My road trip to Fernie and back consisted of a 1461km loop through central and southern Alberta and southern British Columbia.  I took the 'scenic' routes to stay off the very busy HWY 2 and found some amazing landscapes.  I need to do that more often; stay off the beaten track.  I found some hidden gems and for the most part, there was little to no traffic on the routes that I chose.  There were a couple of sections of highway where I drove for more than an hour without seeing another vehicle.

The trip to Fernie took me through flat prairie, sprawling valleys, rolling foot hills and majestic mountains.  I saw wind turbines for the first time and had no idea that they were fields full of them in central Alberta.  I thought they were prevalent only in southern Alberta.  I learned something new!  The last time that I was through the Crowsnest Pass was in 1967.  Needless to say, there is not much that I remember of that trip and probably did not appreciate the rich coal mining and railroad history.

I saw areas of Alberta that had no snow, some that had a dusting of snow and yet others with snow cover equivalent to what I have at home.

I thought that I had died and gone to heaven when I saw all the snow in Fernie.  There were actually snowbanks on either side of the highway!  It was great fun to snowshoe through the snowy forests.

I took a different route home.  It was just as scenic and gave me a view of the mountains for a greater distance.  Each time I glanced over my left shoulder, I had glimpse of their snow topped peaks.  I have to say that when I reached the northernmost point of the highway where I had to turn east, I had to take one last, longing look at the mountains.

The trip went by much too quickly.  I took note of some historical points of interest that I want to check out.  The Frank Slide Interpretive Centre and the Leitch Collieries Historic Site are both on the list.  I'll save those for a time when I have more than three days off.



 

The morning began with some beautiful mountain views.  I was able to photograph the snowy trees atop Mount Fernie with my telephoto lens; all from the living room window.  When I moved to the bedroom window, I was able to capture a great close up of the Fernie Alpine Resort; complete with skiers headed down a run.

It was a beautiful morning for scenic views and fresh air fun.  We started at the provincial recreation area where we put the snowshoes on and trekked through some fantastic snowy conditions along a flowing creek.  The running water and the snow crunching under our snowshoes were the only sounds that we heard. 

We trudged through the forest, along the creek bank and across the trunk of a downed tree.  At least I hoped it was a tree trunk that I was balancing on with my snowshoes.  If it wasn't, I was going down into the creek.

The second trail at the recreation area took us up a steep ridge to a look out with a beautiful view of a valley.  The trees along the trail were still holding onto the snow from last night.  The scene was Christmas card perfect.

Our afternoon outing included a hike through the forest by Fairy Creek.  We decided on hiking the trail without the snowshoes.  I didn't have my cleats with me and the soft snow made for some slipping and sliding on the trail.  I wish I would have had them because our goal was to reach the Fairy Creek Falls but it was too difficult for me to get some secure footing so we didn't make it there.

My son, the tour guide, took me out to the trails and chauffeured me around Fernie; showing me all the sights.  He has all his favorite activities just outside his door just as I have mine.  The only things that I'm missing are the mountain view through my living room window and the snow.  There is definitely a lot of it here.

Driving south on Highway 56 was the right decision.  From Camrose to Strathmore I met about 24 vehicles if that.  For much of the drive, I was the only one on the road.  It was the best drive ever.  The roads were dry and clear.  The sun was shining and most of the trek had clear sky overhead.  As I drove, I took in all the sights and thought about how grateful I am to live in Alberta.  We are so fortunate to live where open spaces are wide and the air is clean.

I experienced something for the first time.  I had never seen a wind turbine in real life.  I didn't see just one.  I saw hundreds.  I had to pull over and watch their props turn round and round.

As I got closer to the mountains, there was more snow.  It made for an incredibly different scene.  The spaces down Highway 56 were wide open.  Highway 3 had mountain peaks on either side. 

I got to see the wide open spaces of southern Alberta where the cattle grazed on the open range.  I got to see the wind turbines in action; moving like gentle giants in the winds coming from the mountains.  I was thinking the day could not have gotten any better but...the snowflakes began to fall.

A friend posted a drone video of a musher with his dog sled team.  Now, all I want to do is go dog-sledding. I had to pull out the photographs from the two occasions that I had gone a number of years ago.  It's been awhile but I can still smell that fresh mountain air and hear the excited barking of the dogs.

We went with a tour company from Canmore.  Their driver picked up all those going and drove us out to the meeting spot where the dogs and sleds were waiting.  When all the dogs were hitched to the lines, we climbed into the sleds under some cozy blankets.  They gave us the option of learning to mush but I preferred to be the passenger so I could use my camera.

Just prior to leaving, the barking of the dogs was deafening.  They just wanted to go.  They were in a frenzy!  We followed the road to the Spray Lakes campground.  When we reached the end, the dogs were given time to rest.  We were taken onto the frozen lake surface and our guide shared information about the area.  As we listened and took all our photos, the other guides prepared some warm drinks and snacks for us.  Once the break was over, we mushed back to our starting point where the dogs were unhitched and given some warm broth made from chicken fat.

