I am too young to have been around for the centennial in 1967. I am too old to be around for the bicentennial in 2067. Canada 150 is the closest I will get.
As hinted at last week, we joined Chris and Connie of BigDoer.com for a trip to a hillside monument originally created for Canada’s 100th birthday in 1967. It has been slightly updated to mark this year’s 150th celebrations.
Enjoy some “Maple Leaf Forever” as we go droning in southern Alberta to mark the occasion.
Just time for a quick post today before heading out again. This afternoon Tucker the Dog and I headed out towards Big Hill Springs Provincial Park for a short walk.
We made a short detour to the memorial plaque dedicated to two soldiers who lost their lives in a plane crash and the schoolteacher who tried to save them. The plaque lists the crash as happening in “Simon’s Valley” so that’s how I titled the post, although you will also see it called Symons Valley in other locations. I first came across this memorial back in 2005 and will stop in here on occasion. Not really sure where the actual plane crash took place or how close it is to this exact location, but it is an interesting bit of history.
Big Hills Springs is an underrated Provincial Park. It is small and doesn’t offer much in the way of amenities. There are your standard pit toilets, three picnic tables near the parking lot, and a selection of garbage and recycling bins. The fact that it isn’t overly developed is part of why it appeals to me. I also appreciate the fact it is less than twenty minutes from home, making it a convenient destination when I don’t want to drive vey far but still want to get out into the woods.
I was surprised how many cars were i the parking lot on this Wednesday afternoon. There appeared to be a group of people having a picnic/gathering at a couple of the tables near the trailhead. Then there was a smattering of people out for exercise and parents with their young children wandering around.
The trail at Big Hill Springs is gentle enough to be done in running shoes — no need for hiking boots. It is also a short enough loop that you don’t need a lot of time to walk it. There is a llttle bit of uphill involved and some tree roots which can threaten your footing if you aren’t paying attention, but that’s about it. If you can navigate a flight of stairs you are physically fit enough to enjoy this park.
I like doing the loop in a counter-clockwise direction, even though that gets most of the highlights out of the way early. The path wanders beside a small creek which picks its way down the hillside via a series of small waterfalls. There are also the remnants of an old mill, although I know nothing about the history of it.
After the waterfalls you leave the creek and climb to the top of the hill on the west side of the park. From there it is a lovely walk through the woods, with occasionalal glimpses of the creek as it wanders through the valley on its way to Cochrane and the Bow River.
Remnants of an old mill
With the sky clouding over and the threat of rain in the air, I was thankful it doesn’t take long to enjoy this park. Although, under different circumstances with more time, there are plenty of unofficial side trails to explore and many places you can sit by the creek away from the people on the pathway.
The flowers were out in full bloom today
A Fitting Tribute
So, as I mentioned, just a quick update today. Have a great Wednesday!
Last weekend we had the chance to team up with Chris and Connie from BigDoer.com. We had a very specific objective in mind, which I am not going to tell you about yet.
I first met Chris and Connie just over three years ago when we all attended the Alberta Grain Elevator Society (AGES) conference in Nanton, AB. I was already very familiar with their work and explorations so it was actually quite a big deal for me to finally meet the people behind the blog. I guess with so many interests in common, it was only natural that we seemed to get along and ended up becoming good friends.
So, with all four of us loaded into our Kia Rondo, we set off to the south on Sunday morning. We would check out the Maycroft school, our main [for now] secret objective, grab some lunch beside Racehorse Creek, check out some familiar sites in Coleman and the Crowsnest Pass, grab gas in Lundbreck, and then beat it for home. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip, given that I think I could easily spend a month in the Crowsnest Pass and never be bored.
In an odd twist, I didn’t really take that many photos. When I went to download the contents of the memory card from my trusty old Nikon D90, there were only about eight photos. I didn’t take any pictures in Coleman or Blairmore. Heck, other than a quick orbit of the Maycroft school (and the secret objective), the drone barely even saw the light of day.
I guess sometimes you just so involved with enjoying the moment you don’t think about documenting it. Kind of nice when that happens…
Great old-style gas pump
Lundbreck, Alberta
There hasn’t been much exploring going on lately. There have been a couple of opportunities to get out for some shorter walks and fly the drone. Nothing really interesting in a local history context, just getting outdoors and enjoying the nice weather during our ever-so-short “summer” season.
Bearspaw Dam:
Some Random Road Allowance NW of Cochrane:
That’s it for now. There are a couple of weekend road trips coming up and that should provide some good source material.
My mother was visiting us for a couple of days while she was on vacation. We took advantage of one of my mid-week days off to go for a drive and check out some sights south of Calgary back on May 16.
Our first stop was the Chuckwagon Cafe in Turner Valley. Always a favorite of ours for breakfast when we’re passing through. Since we arrived later in the morning I decided to try a lunch offering for a change of pace.
After “breakfast”, we carried on to the Turner Valley Gas Plant where I took the opportunity to shoot some drone footage of this most unique and interesting location.
From there we moved on to High River and, more specifically, the Museum of the Highwood. It is really good to see that they are still going strong, even after the fire of July 2010 (wow, that long ago already??) and the floods of 2013. The big exhibit was a collection of artifacts from the TV show “Heartland“, which seemed to be attracting a lot of attention while we were there. Certainly that was my mother’s main reason for wanting to visit this little museum.
Another highlight for me in High River is the Wales Theatre, which also has recovered from the devastating floods of 2013 and is once again showing films, just like it has since 1927.
On our way back home we made two more quick stops. The first was in Aldersyde where I had to check on the leaning church to make sure it was still in place, which it was.
And, finally, a drive by the ranch used as the main set for Heartland. Located near Millarville, it is a privately-owned property and all you can really see from the public roadway is the barn. I first discovered this location thanks to Geocaching, long before I had ever even seen an episode of the show. We weren’t the only people who were there checking out the scenery, so I suspect the little dead-end road gets more than its share of traffic from curious fans.
So, that’s it for now. Time for me to go to work so I can afford to buy gas to do more touring this summer.
