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Merry, snowy Christmas!

December 21, 2013
lori
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Merry Christmas!

 

 
 

 
 

 

I hope you will join us on the snowy trails this winter! The snowshoeing and cross-country skiing is fantastic right now in the Alberta and British Columbia Rocky Mountains. The urban hikes in Calgary are great year-round. Come on out for a fresh walk and cup of coffee at unique local coffee shops in Calgary.

Check our calendar of events, the winter programs begin on January 7th. Come once or get a membership for the winter session.

Join us for a fresh, outdoor, active New Year!

Hope to see you on the trails in 2014,

– Lori

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Where to hike in the Rockies and Calgary after the Alberta flood?

August 15, 2013
lori
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Helen Lake Trail, Banff National Park


I have been researching trails to hike after the June flooding and thought I would share my findings. The most up-to-date information on where to hike after the flood can be found at this link . It is a wonderful resource of all the post-flood trail conditions in Kananaskis and Banff National Park. Thanks to Rachel for putting this together!

Douglas Fir Trail, Edworthy Park, Calgary

And for those of you who want to hit the urban trails, most routes from my guidebook, Calgary’s Best Hikes and Walks, are doable. The major changes to the pathway system that affect urban hikes are the three missing pedestrian bridges over the Elbow River in the southwest. The bridge at Sandy Beach Park is the most inconvenient change since it is a critical link. It is easy to navigate around the other two missing bridges by using the road bridges.

I’ll continue to provide updates as I work on my new book, Calgary’s Best Urban Hikes, and as I hike the mountain trails!

Enjoy the wonderful weather out there! Lori

 

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Calgary’s Best Urban Hikes Series: Inglewood, Harvie Passage, The Bird Sanctuary and The Blackfoot Diner

May 13, 2013
lori
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The Blackfoot Diner milkshake is

“Like sucking cake through a straw”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am having a lot of fun researching my new book, a brand new version of my book Calgary’s Best Hikes and Walks. On Mother’s Day, my family joined me to test a new route for the book in the Inglewood, SE area. We started at 15 St, SE and followed the Bow River Pathway to Pearce Estate Park and the new Harvie Passage Whitewater Park on the Bow River. Harvie Passage water park replaces the deadly weir, the drowning machine as it used to be known.

 

 

 

 

The Harvie Passage website explains the benefits that will come out of the new weir project.

 

“Countless benefits will flow from this project – for people, fish, birds and wildlife, and the environment itself. This new park will provide a central connection node for numerous public amenities in the area, including the Calgary Zoo, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Pearce Estate Park Interpretive Wetland, Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery, East Village and the future site of the Calgary Science Centre. A reconfiguration of the river-bed will result in an aesthetically attractive passage through the centre of the city, while respecting fisheries and the aquatic ecosystem. Naturalization of the area will improve local habitat, movement corridors and riparian functions, allowing all kinds of wildlife to pass freely up and down the river. Perhaps most importantly, the hydraulic roller known as the “drowning machine” will be eliminated, giving safe and unrestricted access to emergency safety patrols, recreational paddlers and fish.”

 

Harvie Passage is across from Pearce Estate Park and the Livingston Fish Hatchery. The park is home to many trails for walkers, abundant bird life that flock to the wetlands, picnic tables, the Fish Hatchery, and the Bow Habitat Station, where kids can learn to fish in stocked bonds. YOu can also get a tour of  the Fish Hatchery.

Continuing east along the Bow River Pathway, we passed wetlands full of the sounds of red-winged blackbirds and we saw an impressive beaver house with significant square footage! We continued past new and beautifully renovated older homes in a hidden neighbourhood along the Bow River; a neighourhood tucked away behind the industrial area off Blackfoot and 17 Ave., SE .

 

 

 

We arrived at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and the start of the train yards. My son loves trains so we did did a photo shoot beside a parked rail car before strolling the pathways of the bird Sanctuary. My son reminded me of the time he and his friends got “kicked out” of the Bird Sanctuary for some enthusiastic owl discoveries that they had at a friends birthday party. Too loud, too much running.  Enthusiastic boys in nature, lets put a stop to that says the naturalist.

