Geocaching

A hike to a fairly remote fire tower in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary southeast of Edmonton is brought to life with StoryMapJS, software that combines maps with images and text.

I’d been “map-dreaming” for literally years about making the trek to Grizzly Ridge Tower. I’d even tried and failed once foiled by muddy roads. But because of the kindness of friends, I was finally able to get there.

St. Laurence Anglican Church is located in the hamlet of Monitor, Alberta. Constructed in 1915, it is registered in the Canadian Register of Historic Places.

It seemed as if I was floating along the Ministik trails today. Of course I wasn’t. Gravity was actually in full force. But during a couple of snowy hikes this winter, even when walking on snowmobile tracks, it was hard going, having to push, sink and sometimes slide in the snow with every step. It wasn’t at all like that today. The snow along the trails was packed down by sled tracks, but more importantly it was crusty-hard and supported my weight with every step.

A winter walk over lake ice to Birch Lake Isle near Innisfree, Alberta.

I found out about the “Crooked Trees” from my sister so I made a point of visiting on my way back to Edmonton from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. My scientific opinion?: “They’re weird!”

Although not at all easy to get to even by vehicle, the Cardinal Divide is a memorable place to visit.

This recon hike was made and the blog post written early in my explorations of the Ministik Bird Sanctuary. It’s fun for me to relive the experience these days when the area is well-known to me.

A hike to inner depths of the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area. Starting from the Islet Lake Staging Area, I was on the hunt for ‘cigar’ caches.

A made the memorable climb to the summit of Folding Mountain mid-August, 2010.