Walking at Riverlot 56

As someone whose appreciation for nature is constant, I really loved the walk Lee, Suzanna, Shadow-dog, and I took on Sunday afternoon. We found our way out to Riverlot 56, a piece of provincial land east of St. Albert, not far from the St. Albert Municipal Cemetery, Poundmaker Lodge, and Nechi Institute. 

Riverlot 56 is a fairly big space with 6.6 km of looped trail, (to see webpage and map, click here) a good place for hiking, bird watching, and, as we noticed on Sunday, cross-country skiing. There's a guided family nature walk through the trees with periodic interpretive signs inviting kids to spot different kinds of animals, plants, or birds, with true or false questions that amused me (I was always falling behind because I wanted to read them). 

Dogs are allowed on leash at Riverlot 56, though there were a few people pretending it's an off-leash area. Shadow was not impressed, but he put up with it.

Lee, Suzanna, and Shadow were way out ahead of me at the bottom of a gully when Lee suddenly stopped and said, "There's a moose!" I didn't see him at first, but sure enough, there was a big bull just visible through the trees above us. As Riverlot 56 is close to the Sturgeon River that runs through St. Albert, I'm guessing there are many creatures who find it a quiet place to hang out.

It's not the best picture, but I didn't want to move any closer to Brother Moose, who was keeping an eye on us as he contentedly munched some of the underbrush. Maybe if you visit Riverlot 56 (or other places like it) you'll be lucky enough to spot him or one of his friends for yourself... I'd recommend it!

A hike to the dentist's office (in pictures)

I wasn't too keen on seeing my dentist today, or on taking public transit to get there. But my teeth needed some attention, and it's a pretty nice hike, just under an hour. On my way, I marveled at many things, and tonight, I'll take my husband part of the way I went so we can take our time along the 2020 Covid edition of The Strathearn Art Walk. It was a beautiful day for a walk, but unfortunately, I still haven't had my first Funicular ride, as, wouldn't you know it, it was closed for scheduled maintenance. Another ride on another day. Here's my hour's walk, in pictures...

 

A love letter to the North Saskatchewan River

One of the main reasons I love living in Edmonton is our river valley. We are so blessed to have the
North Saskatchewan River flowing through our metropolis from west to east, and even more blessed that , over many years, our city councillors have protected its banks and made it into the largest urban park in Canada. A string of about 30 municipal parks covers about 18,000 acres, with more than 160 km of maintained pathways for walking, jogging, cycling and other outdoor pursuits.

Over our Christmas and New Year's break, Lee, Shadow-dog and I walked over 60 km along our river, doing what we call a chain walk. Basically, we crossed 11 bridges (some more than once) and walked in 28 parks on both sides of the river, starting at one bridge and walking to the next, returning on the opposite side of the river, except in the parks out west where the trails meander up into neighbourhoods like Rio Terrace, Quesnell Heights, Rhatigan Ridge, and Ramsay. That was our longest walk, almost 10 km from Quesnell Bridge to Terwillegar Footbridge and back.

Here's a list of the parks we hiked through, borrowed from Wikipedia's North Saskatchewan River valley parks system page. Up until now, I didn't even know that some of the parks had special names!

Walterdale Bridge

• Terwillegar Park - south bank
• Oleskiw River Valley Park - north bank
• Whitemud Park (also known as Whitemud Creek)- south bank
• Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park - north bank
• Buena Vista Park - north bank
• William Hawrelak Park - south bank
• McKinnon Ravine Park - north bank
• Government House Park - north bank
• Emily Murphy Park (named for one of Alberta's/Canada's "Famous Five") - south bank
• Victoria Park - north bank
• Kinsmen Park - south bank
• Queen Elizabeth Park - south bank
• Nellie McClung Park ("Famous Five") - south bank
• Irene Parlby Park ("Famous Five") - north bank
• Rossdale Park - north bank
• Louise McKinney Park ("Famous Five") - north bank
• Henrietta Muir Edwards Park / Rafters Landing ("Famous Five") - south bank
• Mill Creek Ravine Park - south bank
• Gallagher Park - south bank
• Riverdale Park - north bank
• Allan Stein Park - north bank
• Forest Heights Park - south bank
• Dawson Park - north bank
• Kinnaird Park and Ravine - north bank
• Capilano Park - south bank
• Gold Bar Park - south bank
• Floden Park - north bank
• Rundle Park - north bank

We were fortunate that the weather was reasonable (it's reaching into the -30 degrees Celcius range these evenings, with a -35 windchill at the moment) and the skies were blue for the most part. The thing about living here is that if you can adapt to the cold (read, dress properly), there's every reason to get out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, and there's plenty of beauty to enjoy.

As we walked, I decided that it was time to write a love letter to my river valley.

Dear North Saskatchewan,

I love your

frosty, misty mornings, 

sounds of squirrels and songs of birds,

your still, shining waters,

frozen surfaces and chunks of ice,

your woodpeckers' holes in snags,

tall trees and frost-encrusted shrubs,

your snowy paths and quietly curving trails,

bridges and city views.

Low Level Bridge view

I love walking, hand in my partner's hand,

and the dog's prancing gait

as we meander with you,

North Saskatchewan River,

and return home

with pink cheeks and tired feet.

I love the part you have played

in the lives of those 

who have inhabited your banks and bluffs

for thousands of years.

I am grateful 

for the way you sustain life

from the glaciers 

to Saskatchewan River Forks.

Pileated woodpecker

Thank you

for your water and ice,

for your beauty and serenity

in my hometown

amid the noise of traffic

and the construction of your bridges.

Thank you

for being a refuge,

a nature-haven

for city-weary souls.

May your waters flow

forever.

With love and gratitude,

Maria

Fort Edmonton Footbridge