 

 

 

 

 

The kids were set on a burger for lunch, and it was lunchtime so we started the search. Within minutes we arrived at the infamous Blackfoot Diner Truck Stop. I had heard of it but had never eaten there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s legit. It’s a truck stop and it was the perfect stop for our Mother’s Day lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

The kids ordered the burgers and a milkshake (and people wonder how we get them to walk so far…) My daughter summed up the milkshake experience in a way that I never had, “it’s like sucking cake through a straw”. And it was! They were chocolatey, creamy and sweet. Yum. The bugers were tasty too, topped with “crappy cheese” (when my daughter was little she thought that Kraft slices were called “crap” slices and hence the name crappy cheese). She likes the cheese slices. They are just another “treat” that she can’t get at home.

 

 

 

 

 

We continued west on 9 Avenue past some industial areas but soon were back into the newly developed part of 9 Avenue. A turn north on 15 St and we were back in the neighbourhood, soaking up the smells of poplar buds and enjoying the sights of flowering fruit trees. Inglewood is the hot spot in Calgary, and not just because it is a micro climate of warmth. Gardens are fuller and pear trees live strong. Inglewood is one of the most interesting neighbourhoods to walk in Calgary. You never know what might be around the next corner and that is what makes for a fantastic urban hike.

 

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Snowshoe the Rockies (with the kids!)

January 17, 2013
lori
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It’s time to play in the snow! Grab your friends and your family,  a duffel bag full of clothes, your backpacks, some snowshoes, a crazy carpet, a shovel (for building snow forts at the trailhead!) and a heck of a lot of yummy food and thermoses of hot drinks; you are going snowshoeing in the Rockies!

Snowshoeing is as easy as walking! It’s simply left, right and repeat. There is no skill needed, no technique. But you do need to have some cardiovascular fitness because it can be challenging when you step off the beaten trail. And that, by the way, if the best part (the whole point) of snowshoeing! Get into the deep, powdery snow! Play, fall down and pounce. Snowshoeing generally follows some well know hiking trails, but snowshoeing is not as much about destination as it is about playing in snow.

There are some wonderful snowshoe routes in the Kananaskis Rockies as well as in Banff National Park and Yoho National Park. The main thing to know about choosing a wonderful snowshoe route is to be aware of and to avoid avalanche terrain and to ensure that you have the topographical maps (and know how to use them!) so you do not get lost or end up in avalanche terrain. And remember, cellphones rarely work in the the mountains so the motto, “BE PREPARED” is a good one to follow.

Our next snowshoe day is this weekend, January 20th and our next FAMILY FUN club Fit Frog snowshoe is on Saturday, Feb. 9th! Both outings will be full of powder pouncing and route finding and having fun in the snow. And if you are keen to take a weekend away, join us for a Family Fun getaway in YOHO National Park based in tiny Field, BC on February 15-17, 2013.

SNOWSHOE PRESENTATION
If you want to know more, or see a slide presentation to help you learn all you need to know to get started snowshoeing, get in touch and I can come and speak to your group!

Come on out and join us! Make winter your new favourite season!

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Urban Hike and Bike, Douglas Fir Trail, Bow River to Elbow River Pathways

June 11, 2012
lori
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On a beautiful June day I headed out on my bike from my home in Marda Loop area, through South Calgary, Bankview and Scarboro to the Bow River Pathway. My destination was Edworthy Park to hike the Douglas Fir Trail. Urban hikes are one of my favourite pastime and the Douglas Fir Trail is a top notch wilderness trek in the heart of the city. Above the Bow River Pathway and the train tracks is a hill of stairs hidden amongst a stand of Douglas Fir trees. This challenging hike is a good spot to train for upcoming mountain hikes or multi-day wilderness adventures. It’s also an ideal summer hiking location since it is shaded throughout.

 

 

 

 

 

The vegetation is lush, by Calgary standards, due partly to the springs that trickle through the soil from the community of Wildwood above. These springs have also made the escarpment trail somewhat unstable. Mudslides have occurred and part of the trail is closed but it is easy to divert around the closed area, past the frog ponds and continue on your trek. Signage is clear and route options are easy to follow.

