The Cowboy Trail, also known as Highway 22, has to be the most scenic drive in Alberta. Drivers are treated to mountains, rolling foothills, ranch land; wonderful wide open spaces. I never tire of the landscape views along that highway. There's always something new to take in.

I decided to look up some information on a ranch that is located along that stretch of pavement. The Waldron Ranch goes on for miles and miles so it peaked my curiosity.

What a great conservation story behind the name. It is the largest area in Alberta where wild grasses grow and the ranchers belonging to the co-op are ensuring that the land remains that way.

http://www.fortmacleodgazette.com/2016/waldron-grazing-co-op-adds-king-ranch-to-conservation-easement/ 

Cattle on Waldron Ranch

Trails, beautiful trails. They wind their way through the urban area of Fernie. They wind through the parks, the forest and the resort. They are everywhere. They are for every skill level. 

Before leaving on my final day, we hiked the trail that follows the river. Trees tower overhead. Bright green moss on the trunks add a splash of color to the landscape. Red mountain ash berries hung in big clumps off sagging branches.

The river water was flowing. Through the openings between shrubs and trees we saw ducks gathered. Some were dipping and dunking while others waddled their way across chunks of snow and ice. Dog walkers passed by us. One little ball of fur thought that he/she was a mighty hunter and came charging down the snowbank. It was all bark and no bite. Not many of the ducks paid attention.

The walk along the river was a great way to end my visit. The fresh, spruce scented morning air was enough to get me through the 6 hour drive home.

Next Friday - HWY 22 to home. Happy trails!

My snowshoes got a good workout in Fernie. I wish there was one quarter of the snow back home. 

Our first snowshoe outing was in the provincial park just outside of town. The snowbanks are high on either side of the road. There's not much space for two vehicles to pass side by side. The x-country skiers at the Nordic Centre were numerous. Everyone was heading out to enjoy a warm, snowy day.

The snowbanks gave me an indication of the snowfall that had been but it didn't really hit home until I saw how high the snow was on the bridges. We walked across the narrow 'trail' that almost reached the top handrail on the bridges. 

As I walked through the forest, I wished that I could bottle the smell. I had to stop on numerous occasions to breathe in the fresh air filled with the smell of spruce sap.

Tree stumps wore snow caps. Running creeks babbled beneath the heavy snow shelves. Icicles formed on the willows that dipped their branches into the icy water.

It was a wonderful two hour outing to begin a mountain weekend.

http://tourismfernie.com/accommodations/camping-rv/mt-fernie-provincial-park 

The day began at 6am. The car was packed and ready for a 6 hour journey. The mountains were calling.

Getting up early and leaving before traffic got heavy was a plus but I also got to witness a most beautiful sunrise. The colors were amazing.

I drove south on HWY 2 until I reached the secondary HWY 540. That would get me the best mountain views. Most of the snow that fell two weeks ago has melted. The culverts are still frozen so the water is pooling and running over the road in places.

The further west I drove, the better the views became. My destination was Fernie BC. There's barely any snow left on my driveway. The gravel is showing through. That is not the case in Fernie. There is more snow than I know what to do with. 

After spending 6 hours in the car, I just wanted to get out into the sunshine and the fresh air. We spent a beautiful couple of hours walking through the trails in town. The temperature was warm and it softened the snow enough to make the trek a bit challenging. Boots got filled and I got stuck a couple of times. We should have had snowshoes on but that's okay. It was a great workout. 

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. There are snowshoes and skis in the car, just waiting for an adventure.

-32C plus windchill was a deterrent to any outdoor activities this week. Instead, I stocked up the bird feeders and watched the action from my kitchen window.

The birds were busy. Redpolls, nuthatches, blue jays, chickadees and a variety of woodpeckers took turns at the feeders. 

There was a 'pecking' order. One aggressive redpoll was selective as to who was going to be at the feeder at the same time. It would sit in the middle of the seed and watch the other birds approach. If it happened to be one that he didn't want there, he would fly up and attack.

The nuthatches and woodpeckers were the only birds that could approach and not be scared off by the redpoll. The chickadees took their chances; some were able to land and eat while others were scared away.

The bluejays swooped in and often went for the cat food instead of the bird seed. Their squawking echoed through the yard; scaring off all the other birds.

The temperature is finally rising so there will definitely be some outdoor time this afternoon. I hope you will have the opportunity for some outdoor time as well. I'll be back next Friday. Happy trails!

The wind gusted so hard that the garden flag in my yard flew parallel to the ground. I don't like being out in the wind but I needed to be outside. I thought it wouldn't be as bad if I hiked a wooded forest trail instead of being out in the open. I was right for the most part.

The warm temperatures earlier in the week melted more snow; creating icy conditions on the trail. My trusty cleats provided the traction required to make it up and down the hills.

