Etherington Creek Provincial Recreation Area

Trip Date: September 2018

In early September, despite the unseasonably chilly weather, we packed up the camper and headed southwest to the Highwood Region of Kananaskis Country for our last camping trip of the season. Good friends of ours joined us for the outing and neither family had stayed at Etherington Creek Campground before, so we were all looking forward to seeing someplace new. Due to a couple of unforeseen mishaps while trying to leave the city, we didn't roll in until well after sunset, which provided a new challenge for us; setting up the tent trailer in the dark. We manged to get things setup relatively quickly considering the darkness and had a roaring fire to help take a bit of the chill off. Our friends pulled in shortly after us and were also setup in no time.

Welcome to Etherington Creek Provincial Recreation Area. Someone added a little something of their own to this sign!

This campground has spacious campsites and some, like the photo above, are close enough to share with friends

Our campsite for the weekend

After a long week of work, sleep came quickly that first night. The next morning was quite chilly and I suspected that the weather played a role in how empty the campground was. We didn't exactly have the entire place to ourselves, but it sure felt that way. This PRA is also a staging area for snowmobilers in the winter time and for hunters in the autumn. I noticed two different pair of hunters hiking into the bush, shotguns in hand, searching for birds while I was out for my morning stroll with Cooper.

I was greeted by a moody sky Saturday morning

The fall colours had already started making an appearance

After a hearty breakfast and a leisurely morning hanging around the campsite we decided to get out and go for a short hike with the kids. We settled on Cat Creek Trail in Cat Creek Provincial Recreation Area, which was a short 15-minute drive north from the campground. Cat Creek Trail is an easy 2.6km return trail with a gorgeous little waterfall squeezing through a canyon at the end. 

Cat Creek Trailhead. You can tell the woodpeckers have been busy on this sign.

Chris and Coop enjoying a fantastic view

With views like this it's easy to see why this trail is so popular

The weather changed for the better as we continued along the trail. The clouds cleared out making way for the warm sunshine. We all had to get rid of our warm outer layers as it was way too hot. The entire area is rife with history. The trail passes the long-abandoned site of the Ford Mine and crosses the Lineham Company Road, which predates Highway 40 (Kananaskis Trail) and used to run between Longview and Kananaskis Country. All that remains of the Ford Mine is the footing of the bridge that used to link Ford Camp with its coal mine.

Cat Creek Falls

Cooper and I playing along Cat Creek

Hiking back to the parking lot

We couldn't believe our luck with the weather, so we spent some time exploring the day-use area, which provided some great views of the Highwood River and the peaks of the Continental Divide.

The Highwood River as viewed from the day-use area

A tree scarred from bear claw marks

After a delicious meal and some more campground relaxation we all headed out for a post-dinner stroll. Despite all their exercise already, the kids were ready for even more! 

Etherington Creek as it flows through the campground

Evening stroll with the family

We were greeted to a stunning sunset Saturday evening. Unfortunately this didn't last very long, but we enjoyed it none the less.

Sunday morning was again quite chilly, but that didn't stop Cooper, Rome, and I from getting out and having a long walk before breakfast. We walked throughout the campground and then explored Etherington Creek downstream from the PRA. It's a picturesque spot with small waterfalls and deep pools that would be extremely refreshing to swim in on a hot summer's day.

Etherington Creek

Crystal clear, clean, and cold!

I guess this is the 'Beer Bridge' that was mentioned in the first photo of this post!

Poor guy couldn't stay awake for our entire walk

Back in the campsite, ready to play!

The kids found this impressively large spider on a piece of firewood

On the drive back home Sunday afternoon I just had to stop and get a closer look at this abandoned caboose that rests in a field along Highway 541

Unfortunately I haven't been able to uncover any details or information about this little piece of history

We really had an awesome final weekend of camping and lucked out overall with the weather. We talked at length on this trip about all the camping adventures we hope to go on starting next spring. Stay tuned for all of our fall/winter escapes happening soon!

Oldman Dam Provincial Recreation Area

Trip Date: July 2018

Our third camping trip of the summer took us down to the Oldman Dam Provincial Recreation Area near the Crowsnest Pass area of southern Alberta. The park is only 15 minutes from the town of Pincher Creek. We reserved three sites in the Cottonwood Campground, just one of four campgrounds located within the park. Cottonwood is tucked away in a valley below the Oldman River Reservoir, but still along the banks of the Oldman River. There are numerous Cottonwood Trees that provide shade and some relief from the constant wind that plagues this part of the province.

