Hikes

Our hike began with the amphibian walk led by Kayleen, the park interpreter.

At the start, Kayleen explained that because amphibians breathe through their skin, the health of their population is a good indicator of the health of the environment.

So, what would we find out about the health of this particular section of Beaver Hills Country?

To ensure our chances of seeing anything, Kayleen led the fourteen Waskehagen hikers and several families to the Holdsworth Trail. It’s a more secluded and lesser used trail compared to other trails in the park.

Among the many good reasons to hike with children, there’s this: they are great at catching frogs. Here are some of the special moments where we could not have done without them.

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The results: We counted 206 wood frogs, 3 boreal chorus frogs, and a garter snake.

After lunch near the visitor’s centre, we set out on Miquelon’s other trails starting with the Chickadee Loop. We stopped looking for frogs, but we did see a large red-sided garter snake before it slithered into the bushes.

Thanks to Elizabeth for scouting and leading this hike. You can find more photos on Flickr.

With the huge volume of rain we’ve had, we knew that it wouldn’t be possible to take our usual route from the south end of the trail up to the hoodoos where opuntia cactus bloom. Even in drier years, we’re usually picking our way around sloughs and bogs.

This year, 14 hikers started at the north end at the Stoney Creek Center, formerly the Camrose Ski Clubhouse. We passed the formal stands of blue-purple salvia and tall, showy lupines, and the landscaped backyards of elegant homes…and almost seamlessly we found ourselves on the gravel and dirt trail that took us through the broad Stoney Creek valley.

Left and right, we discovered one wildflower after another. Between Jerry and Elizabeth’s scouting a few days earlier, and the hike today, Jerry counted over 30 different species.

Highlights included two large patches of milkweed, the favourite food of the monarch butterfly. Also spotted were wild licorice, Richardson’s alumroot, gallardia (blanket flower), scarlet mallow, and majestic yellow evening-primrose.

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Thanks to Jerry and Elizabeth for scouting the hike and to Elizabeth for leading. You can find more photos on Flickr.