Finale

Fri. 30 December:  Glenbow Ranch

 

My final adventure of 2011.  I have no idea what happened to this year, but it just flashed by.  In the process I had some exciting trips across the mountains and foothills of Alberta and British Columbia.

For my last trip, I decided on an easy stroll around the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park trails, just northwest of the city.

It was a cold morning, with one line of cloud overhead, moving southeast, and another long line of cloud stretching out from the mountains.  But gradually the skies cleared overhead, and finally the low sun climbed above the cloud, suddenly transforming the world into colour.

I walked down into the Bow Valley, across the railway and westwards to the Bow River.  I then turned back eastwards, following the northern bank of the river for three or four kilometers.  The high banks gave good views of the river, which was starting to freeze over.  The surface of the water was full of small ice patches drifting downstream.  There were plenty of very pretty areas of riverbank where at a different time of year one could relax under a warm sun and enjoy a riverside picnic.

Three long freight trains passed by as I roamed the valley floor.  The sound of their horns echoed and re-echoed up and down the valley.

As I returned west up the valley, the wind in my face felt very cold, and I was glad to turn northwards up the Tiger Lily trail which meandered up the hillsides back to the car park at the top of the hill.

This river valley has a special magic, which I felt today as I wandered around. There were enticing views of the distant snowy peaks half hidden in the cloud.  Almost a century ago, people once lived along this section of valley, beside the railway.  The trains still run through here, and now once again people stroll along the pathways.

But the strong wind was cold, and I was happy to jump into the car for some shelter.  In this way, another year of outdoor adventures came to a quiet end.

Statistics
Glenbow Ranch
Fri. 30 December
Total Dist.	11.3 km (hike)
Height Gain	330 ft.
Max. Elev.	3,970 ft.
Time	3 hrs. 8 mins.

Other Stats.
Start hike:      8.26 am Arr Bow R:      9.26 am Dep Bow R:   10.05 am Ret. to car:    11.34 am	Temp: between minus 2 and + 4 C.  Line of cloud moves away to SE leaving clear sky overhead and low sun, but curtain of clouds over mountains and foothills.  Strong wind gusts.  Feels cold.