Long Bay (Cold Lake)

August 26, 2009 I was able to return to Long Bay on Cold Lake and canoe along the section of shore line that I wasn't able to get to on August 13 because of the high swells coming in of the lake. The lake was more placed this time but not entirely calm. As I came around the point into long bay the water got a bit choppy. But as I followed the east shore I found myself in a sheltered area that was completely tranquil. It was a very pleasant contrast.

I then made my way along 'the weeds' to the west shore and paddled that for awhile. Observing a couple of King Fishers as I paddled.

This paddle is a bit nostalgic for me because I went to a small island that I had not visited for years, actually its been decades. The island is where the photograph was taken from. I paddled there a few times with friends and family decades ago. I even organised one of these at night time on an evening with only a full moon for light.

I landed on the island on it's west side and although it had been frequently visited by beavers there was little evidence of human visits. I was a bit surprised that this island would not be visited. My thought was how has this place escaped human attention when every other bit of shore line has not. Well as I paddled around to the east side of the island I found that in deed some has camped on the island on a regular basis. Fire pit and grill, tarp, and I picked up the beer cans and other garbage.

Total distance 13.0 km.
Moving time 3 hours 24 minutes
Stopped time 36 minutes.
Maximum elevation 1780 feet.

Long Bay (Cold Lake)

Thursday August 13, 2009. If you go canoeing in the morning on Long Bay on a windy day you might just find yourself in a symphony of sensations where nature is the conductor and her elements are the orchestra. Or if I were a poet I could write the ultimate poem of how it was on the bay that day. But alas words fail me nor are there words enough to describe the complete sensations that I experienced on the bay on last Thursday morning. You just had to be there.

The consistency of immature Grebes, still unable to fly but skimming the water and then disappearing where the stopped. Each one traveling the same distance and each one diving at the end of their run.

I did see an American Bittern. I flushed it up and they are truly ungainly fliers. I haven't seen a Bittern in years or perhaps even decades.

Eagles and flowers and terns.

Places that I may have never been before. But hope to go to again.

Distance 15.3 km
Moving time 3 hours 53 min
Stopped time 20 min

African Lake (Cold Lake Area)

August 12, 2009. I was back in the City of Cold Lake to get my car worked on again so I had the opportunity to make another attempt at getting to African Lake.

I am compelled to give a bit of an explanation about my interest in African Lake. I basically grew up in the Cold Lake area and I have been to most places in the area. I have noticed African Lake on topographical maps. But before I had ever seen it on topographical maps African Lake was a rather mythical place for me. Back in the late 1950's there was a military exercise in the Cold Lake area. I recall on the way to school seeing a number of parachutes being dropped from aircraft. Exciting stuff for me. That evening my older brother told about driving around with his friends and coming across some solders who they stopped to talk to and may have even given a ride to. I recall that the solders were trying to get to African Lake. That is the first that I had any hint that there was a lake out the in that rather empty tract of land. It was probably a few years before I was able to, see a topographical map of the area and confirm that the lake really existed.

So when I saw the sign 'African Lake Bicycle Trail' I just had to go explore it. Wednesday August 12 was my second attempt. I could see that the old 'Radar Station' was close to it so I decided to attempt to access the lake from that side. I rode my bike north on 51st Street. The area has been developed so much that I do not recognize most of the places there so I missed the road to the 'Radar Station' which is now the Cold Lake Museum. I had to back track then. I then went east on the right road. There is a lot of signage around the museum prohibiting off road vehicles, including Bicycles from traveling off the road. But I ignored the signage and followed a well worn track on the the east. According to my GPS I was within 400m of African Lake. But it was all bush and there was no access to the lake, that I could find. The ATV track that I was on looped around to the south and back to the Museum. It was a trail that I mostly had to walk and even then there were some slopes that were so steep that I could barely even push my bicycle up. So I headed west back toward 51st street. I found a dirt trail north to Township Road 632 which saved me from going all of the way back. My next attempt was to bicycle south on 16th street to the Motor Cross track. There was clearly no access to African Lake from that place so I returned north on 16th street and back to urban Cold Lake. Next east on Forest Dr. then 16th Ave. until I saw an African Lake Bicycle Trail sign pointing south on 8th Street. As I rode south for a short way the street was pavement, then a maintained gravel road, then gravel but not maintained, then it became a dirt road and eventually it became an ATV trail that continues straight south to African Lake. The trail continues on around the east side of the lake. This part of the trail is sandy in places and portions of it make rather poor cycling and I found that walking them was the easiest way to go there. The ATV Quads form ruts just deep enough so the bicycle peddles would catch. There is access to the lake on the south end as well. The trail continues south. It is rutted with mud holes but it does improve and is rideable again through some more level and open meadows. And eventually I did end up on the trail that I had been on the week before when I ended up at Fountain Lake.

