Landowner Rights & Trail User Responsibilities

The Waskahegan Trail is a unique resource that exists only because of the generosity of landowners. Before you set foot on the trail:

  1. Know the landowner rights and the trail user responsibilities.
  2. Check the trail conditions

Garage Day for Trail Maintenance

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The Trail Maintenance volunteers have been preparing for the new season, making all the equipment and tools ready go.

A couple of weeks ago Brad took the trailer to his farm to do some necessary repairs. He made the fender firm, the gate better, and installed a new electrical connection to replace the damaged one. In between all of this, his bison herd has been calving—seven so far!

This trailer, which was purchased many years ago second-hand, is now back in the garage and ready for many more maintenance trips.

This week, eleven volunteers came out to the garage:

  • All the clippers were sharpened
  • The mowers got an oil change
  • Gas was mixed for the chainsaws and weed-eaters
  • Gas tanks were filled
  • Signage was cut
  • Sign bags were restocked
  • Weed-eaters were started
  • Shelves and countertops were cleaned

And Oscar checked all the chainsaws and started them. One of these chainsaws is going home to the Oscar “hospital”.

Also, Gary began a hands-on introduction to trailer pulling with Jon S.

It was a very productive day. The eleven members of the maintenance gang made a pretty big job enjoyable. Let’s hear it for teamwork!

Find out more about trail maintenance.

Blackmud Creek in Ellerslie Hike

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Seventeen people came out on a lovely spring day to hike the section of Blackmud Creek in the Ellerslie area. Just like all the creeks in Edmonton, residential development has been growing on each side. This makes the creek accessible to a lot of people, but also vulnerable. Appropriately, the City has posted a lot of signage to educate walkers on the area’s ecology and sensitivity.

The people who live here have much to appreciate in the natural beauty the creek brings. At the same time, the wild creatures are standing their ground. At one house we walked by, there was a male mallard standing on a roof, looking very conspicuous.

And then we saw this coyote at the creek’s edge.

Right now we are in the middle of spring. The larches are starting to “leaf” out, so to speak, and the cones are budding. These are probably the earliest trees to show their green.

Thanks to Martha and her co-leader Mary for scouting the trail and leading the hike. You can see these photos and more on Flickr.

Here’s where we’re hiking next.