The tour that we chose was two hours in length.  It was perfect for a first time experience.  I would definitely go again and choose a half or full day tour.  There's nothing like sitting in that sled, moving across the snow with mountains on either side.

The guide that we had participated in the 2015 Ididtarod.  It was pretty exciting to watch the results of each leg to see where he was and how he was doing against the other mushers.  Christian came in 15th out of 66 mushers.  He did really well considering he's an Aussie!  His training with the winner, Dallas Seavey, paid off.

 

Everything was coated with a layer of ice this morning.  It made for a slow commute to work.  Much of the snow in the backyard has melted because of yesterday's rain.  There is dirt showing in the raised garden beds.  It made me begin to envision what the flowers are going to look like in the summer.

I want to add more natural wildflowers to the yard.  When my new home was built, the ground was disturbed and I've had fireweed begin to grow under a tall spruce.  It has reseeded itself for three years now.  It is one of my favorite flowers.  I found a wild area last summer where the fireweed formed fields of purple.  It was beautiful!  There were butterflies and hummingbirds everywhere.

I would like to incorporate some wild asters.  They are not fussy about where they grow and the butterflies love them as well.

When I go camping and admire the wildflowers in the area, I marvel at how they are capable of growing through gravel or in narrow cracks in large boulders.  It is that kind of hardiness that I'm looking for; something that I can plant and forget about.

 

It is January 26 and it is raining outside.  I can hear it beating down against the downspout.  It sounds like a summer storm.  

There was only about 4 inches of snow on the ground.  If the rain keeps up, there will be a couple inches of ice-covered snow by morning.  It is going to be a real treat for commuting tomorrow.

This winter has been a strange one.  Temperatures have gone from +9C to -35C.  I looked at the forecast for the rest of the week.  Today it was +6C and by Sunday it is supposed to be -!5C.

2008

2009

This made me reminisce about winters gone by.  I browsed through my photos from the month of January from the years 2007 thru 2015.  I shouldn't have done that.  I love snow.  I love shoveling snow.  I love 'playing' in the snow.  Looking at the photos only made me realize how much I'm missing the snow this winter.  I have only shoveled 3 times and winter is more than half over.

2011

2016

After viewing the photographs I came to the conclusion that I should be grateful for the snowfall that we do have even though it is dismal.  There is actually enough to ski on and the temperature has been cold enough for the outdoor rinks.

I managed to get out on the x-country skis twice over the weekend.  I took my shorter, wider adventure skis to break a track on the lake surface beside the Amisk Wuche trail at Elk Island.  The hard packed under layer was covered with about four inches of fluffy snow.  It took a bit of effort to get the loop made.  I was overdressed for the task and felt like I had stepped out of the shower with my clothes on.  Needless to say, I did not do a second loop that day.

The second day was supposed to be sunny.  Well, the sun was shining at home but the clouds filled the sky at my destination.  I was looking forward to blue sky and sunshine while touring the lake shore but that was beyond my control.

I brought two sets of skis; the adventure skis to go around the loop the first time and the regular classic skis to use after that.  I learned something new that day.  I learned that the old comfortable ski boots that I have don't fit into the binding on the new skis.  The bar is a few millimeters narrower than what they need to be.  Try as I might, it was not going to happen so I put the adventure skis back on and away I went.  

Halfway through the second loop, the clouds parted and the sun shone through.  There is nothing like hearing the swish of the skis through the snow, blue sky and sunshine. 

I could see hikers on the trail but I was the only skier out on the lake.  As I made my way round the loop, my tracks criss crossed the tracks made by the animals.  The large beaver lodge was a popular destination.  I could see that coyotes were digging in the snow close to the lodge entrance.  Mouse tracks and tunnels were visible between clumps of tall slough grass.  I don't usually see the tracks of larger mammals on the ice but there were some elk tracks in the snow.

The day turned out to be sunny and perfect for my ski outing.  I can't wait to get them out again; with boots that actually fit the classic skis.

The backyard feeder has never been as entertaining as it is this year.  There is constant action this winter with the redpolls and grosbeaks providing most of it.

I threw a cupful of shelled sunflower seeds in the tray feeder and birds appeared to come from the heavens.  There were redpolls everywhere.  I could not count the number of them.  They were feeding fast and furiously; flying in and flying out.

It wasn't long before the female grosbeaks showed up.  They shared the space with the little birds.  Every now and again a chickadee and a nuthatch would show up.  This continued until I heard the blue jays come into the yard.  When that first squawk happened, the little birds scattered until the jays were gone.