In my opinion the African Lake Bicycle trail is a poor trail for bicycling. And the reason is largely due to the heavy use by ATVs. I noted places on that some slopes where trail has been worn down to about waste deep.

Once I completed the trail I then bicycle to Cherry Grove,
total distances was 31.6 km
about 3 hours moving 47 minutes stopped.
Maximum elevation was 1908 and the total ascent was about 1000 feet.

Later in the day I then rode my bicycle back to pick up my car which was another 15.3 km and took me 1 hour and 10 minutes. So the total distance that I rode that day was about 46km.

Fontaine Lake (Cold Lake South)

August 6, 2009
If you drive east on 50th Avenue of Cold Lake South (formerly known as Grand Centre) you will see a sign that says African Lake Bicycle Trail. So today, while my car was in for repairs I decided to go for a bicycle ride to African Lake. So rode to 38 street and went north on it, as the sign indicated. The street ended and a trail continued on between two residentual lots. The trail was rather over grown with weeds and grass so it appears to have not been maintained anytime in the recent past. I wasn't very far beyond the houses before any possible bicycle trail was lost. In stead there was a trail which was clearly well traveled by ATVs. This trail was not easy to Bicycle down. A little further north and then east until I came to a sedge marsh around some open water and a beaver lodge. My Discover Canada Map showed this as Fontaine Lake. I took the photo here. I then continued on south on an old road or Quad track. I tried to ride but found the few dead fall and bog areas to be too many obstacles so I ended up pushing my bicycle and walking. The trail looped east next and back toward the lake but I only found sedge marsh and willows. It then went straight south to Township Road 630. I returned to the City of Cold Lake on that road. So I never did make it to African Lake. There are Quad tracks and old bush roads heading that way but I saw no clear signage or even evidence of a bicycle trail. I will however, explore this further. As it stands right now though, if you are in Cold Lake City and want to ride a bicycle trail I do not recommend the African Lake bicycle trail. If all you want to do is tramp around in the woods and some sedge marshes and pick a few Dewberries then there are lots of ATV trails and tracks to follow out there.

The total ride/walk about 10 km.
1 hour 11 minutes
about 1 hour 30 minutes total time.
Maximum evelvation 1855 feet

Waskehegan - Cooking Lake Recreational Area

July 26, 2009. This walk just reinforced to me that the Cooking Lake Recreational Area is a well kept secret. When my nephew and I arrived there was one other vehicle in the parking lot but we did not encounter anybody on the trail.

I cross country skied this area on March 20, 2009. Almost the exact same route that this hike was. My ski was on a Saturday afternoon and I noted that I encountered about six other skiers that day. I liked the undulating topography as it provided a more interesting trail to ski. I also noted the Neon Lake trail because it passes through some Mature Spruce trees.

We started the hike on the Lost Lake Trail, then Spruce Hollow, the Neon Lake, and then returned on Lost Lake again. We saw one Skunk, at a distance, heard coyotes and saw lots of frogs. We observed that most of the frogs were the Northern Wood Frog. We did also observe 2 Boreal Chorus Frogs. Of the entire walk the walk through the mature stand of spruce on the Neon Lake trail was the most aesthetic part.

This hike was just under 8 km. and took about 2 hours to complete. The maximum elevation was 2529 feet.

Three Mile Park, Red Deer

July 23, 2009 I stopped in Red deer to take a break from driving. On September 22, 1998 I walked this trail. That time I talked it in a clockwise direction. This time I walked it in a generally counter clockwise direction. I believe there are portions of the trail that were gravel in 1998 that are now paved. The trail generally follows the Red Deer River. A portion of the trail is through an off lease dog walking area. The part of the trail that is adjacent to the golf course passes through some mature deciduous trees. It is nice to walk through these trees.

The total hike was about 9.5 km. 2 hours moving time. 6.5 minutes stopped time. total ascent was 256 feet.

Crandell Lake

July 21, 2009 I hiked into Crandell Lake with three granddaughters and one grandson. We started from the Cameron Lake road. The trail is a well maintained and receives a lot of use. We then hiked around Crandell Lake. The total distance was about 4.7 km. Moving time was 1 hour 51 minutes. Stopped time was 41 minutes. Maximum elevation = 5255 ft. total ascent was 603 feet.

