Landowner Rights & Trail User Responsibilities

The Waskahegan Trail is a unique resource that exists only because of the generosity of landowners. Before you set foot on the trail, know the landowner rights and the trail user responsibilities.

Capilano Park to Dawson Park: Art and Geology

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Fifteen people came out to hike the Edmonton river trail sections east of downtown. From the Capilano Park parking lot, we crossed the North Saskatchewan River on the footbridge going north. The trail followed the river until it turned in to Kinnaird Ravine.

Soon we came to one of Edmonton’s largest outdoor art installations, the Kinnaird Ravine murals. Established in 2015, many of the murals have just been refreshed. Our Flickr album for this hike has a small selection of the more than 60 works.

Returning to the river valley, we walked past the hoodoos. This is a fine example of some of the interesting terrain described in the book Edmonton Beneath Our Feet, published by the Edmonton Geological Society. The book is out of print, but you can still buy it from the University of Alberta Bookstore.

After lunch, the sun broke out. We crossed the Dawson Bridge and took the trail along the south bank back to Capilano Park. Coffee afterwards was at Anvil Coffee House, a friendly shop with a cool industrial/vintage vibe.

Thanks to Helen for leading the hike. You can find more photos on Flickr.

The Amazing and True Story of Building the Bridge Over the Battle River

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With snowmobiles in the winter…rafts in the summer…limited power equipment…and lots of heavy lifting—they achieved the impossible

In September 2017 we said goodbye to one of our crowning achievements—the bridge over the Battle River, also known as Low’s Crossing. After many years of service, the bridge was about to fall into the river. With a lot of planning and labour from our Trail Maintenance team, plus generous support from the landowner and his equipment, the bridge was taken down and moved over two Mondays. We told you the story here.

But how—and why—did the bridge get built in the first place?

If you were at the AGM in 2017, you would have seen the excellent presentation on how the bridge was built. It was presented by Gene Miskiw, the man who was involved at every stage and took all the photos.

Now Gene has written the complete story of building the bridge, and you can read it here.

This is a story about

  • Reuse and recycle: Where did all the bridge materials come from?
  • Safety with ingenuity: How Gene managed to transport the thirty-foot rods with just his van—and attract the notice of the highway police.
  • Wrestling with nature: From mosquitoes and bloodsuckers, to dangerous slopes, high water, and the freak snowstorm that obliterated their tracks and threatened to leave them stranded.
  • The wonder of nature: The moving story of a herd of deer.
  • Fun and adventure: How they had talk Stan into putting on a life jacket before getting on the raft.

Could a bridge like this be built today? Read Gene’s story and decide for yourself.

Blackfoot Staging Area Hike

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It was the final hike of the “Summer” hiking season. Ten people came out to enjoy the bracing, fresh air on a walk around the Blackfoot Recreation Area, starting and ending at the Blackfoot Staging Area on the east end of the park.

One of the joys of hiking in this park is the chance to have lunch around a campfire.

On this visit, we discovered a unique memorial bench dedicated to a Cole Thomas Lawrence. The bench hardware includes old tractor wheels and iron saddlery pieces (bits, rings, and horseshoes).

You can find all the pictures on Flickr.