There wasn't much wildlife to watch but what I did see was pretty entertaining. The squirrels were being tossed around on the branches as if they were riding a mechanical bull. The birds fought the air currents. I could see the crows and magpies rise and fall in their flight path; moving forward a couple feet and then being pushed back by the wind.

The wind howled through the branches. It swayed the tree trunks to and fro. I could hear them creak and groan but then I heard a distinct crack and branches breaking. It was the type of sound one hears when felling a tree except this time it was Mother Nature felling it a mere twenty feet behind me.

The trunk snapped and down it came. I looked up to see how close it was. It took a couple seconds to register that it was falling right where I had just walked. The surrounding evergreen branches slowed the tree down as it fell but the top five feet of it landed on the trail. There's a first time for everything and that was a first time experience.

The temperature has turned cold again. The thermometer told me it was -25C yesterday morning. That was a little unexpected. I checked the weather forecast the night before and there was no mention of it going that low.

It's hard to believe that it is already February. The Groundhog Day rodents sent mixed messages. One report said six more weeks of winter yet another said spring is around the corner. 

We can't complain as it's been a very mild winter. Some snow fell over the last couple of days but there needs to be more before the local Birkebeiner ski event. Some areas on the ski trails had grass showing through the tracks. The event has been canceled in the past for lack of snow and/or frigid temperatures. Here's hoping that it will be a go for 2017.

http://canadianbirkie.com/home 

Saturday is my next outdoor day. I haven't dusted off the x-country skis this year. That just might be the activity of the day. What will yours be?

Happy trails 'til next Friday!

Moose tracks cross the pond surface.

Best hiking cleats ever.

Snow blown through the trees and long shadows across the trail.

The wind blew a tree down behind me on the trail.

Water droplets created from the freezing rain the night before.

'Fog Advisory' banners on the weather website were numerous this week.  It didn't make for good driving conditions but it sure made for a scenic landscape; especially when the clouds disappeared and the sun came out.  Lucky for me, my days off were mid-week and I got to enjoy the beauty first hand before the wind redecorated.

The plan was to clean my house but plans changed.  I did get the mop and bucket out and was prepared to get started but then the sun came out and the outdoors beckoned.  I didn't need much convincing to hide the bucket in the closet and head out the door.

I loaded the hiking spikes, snowshoes, kicksled and numerous cameras into my vehicle.  I wanted to do it all.  I left home at 10am and returned at 3pm.  What a day!

The first stop was the Beaver Hills Biodiversity Trail for snowshoeing.  I tried out a smaller pair of snowshoes since the snow was not deep and fluffy.  The snow was crusty and it crunched loudly under the shoes.  There was no sneaking up on any forest creatures.  The squirrels heard me coming and scattered.  The noise echoed through the trees; so much so that I ended up taking the snowshoes off and carrying them back to the parking lot.

The frosty crystals created by the fog covered the branches like thick white blankets.  I could hear them crackle and fall to the ground when a breeze gently stirred them loose.  They 'rained' down to the trail below.

The next stop was Elk Island National Park.  I hadn't been there for awhile so I stopped at the gate to pick up my free 2017 park pass.  You would think that the free admission would draw more people but there were no vehicles in the Astotin Lake parking lot; only a single mule deer munching on some twigs. 

I pulled out the kicksled and took it down to the oval on the lake that has been cleared for skating.  What a wonderful hour I had on the ice with the sled; gliding over the surface.  All I could hear were the runners over the ice. 

Methane bubbles formed and were captured in the ice; creating some amazing patterns to watch for.  The oval has its bumpy patches but it was great to glide over with the sled. 

I didn't want to head home yet.  I contemplated lighting a bonfire by the lake.  The wood bin was full but a number of vehicles were pulling into the parking lot so I opted for a quieter location.  I drove over to the Amisk Wuche Trail.  I hadn't been there for a couple of months so I wanted to check it out.

Frosty trees greeted me.  Chickadees sang from the underbrush.  Blue jays called from the upper branches.  The sun streamed through the trees and cast long shadows across the trail.  The snow was hard packed and icy in some sections but I wore my trusty hiking cleats.

After five hours of fresh air, I made my way home.  That cup of coffee that I had sure tasted good.  It was a glorious outdoor day.  I don't regret choosing to spend it outside.  The mop and bucket are still in the closet.

Happy trails 'til next Friday.

The sun shining through the frosty trees created a magical moment on the Beaver Hills Biodiversity Trail.

Hoar frost coated the branches.

A mule deer grazed at Elk Island National Park.

Someone got creative in the snow on Astotin Lake.

It was great fun to take the kicksled out on the lake.

Amisk Wuche Trail

 

What a week it has been; from overnight lows of -33C to daytime highs of +14C. January in Alberta leaves everyone guessing how to dress in the morning. 

