Outdoors
Dark Skies
When’s the last time you looked up and saw a sky full of stars, the Northern Lights, or a meteor whiz by? For us city dwellers the opportunity to gaze deeply into the night sky […]
Alberta
Outdoors
Wild Jobs Part Seven: Raft Guide
White-water rafting is a fantastic way to experience a fast-paced river. The large volume boats, coupled with an experienced guide at the helm, allow you to confront some gnarly waves head-on and live to tell […]
History
The Hermit of Inglismaldie
Banff National Park was a very different place in the early 1900’s than the world-class nature preserve we know today. Two coal-mining towns, Anthracite and Bankhead, both long since abandoned, were operating just outside the Banff […]
History
Legendary Cowboy
When discussing history it can be challenging to discern fact from fiction; truth from tale. Detailed record keeping was not what it is today and many stories were only passed on orally; their words never […]
History
Exploring in the Land of Ghosts
“I have heard (but not believ’d) the spirits of the dead May walk again” ~Shakespeare The gateway to the Canadian Rockies in southern Alberta has long been the Bow Valley, but […]
History
Forgotten Fire Lookout
“Anyone can see a forest fire. Skill lies in sniffing the first smoke.” ~Robert A. Heinlein Black Rock Mountain, a prominent peak in the front range of the Canadian Rockies, features a small piece of […]
Outdoors
Wild Jobs Part Five: Wildlife Photographer
Photography has long been a hobby of mine, especially wildlife photography. I always thought that professional photographers that were paid to photograph wild creatures in exotic locations had some of the best jobs in the […]
Lifestyle
Wild Jobs Part Four: Search & Rescue
In the early 1990’s it was identified there was need for organized search and rescue (SAR) in Alberta to search for lost/missing persons in wilderness settings. The response started at the grass roots level and […]
Lifestyle
Wild Jobs Part Three: Wildland Firefighter
Wildfires have dominated headlines for much of the past few months. So far this season there have been 1,638 wildfires with 101 burning on the same day, making May 18 the third busiest day since […]
Lifestyle
Cold Water Kings
When you think about the sport of surfing you likely picture turquoise water, radiant sunshine, bikinis and board shorts, bronzed bodies, and tropical oases in exotic locales. The City of Calgary, located in one of Canada’s landlocked […]