 

 

 

For an optimal fitness outing, head back up and over the Douglas Fir Trail on your return to your bike or for a relaxing flat return, follow the paved Bow River Pathway. Above the Edworthy Park parking lot of the south side of the river is a favourite training hill for all those people who are planning to hike the West Coast Trail or Nepal or for cross-country skiers in the Fall. Climb this hill and enjoy a fantastic view of the downtown core and the Bow River.

 

 

 


Back on my bike, I cycled to the north side of the Bow River. If you need a snack break, stop at Angel’s coffee shop for breakfast, lunch or a homemade muffin and coffee.  Post snack break it’s eastbound along the Bow, past downtown to the East Village near Inglewood. Head south along the Elbow River Pathway, past the Stampede Grounds, through Lindsay Park, back to Elbow Park and home.Another successful active urban adventure!

The combination of cycling and hiking is a great way to get a 3 or more hour active outing in Calgary. When you don’t have the time to head out of the city for a full day of wilderness adventure, or you don’t feel like driving, why not fill your morning or evening with an active urban adventure? You won’t believe what you’ll find in your own backyard!

 

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Northbound Family Cycle /Calgary transit combo adventure

May 25, 2012
lori
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Active Urban Adventure Series

Mount Royal – Sunnyside LRT- Crowfoot LRT- Scenic Acres- Bowmont Park- Edworthy Park- home

This northbound cycle/transit is the second instalment in my active urban adventure series. These self-propelled urban adventures are a way to travel the city without your car. I am an advocate of choosing a lifestyle, not a gym; of integrating physical fitness into everyday. I hope you will be inspired to create your own self-propelled urban adventures with friends and family. Join me now as my family and I travel from Mount Royal, SW on bike to the Sunnyside LRT. We’ll travel the train to the Crowfoot LRT and then cycle home through suburbia side-streets, treed ravines to Rocky Mountain viewpoints and a picnic lunch in Bowmont Natural Environment Park. Self-propelled living; start ’em young and they’ll enjoy the health benefits for life.



Marda Loop to Crowfoot LRT and back:
Another 25 km cycle and transit day 

With our panniers full of food, we headed our bikes northward, along the side streets of Bankview and into Scarboro, SW. Traveling on roads can be challenging with children, so we stick to the least busy side streets we can find. I repeat my urban biking mantra, “pay attention and watch for cars pulling out, opening doors and basically not seeing you”. Brainwashing my kids to be extra vigilant while on a bike is my goal. We cycled our way t0 the 14 Street sidewalk and stayed on the sidewalk while traveling under the CP rail train tracks. Soon we were travelling east on the Bow River Pathway; destination Sunnyside LRT!

Last week our LRT experience at Erlton was an uncomfortable lesson in mental illness. Sunnyside LRT has many more people on the platform that Erlton did at the same time of day and most of them seem to be SAIT and the U of C students. A group of drama students sported crazy wigs, nutty hats and clown-like outfits. No electronic device can compete with live, adult silliness; the kids were mesmerized.

 

Arrival Crowfoot LRT; beautiful and clean but not set up for bikes

The LRT stations are almost ready for cyclists but not quite. Each train car allows two bikes and the bikes must enter at the end of the car (not in the centre). There are signs that tell cyclists where they can enter. This is a great set-up and it is easy to navigate. It’s when you arrive at a station, such as Crowfoot, that you may need to be creative. We used the escalator to move our bikes up to the pedestrian overpass and then into the suburban neighbourhood of Scenic Acres. At this point we cracked open the bike path map. Small print warning: the fonts on the bike path map are EXTREMELY small (at least for this mum). I suggest that you travel with a city map booklet to cross-reference your route or if you have your iPhone handy,try the Calgary bike path app.

We made our way to Scenic Acres Blvd. and then found the bike path that traveled through a natural ravine park tucked in amongst the homes. This treed suburban oasis soon opened up to Scenic Acres Park; a sports park with soccer fields, tennis courts and some top notch public basketball courts. I wished I had packed a basketball amongst all the food so we could shoot some hoops.

