Elizabeth Bagdan

In spite of the rain, and to the hike leader’s surprise, nine people came out to hike Stoney Creek. We met at the south access. Many had never hiked it from this point before. We found the grass lush and long, reaching the top of the legs. And it was wet. So, we all drove into Camrose and started the trail from the north end where there isn’t tall grass.

Surprise! The path soon turned into a dirt trail which was muddy and super slippery. (Lesson learned: It’s good to take a walking pole when you go hiking.) 

We managed to get to our destination with no injuries. And by then, the rain had stopped. But we decided that it would be better to continue south through wet grass than return on the slippery, muddy path. The hike leader phoned her husband and he agreed to pick up the drivers at the south end and bring them back to their cars on the north end. With that arrangement settled, we were on our way.

In the Drumheller-like terrain, another surprise—a lot of cactus flowers in bloom! When the trail was scouted a few days earlier, the flowering seemed to be over.

We also saw hawks, two blue herons, deer, and a deer skeleton, and two ruffed grouse flying onto and landing on trees. We ate some ripe saskatoons, dew berries and strawberries.

We finished the day eating ice cream cones from the stand at Mirror Lake in Camrose.

Thanks to everyone who came out and to the landowners for their continuing generous permission. There are no photos this week.

Where we’re going next.

Fifteen people—seven from Camrose area and eight from Edmonton area—came out to hike the Middle Battle River from Duhamel. Some of us continued on as far as Fidler’s Monument.

Most of the trail was wooded, giving protection from the sun but not from the mosquitoes!

As we sang Happy Birthday to Darlene, the mosquitoes joined in the celebration by feasting on us…even though we’d put mosquito spray on before starting! How fortunate for the ones who had mosquito head nets. And then there were the few lucky hikers who don’t get itchy from mosquito bites. 

We enjoyed some respite from the mosquitoes when we hiked along the nice gravel pit pond, the gravel road to Fidler’s monument, and while we were eating our lunch at the landowner’s campground. However, the wasps joined some of us for lunch. 

Other natural life seen on this day included a big patch of toad-flax aka butter-and-eggs—a noxious weed in Alberta, as well as an edible mushroom, gaillardia, a snake, a rabbit, a frog, a squirrel and a blue heron.

Also, there were lots of raspberries. But, we didn’t sample many because the mosquitoes kept us moving along. On the return, some of us wanted to walk faster because of the mosquitoes. Peggy and Mary, who were very familiar with the trail, volunteered to stay with the slower ones. Thank you Peggy and Mary.

Thank you to everyone who came out, to trail maintenance for their outstanding work on clearing the trail, and to the landowners for their continued permission. You can find more photos on Flickr.

Where we’re hiking next.