The Ghost River Wilderness Area, in southwest Alberta, holds a very special place in my heart. I spent eight years living and working in the area and its rugged beauty hooked me instantly. Even now I return on a regular basis to escape the city (and the crowds in nearby Banff or Kananaskis) and explore this often overlooked gem. The Ghost is steeped in history and, if you believe the stories, earned its name from the ghoulish legends associated with the region.
I wrote extensively about the Ghost River Wilderness in my story, Exploring in the Land of Ghosts, which details some of those aforementioned legends. I also wrote about the Black Rock Fire Lookout, which takes a closer look at one of the province’s early forest fire detection locations. It was the Ghost’s intriguing history that prompted me to put this photo story together in the first place. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of historical photos of the area, but I found what I could and that’s what follows here.
Please enjoy the following post about one of my favourite places in Alberta.
Ghost Lodge at Devil’s Gap, Alberta, 1938Devil’s Gap, east of Lake Minnewanka, Alberta, 1902Lumber camp, Ghost River area, Alberta, 1910sEau Claire and Bow River Lumber Company, Lumber camp, Ghost River area, Alberta, 1910sPreparing logs for river drive to Calgary, Ghost River area, Alberta, 1910sRoyal Canadian Mounted Police en route from Banff to Calgary. Noon camp at Ghost River, now under water, caused by the Dam, 1917Falls on the Ghost river near Morley, Alberta, 1912Suspension bridge to dam site camp, Ghost River Hydro-Electric Power, Alberta, 1927Surveyor D. A. Nichols’ camp damaged by large hail, near Ghost River, Alberta, 1926View of Ghost and Bow rivers, Alberta, 1927View of Ghost River from Ghost Ranch, Alberta, 1927Ghost Ranch, Alberta, 1927Ghost lake dam, Alberta, 1949Bridge and spillway, Ghost River Dam, Alberta, 1920sSchool children on conservation study, Ghost River, Alberta, 1947-1949George Pocaterra, Ghost River, Alberta, 1956Agness Hammond sitting inside her cabin with dogs, Ghost River Ranch, near Cochrane, Alberta, 1956First cabin on north shore of Ghost Lake, Morley area, Alberta, 1936Aura Ranger Station, Bow River Forest Reserve. On Eau Claire Road, near George Creighton’s Bar C Ranch. Built about 1915; used until ca. 1948, n.d.Ghost Lodge Youth Hostel, Ghost Lake, Alberta, 1940s
Tyler is originally from Saskatchewan, and yes he cheers for the Roughriders, but don’t hold that against him as Calgary has been his home for the past eight years. He is a teacher working at a wilderness-
based treatment program for youth working to overcome addiction. Tyler is also a volunteer with the GOT Parks initiative, which aims at reconnecting Canada’s youth with our national, provincial, and territorial parks. During his time away from work, Tyler enjoys outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and snowboarding, team sports, travelling, photography, spending time with good friends, and being at home with his wife and German Shepherd, Rome.
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