Beattie Peaks

June 10 and 11

There are many firsts recorded in history. The first person to the south pole, the first person to ascend Everest, and so on. But few of us will ever get to be first at anything or even associate with someone who has. As it turns out this is not true for me.

The last time Jim had visited the Beattie Peaks was in 1986. When he did he followed a trail that he had cut with the help of a couple of volunteers and some Boy Scouts. In fact the purpose of our trip to this area was to determine if that trail still exists.

In the fall of 1982 Jim took on the task of clearing a trail so that he and his sons and some Boy Scouts could hike up the mountain to the peaks. So he recruited the assistance of a couple of guys and some Boy Scouts. With chainsaws logs and trees were cleared away to make a trail.

On Wednesday June 10, 2009 we found a trail marked with survey ribbon. This trail was clearly on an old cut line. It is straight for about 400 metres and then makes an abrupt turn to the south. At this point Jim was not sure that the trail that we were following was the same as the one that he had scouted decades before. But once we made the turn we began to see old tree cuts. By the time we had hiked the next 3.2 km Jim was convinced that the existing trail did follow his old trail from the cut line on. An observation that he made was when they first cut the trail there was no visible wear on the surface of the ground. Now there is a clear indentation where the foot traffic has wore a path into the forest floor. An indication that many pairs of feet have since traveled this trail.

Our hike was about 3.2 km with a maximum elevation of 4384 ft. Our total ascent was 1544 ft. We camped beside a small pond designated as 'Dry Lake' on the map in the forestry tower further up the trail. Our camp was at 4324 ft.

When Jim organized that work party to clear a path into the Beattie Peaks little did he know that decades later the same trail would still be in use on a regular basis. Certainly to the world at large this is a small first but still it is a first and it was such a pleasant experience to walk that trail.

The next day, Thursday, we continued our hike up the mountain. We had only hiked about 3/4 of a hour when the trail came onto the more open subalpine area. There is now a forestry fire watch tower that had not been there when Jim last hiked the mountain. By the log in the forestry tower the trail gets regular use. From the log it appears that we were the first to hike that trail this year. We were pushing the season a bit as we had to traverse a significant amount of packed snow. There were lots of subapline and alpine flowers to observe and we even got a glimpse of a Ptarmigan. We also came across a nice set of antlers that some caribou had shed. We hiked until 2 pm and then decided to return to camp without reaching the first peak. Our total hike that day was 14.8 km and it took us about 9 and 1/2 hours in total. Maximum elevation was 6016 ft. Our total ascent was 3119 ft.

The next day, Friday, we hiked the 3 km back to the vehicle.

Arctic Lake June 2009

The first part of this trip can really not be counted because I and my passenger (Brent's daughter) were being towed up the parsnip river.

The trip started on June 5, 2009 at what we called the first bridge on the Parsnip River. N54 21' 45.7" W121 49' 48.0".
2 hours and 45 min to get to the confluence of Arctic Creek and the Parsnip River. 16 km. Then another 55 min to go 4.7 km up Arctic Creek to the Rocky Point campsite.

June 6, all five of us went for a walk around a small lake near the campsite. There was no trail so the walk involved bush whacking, Devil's Club, rocky slopes and a bit of snow. I have only visited this area in the late summer so I very much enjoyed the area at this time of year. The smell of the emerging ferns was pleasant.

1.44 km, 2 hours total.

In the evening Jim and I paddled to the other side of the lake to check out other possible campsites.

1.67 km about 45 min.

June 7. Took 3 canoes to the end of Arctic Lake. Brent, and the girls in one, towed Jim and I in the second canoe and I towed the third behind us.

We carried two canoes the, more or less, 600m to Portage Lake. Then we paddled down Portage Lake, we picked our way through the log jam and down the short creek to Pacific Lake. The fishing was good. Snow banks are still along the south side of the lake and there were snow bergs in the lake.

The distance canoed down to Pacific Lake and back was 6.66 km. Moving time was about 2 hours 20 minutes.

June 8.
Brent and I went to explore the water fall at the end of Pacific Lake. Again we motored to the end of Arctic Lake and then walked the portage to Portage Lake. As Brent and I canoed toward a snow berg it slowly rolled over. I assume this is very much how an iceberg rolls over but on a much smaller scale. At the end of Portage Lake there is an active Eagles nest. We made our way through the log jam and down the creek into Pacific Lake. At the end of Pacific Lake a Common Loon swam by us under the water. This is something I do not recall ever seeing before. There is a beaver dam between the lake and James Creek. There are lots of rainbow trout visible in this area. When we went around to the southeast shore of Pacific Lake we saw a Black Bear on the shore. The bear soon moved off once it saw us. We put ashore not far from where the bear had been. We then hiked up to the waterfall. The hike took about a hour and a half even though it was only 1.5 KM. These are spectacular falls and they are even better up close so it was worth the steep climb. Canoeing to the end of Pacific Lake and back was a total of about 10 km over a time of a couple of hours.

June 9, 2009
We returned the way we came. The motor was available to tow us but we paddled quite a bit of the way, which I enjoyed.

The most excitement on this paddle was when all three canoes encountered a cow moose coming up the river with her calf. When the mother moose saw us she exited the river. The calf had considerable more difficulty and was not able to exit the river. The mother moose became very agitated which concerned Jim and Brent and me. We were concerned that the cow moose might charge into the river. If she were to charge a canoe there is no telling how much damage she would do. As it turned out she disappeared into the brush and stayed there as we slipped by in the canoes.

Of the 20 odd km traveled I estimate that we paddled 10km.

Canoe French Bay on Cold Lake, June 2, 2009

I had not canoed French Bay since about the 29th of October, 2008 so I was happy to have this chance. As you can see from the one photo the Marsh Marigolds were in full bloom. The water was clear enough that I could see the Yellow Water Lily, reddish looking leaves, emerging on the bottom of the lake.

For this paddle I canoed along the west shore of French Bay and then around the point and followed the shoreline past Pelican Rock. I didn't quite make it all the way to the mouth of Long Bay before I turned back. Naturally I had a calm day to do this but I did not want to push my luck. As it turned out a bit of a breeze did pick up but it did not cause me any problems.

I was struck by the amount of refuse that collects along the shoreline of the lake. Plastic garbage of all sorts and aluminum cans. I picked up some of it but there was lots that I couldn't reach. This can not be healthy for the plants and animals that live in the lake. You have to paddle the shoreline to fully appreciated how much garbage there is so I feel that perhaps people in power boats have less of a sense as to the amount of refuse is getting into the lake.

As a rule I do not make many notes about these activities and so I am relying on my memory recall a lot for what I observed. Beavers in the back bays of French Bay. A whole host of waterfowl, Grebes for sure. An Eagle on the first point coming out of the bay.

Total trip 13.1 km
Moving time 3 hours 20 min
Stopped time 24 min
My moving average was 3.9 km/hr

Astotin Lake, Elk Island Park

August 19, 2009 canoed Astotin Lake with Richard. I was surprised by how much the water level has dropped since August 14. Our track file is shown on the map. Heard a coyote barking and yipping to announce our presents. We tried to canoe up the NW bay but found it weed choked so I look forward to exploring this portion of the lake in the spring with higher water levels and before the weeds develop. Observed a number of Great Blue Herons.

Distance 9.3 km
Moving time 1 hour 49 minutes
Stopped time 8 min.
Maximum elevation 2335 feet

August 14, 2009. Canoed Astotin Lake. Also explored the picnic site on a point of land on the south shore. Sampled some of the parks Saskatoons and Raspberries. Observed a large number of Gulls floating on the lake.

Distance 6 km
Moving time 1 hour 23 min.
Stopped time 37 min.


May 30/09, Canoed Astotin Lake. Observed a Rednecked Grebe on a nest. I found it curious how the Grebe covered its eggs with vegetation as it left the nest.

There are a number of waterfowl that can be observed on Astotin Lake including 2 Pelicans.

Total distance 3.72 km
Total time moving 1 hour 4 minutes
Moving Average 3.2 km/hr

Upper Kananaskis Lake, May 26, 2009

I drove from Calgary to the Upper Kananaskis Lake and hiked the south shore of the lake.

There was still quite a bit of snow on the trail. Up to the Rawson Creek bridge the trail was not to bad to hike because there had been enough foot traffic to pack the snow down, but beyond that there was more snow, less packed and deeper, so I was breaking through more and floundering. I was able to walk the shoreline for a ways.


Total distance 5.42 km.
Total time 2 hours 45 min
My moving average was 3.1 km/hr

Islet Lake, (Cooking Lake Recreational Area)

August 24, 2009 Canoed Islet Lake. This was the time and place to go to see many beavers. As the canoe glided silently along the shore line a beaver, sitting on the shore was caught unaware and so we were able to view if from a few feet away. Also observed a Great Blue Heron land in a tree and perch there. The water levels in this lake are lower than I have ever seen them.

This was a very leisurely paddle.

Total distance = 4.17 km. , Moving time 1 hr. 34 min., Stopped time 12 min., Maximum elevation 2447 feet.

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May 22, 2009 Hiked the Highline trail listening for frogs again.
The Chorus Frogs were in full chorus. Just a few Northern Wood Frogs were heard.

total distance 2.4 km.

Calgary, May 20, 2009

Took a walk near downtown Calgary to observe Buffalo Bean, Saskatoon and Chokecherry.

About 1 km.

Islet Lake, May 13, 2009

I started out on the Highline trail and returned on the Middle trail and the end of the Lost Lake trail.

I was listening for frogs but I heard no frogs that evening. I believe the frogs were quiet this evening because of a significant drop in temperature. I did hear the first Morning Dove of the season though.

Total distance 4.93km
Total time 1 hour 30 min
My moving average was 4.1 km/hour

Campbell's Lake May 9, 2009

The Hamilton House Bed And Breakfast was generous enough to allow me to use one of their canoes so I left from their dock in Campbell's Lake and canoed for about 50 minutes. The distances canoed would have been 3 to 4 km.

A number of American Coots, and Red Necked Greebs were observed.

May 2, 2009 Flying Shot Lake, Elk Island Park

On Saturday Jim accompanied me on the Flying Shot Lake trail in Elk Island National Park. We hiked this trail in a counter clockwise direction. The last time I was on this trail was on February 2, 2009 when I cross country skied it. That time I skied the trail in a clockwise direction. At that time there were a lot of trees blown onto the trail because of the wind. All that blow down has been cleared away now.

This trail is maintained. It is a wide grass trail through undulating topography. The trail is through mature stands of Aspen and Balsam Poplar woods and open meadows. On this hike we observed many butterflies. As near as I could determine there were two kinds of butterfly. We heard Sandhill Cranes on at least two occasions which I assume were flying over but I did not see them. It is almost certain that buffalo will be seen along this trail. There is also Moose and Elk poop on the trail indicating that these ungulates frequent this area as well. There were a few piles of grouse poop on the trail and we saw one Ruff Grouse. When we came to wet areas we heard both Boreal Chorus Frogs and Wood Frogs. The Wood Frogs were by far the most prevalent. We observed adult Wood Frogs at N53 degrees 32.274' W112degrees 32.274', N53 32.466', W112 50.28' and N53 32.466 W122 50.28. There was, in the trail, what appeared to be a skull of a male deer with some of the spine still attached. The photograph is of a small buffalo skull laying along the trail. My guess is that the skull could have been last years calf. Then there were some buffalo bones near where we had lunch, lower jaw but no skull. These were close to N53 degrees 32.237' W112 degrees 51.029'. We heard at least one Flicker. We observed a male and female Buffle Head duck. There were other water fowl observed on Flying Shot Lake. Flying Shot Lake appears to be clear of ice.

This is an easy hike through gently undulating topography. It is predominately mixed woods with long stretches through mature Balsam Poplar stands. The trail is generally dry except at the SE shore of Flying Shot Lake where the prevailing winds had piled snow. There are 3 or 4 patches of snow remaining. We encountered only 5 other hikers on the trail which seems to be fairly light use for a pleasant and warm Saturday. For a day hike I highly recommend this hike.

Total length was close to 17km
Walked for about 4 hours 30 minutes.
Stopped for about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Our moving average on the hike was 3.8 km/hr

May 1, 2009, Islet Lake

Jim joined me for a hike in the Cooking Lake Recreational Area. We started at the parking lot of Islet lake.
.3 km to the Highline Trail
2.4 km on the Highline Trail
.5 km on the Moose Trail to Corral Alley
2.0 km more or less, down and back on the Corral Alley Trail.
1.0 km on the Middle Trail
.5 km on the Lost Lake Trail
.3 km back the the parking lot
7 km total

This was about 2 hours 24 minutes of walking. 3 hours 24 minutes total time.

My main objective was to listen for frogs and indeed there were Wood Frogs and Boreal Chorus Frogs in most of the ponds.

When we got to Corral Alley we walked to a place at N 53 degrees 27.958' and W112 degrees 48.303'. It is the top of a knoll where I observed a coyote last summer. Jim noticed a dark thing on a hillside a fair distance away. He said it could be a bear I said a porcupine. It seemed small for a Black Bear. We were compelled to walk to it and see for sure and for most of the walk we were not even sure if it was even moving. It turned out to be a porcupine, N53 degrease 27.709' W112 degrees 48.003'

In the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area there are trails designated for specific uses including walking. These trails are wide and maintained. They are just grass trails. On this hike the trails were dry and easy to hike. The trails take you through undulating topography. The area is predominately tree covered with aspen and black poplar.

