Alberta Hiking Association Newsletter
November, 2023
- AHA’s Bighorn Hiking Trail Project Update
- New Calgary Park
- Prairie Mountain Trail Upgrades
- Brush up on your Bear Safety
Bighorn Trails Project Update
AHA’s Bighorn Project continues to advance. Project Coordinator Marla Zapach has recruited over 20 volunteers to help conduct trail assessments and to install and monitor trail counters and cameras at approximately 20 locations in the Bighorn area west of Nordegg, Alberta. Using collected data, recommendations will be made to Alberta Parks for trail designations and future improvements. Volunteer training and this work is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2024. Concurrently, AHA is working with an experienced trail consultant based in Canmore to develop a new app for the trail assessment work. App development is being done in collaboration with government staff for eventual application throughout the province. The app will be de-bugged this winter and is expected to be launched in 2024.
If you are interested in more information or getting involved in the Bighorn Trails Project, please contact the AHA using the button below.
New Calgary Park
On September 16, 2023, the City of Calgary held an official opening ceremony for the Haskayne Legacy Park. The 126-hectare regional park is located in Calgary’s northwest. It abuts Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park to create a single continuous greenway along Bearspaw Reservoir.
Haskayne Legacy Park contains native fescue grassland and is home to a number of unique bird species including the Yellow-rumped Warbler and long-eared owl. It also contains 1.5 kilometres of granular nature trails. Future connections with the Trans-Canada Trail are contemplated that will create a single continuous trail along the Bow River from the City of Calgary to the Town of Cochrane.
To access Haskayne Legacy Park from Calgary by vehicle:
- Drive west on Crowchild Trail N.W. (Highway 1A) past Tuscany and Rocky Ridge
- Continue towards Rocky View County/Cochrane
- Turn south onto Woodland Road (Range Road 31). Woodland Road is your first left after you pass through the Bearspaw Road lights on Highway 1A.
- Follow Woodland Road until you get to the end of the paved road and then travel along the gravel road where you will reach the parking lots
A map of the regional park and further details can be found on the City of Calgary website: https://www.calgary.ca/planning/parks-rec/haskayne-legacy-park.html
Prairie Mountain Trail Upgrades Complete
The popular Prairie Mountain Trail is once again open for public use. The trail has been closed since May 2023 to facilitate repairs and upgrades. The long overdue trail work was necessitated by the perpetually high number of year-round users and the consequent environmental degradation. The trail work included improved grading and drainage, trail widening, and new signage. Now that the upgrades are complete, the trail has been designated a Provincial Trail.
A view from the top of Prairie Mountain
Prairie Mountain Trail is located in the Kananaskis Public Land Use Zone across from Elbow Falls Provincial Recreation Area. The 3.3 kilometre trail (6.6 kilometre round trip) boats approximately 700 metres of elevation gain.
More details regarding the trail upgrades can be found on the Alberta Parks website:
https://www.albertaparks.ca/media/
6497387/faq-prairiemountain.pdf
Brush up on your Bear Safety
The September 29, 2023 bear attack in Banff National Park that killed Jenny Gusse and Doug Inglis, two experienced backcountry hikers and campers, is an unsettling reminder of the inherent risks associated with foot travel in Alberta’s backcountry. Though bear attacks are extremely rare, it is always a good idea to brush up on your bear safety.
Remember:
- Always carry bear spray, ensure it is accessible, and know how to use it
- Hike in groups and make noise to alert wildlife to your presence
- If you hike with a dog, keep it on a leash
- Avoid bear habitat during times of increased bear activity.
For further guidance on bear safety, please visit the Alberta government website: https://www.alberta.ca/bears-and-outdoor-recreation#:~:text=Be%20cautious%20when%20seeking%20off,and%20make%20lots%20of%20noise.
Additional information is available from Alberta Parks:
https://www.albertaparks.ca/albertaparksca/advisories-public-safety/outdoor-safety/backcountry-safety/
AHA Membership
To become an AHA member, or renew your membership, please fill in the online form on our website. Individual memberships are $15/year, organizational memberships are $50/year. Please Contact Us for more information.
