Cypress Hills: Firerock

Trip Date: July 2018

In early July we headed east for the Cypress Hills, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite places to camp. In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, friends of ours from Regina joined us for an extended weekend of camping and exploring. As you might remember I was sent to Cypress Hills last summer while on assignment with ZenSeekers to report about the growing mountain biking scene that was happening there. In July 2016 the same group of friends all met us in the park for a similar weekend of fun. Our first trip there was actually back in 2010 though, but it was in the Centre Block on the Saskatchewan side of the park.

Welcome to Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

Since I'm off for the summer, Cooper and I headed out Thursday morning to setup camp and start our weekend early. Christine was working, but planned to join us Friday afternoon. After an uneventful drive we rolled into the Firerock Campground and began setting up camp. I really like the Firerock Campground because the sites are well-treed and private. It's also located at the western end of the park, meaning it's quiet and relaxing. Much like our camping trip at Little Elbow Equestrian last month the sites were primitive, so we'd be running off battery power and some new solar panels I just purchased. Thankfully there was absolutely no rain in the forecast, however we did get hit with a massive heatwave...basically from one extreme to the next!

The blooming Canola fields certainly add a splash of colour to the drive. Those are the Cypress Hills rising above the field in the background.

We also had the fortune of seeing and photographing this male Pronghorn just outside the park gates. They don't usually stick around long enough for me to snap a photo.

This was our campsite in the Firerock Campground

Maybe it was all the excitement of another camping trip or it was just still too hot inside the camper, but Cooper did not want to go to bed Thursday night. In what is quickly becoming my go-to move, I put him in the truck hoping a drive through the hills would have him snoring in no time. The drive along Murray Hill Road is absolutely gorgeous and offers terrific opportunities to spot some of the park's abundant wildlife.

This dude isn't tired at all!

This is Head of the Mountain viewpoint, which is also the highest point in the Cypress Hills

The informative sign nearby reads,

"At 1,466 metres you are standing on the highest point in the Cypress Hills, and the highest point of land in Canada between the Rockies and Labrador. And what a view! On a clear day, you can see the Sweetgrass Hills in Montana over 100 kilometres away. 

The connection between the Sweetgrass Hills and these hills spans much more than the view. It began about 50 million years ago, before either existed. Firey hot magma raised the Earth's surface, hardened underground as igneous rock, and later became exposed through erosion to form the Sweetgrass Hills. As the land rose, rivers carried cobbles and gravel, and deposited them here. Over millions of years, as rivers and glaciers carved this plateau, those cobbles and gravel became the caprock of the Cypress Hills. 

Sweetgrass and Cypress: in spite of their distance, their relationship is rock solid." 

Just one of the nearly two dozen deer we spotted on our evening drive

A squadron of Pelicans searching for food on Reesor Lake

Sunset in the Cypress Hills

After a good night's sleep (finally) and eating a hearty breakfast the two of us set course for Fort Walsh National Historic Site, which is located just 50km away on the Saskatchewan side of the park. The fort itself is pretty cool and therefore deserves its own post, which you can read about by following this link.

Even with the temperature in the campground pushing +35 degrees Celsius, it didn't stop us from hitting a few of the amazing trails for some mountain biking. As previously mentioned I was sent on assignment to report on all the amazing trails being developed in the Elkwater area by the 670 Collective, the local mountain biking club out of Medicine Hat. I had previously ridden many of the trails, but we opted to explore Plateau and Mystery Trails before descending Cobble Miner. The buddy I was with hadn't done much riding in the past, but he was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the trails and the super fun descent.

Cruising along Plateau Trail

Having some fun along Mystery Trail

We found ourselves in the deep stuff here!

While we enjoyed some two-wheeled fun the rest of the crew hit the beach to cool off. Cooper's love of the water continued even though the lake was far from bathtub temperature. As you can see the kids were instant friends!

Cooper playing in Elkwater Lake

So maybe the boat isn't in the water anymore, but it's still fun!

Before hitting the highway Sunday afternoon I had time to sneak in one last bike ride. I powered up Tower Trail before descending the new Mazama Drop, which is named after Mount Mazama, a volcano in Oregon that erupted around 5,700BC and some of the ash made it all the way to Alberta. The trail is very well-built and incredibly fun to ride!

Descending Mazama Drop

Just one of the viewpoints along the trail

Every time I visit the Cypress Hills area I find something new and exciting to learn or try. There is no shortage of recreational options available and I feel like I'm still just scratching the surface. Here's hoping to another trip next summer for more adventures.