I believe that this area is Edmonton's best kept secret. I have often hiked these trails without encountering another person.

Urban Bicycling

April 22, 2009 I rode my bike my place to downtown Edmonton and back.
A 45 minute ride of between 6 and 8 Km.

Red Deer Three Mile Bend and Discovery Canyon

April 20, 2009 I was fortunate to visit Red Deer with a friend of mine and walk some of the Three Mile Island Trail there. This was a leisurely 6 km walk along the bank on the Red Deer River that took about 2 hours. I have hiked this trail previously on September 22, 1998. At that time I used a Garman GPS (Government issue I think) to track my walk and I later sketched out the river and landmarks in my journal.

This is a paved trail. It is an off leash area for dogs. Judging from the number of walkers that were out on the trail in the midday I can assume that the trail is well used. Because the trail is along the Red Deer River it affords ample opportunity to observe waterfowl on the river. Mallards, Mergansers and Golden Eye were seen on this particular walk. Woodpeckers and song birds were also observed. I heard the first croaks, of the season, of the Wood Frog on this walk. There is a Canada Goose nesting on the top of a pole in the middle of a stagnant pond. I am recording these observations from memory which is generally my practice so that I can exercise my recall ability. There were also a number of butterflies out.

A perfect way to enjoy a warm spring day.

J. J. Collett Natural Area

I'm not sure that I would know that the J. J. Collett Natural Area even existed if I hadn't worked on a project there in June of 1974. I had just graduated from NAIT in Biological Sciences and I was employed as part of a team doing a biological assessment of the site. This Natural Area is located a couple of miles south of Morningside, Alberta.

I had only visited this Natural Area a couple of times since June of 1974 but on April 19, 2009 I had the opportunity to stop at the JJCNA and do a walk there. Unlike the maintained walking trails of the Urban Parks of Edmonton the trails in the JJCNA have minimal development. Apart from one or two wooden plank walkways you will find yourself walking on a well worn dirt path, for the most part. In the treed areas I took particular delight in walking on a carpet of leaf litter or moss or other vegetation. I could imagine myself on a fall walk there and scuffing my feet through the fallen dry leaves.

Whether it was just the day, or perhaps this Natural Area is always as peaceful and quiet as it was on this particular day. I no sooner commenced my walk and I heard the familiar, spring sound, of a nearby Rough Grouse drumming. I should add though that this area is still with in ear shot of the traffic on the QE II highway and there was a small aircraft droning over head for several minutes. So the quiet of the place is not a quiet that remoteness provides but it is a peaceful place nonetheless. I started my walk on trail 4. I no sooner started in and I met a couple on their way back to the parking area. The only other people that I saw on my walk were two ladies near the end of my walk.

It was a calm spring day and I observed a number of small light colored moths flying. I could also hear a Flicker tapping out it's territorial tap on a dead tree. Two swans flying over head served to add to the quiet and reverance that this place seemed to evoke from me. I hiked north up trail 4, then onto trail 7. I bush whacked my way east along the north boundary fence and got back onto trail 4 that way. There is still snow in the trees and the low areas are wet. Most of the puddles had a skim of ice on them and there was still frost on the ground in the sheltered areas when I started my walk. I left trail 4 and walked up trail 8 and back. then returned to the parking area on trail 4 and trail 1.

As far as I could determine there is just one outhouse provided. There are a few park benches also.

As I mentioned I spent June 0f 1974 working in this Natural Area. But On this visit I could not remember much of the land scape. I do recall sandy soils. Also the area seemed much more dry now than it was then.

This is a pleasant place to visit and evoked a certain quiet and reverance form me. This is a most pleasant place to visit.

