Third Annual Christmas Tree Hunt

Trip Date: December 2014

December 2014 marked the third year in a row that we searched for and cut down our own Christmas Trees.  You can read about our previous trips here and here.  This year's event was special because it was Gabe's and Devin's (and Dan's) first time out.  Our group grew exponentially from the first two years as we welcomed nine additional people (and one additional dog) to our hunting party.  Like years past, we headed out to the Ghost Area in the Southern Rockies Region, but searched in a different spot.  It paid off as we all found our perfect tree in a relatively short amount of time.  Remember any Alberta resident can harvest their own Christmas Tree, all you need is a $5.00 Tree Cutting Permit from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.  

The ridge that overlooks the Ghost Valley

The tree hunting crew for 2014

We all parked on the ridge overlooking the Ghost Valley that featured amazing views of the Rocky Mountains.  We lit a bon fire that was used to cook lunch before setting off to search for our trees.  The weather couldn't have been better as it hovered around 0°C throughout the day, which was perfect for the newest, and youngest, members of our group.

Christine cutting down our tree

Our 2014 Christmas Tree

Rome and Murphy in a total standoff!

Another great outing

As usual, Ryan and Ashley played host to our Christmas Tree after-party.  It's always a great way to wrap-up a perfect day outside.  

Rocky Mountains

I wrote a brief story for Calgary is Awesome that outlines how to harvest your own tree if you've never done it before.  The story, titled The Search for the Perfect Tree, was published on their blog in late November 2014.