Pace and Perspective : Devon to Leduc

It was a bright, sunny, although wonderfully cool morning when we were dropped off at the edge of Devon, back where we left off.  After a glorious day of rest, delicious food, and excellent company, we felt restored.  It was the first day in months during which we neither walked nor spent all our time writing and editing photos, and it felt like a wonderful gift.  

We also met Jools, a fantastic lady from Australia, who shared our love of animals and wildlife, as well as stories of the conservation initiatives and approaches employed in Australia.  We are truly grateful to Louis, his family, and Jools for taking such good care of us!

After crossing back over the same busy highway we had previously hiked down, we began walking south, down a long, straight gravel road.  At first it was quiet, but as morning rush-hour picked up, even this seeming backroad began to get busier.  With no recent rain, each passing vehicle created a cloud of dust, and we were once again very grateful to all the drivers who slowed right down and pulled over to pass us. 

As in previous days, we found ourselves surrounded by beautiful farm country.  A patchwork of lush green grain, brilliant yellow canola, and light green pastures stretched out in all directions.  The smell of newly mowed hay filled the warm, morning air from several freshly cut fields, which were striped with long lines of cut and drying grass.  

Large and modern country homes were spaced well apart down the length of the range road.  We passed ranches with colourful beef cows, and paddocks filled with graceful and curious horses.  In some fields there were still small patches of standing water, and in one of these a small flock of Spotted Sandpipers had gathered.  

Although the morning's walk was very pleasant, it was largely unremarkable.  The main wildlife highlight was spotting a huge Red-tailed Hawk launch itself from a utility pole just ahead of us on the road, and then get mercilessly mobbed by a very determined and persistent Red-winged Blackbird. 

As we headed south we had a choice to make.  We were approaching a fork in the trail, where one branch continued on west and south towards Pigeon Lake and the town of Millet, and the other formed a 10 km spur straight east to the historically important town of Leduc.  During our rest day we'd talked about the value of slowing down, doing shorter days, and trying to bring some of the joy back into the adventure.  The concern was raised that by pushing 40-50 km a day in the rising summer heat, we would slowly begin to enjoy our trek less and less.  The result was that we were challenged to slow down, hike shorter distances and to enjoy the moment. 

For us, doing shorter days in the prairies has been a real challenge, especially this year.   We are walking gravel range roads which are bordered by private property and ranches, which are all well fenced off to protect livestock.  In the rare spots where we've been able to find small patches of wilder land, the ground has been saturated with water, and it is too marshy to pitch a tent comfortably.  As a result we've mostly been walking from one community to the next, staying in the campgrounds or motels there.  When we are able to wild camp, we usually don't do so until dusk, which occurs after 10 pm, at which point we've typically covered upwards of 50 km in any case.  

This type of walking, especially in the heat, can be draining, and it is made more challenging by the added responsibilities of blogging, photographing, and sharing our adventures.  Today represented a rare opportunity to do a shorter day, and in light of our recent conversations we decided to camp for the night in Leduc.  As we stood at the turn deciding which way to go, a pickup driver from a nearby ranch pulled up and asked if we were okay.  We started chatting and he said he rode motorcycles, and there were certain roads in the region that he didn't consider safe to ride, let alone walk.  He knew that the route of the Trans Canada Trail was on one of the province’s busiest highways and suggested that perhaps it was time we cut our own route – for our own safety.  He kindly offered some pretty detailed advice on how he would navigate the backroads between the communities we're visiting next.  We greatly appreciated his concern, and his advice. 

We thanked him and continued on, heading down a long, straight gravel range road towards Leduc.  When we reached the outskirts of the large, busy community we found ourselves in a modern suburb of Edmonton, with multiple subdivisions filled with large homes and well-landscaped yards.  A few kilometres later we came to the historic main street, which was a wide boulevard, lined with small shops, young trees, flower boxes, and space for angle parking.  We stopped for milkshakes to cool off at Block50, which was a colourfully painted square with an ice cream truck parked on one side. 

 

Leduc was established in 1891 when the first settler, Robert Telford bought land on the edge of the lake that now bears his name. Telford established a 'stopping place' along the Calgary to Edmonton Trail, which was a stagecoach line that connected the two cities.  Telford had served as a NWMP Officer, and later became Leduc's first postmaster, general merchant, justice of the peace, and Member in the Alberta Legislature. The establishment of the Calgary and Edmonton Railway, which was later acquired by the Canadian Pacific Railway, opened the region to further settlement. The first train stopped in Leduc in 1891. 

Although Robert Telford was central to the establishment of the town, it was named after Father Hippolyte Leduc, a noted Roman Catholic Missionary who served Edmonton more than 100 years ago.  Apparently, legend says that the settler who established the telegraph office in the town decided to name the station after the first person who walked through the door, and that person was Father Leduc.  When Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories, Edgar Dewdney was looking for a name for the new railway station in 1891 he decided that since the telegraph office was named after Father Leduc the railway station may as well take the same name. 

We made our way down the main street, walking towards Telford Lake.  When we crossed the train tracks we got a really nice view of the Leduc Heritage Grain Elevator.  The Alberta Legacy Development Society banded together to save, preserve, and develop the historic grain elevator for future generations, and it is now open for personal tours.  Since these 'Prairie Sentinels' are slowly disappearing in the wake of new transportation options, it was wonderful to see this one so well preserved. 

 

After crossing the tracks we found ourselves entering the large green, grassy Wm. F. Lede Park on the edge of Telford Lake.  This large recreational area features a long wooden boardwalk, several numbered bird-watching platforms, a paved multi-use pathway that circles the lake and is part of the Trans Canada Trail, and the Leduc Boat Club.  Various sporting events are held on the lake, including Dragon Boat Races in summer and endurance ice racing in winter. 

When we joined the families and other people out on the gorgeous wooden boardwalk we were delighted to discover a whole lake full of birds!  A large number of baby American Coots were following their parents around, cheeping constantly.  Red-necked Grebe parents were being equally harassed by loads of hungry offspring.  Just off the end of the platform a large group of comical looking Ruddy Ducks were floating, the males engaging in their highly entertaining courtship displays.  On a floating platform out in the middle of the lake a large group of American White Pelicans were resting, joined by Double-crested Cormorants and Mallards. 

Waterfowl weren't the only interesting birds on the lake! From the Purple Martin pole behind us a steady stream of Martins were flying back and forth, threading themselves through the tiny slots in the nests to feed their young.  Barn Swallows and Tree Swallows foraged for flying insects above the water, while Franklin's Gulls circled overhead, and a Black-crowned Night-Heron flew over in a straight line.  Red-winged Blackbirds called from the cattails, and Gray Catbirds, Song Sparrows, and Savanah Sparrows called from the bushes. Over 149 species have been reported around Telford Lake, making it a great spot to go birding. Slowing down was definitely worth it - what a perfect way to end the day!

See you on the trail!

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