Cross Country Ski Cameron Lake

On April 12, 2009 I drove up the Cameron Lake road in Waterton National park. I was hoping to find a cross country ski trail that I had visited last December 21. As I recall the trail then was well used and perhaps even groomed. The Cameron Lake road is kept plowed during the winter months up to a point about 1.4 Km before the Akamia Pass trail head. There is an area to park cars there and it is the staging area for skiers and snowshoers. On April 12, 2009 the trail was still in use but had not been maintained. It was apparent that there is already quite a bit of foot traffic into Cameron Lake. There was one cross country skier that had gone ahead of me so I followed his track most of the way. In my opinion the cross country ski was decent in spite of people walking on the ski trail. There were a number of places where it appeared that people had sunk into the snow for a couple of feet. But all in all it was a good ski and I was able to get a good stride going in a few places. Most of the way any view of the surrounding mountains is blocked by the trees. But when the mountain slopes around Cameron Lake come into view it is a awesome sight. The view took my breath away. This is a good place to pause and just take in the grandeur of the mountains. As I approached the place where the Marina is on the lake I could hear voices. It turned out that the skier ahead of me had met a snowshoer and they were sharing experiences. It is apparent that the snowshoer spends a lot of time at Cameron Lake in summer and winter. He told about paddleing his kayak on the lake with in the summer time. As he was telling about his hikes and paddles that he does a Whiskey Jack or Gray Jay flew down and landed on his hand. The snowshoer then took a little bit of a bar that he was eating and held it in his hand and the Gray Jays would alight on his hand and take the food. There was also a Steller's Jay there but it was not so bold. As we were visiting the three of us noticed some movement under the tall spruce trees. It was apparently someone who had slept there the night before. There were several ski tracks down Cameron Lake where as on my December ski there had been no tracks at all. So seeing tracks I was confident enough to follow them out onto the lake. I skied down the lake for about 1.42 Km to its west side but I stopped at the last trees. I dare not venture further as the area appeared to be prone to avalanches and I am not experienced in avalanches. On my way back I met the other cross country skier and the snowshoer coming down the lake together. I stopped and chatted for a minute. The skier pointed out that there was slush below the snow and I checked that out by thrusting my ski pole into the snow. Sure enough at about a foot down there was slush. The reassuring thing was that below the slush there seemed to be a solid layer of ice. When I reached the shore line I took a break and visited the person who had slept under the trees. I could not determine the gender of the person and I was not able to establish where he/she was from. Only that he/she had come by greyhound bus to Lethbridge and then hitch hiked out to Waterton Townsite. He/she had then hike up the Cameron Lake road to Cameron Lake. He/she had overnighted one night on the way up but I do not know how many nights had been spent at Cameron Lake. Nevertheless and interesting person. On departing he/she introduced his/herself as Kim and said that the next trip to Cameron Lake would likely be in the summer.

I then started my return to my vehicle. I met a few hikers and snowshoers coming in as I was going out. At the Akamia Pass trail head there is an alternate cross country ski trail through the trees that is adjacent to the Cameron Lake road. I took this trail back. It was not groomed either but was a good ski nonetheless.

The total distance was about 8 Km.
My time actually skiing was about 1hr. 45 minutes. Actually it might have been closer to 2 hours as my GPS shut down for some the way back.

Being in the mountains reminds me of just how beautiful our world is and how it is worth saving. And what a marvelous creature we humans are that we can enjoy and appreciate such grandeur.

Bicycling Lethbridge

On April 11, 2009 My grandson and I were planning to go for lunch in Lethbridge. His choice was to ride our bicycles there and what a beautiful day for a bicycle ride. We rode east to Mayor Magrath Drive and then South along the east side of Mayor Magrath Dr. from Henderson Park to the intersection of Mayor Magrath and Scenic Drive. There is what I consider an excellent bike trail adjacent to Mayor Magrath Dr. On the way back we went a different route. The route followed streets and avenues in a north westerly direction. It seems that Lethbridge has a good number of asphalt trails perfect for cycling. This is something to explore further on subsequent visits.
Total distance was about 11 km.
The time was about 1 hour.

Coal Banks Trail

April 10, 2009 I visited the Indian Battle Park and walked the Coalbanks Trail.
It was a warm spring evening. First I walked north. I observed a robin along the trail. The first one that I have seen this year. The trail is an easy walk but there are more difficult walks if a person chooses to climb the river breaks. The Coalbanks Trail is an asphalt trail and is shared by bicyclists, joggers and walkers. The Coalbanks Trail goes north as far as the Highway 3 bridge. Beyond that there is a sign saying 'Private Property'. Walking north I passed under the Highlevel Railway bridge. This bridge was built in the early 1900s. It is really big. Here is a link that tells about the bridge. http://www.lethbridge.ca/home/Enjoying+Lethbridge/Picture+Gallery/Landmarks/High+Level+Bridge/High+Level+Bridge.htm
I returned back south along the bank and gravel bars of the Oldman River. This part of the walk was reminiscent of when I lived in Medicine Hat and I would wander along the South Saskatchewan River. The walk took me trough Cottonwood trees and a Thorny Buffaloberry understory. Under the railway trestle I observed two large beaver repeatedly slapping the water with their tail. Also, of course, there are a number of Canada Geese.
I continued along the river to the Woopup Drive bridge where I returned to the Coalbanks trail. As I continued south on the trail it passed by the Lethbridge Police firing range. There are some sort of concrete water gates that the trail passes over. This is quite an interesting walk, in my view of it. I took the left fork in the trail and ascended the river breaks up to Scenic Drive. I ended my walk at my daughters place. This was a leisurely walk for me.

