JoAnne Burek

For our first hike of the winter season we visited the Whitemud Creek from Snow Valley to Fort Edmonton. The turnout was large, at 22 people. Several hikers were joining us for the first time.

We walked from Snow Valley past the Alfred Savage Centre, then turned west along the North Saskatchewan River. West of the Quesnel Bridge, the river was unusually reflective. The water had that turquoise tinge that reminds you of mountain lakes, like Abraham Lake which several of us had just visited on the Goldeye Trip in September.

We were pleased to run into local wildlife photographer Wayne Oakes, who was shooting with a friend. Earlier that morning they had seen a short-tailed weasel. Its all-white coat made a distinctive impression, as we still had not had any snow.

Here are a few creatures that we got quite close to. When there are sunflower seeds around, they are not shy at all.

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Nineteen people came out to hike the trail from Gwynne to Schnee Hill. The trail starts at the top overlooking the Gwynne valley and continues with magnificent views along the way.

It was a glorious autumn day that started with light frost sprinkled over the countryside. Backlit by the sun low on the horizon, the landscape looked like the setting of a glittery fantasy.

We had to take the reroute up to the road to cross, and that added 3 km to the route. As a result, we stopped short of reaching Schnee Hill. We chose a lunch spot that was perfectly satisfactory as it was dry and open and it gave us grand views of the valley.

Thanks to Lee for leading the hike, to Trail Maintenance for the work they did on the trail this summer, and to the landowners for their generosity in allowing us to maintain the trail. You can find more photos on Flickr.