the perfect Alberta getaway
Elkwater – Cypress Hills, Alberta
We all know how easy it is to fill our days with tasks and chores, but when the summer sunshine hits I make a solid effort to set aside time to myself and appreciate the warmth and beauty of the season.
Alberta winters are bitter, the spring can be rainy (this year the summer has been rainy too) and you know that fall could hit at any time. Weather here is unpredictable and changes quickly, with highs of 40 degrees celsius, and lows of 40 below at least a few times per year. So when the weather is good, and you’re lucky enough to be able to get out and enjoy it, you do it.
In Southern Alberta near the Saskatchewan border, you’ll find the Cypress Hills interprovincial park. Elkwater, a town in the Cypress Hills, has everything you need to escape the prairies for a day, whether warm or cold weather is your thing. There are forests of pine trees, a lake to boat on and swim in, a ski hill and plenty of established hiking and walking trails.
The Cypress Hills are unique, because by some miracle they withstood the last Ice Age and have an impressive 600m higher elevation than the surrounding prairies- the tallest point between the Rocky Mountains all the way to Eastern Canada. This allows for some amazing star-gazing and views of the Northern Lights when the conditions are right. This is amplified by the fact that the Cypress Hills are considered a ‘Dark Sky Preserve’ which means that artificial light is kept to a minimum and the natural sky can be observed. It’s a pretty special place!
Never ending nostalgia
My family and I spent our summer days at our grandparent’s cabin in Elkwater, often staying for weeks at a time. I have so many memories of hiking in the hills behind the cabin, going on little adventures every day with my younger brother and creating stories that we would play out in the trees. I got the chicken pox in Elkwater. We once brought a bar of soap out onto the deck so we could have a ‘shower’ in the pouring rain. Elkwater was always fun and carefree.
As a kid I loved walking down to the beach with my sister, trying to spot wild turkeys on the way (oh yeah, I forgot to mention the turkeys). The beach was hot but the water was cold and refreshing and like most kids I loved that! Don’t ask me to go in past my ankles now. We would go to the amphitheatre at night to watch movies – they still do this on summer weekends!!! – and I would look up the entire time in hopes of spotting the bats that would fly overhead. These never ending little treats that you just could not experience at home in the city – those were some of the best moments of my childhood.
Making new memories
Over the years, I have returned to Elkwater many times to camp or hike or snowshoe. It remains the perfect place to unplug, unwind, and breathe in the fresh air.
More recently, I have opted for little daytrips, often by myself, to walk and hike and run along the trails. I throw on my running vest with its water bladder, and I set off for as long as the trail takes me. There are a few starting points along the bottom of the hills of Elkwater, and the trails wind and interconnect to eventually bring you back to your starting point.
I will say – having done these hikes many times over the years I have found that the trails connect and switch names so often that it can be easy to get disoriented. They are well-marked for the most part as you enter new sections, but don’t always acknowledge the trail you are coming off of to know where you are in the grand scheme. I recommend looking at the trail map so you have a general idea of where you want to go directionally.
This week, I walked up Old Baldy from the main campsite. Old Baldy is named for its lack of trees and you know it when you see it. I chose the hottest day of the week, so I came prepared with my electrolytes and some candy to keep my energy up.
I continued around the trails toward Fire Rock campground, running down the hill and taking in some of the sights. One thing I love about Elkwater is the smell – there is something about the variety of plant life on the trails that has such a refreshing and, for me, nostalgic scent.
Something that has been bringing me joy lately on my runs and hikes is allowing myself the time to stop and actually enjoy what I am seeing and smelling and feeling. I always end up taking a few photos along the way, usually of mushrooms or flowers or strange little bugs that I find. I’m squishing berries between my fingers. I’m watching bees move from plant to plant. My run times aren’t impressive, but when I look back I know that I have stimulated my senses and gotten so much more out of the experience than I would if I were in it for a quick pace.
Worth every moment
Ultimately, the weather turned on me and as the clouds rolled in I made my way back toward my starting point. It was a quick morning spent in the Cypress Hills but it was well worth it! I decided to book some camping for the next couple of nights, which ultimately also got rained out. I am a tent girl for life and the thought of cooking and walking my dog in the rain and spending the rest of the time stuck in the tent with her did not wind up being the option we chose.
If you get a chance to visit Elkwater or the other areas of Cypress Hills, be sure to check out the Visitor Centre, which has a cool little museum and gift shop. There is a lot of history here and the staff are always extremely friendly and pleasant.
the Casual Backpacker 
Leave a comment