Trail.

Learn about the little marsh.

Welcome to Isadore Canyon.

As far as we went along the former railway line.

The fun is almost at an end.

A little fun out near Cranbrook BC.

The post The Bee Line Cranbrook BC first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.

Once up high and out of the trees, there’s views aplenty of surrounding hills and peaks. Leaving will be the hardest part, but then again, it always is.

The trailhead is just a little east of the Sentinel Day Use area and on Highway #541 west of Longview. It’s not terribly far inside the K-County border. Some people park beside the highway at the trailhead, but the day use area seems easier and only adds a few hundred metres to the total distance. Just watch yourself crossing the highway and don’t become a statistic. This route is a no-brainier and navigation super easy.

Head into the woods and start the climb. It begins almost at once and the grade steady, but never terribly steep, all the way up to the pass. It’s wide and easy going for the most part and a parallels a little creek. Sometimes the creek and trail are one in the same.

There’s some ancient firs near the start, and the as elevation is gained the forest transitions from confiders to aspen. After that it’s grassy meadows and that’s where the views open up.

Cattle are seasonally allowed to roam this region of Kananaskis and leave their calling cards everywhere. Make a game of it dodging their droppings.

It seems some of these cows are avid mountain climbers and we’ve seen them up high in places where they shouldn’t normally be. It happened here and some were spotted well above us on one steep slope.

Don’t be alarmed if you round a corner and come face to face with one. It’s amazing how much a cow and bear look alike during a surprise encounter.

Where there’s cattle, there’s cowboys and you might see a rider or two out monitoring the herd. The fellow we passed was in search of a couple head missing for a time and thought to be deceased. You might see temporary cattle fencing in places and it keeps them away from sensitive areas.

You might also notice hunters using the trail in fall (on foot, horseback or bike) and they’re likely headed to the remote valleys in the north. It’s pretty wild out that way and the only access via trails like this.

There’s a five way junction right at aptly named Grass Pass. Straight ahead takes one to the next valley over – where those hunters go – so loose that novelty antler hat if headed that way.

Going right takes you up Bull Creek Hills (a nice destination, but a bit of work) and if you go harder right, there’s a nice easy trail to Fir Creek Point. That’s the next objective here and it’s not far away either.

Left goes up the unnamed ridge to the west (we gave it this name: Ridge 710871 (Gunnery Ridge?), but it never stuck) and it will be visited later. Then of course, there’s the trail you came in on and it’s also used on the descent.

Make quick time to Fir Creek Point, with the trail bending around to a superb viewpoint. Note all the wind-ravaged pines along here. They manage to survive on these slopes, when no other trees can, but even they show the scars of a severe beating by mother nature. The air was oddly still the day of our visit (and on previous visits), but we heard it can be insufferable at times.

Patterson’s Boundary Pine is the most noteworthy of the trees and named in honour of a local rancher from long ago. These hills were a second home for the fellow and this tree his legacy.

The reason for the name Boundary name is not explained, but could perhaps be in reference to a couple of things. Maybe it marked the limits of his ranch property at the time or that it’s in the transition (or boundary) zone between the Rockies and Great Plains.

It’s said Patterson climbed both Holy Cross Mountain, and Mount Head, which dominates views to the west.

Now unwind and soak up that scenery. From this vantage point, one can look down on the Highwood River and in behind Zephyr Creek Hills. Mount Burke, and its long north ridge, is most prominent behind the group. If you look close, the old fire lookout up there on its rocky summit can be seen, but haze sort obscured it for us.

To the east one can glimpse the prairies and in that direction the flat extends for well over a thousand kilometres.

Fir Creek Point makes a great lunch spot and you know, a hike is always better with wine. Just sayin. On a recent adventure we picked a bottle at a little estate winery out near Creston BC (Wynnwood Cellars) and it was the cherry topping on this amazing sundae.

Make your way back to the junction and take the trail angling left up the ridge ahead. It’s not much extra work (<100m elevation) and the scenery pleasant, so why not? There’s a fantastic vista of Holy Cross Mountain (naming convention: melting snow in spring often takes a cross-shape on the east-facing slope) and it’s little brother Gunnery Mountain.

The many summits of Bull Creek Hills, to the east, can be clearly seen from this point and it’s a temping objective. We’ve been up there, twice, once by the Grass Pass approach and another from the far side. Here: Bull Creek Hills and here: Bull Creek Hills – East Approach.

Look north to a vast expanse of wilderness visited by few. There’s trails into the area, but given the distances it’s not the domain of the day hiker. Still, you can hear the call and one can’t help wonder what adventures await if give the chance to explore.

After taking it all in, retrace your steps back to your vehicle. It’s all downhill from here! We always go on about the big downer that comes with leaving such a special place, and there’s no exception here. Can’t we stay a little longer? Pretty please!

Know more (new tab): Grass Pass Kananaskis and Fir Creek Point Kananaskis.

They’re saying…

”You guys are awesome sauce!” Peter Schoenfelder (the best comment ever!)

More like this…
Mother’s Day Hill (East Kootenay BC).
Jumpingpound Mountain East Ridge.
Raspberry Ridge via Switchback Route.
Junction Hill – Coal Road Approach (a short distance away).

If you wish more information about this route or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!

Date of adventure: September, 2022.
Location: Highwood Region, Kananaskis Alberta.
Distance: 11km out and back.
Height gain maximum: 525m.
Height gain cumulative: 540m.
NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).

Grass Pass…it begins!

We might have company.

There’s some ancient trees in the lower section.

The old pack trail is wide and steadily gains elevation.

At the rate Connie finds these, our luck will never run out.

Breaking out of the trees.

Looking back.

Grass Pass is at that group of trees ahead.

Remote wilderness to the north.

On to Fir Creek Point, seen to the right and a short distance away.

A rider in search of lost cattle and a couple hunters.

Holy Cross Mountain is almost always in view.

A reward for reaching Fir Creek Point.

Incredible views of Zephyr Creek Hills to the south.

The long ridge off Mount Burke is seen above Connie.

Mount Head to the northwest.

Trees take a beating up here on these wind ravaged slopes.

Patterson’s Boundary Pine (not the same one seen above).

Starting up the ridge and looking back at Fir Creek Point (centre).

Gunnery Mountain to the west.

Bull Creek Hills to the east.

Lounging on the high point and admiring Holy Cross.

Pointing north.

Dropping back down to Grass Pass.

At the pass proper and a further descent ahead.

Expect cattle (and their calling cards) on this trail.

Almost done – Zephyr Creek Hills seen earlier.

The arrow route – star=Sentinel Day Use parking.

The post Grass Pass to Fir Creek Point & More first appeared on Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie.