Blessings in God’s Green Country : Linden to Irricana

The alarm clock went off a little before 5 am, marking the beginning of another day on the Trans Canada Trail.  It turned out to be one of incredible beauty, history, trail magic, and unexpected gifts of the very best kind.  It began with a baby mule deer wandering up to the campground and sinking quietly into the tall grass at the edge of the pond to wait patiently for its mom.  

We were soon heading out of Linden, which is a small community of around 700 residents. The first post office opened there in 1949, and Linden was incorporated as a village in 1964. The area surrounding the village was originally settled by members of the Mennonite Church, and there is still a strong community of their descendants living in the region. 

As we headed out down its enormously wide main street we noticed the large wooden welcome sign, which bore the claim that Linden is the 'Rural Industrial Capital of Canada.'  Apparently this title refers to the large number of agriculture related businesses in the village and the surrounding area.  

The route the Trans Canada Trail took today provided a classic example of why we will have walked approximately 2.5 times farther to reach the Pacific Coast than we would have if we'd driven across on the Trans Canada Highway.  When driving across Canada from Halifax to Vancouver, most people choose a route that is roughly 5,900 km long.  By the time we reach Victoria we will have walked approximately14,000 km.  Days like today, when the route boxes back and forth across the highway, rounding all three sides of box after box, help explain how, if not why, this happens.  While we greatly appreciated the attempt to keep us off yet another busy highway, our only guess as to how this route was devised (assuming there was logic behind it) was that it generally followed the course of the abandoned rail line that may one day become trail.  We hope that day comes in time to benefit whomever comes next to follow in our footsteps along the TCT. 

As we set out into the countryside we were greeted by a stunningly beautiful morning.  Steam was rising from the meandering river, filling the valley with golden light.  A vale of mist also hung above the fields, creating glowing layers of landscape in which the hills receded into the distance.  The solid black shapes of cattle grazing among the rolling pastures provided points of stark contrast.  

We walked through this magical landscape, stopping frequently to marvel at the golden light that surrounded us.  The road took us through another gorgeous river valley, where a group of old wooden out buildings caught our eye.  It was easy to imagine we'd travelled back in time, to a quieter time with a slower pace of life.  We stopped to watch a magnificent Swainson's Hawk perched on a fence post, and listened to the buzzy calls of Savannah Sparrows and Clay-coloured Sparrows. 

 

 

In the midst of this beautiful landscape the driver of a pickup truck stopped on the road beside us and asked what we were doing.  When we explained our hike and remarked on the incredible beauty of Alberta, he answered that yes, "We are in God's green country."  It seemed like an appropriate description. A few minutes later we were surprised when he returned to ask if there was anything at all we needed that he could bring us or do for us.  Not since walking across Newfoundland have we received so many offers of help, received so much trail magic, or talked to so many people along the route.  We had no idea Albertans were so friendly! 

Around 8:00 am we walked into the small community of Acme, which currently has a population of around 600 people.  When the Canadian Pacific Railway reached Acme in 1909 it was at the northern most point on the CPR network.  As a result, surveyors named the station stop Acme, after the Greek word meaning "highest point." 

A small row of buildings still faces the railway, and the history of the community can be seen on a faded mural on the Acme Senior's Association building, which shows the grain elevators that used to stand watch beside the tracks.  

When we turned down the main street most of the shops were still closed, except for the grocery store, where we were able to purchase two cold coffees.  As we sat on a bench in the shade cooling off with our cold drinks we watched the daily bread delivery taking place.  When he was finished delivering his order, the driver of the truck offered us a loaf of raisin bread, and came over for a chat.  He spoke about growing up in New Brunswick, dating a lady from Newfoundland, and building up his business in Alberta.  It was wonderful and unexpected trail magic, and the short conversation made us reflect on how tied together so many across Canada are as well as all the places we've visited so far on this hike.

From Acme to Beiseker we had a 15 km walk straight south through very flat countryside.  By this point the sun was high overhead and it was starting to get very hot.  The traffic began to pick up, and we found ourselves longing for some shade, and feeling very grateful for the slight breeze that was blowing across the fields of grain, canola, and mowed hay, with their neatly rolled bales. 

The paved highway into Beiseker was extremely busy coming into town, and it lacked any kind of shoulder.  Our approach also involved navigating an intersection that seemed to have a non-stop stream of transport trucks, tankers, and pickups going in every direction.  Crossing it on foot was a pretty hair-raising experience.  

Once in the town we walked passed the campground, where a 13 ft tall statue of the town's mascot, Squirt the Skunk stood among the treed sites.  The mascot was chosen to make a lasting impression on tourists, and it was developed as the result of a public contest to gather ideas and designs. 

 

We made our way downtown in search of a shady spot to take a break and cool off.  Along the way, we passed a beautifully painted mural depicting the Beaver Dam Horse Ranch, which was the first ranch established in the area by Sydney and Bessie Moss in 1883.  The ranch was nestled in a coulee, where it was sheltered from the north wind, and the Mosses raised Clydesdale horses there. 

 

 

We found a small cafe with a shady spot on the side of the building.  When Sean went inside to find cold lemonades he was surprised to find a framed newspaper proudly proclaiming that the establishment had received a hefty fine of over $100,000 dollars for violating what some here in Alberta term 'scamdemic' restrictions.  He was also a bit shocked to be charged $22 for the two lemonades – clearly we are in the sphere of both Calgary and Banff with their tourist prices.  

Beiseker was founded by the Calgary Colonization Company, whose purpose was to promote settlement in the region by demonstrating the rich farming potential of the land.  The town was named after the Vice President of this company, Thomas Lincoln Beiseker (1866-1941).  Colonization began in 1908 when the company recruited a number of German settlers from the Dakotas, and the rich soil in the area helped the town become known as the 'World Wheat King Capital.'  

In 1910 the Canadian Pacific Railway reached the town and accelerated its development, and two years later the Grand Trunk Pacific line was built just to the east of the main business district.  Eventually highways 9, 72, and 802 were built and converged at Beiseker, making it a highly favourable location in terms of rail and road access, which helped it develop into a major agricultural service centre. 

 

 

On our way out of town we stopped at the Beiseker Visitor's Centre, which was located beside the museum in a small grassy park that featured a restored CP Railway carriage, various historical plaques, and a restored sod house, similar to the one we visited in Elbow, Saskatchewan.  Sod homes were built by many homesteaders to survive their first winter(s) on the tree-less prairies in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  At the time, farmers could purchase 160 acres of land for $10, provided they cultivated it and made it their home.  Breaking in untouched soil was incredibly difficult, and the failure rate was about 46%.  Sod homes were constructed by many as temporary housing until a more 'modern' home could be constructed. 

One of the very best finds at the Information Centre was a huge, new, and beautifully made metal sign for the Meadowlark Trail which also bore a brand new TCT logo!  While the young lady at the Information Centre was extremely friendly and helpful, the only information she had on this trail was that it was still being built, but would open soon.  We could see from Google's satellite images that it followed the abandoned rail line that we've been boxing around since Wimborne, and which would take us directly to Irricana, our destination for the night. 

The beginning of the beautiful crushed stone dust rail trail was indeed still being landscaped, but the sight of the gorgeous trail winding off into the distance was too much for us.  We decided to see how far we could go on it, rather than taking the official TCT route, which boxed around on more gravel range roads for the next 13 km.  Although this gamble could very well have backfired on us, thankfully it turned out to be a good decision. 

What followed were 9 km of gorgeous trail and incredible luck.  We trekked through beautiful countryside, and without being on a busy road with constant traffic we were free to enjoy the scenery.  Fields stretched out around us, the subtle greens, browns, yellows, and reds standing out under the clear blue sky.  

By this point in the early afternoon it was blazing hot, but we were very pleased to see that young trees had been planted along the edges of the trail to provide shade, and they were accompanied by benches in several spots.  Not only that, but the young trees were being watered, which turned out to be a blessing not just for them, but for us as well.  Two curving wooden foot bridges have been built to take trail users over two small streams, and both bridges were still sealed off by wire fencing until the trail officially opens.  

However, work crews were out watering the saplings at both crossings when we reached them, and they very kindly let us pass through the open gates. What are the chances of that?  Again we say, 'Thank you Saint Roch!’   I think we may be the first hikers to inaugurate this trail! 

The trail walk was like a small piece of heaven.  We walked past gorgeous ranch land and under an old railway bridge that cast intriguing shadows.  It was peaceful and quiet, and we saw families of Eastern Kingbirds, Western Kingbirds, and Savannah Sparrows perched along the wire fences.  A colony of Bank Swallows nested in the earth  banks of one of the creeks.  The sounds of the breeze in the grass, grasshoppers, grassland birds, our own footsteps, and the distant whistle of train were the only sounds we could hear. 

As we approached Irricana we could see a group of buildings across the fields which comprised the Grain Academy & Museum and the Pioneer Acres of Alberta.  This museum provides an opportunity to learn about the production and transport of grain from the early pioneering days.  It features a model of a dissected working grain elevator, an old grain car from 1906, and a model train that was completely rebuilt in recent years. 

Our lovely trail took us right to the edge of the Irricana Campground, which was our destination for the night.  The campground hosts were very friendly and helpful, and we were soon checked in to a grassy and treed campsite.  Unfortunately, at that time of day there was almost no shade, but on the other hand the scorching hot sun helped us dry out our tent.  Perhaps best of all, there was a spotlessly clean washroom with cold showers!  So many blessings today!

After trying to cool down in the showers and only partially succeeding in the 34°C afternoon, we walked downtown to do laundry at the local mechanic's shop, and buy some groceries for dinner.  We soon discovered that Irricana is full of beautiful and brightly coloured murals featuring a variety of topics, from local history, to coloured pencils, to birds. 

After visiting an old fashioned general store we sat in the shade and drank two milkshakes.  Even in the shade, drinking cold liquid, it still felt like our bodies were radiating heat, and it was too hot to have an appetite.  Not until later in the evening, when we were back at the campsite and watching an absolutely stunning sunset did it begin to feel slightly cooler.  

As we watched the red disk of the sun sink towards the horizon, and the sky turn from brilliant red, to liquid gold, to soft blue we felt like this day had brought us a lot wondrous sights and adventures.

See you on the trail!

Remember to follow our entire adventure here : www.comewalkwithus.online