Eight hikers enjoyed a 12 km round trip hike on Sunday, from Snow Valley up to the loop around Fort Edmonton Park and the John Janzen Nature Centre, and back to Snow Valley. All eight hikers wore ice grippers and that was a smart move as the trail was covered in ice. We had sunny periods throughout the hike which we enjoyed very much.
We saw two of the ravine’s resident owls, one sitting in a hole in a tree, the other perched on a limb of a neighbouring tree.
The owls drew the attention of many, including people with really big camera lenses.
Circling above the owls was a murder of crows—eight in all. We couldn’t determine what was holding their attention—perhaps it was just a Sunday afternoon gathering!
We also saw many squirrels and chickadees, who seem to enjoy a good life in the ravine with the copious amounts of sunflower seeds placed on stumps and other spots.
Stella contributed to the collection of seeds with a homemade seed-tree which she hung in a small bush—a yummy treat for the chickadees.
Our rest stop, and later lunch, were at the Alfred Savage Centre, just south of the mouth of the Whitemud Creek. It was a good day for treats: ginger muffins, brownies, homemade fruit roll-ups and some peppermint chocolates were shared.
The hike was a bit longer than usual, but the weather and the company were pleasant, so it was an enjoyable day for all.
Thank you to everyone who came out on this day. Here are the photos on Flickr.
