Hello, I’m Quiche! For those who haven’t met me, I’m the OWC Office Dog! It’s my job to brighten the day of OWC’s 2-legged staff and members—especially those who might be dealing with the winter blues (I get it, I’d much rather be sleeping in the summer sun than having to go for walks in the cold, wintery dark!), or feeling sad about the rules that you get to—I mean, have to—stay home with your pets. I thought I would share tales of some adventures I’ve had during my spare time in the Oldman watershed since moving here around 4 years ago. Enjoy!
Waterton Lakes National Park ★★★★★
My very first adventure was a camping and hiking trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I was so excited I sang the entire trip in the car - especially when the car slowed or stopped at an intersection. I’m sure the humans appreciated my vocal expression of excitement. We hiked all the way to the American border and back, and then I slept in a tent for the very first time! The next day we hiked up Bear’s Hump, and we had to wait patiently while a bighorn sheep came down the trail. That was a challenge! It was a steep climb, but from the top, I could see all of Waterton. Five stars for the great view, even though it started to hail at the top, which I did not like. I also really wanted to chase the squirrels at the top, but my human wouldn’t let me, saying something about “not disturbing the wildlife” and “not diving over the edge.” Sigh.
Miner’s Path ★★★★★
One snowy December day, we all piled into the car and headed west to the Crowsnest Pass. For once I had company in the back seat, so I was considerably less anxious during the ride. Friends are the best! The sheltered trail was a short, easy walk - although I got in way more steps than the humans by zig-zagging across the trail to sniff all the things on both sides. Light filtered through the coniferous trees, and big, fat snowflakes drifted gently from the sky - it was magical! I posed for a photo in front of the frozen waterfall while trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue. Five stars, highly recommend in any season!
Photo: K. Forbes
North Drywood Falls ★★★★★
This trail was actually an old gravel road, but there were plenty of interesting things to sniff (and see) along the way. It was hot with no shade, but at least I could take drinks in the creek beside the trail. Once we got to the falls, I had a splash in the creek there, too, and we climbed up through the bushes to the rock outcrops above the falls. Whenever we are climbing down a steep slope or near an edge, my human puts my Halti on, saying something about “brakes” and “not pulling her over the edge.” So many rules. Sigh. Several people and horses were having lunch nearby, but I was not supposed to bark at them, so we kept our distance.
Haig Lake ★★★★★
This was a moderately family-friendly hike we did one fall, starting and ending at Castle Ski Resort. At one point I’m pretty sure I smelled a bear snacking on some huckleberries, but the humans did not see it. I did my part to Leave No Trace by cleaning up any food that was dropped at lunch time. The sun came out so I had a drink and splash in the lake; it was cold but refreshing!
Carbondale Fire Lookout ★★★★★
This was a hot one! A steady climb to the windy top brought us to a nice panoramic view. We noticed some storm clouds rolling in, though, so after a brief rest in the shade for some lunch, we headed back down. There were a couple of horses coming up the trail; I was a very Good Dog and practiced my sit-stay while they went by. Just as we got to the car, we were hit with a strong hailstorm, which I did not like at all. Luckily I got to wait in the car while the humans loaded their gear!
The Gap ★★★★★
My very first overnight hike! I carried extra water in my backpack because there was none on this trip (except for the Oldman River at the beginning/end of the hike). I also had to carry my food and a blanket - thank goodness I did, because the early morning sure was chilly in the mountains! Once we reached the campsite, I was pretty tired and took a long nap in the tent. The humans spent quite a bit of time figuring out how to suspend our food between two trees to keep it out of reach from bears. That night, comet NEOWISE, the moon, and five planets were supposedly visible above the horizon, but we were in a valley surrounded by mountains, so we missed it. Those darn mountains.
Barnaby / Southfork Lakes ★★★★★
My second overnight hike! After fording the river, once my paws were dry I wore rubber-soled booties to protect them from the sharp scree. The trail was very steep, but I am a very enthusiastic adventurer so I tried to stay at the front of the pack. Water wasn’t an issue on this hike; the trail passes three lakes, and the humans brought a water filter. There were lots of people fishing, but we were the only ones camping overnight. It was October: the leaves were changing colour and so were the larch trees. On the way down I was forced to be at the back of the line with my Halti so I didn’t pull anyone down the steep mountain. Sigh.
We saw a bear ahead on the trail, but I was a very Good Dog and did not bark at it. Crossing the river on the way back, I was very interested in a Dipper (bird) that was splashing in the water downstream. We all forded the river barefoot so we didn’t have to disinfect our boot(ie)s, but made sure to clean and dry them afterwards.
Beauvais Lake ★★★★★
This was a perfect spot for my first winter camp, on New Year’s Eve. I’d camped here before in the summer, and swam in the lake. I love swimming! In the winter, people were skiing and snowshoeing on the trails, and one day I’d like to come back and try skijoring here. We went for a walk on the South Shore Trail, and I noticed lots of people out on the lake, skating and ice fishing. I wasn’t too sure about the sound of sleds on the ice, but boy did their toboggans ever smell interesting when they were packing up and hauling their gear (and catch) out at the end of the day! I was not allowed to investigate further, however. Sigh. I met a few friends (canine and human) at the lake, too! It seemed like a popular place for winter adventures. At night, I had a nice warm sleeping bag all to myself… but by morning I had snuggled in with my human!
Lethbridge / Coulees ★★★★★
Some of my favourite adventures take place closer to home, right here in Lethbridge. I really like to go running in the coulees, sniffing in the parks, swimming in the river, skijoring at the golf course (when there’s snow)…. The possibilities are really only limited by your senses and imagination (and rules, of course - there are so many rules for being a Good Dog)!
There are so many amazing places to explore in our watershed - and many more that I have yet to visit! I hope that you will get a chance to experience some of these wonderful places with your own pack, too. Just remember to “be puprared” and follow my pointers for a pawsitively wonderful watershed adventure!
