Hiking around the Compass : Leduc to Millet

This morning dawned clear and sunny, and it was already warming up when we headed out around 7:30 am.  Perhaps given the heat it was unwise, but we had enjoyed walking the trail around Telford Lake so much yesterday afternoon that we went back for a spot of birding this morning.  There were lots of people out on the boardwalk taking their morning exercise, and there were several summer camps assembling, including a group of kids paddling kayaks out on the water. 

The waters of Telford Lake sparkled in the bright morning sunshine as we walked the boardwalk.  The American Coot, Red-necked Grebe, and Ruddy Duck families were still out and about, the babies begging continuously and pitifully.  The American White Pelicans had seemingly vanished, replaced by Double-Crested Cormorants and Mallards on the floating platform.  A tiny Pied-billed Grebe was floating out in the lake, and we spotted several Scaup as well. Once again the sky above was filled with Purple Martins, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, and the occasional jet taking off from the Edmonton airport. 

As we made our way past the boat house, a large and thriving community garden, and a small nature area dedicated to pollinators and other insects we passed many people out getting boats ready, gardening and cycling.  About half a dozen of them stopped to ask about our hiking carts, considering them for various types of outdoor recreation, including fishing and cycling. Everyone was very friendly and wished us well on our journey.  

By the time we reached the far end of the lake it was already so hot that we were moving from shade tree to shade tree.  The official route of the Great Trail left the town on a highway, but since Leduc has a network of paved cycling trails, we decided to take advantage of those for as long as possible.  As we wove through to the edge of town we were delighted to pass a large colony of Richardson's Ground Squirrels.  Their sharp, high-pitched, and difficult to locate cries permeated the morning, and as we approached they dove into their burrows, leaving only their ears visible above their earth mounds. 

Once we left Leduc and headed out into the country what followed was a very, very, very long, and very, very, very hot and long day.  While the scenery was pleasant, there isn't actually a whole lot to say about it.  The landscape in this part of Alberta is very flat, reminding us of southern Manitoba.  We wove through a patchwork of grain and canola fields, interspersed with large ranches.  Our route followed seemingly endless gravel range roads, and edged along paved highways that grew increasingly busy with weekend traffic.  Frustratingly, as the sun beat down on us we spent at least as much time heading east then south as we did going west. 

On and on through the broiling hot afternoon we trudged.  Most of the time the only sounds were the crunching of our shoes on the gravel and the rustling of the dry grasses as we passed. The sun was relentless, and heat shimmered in waves on the road ahead and in the fields on either side.  The air smelt burnt and we could taste dust in our mouths and feel grit between our teeth from the passing vehicles. Everything felt baked and parched, and we were absolutely desperate for the shade of even a single tree.  I know now exactly how much shade our walking carts can provide when sitting behind them. 

We had hoped to walk this stage in 2 or even 3 days, but last night we realized that all the campgrounds ahead of us were booked solid for the weekend.  School has just ended, people haven’t travelled in 2 years and there is a great desire to camp and explore the woods.  The result is that many of these country roads are very busy, motels in the small communities we passed through were also booked, and the resorts and B&Bs around Pigeon Lake are far out of our price range.  Our only hope in setting out today was that we could find somewhere to wild camp, or gain permission to camp on someone's property.  Unfortunately, neither of these options presented themselves and our intended campground for tonight was full before we set out this morning.  Sometimes these things just don't work out, and we simply have to make the best of it. 

Our challenges with weekend vacationers resulted in us deciding to cut out the trek around the Pigeon Lake area, which is one of the mostly intensively used recreational regions of Alberta. It has ten summer villages, four unincorporated communities, and over 2,300 private cottages along the shores of the lake itself. Pigeon Lake is a 96.7 km sq lake that is a tributary of the Battle River, which it joins through Pigeon Lake Creek. Sometimes however circumstances chose for you and so this small stretch had to be set aside.