The feeding happened in intervals throughout the day.  In the

afternoon when I went out to replenish the seed, I heard an unfamiliar sound.  The top branches of an aspen provided resting spots for a flock of waxwings. 

I don't have any berry-producing trees/shrubs in the yard.  They are planted but not yet bearing fruit.  When that happens, I hope that the waxwings will stay and feed instead of just stopping by for a rest.


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Yesterday I woke to find it cloudy. The light was grey and flat; not good for photography.  That didn't stop me from throwing the rest of my outdoor gear in to the vehicle; snowshoes, skates, cleats and skis.  I was prepared for whatever the snow conditions happened to be at Elk Island National Park.

I drove to the Amisk Wuche Trail.  The parking lot was empty.  It was going to be a good day.  After checking out the trail conditions, I decided on the cleats and hiked the 2.5kms.  It was silent and calm and peaceful.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/elkisland/activ/a/a5.aspx 

The only sound I heard was the crunch of the snow underneath my cleats.  As I made my way into the forest, the squirrels began chattering.  I watched a couple of them chase each other up and down the tree trunks.  The black capped chickadees flitted from twig to twig in the underbrush.  Their sweet 'cheeseburger' songs could be heard through the trees.  There were lots of animal tracks that wound through the trees; squirrel, hare, mouse and coyote from what I could tell.
I didn't stop at my usual snack bench so I made it back to the parking lot in under an hour.  There was plenty of time to take out the skis. 

The lake surface can be accessed from the parking lot by making your way through the trees, down a hill.  There was some fluffy snow on top of a wind-packed layer.  I brought my shorter, wider adventure skis that are great for breaking a track.  It turned out to the easier than I had anticipated.  I skied a loop along the shoreline.  It felt good to be on the skis.

Now that I have a track set I plan on taking the regular classic skis out today to make take advantage of the new trail.

The 'icing on the cake' so to speak, happened when I drove into the Astotin Lake area on my way home.  Two mule deer were eating twigs in the underbrush beside the road.  They didn't mind my watching and photo-taking.  It was the perfect ending to my outing.

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The morning after a night of thick fog is magical; especially if the sky is clear and the sun is shining.  The night before last was very foggy.  Thick hoar frost coated the tree branches.  The sunlight reflected off the crystals, creating a winter wonderland that sparkled.

I left early for work because I knew that I would be stopping to take some photos.  There were areas where the wind had already blown away the frosty coating but there were enough spots that were protected from the wind to give me the opportunity to capture Mother Nature's art.

There is one spot along my route where the trees open up and I can see the x-country ski trail at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  The tall tree trunks cast shadows over the trail, creating an intricate design.  The frost sparkled in the sun.  I wanted to put my skis on right then and there to be in the middle of that beautiful scene.  I could picture myself standing under the towering spruce and aspens, looking up to marvel at the forest 'twinkle lights'. 

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I love when I experience a 'natural' event for the first time and learn something new.  This happened while on a stop made at Twin Lakes during a day trip a few years ago.

We stopped to stretch our legs and have some lunch.  The picnic table we chose to sit at was close to the shore.  I glanced toward the water and noticed a number of butterflies on the sand.  The day was bright and sunny so I thought they were sunning themselves.  Later, I found out that they were 'puddling'. 

They were sipping the water, taking in the salt and minerals from the soil.  I read that most times it is the male butterflies that do this.  They transfer the nutrients to the females to improve the viability of the females eggs.  Who knew??

A 'puddling area' can be built in the backyard to encourage butterflies to visit.  Choose an area in the garden that is close to the flowers that they like.  Use a shallow container like a tray that would be used under a flower pot.  Fill the container with sand and place a few flat rocks in it for landing spots.  Keep the sand moist with water from a rain barrel.  The butterflies will eventually come.  Just sit back and observe.

I think I'll try this little project this summer.  The beebalm is a magnet for butterflies.  They may appreciate a resting spot.

Last summer one pile of branches and twigs in the backyard provided shelter for a mama and her babe while the babe was learning to fly.  The little fledgling made it out of the nest but did not have the skill to fly.  It hid in the branches while mama hunted for food.

There was a plentiful supply of butterflies and mama had great success in search for food.  The little one waited with beak open wide until mama returned with the meal.

Their color blended right into the color of the twigs and branches.  I noticed them only when I saw mama flying back and forth.  This is what caught my attention and made me investigate more closely.  

Feeding time lasted more than an hour and was most entertaining.

When the construction of my home was complete I began the re-construction of my yard.  The plan was to nature scape the front and back yards.  I don't mind mowing grass but I wanted to provide more habitat for the small creatures in my yard as well as draw more of them in.

Draw them in I did.  I had some new visitors arrive the very first summer. One was about two feet long.  It watched every move that I made.  I had never seen a garter snake in the yard before.  That summer there were three.  During the day, they lazed in the sun on the warm clay soil.  In the evening they would crawl into a crack in the ground and stay there until morning.  I've seen snakes in the yard each year since.