 

Bowmont Natural Environment Park

Soon we were whizzing downhill on the pathway that runs parallel to Nose Hill Drive and into Bowmont Natural Environment Park (Map link). Bowmont is a mixed use park with a paved pathway running thoughout and many narrow dirt trails that skirt the escarpments and drop into the ravines. These off trail routes are popular with hikers and mountain bikers alike. We stuck to the main trail and climbed the short, steep paved path trail to a lookout where LUNCH WAS SERVED!! Leftover pizza, pb and j sandwiches, almonds, fruit, cookies and chocolate. Energy food is critical!

 

 

Views from our lunch spot included Canada Olympic Park, the Rockies to the west, the Bow River below and the tip-tops of Calgary’s downtown towers reaching out of the concrete.

Back on the bikes we continued high up overlooking the ravine trails, past the Waterfall Valley boardwalk. This is a great spot to jump off the bike, lock it up and hike down the boardwalk to the mini waterfall flowing over a calcium carbonate deposit called tufa. Want to know more about tufa and the geology and natural history of Bowmont park? Click here.

 

 

 

Home Road bike lanes to Shouldice and Edworthy Parks: picnic central

 

The bike lanes on Home Road are fantastic and I sure hope the city will continue to bring more dedicated bike lanes, preferably with barriers between the bikes and cars, to more areas. A downhill coast on Home Road lead us to the Bow River Pathway. Soon we were soaking up smells of barbecue sausages and the sounds of families having fun in the great outdoors. Shouldice Park (Map link) is a picturesque spot along the Bow River and has lots of picnic tables making is a favourite spot for family gatherings on sunny summer evenings and weekends.

Onward along the Bow River Pathway to Edworthy Park, another picnic mecca. Angels Cafe, the only cafe in Edworthy Park, was doing a brisk business and the line-up was long so we didn’t stop for an ice-cream, but decided to peddle on with the plan of having a treat at home. We crossed to the south side of the Bow River and traveled east on the Bow River Pathway. Roller bladders, walkers and cyclists were out in full force. We cycled past one of my favourite urban hikes, the Douglas Fir Trail in Edworthy Park. It’s a trail of stairs tucked in a stand of Douglas Fir Trees below the community of Wildwood. It’s a perfect shady hiking route on a hot summer day.

 

Homeward bound: the Pumphouse Theatre, Scarboro, Bankview and home
4 hours later

 

The Bow River Pathway on the south side is a windy ride through the poplars. We got stopped by one train and watched many more chugg on by. We climbed through the community of Scarboro and then in to Bankview. The final climbs of the day were followed by a big ice cream cone at home. Another successful self-propelled Calgary adventure!

 

 

 

 

Next Adventure: Head south and cycle east! Fish Creek Park, Carburn Park, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and continue along the Bow River Pathway through the East Village until we find ice cream or food trucks!

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Snowshoeing the Paint Pots in Kootenay National Park

March 27, 2012
lori
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The buffet breakie in Banff was the perfect start (my son’s words) to another active spring break day in the Rockies. When you consume that much food at breakfast you HAVE to be active! We snowshoed the Paint Pots trail (and beyond), on Hwy. 93 south. What a perfect area for snowshoeing! The trees are spaced nicely apart so we could wind our way off trail, up, down and around. The snow was sticky and perfect for snowballs. The sun came out and it was hot! It is easy to avoid avalanche terrain in this area since the Paint Pots trail is in the valley and while steep slopes are not too far away, we had no problem finding abundant terrain to snowshoe, far from any avalanche danger.

The Radium Hot Springs made for the perfect post-snowshoe outing. At 39 degrees celsius, it was too hot to swim around, but ideal for some relaxation. Post pool it was on to “Invermere on the lake”. Spring is not the ideal time to visit Invermere since it is in between their snow and lake seasons, but since we had never been to Invermere, we wanted to see what it was all about.  As we did our walkabout after dinner, we could have shot a cannon down most streets and not hit a single person. It was just us and the Mule deer out for an evening stroll. Tomorrow we’ll explore more of Invermere and area. We are on the lookout for a nice hiking trail, some good coffee and some fresh baked goods on main street.

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