Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
Break Three took us camping in the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, shared jointly between Alberta and Saskatchewan. Untouched by the last glacier, this tall plateau and possibly only major forest in the Prairies boasts the highest peak in Canada between the Rockies and Labrador.
A herd of pelicans hung around the fishers on the dock of Elkwater Lake. Just as we pointed out a dead fish floating in the water, this bird must have heard us and came right over. Even though the fish was clearly not resisting, there was still an awkward fight to eat dinner.
We took a nice long hike through a mix of spruce-aspen forest up the hill, then across the gentle prairie. Again, our group of biologists enjoyed identifying various plants and trying so hard to spot a cougar. Lots of scat, but no cat.
With a beautiful chili dinner and games around the campfire, it was a gorgeous starry night in the Dark Sky Preserve. We had a free campsite in the backcountry, and our own private forest.
Day two, we crossed over to the Saskatchewan side and went back to the 19th century at Fort Walsh National Historic Site. We had read the description on the website saying that kids could dress up as Mounties and arrest their group members. Naturally, we demanded the same experience.
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| Trying out the fur trade |
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| A rather sinister group photo |
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| Hard not to feel like a master criminal in a Bear Chair |
After a picnic at the Fort, we moved on to the Conglomorate Cliffs to see the stunning panoramic view of Saskatchewan, picking out pronghorns kilometres away through binoculars.
Day three, we took another hike through a different part of the Alberta side of the forest, then had a relaxing afternoon by the beach in the town of Elkwater, tossing the frisbee around, practising yoga, and joining in on a game of baseball with a large group of Mennonites. Although I am loving the prairies and the badlands, it was refreshing to spend some time in the heart of a forest.
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