Last Sunday morning was picture-perfect for the twelve hikers who came out for the hike along the east section of the Battle River trails. When we started out, the ground was covered in a thin blanket of snow and the trees and grasses were enveloped in a layer of frost.
As we made our way along the trail, passing through one narrow river lot to the next, Mary, our hike leader, gave us the history of these remarkable land divisions that were farmed by the area’s early settlers.
A point of contention with river lot ownership concerns the ever-changing nature of the the Battle River. Each river lot ends at the river, but not necessarily where the river is currently. Naturally, over the years, the river has been changing course as it meanders through the wide valley. The province has determined the river lot boundary is based on where the river was at the time the land was divided. This means that a landowner today with a river lot on the north side may also own land on the south side of the river—and vice versa!
Mary also pointed out an interesting phenomenon with beavers. When the river is low, as in the picture below, you can see the narrow trench dug into the river bed. Beavers dig these channels to regulate the water flow.
Here is one of the beautiful images captured by Johanna at the start of our hike.
We also saw a group of three birds that were either trumpeter swans or snow geese swooping just over our heads. No pictures of the birds as we were preoccupied by staring at them in awe.
Thanks to Mary for scouting and leading the hike, to trail maintenance for clearing the trails, and to the landowners for their continuing permission and support. You can find more photos on Flickr.