As a result our route today took us from Leduc east to Wizard Lake then south to Pipestone and then west to Millet – a long trek of almost 60 km to venture a short distance between our beginning and end points today.  The route and distance covered would make for one of our longest days on the Trans Canada Trail ever.

 

As we made our way through the countryside the heat and fatigue made things begin to look the same.  The landscape was beautiful - an unceasing patchwork of green and yellow fields delineated by the grey wooden posts of endless fences with endless numbers of No Trespassing signs.  Sometimes small stands of trees and picturesque barns broke up the flat fields, and other times they didn't.  In places tiny ponds and stands of cattails provided variety, and in others the land was clean and unbroken.  After a while it simply felt like no matter how far we walked, every time we looked up, we saw the same thing.  It felt as if we were making no progress at all, and after more 3,000 km of prairie and road concession walking, we had the sense as though we were walking on a treadmill and not able to move forward.  All in all sometimes it can be a little soul crushing. 

The afternoon eventually turned to evening and the roads grew increasingly busy with cottage traffic and trucks pulling RVs and trailers.  The humidity rose up and the dust seemed to get thicker with each passing car.  Adding to our challenges, the heat became nearly unbearable, and there was absolutely no shade anywhere along the roads. With 20 km to go the TCT would box us south, then west, then north to safely cross the Queen Elizabeth II Highway making for several of the most draining hours during our trek.  This means that by 6 pm we have now trekked more than 40 km west, south, east, and north - to move a mere 22 km awake from Leduc. Today we hiked our way around the compass.

The last 10 km into Millet seemed to take forever, and with the hot sun above and the heat reflecting up off the road, we felt like we were cooking inside a convection oven.  The world shrunk to the piece of gravel road directly ahead, and time was measured by putting one foot in front of the next, trusting that if we did that enough times we'd eventually find shelter.  We stopped taking photos or notes, and simply concentrated on continuing forward under the baking sun.  By day’s end everything was reduced to the mechanical act of moving forward.

Just as we were feeling really sorry for ourselves, we spotted a small pond in a nearby canola field with a couple birds.  They were pretty far away, and at first we assumed they were either American Coots or Double-crested Cormorants.  However, on closer inspection, they turned out to be White-faced Ibis!  Although these birds are apparently quite common in small ponds and cattail marshes throughout Alberta now as a result of range expansion, these were the first ones we've spotted on this hike!  Thankfully, the energy boost from this discovery was enough to get us into Millet. 

Millet is a town of slightly less than 2,000 residents, which prides itself on being 'The Prettiest Little Town in Alberta.'  When the Canadian Pacific Railway was finished in 1891 there was a store located where Millet is today, which was owned by fur trader and buyer, Ben Slaughter.  When the first post office was established in 1896, Ben became the post master.  However, the town was named in honour of August Millet, a canoeist for Father Lacomb who sold furs to Ben Slaughter.  Millet became a village in 1903, and began developing.  In 1927 a disastrous fire destroyed many of the buildings along the east side of the main thoroughfare, but businesses rebuilt across the street.

 

Today the historic looking buildings and charming shops of Millet are stretched along one side of the main street, with a greenspace and still-active train line running parallel on the other side.  We gratefully sunk onto a picnic table in a small and beautifully landscaped parkette, just beside the Milletand District Museum.  After a brief rest we continued down the main street towards the campground at other end of town, stopping to buy several bottles of Lemonade to quench our unending thirst. 

From what we can see, the historic signs, charming storefronts, and abundant blooming flower boxes do indeed make this community worthy of it claim to be "The Prettiest Little Town of Alberta."  From what I know, is the residents of this town have planted enough trees to provide two weary travellers with more than a stick of shade – and for that I am eternally grateful!

“Everyday is a winding road
I get a little bit closer
Everyday is a faded sign
I get a little bit closer”

                                                                                    Everyday Is a Winding Road, Sheryl Crow

See you on the trail!

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