Heading West Again : Alberta Border to Lea Park

After finishing Quebec and making a short stop in Prince Edward Island for the Canadian Wildlife Federation's awards banquet, we are now back on the trail and excited to finally be starting our 9th province - Alberta!  And what a great (if long!) first day we had back on the prairies! 

We flew in to Edmonton, got a bus back east to Lloydminster, and had planned to catch a ride back to the trail, which is about 40 km north of there this morning. We had hoped to get underway around 8:30 or 9:00 am, but unfortunately the ride we thought we'd arranged never materialized. So, it was more like 10:30 am when we finally found ourselves standing at the familiar intersection on the Alberta - Saskatchewan border, exactly where we left off last fall.  Despite our late start we still managed to walk 39 km, which was a pretty large distance for our first day back. 

 

Almost as soon as we took our first steps down the gravel road we were greeted by a herd of curious cows who came to the edge of their pasture to check us out.  They had a small pond at the corner of their enclosure, and a pair of irate Killdeer erupted out of the grasses at the edge, making their displeasure at our presence known.  Overhead a Turkey Vulture soared, and the buzzy call of a Clay-coloured Sparrow sounded.  Across the highway a large hawk perched in an old snag, perhaps the same one that we saw there last autumn! 

For the first 10 km or so we followed a winding gravel road that traced the contours of the North Saskatchewan River heading first west and then north.  For anyone who has been following our progress so far, you might remember that we have been walking just to the north of this beautiful river on and off since we passed through North Battleford Saskatchewan. Today we got a close-up view! 

It was a warm, sunny morning and the scenery was stunning.  We were surrounded by rolling hills that tapered down into the forested river valley.  The prairies have received a lot of rain this spring, so everything looked lush and green, including the tall grasses that rippled like waves in the slight breeze.  The river was also running very high, its fast-moving chocolate brown waters over flowing its banks in many places.  Water filled the roadside ditches, and many large puddles and small ponds dotted the surrounding pastures. 

Over the course of the day these small ponds slowed us down considerably, because it turned out that they were filled with waterfowl and shorebirds!  In the first pond we came to we spotted several families of Buffleheads, the fuzzy babies bobbing like pompoms as they chugged along in a tight group behind mom. 

As we continued on we noticed an abundance of elegant Cedar Waxwings foraging in the roadside shrubs and perching majestically on fence posts.  White-throated Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, and Black-capped Chickadees were also foraging among the lush roadside shrubs.  The buzzy calls of Savannah and Clay-coloured Sparrows sounded from among the grasses, adding to the unique sound of the prairies. 

As we were enjoying the abundance of life around us we were distracted by a herd of about half a dozen chestnut, brown, and light tan horses being shepherded along the road ahead of us by two ranchers on ATVs.  The horses were moving back and forth across the road, clearly curious about everything and enjoying their newfound freedom, and we weren't sure how to get of their way.  In the end they flowed around us in one elegant swoop of quiet, seamless movement. 

We were still smiling about this cool encounter when we came to another small pond that was absolutely full of birds.  Among the highlights were American Avocets, Sooty Terns, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, a couple Ruddy Ducks, an Eared Grebe, another Bufflehead family, two American Coots, several Blue-winged Teals, and a group of Red-winged Blackbirds.  We particularly enjoyed the Ruddy Duck males, with their colourful red, black, and white plumage and bright blue bills.  So much bird life!

Over the course of the morning, as we walked through the gorgeous rolling ranch land, we gradually began to remember what prairie walking was like.  The long gravel roads with no place to stop for a break, the random farm dogs that run loose and follow us for a few kilometres before losing interest or reaching the end of their properties, the steady stream of pickup trucks that patrol the roads, and the oil storage facilities that dot the landscape. Yet it was absolutely beautiful scenery, it was very quiet apart from the sound of the wind and birds singing, and everyone who passed us smiled and waved.  It felt good to be back! 

Just before we reached the highway we spotted a golden brown mule deer standing stalk still in a field beside the road, his long black ears perked up and almost obscuring his set of fuzzy new antlers.  It was a magical moment until he took off across the field, bounding in the comical way mule deer do, as if their legs are spring loaded. 