Just under 2 hours
About 6.5 Km

Beautiful Bicycling

I went for my first bicycle ride today. It wasn't very far just to the Canadian Tire on 118th Ave. and back. And it was a rather uninteresting ride but hey it is my first ride of the year. I took the north-south walking/cycling trail from 107 Ave. Apart from some wet spots on the trail it is ready for riding. So dust your bicycles off and check the air in the tires and get out and feel the exhilleration of being your own engine. Happy peddling everyone!

Urban Walk

I didn't do much walking yesterday as I was mostly driving. But I did walk from the Oliver Square area to City Hall. A distance of a little more than 5 km. It took me about an hour and 20 minutes to walk that distance. I walked because I do not want to ride my bicycle just yet and it is too much hassle to find parking if I drive. I have a sense that walking is generally viewed as a leisure time activity and not as a means to get some where.

Cross Country Ski Cold Lake Provincial Park

On November 27, 2008 I walked some of the same trails that I skied today but today is the first time that I have cross country skied in Cold Lake Provincial Park this season. Last Monday I drove out to the Park Beach parking lot and looked at the ski trail but decided that it was too late in the day to ski it. The sun was just setting. I had a notion to come back the next day but I was coming down with a cold so by Tuesday I was feeling quite miserable.
What a difference in the trail from last Monday to this Monday. Last Monday the snow was considerably deeper and there was no sign of any foot traffic on the trail. There were only ski tracks. But today the trail was well packed from foot traffic and there was no real cross country ski trail. I started my ski from the Park Beach parking lot and followed the north east trail along the beach. I took the trail along the west side of the small marshy lake then up the slope to a park wood shed and outhouse. This part of the trail was well walked and also had been traveled by a snowmobile. But then I took a right fork in the trails and followed a cross country ski track. Because the snow had softened since the ski track was made my skis tended to slip off of the trail a lot. This track eventually linked back up with the ski trail/snowmobile track. And I continued on to the boat launch parking lot which is now the Snowmobile staging area. I then followed the trail that looped around back to the west and along the High Bank of Cold Lake. Further down this trail a tree had fallen across the trail and inhibited any further progress buy the Snowmobile. From this point on the trail was more a path where a few people had walked and not a ski trail. It is next to impossible to maintain a ski trail along this High Bank because the snow is constantly drifting in from off the lake. But I was able to make good progress on this trail. I continued until I linked up with the trail that I came in on. I then returned back to the parking lot on that trail. I am beginning to consider myself a intermediate cross country skier and I found this part of the trail quite challenging and I fell a few times. In spite of the fact that the trail is not well groomed I still considered it a enjoyable ski.
Total Distance was about 6 km
Total time was about 1 hr 30 min

Once back at my car I decided that I had enough time to try some of the trail to the south east. The trail crosses the Park Beach access road and the Campsite/Boat launch access road and then descends onto an arm of Long Bay. It then crosses that arm of the bay to the shore line and passes just south of the Park Maintainance Yard. Up to this point the trail has been traveled by a Snowmobile but then the Snowmobile track continues on to the east, and from there on there is only the ski trail. As I was skiing the arm of Long Bay I had a wind at my back which seemed to push me along. I continued on this trail until I was due south of the Group Camp Area. That put me in sight of Long Bay. I then returned to the parking lot on the same trail. This section of the trail is much more gental and a much better ski trail.
Total distance was about 5 km
Total time was about 1 hour 5 min.
Even though there has been some snow melt in the past few days it might still be possilbe to ski these trails for the next week or so. All in all i had an enjoyable couple of hours.

Skating

I went skating today at the Nicholas Sheran Ice arena with my daughter, 5 granddaughters and one grandson. It was free public skating but the ice was not what I would consider busy. We all skated the whole hour. I skated at this area yesterday as well and have visited it on other occasions as well. I have always found the ice to be well maintained. I do considerable skating on out door rinks and I thoroughly enjoy them but sometimes it is nice to skate on artifical ice, particularly when it is well maintained.