Seeking Signs of Spring

The nurse in the Pincher Creek Hospital gave me instructions as to how to take care of myself while I healed. Her instructions included walking as much as I want so from April 1, to April 9 I did various short walks usually less than an hour in duration, 2 in Cardston. and 2 in Edmonton.

I went for my first walk of about 1 hour long on April 10, 2012, in Edmonton. I walked with Molly the dog and her master.
Started around 7:30 pm to and ended around 8:30 pm.
Distance: 3.5 km.
Time 1 hr. moving.

April 15, 2012, walked at Wally’s beach on the St. Mary’s Reservoir, solo.
I think it was in 2001 that the St. Mary reservoir all but dried up. Some time in the summer of 2001 I visited the reservoir with a group of my co-workers. We walked the bed of the reservoir and visited some archaeological sites there. I set some Waypoints for those sites but the following summer the reservoir filled up and I doubt I will ever get to sites again. I have walked the shore or reservoir several times since.
For this walk I started a little after 11:30 AM at the swing gate, which is closed and locked, so I walked the gravel road to the beach. During this walk I saw a flock of Robins and possibly Flickers. I walked the shore line generally to the south. There had been snow the day before and the melt made some areas very muddy. I was instructed, by the nurse, that I was not to lift more than 10 lbs for 6 to 8 weeks but I am sure that the mud sticking on my boots made them weighed, at least, 10 lbs. each.

Shore birds, Canada Geese, gulls and ducks rode the currents of a stiff wind and a gentile surf.

Heavy iron pieces of farm machinery and the concrete remains of an old foundation reminded me that this shoreline was once a farm and what is now a body of water was once cropland or pasture.

I walked as far as a barbed wire fence and then ascended the bank and took some photos. As I doubled back to my starting point I followed a fence line that bordered a field. In the dry weeds along the field there were lots of small bird tracks. This is clearly a favorite place for small birds to forage. Once I was back at the beach I took a break then continued north along the beach. I noticed one set of tracks that might have been a skunk or a raccoon.

I took a meandering route generally north alone the shoreline as far as the concrete shore stabilization placements. I then ascended the low bank and walked the field and the fence back to my truck. This walk ended at around 3:30 PM.

Distance: 8.77 km.
Time: 3 hr. 16 min moving, 30 min stopped.
Ascent 452 ft. max elev. 3678 ft.

At 4:30 PM I started a second walk at the visitor parking area at the St. Mary Spillway. I walked the upper spillway view point and then descended to the bottom of the spillway and the St. Mary River.

By this time the wind had died and the sun was out. The day was had returned to it's springtime temperament. I saw 2 yellow bellied Marmots and I found some of the first blooms of spring. They were Moss Flox. I Returned to the truck around 6 PM.

Distance: 4.46 km.
Time 1 hr. 30 min moving, 10 min stopped. Ascent 391 ft. Max. elev. 3668 ft.

In total I calculate I walked about 13 km. on these two walks. This is my first real hike since my surgery and all went well.