JoAnne Burek

Frosty Hike on the Laurier-Hawrelak-Whitemud Trails

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Nine people came out, in spite of the predicted high reaching -17 Celsius. Many weeks had passed since we had held a scheduled hike, and we were all eager to be out again in the famously friendly Waskahegan companionship.

Laurier Park has had some enhancements. Here is the new modern washroom, with an all-glass front and all-stainless surfaces. It even has a water-bottle filler.

The space feels clean and safe and it’s a decent place to warm up a little.

No doubt, the birds appreciate the feeders, such as this one in Laurier Park.

From Laurier Park we walked into Hawrelak where the Silver Skate Festival was still on. No pictures as the camera froze up. We ate our lunch outside in the open-air pavilion around a large gas fireplace that actually threw some heat on one side. But we had to go to the main building to warm up before we could go on. As we were leaving the park, we saw the blacksmith setting up for his demonstrations. On a day like this, hammering iron over a raging fire seemed like it would be a fine outdoor activity.

We walked along the south side of the river and Keillor Road to return to Whitemud Park. A mist rolled into the river valley, creating a beautiful sight.

There are not many pictures as the camera battery seized up in the severe cold. The Flickr album contains these few photos plus a some interesting ones from the scouting of the trail the week before.

Devon Trails Hike with Battery Creek

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Twenty-two people came out to hike the new Battery Creek trail east of Devon. The trail is the newest addition of the River Valley Alliance trails. Eventually it will connect Devon to the Rabbit Hill ski area.

The trail has two major features. One them is the stunning view of the bend in the North Saskatchewan River.

The other feature is the grand staircase that takes you down to the bottom of the ravine. The stair steps are wide with deep treads, making it easy to negotiate even when covered in snow.

After the staircase, we turned around and connected to the loop to the Lion’s Campground. The pavilion is open to the south, which makes it a good place for lunch in the winter. After lunch, we continued west along the river’s edge and circled back through the golf course.

It was a great day for a hike, with many new faces and lots of conversation.

Thanks to Lee for scouting and leading the hike and to the town of Devon which does a great job maintaining trails and promoting safe hiking. See all the photos on Flickr, and see where we’re hiking next.