Mary MacArthur

What started out as a drizzly day for a hike ended up to be glorious day, with the 11 hikers stopping many times to strip off rain layers and then warm layers.

Along the way we talked about the river lot system and gazed at the old railway ties that are still standing more than 100 years after they carried trains across the Battle River. We checked out cactus on the hills and looked at dried up creeks and old beaver lodges no longer under water.

At lunch we stopped at Rest and Be Thankful hill and were very thankful for Brad’s use of the weed whacker. Thanks to Brad’s diligence we had a nicely mowed area to eat our lunch. After lunch some of us hiked down the coulee and up the other side to the end of the trail section, just to see what was there.

Then it was back through the coulee where we met up with the rest of the group and walked back to our cars together.

It really was a beautiful end of the year hike for our last weekly hike.

Thanks to everyone who came out, to Trail Maintenance for their fine work, and to the landowners for their continuing permission. You can see all the photos on Flickr.

Where we’re going next.

It wouldn’t be spring in Alberta without a little wind, and the wind was with us the whole hike except when we were in the trees.

At the high point of the trail, the eleven of us walked along a long fence line that incorporates some interesting elements. We had fun making up stories of how these items got to be here. There was hog wire on part of the fence…therefore, the landowner had pigs. We saw insulator posts…so he must have collected insulators…or maybe he worked for a power company. We guessed he was a grader operator because of all the old grader blades holding up the fence.

It was a glorious walk to the ski hill and back. We stopped at the plaque commemorating Oscar Zawalsky, and learned a bit about this long time Waskahegan friend and volunteer.

We were even fortunate to see some late-blooming crocuses and other flowers. Such a good hike!

Thanks to John for scouting and leading the hike, to trail maintenance for their work on the trail last fall, and to the landowners for their continuing permission. There are more photos on Flickr.

Where we’re going next.