The weather is confusing the animals as well. On my way to work one morning my headlights caught some movement on the pavement. A lone muskrat was moving as fast as its little legs could take it down the middle of the road. There was no pond in the vicinity. It had quite a distance to travel to get to the nearest one.

There has been lots of action on the trails. I made it to the Beaver Hills Biodiversity trail twice last week. That was before the snow began melting. There were tracks of all kinds on the trail; moose, deer, squirrel, hare and coyote. 

The moose were active; leaving broken trees that they were feeding on and melted snow where they bedded down to rest. 

The squirrels chattered in the tree branches and the woodpeckers searched for food in the snags alongside the trail.

On my way back to the parking lot I felt eyes watching me. A young bull moose kept a close watch as I snowshoed by.

I went for a drive to Elk Island National Park after my snowshoe outing. I haven't been there since the beginning of December. I thought more people would be out and about with the free admission to the National Parks this year but things were no different than before.

I wanted to see if the skating oval was cleared on Astotin Lake and was excited to see that it was. My next outing will be with the kicksled on the lake. Fun times. One can pick up a lot of speed on the ice!

Have you checked out the Participaction 150 website? There might be a new sport/activity listed that you would like to try. Hiking? X-country skiing? Snowshoeing? Kicksledding? Ski-joring? Ice skating? Kite flying? What will you try in the great outdoors?

Happy trails!

Deer tracks on the trail.

Porcupines were eating tree bark.

Hares were nibbling on the low branches.

A hoary woodpecker searches for food.

Coyote tracks across the pond surface.

A young bull moose watches from the trees.

Last weekend was a little frosty but not as frosty as it has been during the week. There was fresh snow and fresh air on my agenda even though it was -20C on both Friday and Saturday.

I love layering up and heading out when it is cold. The scenery is usually covered in icy flakes, the forest sounds are louder because of the cold and you can hear the creaks of the tree trunks.

I dug out my snowshoes for the first time this winter. There wasn't enough snow to warrant having them out sooner. I broke a snowshoe trail at the Beaver Hills Biodiversity trail. Over the two days it became packed and three snowshoe-widths wide so I'll be able to take the kicksled out this weekend.

The trail was covered in animal tracks. The mice/voles had dug holes through the snow. I saw a couple of them trying to run across the surface.

Squirrels chattered in the trees. A moose was enjoying a willow snack on the opposite side of a pond. 

As I walked, I watched for color in the forest. The yellow-orange lichen on the tree bark stood out against the white landscape. The red rose hips wore a blanket of white, fluffy flakes. Some of the shrubs alongside the trail were still holding brown leaves from last autumn. It was a winter wonderland.

I'm hoping to get out there again tomorrow. Severe cold warnings this week were the result of the gusting wind. It was -36C plus the windchill; making it more than -40C.

On my drive in to work, it was just light enough for me to see the loose snow swirling up like mini tornadoes into the sky. On the drive home it was drifting so hard that I couldn't tell road from ditch so I centered myself halfway between the two fence lines on either side of the road and hoped that nobody came from the opposite direction.

It is supposed to be on the plus side of 0C tomorrow and I'll be out with my winter toys hoping for stories to share with you next Friday. Happy trails!

I spent New Year's Day on snowshoes in the woods. What a great way to begin a new year.


There was fresh snow on the trail and I was the first human out there. The deer, moose, coyotes, hares, mice and squirrels got a head start and were out before me. What fun it was following the tracks to see where they had wandered.


The morning began with clouds in the sky but the sun came out by the time I got to the Beaver Hills Biodiversity Trail. The sky was clear. The air was crisp. It was perfect.

A slight breeze rustled the last of the fall leaves that were clinging to branches. The tall, bare aspens creaked as they gently swayed back and forth. A squirrel rested in a tree. I marveled at how the spindly branch did not bend with the squirrel perched on it. A woodpecker worked at the bark at the top of a tree; raining wood chips down to the trail.


The snow that fell the day before filled the vacated bird nests and settled on the shelves formed by the fungi growing on the tree trunks. It crunched under my snowshoes and sparkled in the morning sun. It covered the ponds. Animal tracks criss-crossed through it creating a 'road map' effect. 
 
I didn't want to leave the forest but eventually had to. As I pulled into my driveway, the deer were coming into my backyard to raid my feeders. They don't appear to mind me in the yard, especially when food is involved. I watched as they emptied the sunflower seeds. I found that as long as there are seeds in the feeders, the deer leave my trees and shrubs alone. They come, they eat, they leave and move on to the next yard.


The rest of the day was spent watching the birds. Chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, woodpeckers and a dark eyed junco took turns at the tray feeder on my deck. The pileated woodpecker is my favorite. Its movements are quite comical.


Spending the morning in the fresh air and then watching Mother Nature's creatures was a great way to begin a new year. I'm hoping that you too will have the opportunity to spend some 'rejuvenation time' outside. It does a body and mind good.


Happy trails 'til next Friday!