Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

I hadn’t visited this site in over a decade, and the last time I’d been there was not long after the disastrous Calgary floods. This visit was all snowed over and the trails were precarious though the sounds of birds penetrated the entire site.

Riverwalk Trail

This hiking trail stretched from downtown Calgary to Inglewood before it changed into the Bow River Trail. By the trail, the Bow River was just a pencil line the day I returned to Calgary. But temperatures warmed and each day that pencil line stretched wider and wider with the surge of of melting ice bounding along.

The person behind the name

I had driven along, walked crossed, passed Macleod Trail over the years without knowing much about who this main road was named after. But on a recent hike towards Calgary Fort, or what remains of the fort, I found a statue of the man on horseback who first worked for the North West Mounted Police before later becoming a lawyer.

A -4 city hike

I headed to the Bow River while snow fell. I’d only ever walked the route by the frozen river during the warmer months. There were loads of hikers, and in spite of the below zero temperature, even a couple of crazy joggers in shorts. No thanks. I had my scarf, toque, thick jacket and winter boots.

The big freeze

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve visited Calgary, so have witnessed the Bow River that runs through the heart of the city at different seasons. What I hadn’t experienced was the Bow completely frozen.

Over the Bow to St Patrick’s Island

On a sunny summer afternoon, we hiked over the Bow River to St Patrick’s Island. The water rushed like a torrent higher up the banks of the island than usual. Wild flowers fluttered in the breeze as we made our way along the trail.

Sien Lok Park

With the Bow River on one side and the end of Chinatown on the other, Sien Lok Park sat on a slightly quieter section of downtown Calgary.

The Summer Bow River

I grew up where seasonal changes were mild; it was either warm and rainy or cool and dry. I believed there was a vast difference between the seasons even though plants flowered all through the year.

Over Calgary

I hadn’t been up to the Calgary tower in over ten years and all I remembered was the transparent floor where people stood to take a selfie. Me, I wasn’t going to stand on that see-through floor as if I was floating on air. I didn’t need that sick feeling rushing through me from way up.

Calgary’s Bow River

I was hoping to see the river frozen over but winter was just beginning this trip. Pieces of ice floated down stream as I made my way along one of the many walkways along the Bow River.