Twenty six people came out to hike the Mctaggart Sanctuary trails in south Edmonton. What a turnout! It was exciting to catch up with people we hadn’t seen in months and to meet new hikers too. And how wonderful it was to get out in the fresh air and scenery in the company of others.

We crossed the Whitemud Creek in two places. That’s something that few of us would consider doing, as we’ve always been taught to stay off the ice. But at this time of year, it seemed perfectly safe and solid.

Along the way we stopped for warm beverages and snacks at Waves Coffee – Rabbit Hill. Here’s a shout out to Waves for the great service, considering what a large group we were.

Thank you to Dennis and Johanne for scouting and leading the hike. You can find all our photos on Flickr.

Where we’re going next

Fourteen people came out to hike the trails at Miquelon Provincial Park—our first hike in the country in a month.

The day started out sunny, and considerably warmer than the temperatures earlier in the week. The fresh layer of snow that had fallen a few days before. It did a nice job of covering the ice on the well-worn sections—making them less treacherous. But on the other sections, it was a bit tougher. We were surprised to hear that we had hiked only 8 km, because it felt like more.

As usual, we stopped for lunch at the old abandoned house.

We saw chickadees and a woodpecker, but the thrill of the day was the porcupine. We saw him ahead,  up in a tree at the side of the trail. As we were approaching, he decided to climb down. We kept our distance, allowing him to cross to the other side. This picture is zoomed in and magnified.

Thanks to Irene for leading the hike and to Alberta Parks and Recreation for the work they do in maintaining this treasured park. You can find more photos on Flickr.

Where we’re going next.