The other visitors were a pair of tiger salamanders.  I created a twig/branch pile in two separate areas of the yard.  The piles provided shelter for the small birds and reptiles.  They were home to the salamanders during the day when

the sun was out.  When the air cooled and the dew coated the grass, the reptiles would exit the pile and explore.  I have found up to four of them in the yard since the first day that I saw them.

There is a snag standing in the backyard for the woodpeckers.  Wood stumps were grouped together for the insects to enjoy and little birds to hide in between.  Tree trunks were laid along the edge of the garden to provide shelter for insects and to provide a place for the snakes to hide in the shade.  Mulch was laid to keep the weeds down but to also provide a cool place for the reptiles.

I will continue to re-build the backyard; adding more habitat for the small creatures and hope that they will continue to thrive in the yard that we share.

There was a feeding frenzy in the birdfeeder this morning.  I treated the redpolls and chickadees to some shelled sunflower seeds.  I've never seen that much action.  There were up to a dozen little birds in there at the same time with others 'waiting in the wings' on the deck railing.

This winter has been great for seeing species that do not show up on a regular basis.  I've had pine and evening grosbeaks in addition to the redpolls.  There have been years where I didn't have one show up in the yard.

My sister lives about 1.5 hours away and she has white winged crossbills in her spruce trees.  This is the first time that she has seen them.  I'm hoping to get out there to watch them in action.  I'm also hoping to see a snowy owl this winter.  I recall seeing them regularly on the fenceposts west of Calmar but it has been years since I've seen one.

The cup full of shelled seed that I threw into the tray provided a couple hours of entertainment for me and some much needed sustenance for the redpolls and chickadees.

 

I thought my thermometer was frozen in place.  It read -35C until about a half hour ago when it began climbing to the -26C at this time.  Our little dose of winter is here for a couple of days.  I'll take the -30s for a couple days vs a couple of weeks.

The cold temperature outside and the garden show on the radio prompted me to look at some backyard photos from last summer.  The radio show hosts are talking of beginning to plant in February!  That is only a couple weeks away.

I naturescaped my front yard when the new house went up.  After two summers of growth, everything is filling in nicely and I must say that the number of insects, reptiles and bird visits have increased.

I chose shrubs that flowered and provided seed for the birds.  I chose flowers that enticed the bees and the butterflies to stop in.  I chose garden plants for the hummingbirds.  The front yard is looking like my vision.  The backyard still needs some work.

My favorite perennial in the yard is the beebalm.  When it flowers I can hear the hum of the bees.  They move from petal to petal in search of nectar.  If the bees are not there, the butterflies are.  It is amazing to watch as they separate petals to gather their food.

In the fall I planted more beebalm in a variety of colors.  The fact that it spreads rapidly, adds color to the yard, draws in the insects and blooms into fall makes it an ideal plant for the nature sustaining yard that I am trying to create.  

I have more ideas for the backyard.  It is a work in progress that should take me a couple more summers to complete.  When it is done, it should be a haven for all my favorite little creatures; and some big ones.

 

I had a weekend of outdoor fun planned but the weather did not cooperate.  The skis, snowshoes, skates and kicksled were in my vehicle so I was ready for anything but even I don't venture out when there is a windchill that takes temperatures close to -30C.

I just checked the temperature and it is reading -24C.  There is an extreme cold alert on the website.  It is supposed to dip to -28C combined with the windchill which could take it to -40C.  Yup, too cold for me.

I do go out when it is in the mid -20Cs when there is no wind.  The air is crisp and fresh.  You can hear the frost snap and crackle.  The snow under your boots has a hollow sound to it.  

I go prepared.  I have a wind and waterproof pair of nylon pants that are lined with fleece.  The pants combined with a pair of underlayer leggings makes for toasty legs.  My merino wool socks are knee high.  They keep me warm and prevent my boots from creating 'duck feet' with my socks as I walk.  My boots are rated to -40C.  The touque that covers my ears combined with a neck tube ensure that my head stays warm.  The neck tube is tucked into the top of my down-filled jacket.  The jacket is the top layer of three; the first being a merino wool base and the second a wool cardigan.  My hands are covered with 2 layers as well.  A fleece pair of gloves that fit into fleece lined mittens.  I take some extra hand/foot warmers with me in case they are needed.  The hiking cleats on my boots have nothing to do with keeping warm but they do keep my footing secure when going up and down hills.

The part that gets a little tricky is when you need to make a pit stop at the outhouse.  You must maneuver through all the layers first of all but then when you open the lid of the toilet you are in for a frosty surprise.

This afternoon was too cold to venture out so I opted for a nap on the couch.  Now the wood stove is warming up the living room nicely so I think I'll hunker down with a good book or daydream of the upcoming camping adventures once the snow melts.