Welcome to Oldman Dam Provincial Recreation Area

None of us had ever camped here before, so we were looking forward to seeing a new park and a new part of the province. Sometimes it's easy to get stuck going back to familiar places, so trying new things once in awhile can be fun.

Oldman River Brewing in Lundbreck

Christine and I left Friday morning and headed south. We stopped in Lundbreck for lunch at Oldman River Brewing. This small micro-brewery was absolutely perfect. They had a kid and dog friendly patio, good food, delicious beers, and their customer service was above and beyond. They took small-town hospitality to a whole new level. In fact we liked them so much that we stopped there again on Saturday afternoon with all of our friends because we couldn't quit raving about them. So if you're ever down in southern Alberta make sure you stop in and enjoy a flight; you won't be disappointed!

A flight of five beers

Their patio accommodates the entire family!

We pulled into the campground mid-afternoon and set-up our campsite. We were the first ones to arrive, but the rest of the crew slowly trickled in as the day wore on. Waiting on everyone else gave us some time to explore the campground and take Rome for a walk.

Cottonwood Campground

Our home for the weekend

There aren't too many campgrounds where you look up and see wind turbines sticking up above the hills

The banks of the Oldman River

Looking northeast from the campground

A gorgeous prairie sunset

Saturday was a day for adventure. Ryan and I scrambled up the hillside next to the campground just to see what the view was like. Needless to say we weren't disappointed. 

Panoramic view from the top of the hill overlooking Cottonwood Campground

When we returned to the campground we were treated to a rare wildlife encounter. A Long-Tailed Weasel had been chasing a ground squirrel and when its prey eluded him, he climbed a nearby tree and perched on a low-hanging branch. This weasel sat on the branch for a long time without moving much and seemingly without a care in the world. We snapped several photos of the elusive critter before leaving him to his own devices.

Long-Tailed Weasel

Just lounging in a tree

Shortly after seeing the weasel this Mule Deer trotted through the campground

After our brief hike and wildlife viewing we headed out to Lundbreck Falls Provincial Recreation Area as none of us had ever seen the waterfalls in person. It was less than a 25 minute drive from our campground to the Lundbreck Falls Campground, which is where we parked. Hindsight being 20/20 we should have drove past the campground and parked at Lundbreck Falls Day Use Area as there was more parking available, but we thoroughly enjoyed the short walk anyway.

The clean and clear Crowsnest River

Lundbreck Falls is located on the Crowsnest River near the hamlet of Lundbreck. The falls tumble approximately 12 metres over the edge of a cliff and are quite popular due to their picturesque nature and ease of access. As mentioned we parked in the Lundbreck Falls Campground, which meant a leisurely stroll along a trail next to the Crowsnest River to reach the falls.

Our first view of the falls

Lundbreck Falls

View from above the falls

Looking at the falls from water level

The wildflowers were still blooming while we were there

After our wonderful experience at the falls we stopped at Oldman River Brewing for a quick pint where Cooper continued to add more dirt to his already messy self! 

This is how kids are supposed to look while camping! And no those are not bruises...that's dirt!

Our last stop before dinner was at Boulder Run Day-Use Area for a quick cool-down. It was a hot and dusty day, so we were feeling pretty grimy. The best way to remedy those problems is a brisk dip in the Oldman River. Boulder Run provided the perfect location for this as there's a slow-moving section of river, which is ideal for swimming, plus there's change rooms onsite.

Boulder Run Day Use Area

A refreshing dip in the Oldman River

Wildflowers blooming along the shoreline

The whole recreation area is named for the Oldman Dam that was completed in 1991. The reservoir that was created when the dam was built is a popular spot for water-based recreation and the prevalent breeze make this a wind-sport hotspot.

Oldman River Dam

Spillway Viewpoint

Panoramic shot of the Oldman Reservoir on an unusually calm morning

We had a fantastic weekend filled with new adventures and lots of laughs. We were all pleasantly surprised with the recreational opportunities available in this park and also close-by. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to branch-out from their usual camping spots and try something new. I think it's safe to say that we'll be back at some point. Until then...