When we came to the turn onto the highway we found ourselves descending slightly as we approached an impressively tall ridge of forested hills ahead.  Above us the blue sky was partly obscured by fluffy white clouds which made interesting patterns and provided the occasional moment of passing shade. Suddenly we heard jets flying overhead, very loud and very fast, the noise of their engines accompanied by an eerie whooshing sound.  The strange sounds seemed to reverberate and echo in the hills around us, and we realized there must be several fighter jets above us doing some kind of training maneuvers. 

For the next 15 km or so we walked westward on an undulating paved two-lane highway. There was quite a bit of traffic and no shoulder at all, so we'd like to thank all the drivers who pulled over or slowed down for us! We mostly just tried to keep up a good pace, but even on this busier stretch of road, the birds kept distracting us! 

A definite highlight was spotting a pond with a couple American Avocets and a Black-necked Stilt! The Stilt reminded us of the Black-winged Stilts we saw while hiking the Camino Portuguese, and it was definitely a first for us on our Hike4Birds!  There were also several Black Terns hovering in mid air before plummeting down to catch small fish. 

We reached the tiny community of Tulliby Lake around 2 pm.  By this time the sun was pretty hot, and we stopped to take a break in the shade at the picnic tables outside the community centre.  All we saw of this small village a few homes and a tiny school along the edge of the highway, but we were very grateful for the resting place.  By this point we felt like we'd walked pretty far already, but in reality we still had another 4.5 hours to walk!  

When we finally came to our turnoff we were ready to have a break from the traffic. We turned south onto another narrow gravel road, heading back south to the shores of the North Saskatchewan River.  About an hour later we popped out at another busy highway, and followed that across the wide North Saskatchewan River on a bridge with no real railings but bright yellow metal spans.  It was an impressive bridge, but there was no lane for bicycles or pedestrians, and while we were on it traffic was constantly speeding past in both directions, including two oil tankers! 

Just past the bridge we found the Jubilee Regional Park, which is home to a golf course, a rodeo grounds, and a campground.  The very nice owner checked us into our campsite, which is right on a small tributary of the river.  We pitched the tent, took showers, and made dinner. As we sat at the picnic table a whole flock of Bank Swallows emerged from hundreds of burrows in cliffs on the far side of the river and began foraging for insects above the water, putting on a very impressive aerial display.  We also spotted a juvenile Bald Eagle soaring majestically down the waterway until it landed very clumsily beside an adult on the very tip of a white pine branch. It proceeded to bounce and wobble, flapping in order not to fall off its perch.  You could almost hear it saying "Look at me, mom!  Look at me, mom!"

The campground we are staying at is located at the point where the North Saskatchewan and Vermillion Rivers meet, and it is a very beautiful area.  It is also home to the Lea Park Rodeo, a tradition that has been going strong for 67 years.  This three day event features the rodeo, dancing, live music, and a pancake breakfast among other things.  I have never been to a rodeo, and I think it would have been a whole lot of fun to have been here a couple weeks ago to witness this one. 

The campground also has a historic plaque in the middle indicating that this was where the first branch of the Alberta Women's Institute was formed in 1909, by Mrs. Hugh Graham and Mrs. John Johnson.  The original group had 38 members from the surrounding communities, and by 1918 the organization had grown to 8,000 members in 212 branches across the province.  Their motto was "For home and country" which came from Adelaide Hoodless, who created the first Women's Institute in Ontario in 1897.  This group raised money and organized the construction of hospitals, maternity homes, community halls, libraries, cemeteries, and rest rooms.  They also raised thousands of dollars and collected huge amounts of clothing and hospital supplies to send overseas during WWI and WWII. 

As I write this I can hear coyotes yipping somewhere nearby, and a light rain has begun to fall.  It is very peaceful down by the river, and I am grateful for the privilege to be out here once again, even though my body is definitely not yet used to the rigours of this type of walking.  

 

See you on the trail!

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