35. Prairie Creek

Distance: 13 km
Elevation gain: 280 m

Herm's knee was still bothering him so I tried this hike with my friends while he toured the Weaselhead.
We left right after church on Sunday morning on a beautiful, sunny day. Prairie Creek starts close to Prairie Mtn, on the other side of the creek. It is not steep, a leisurely Sunday afternoon walk.

Every time one of us needed a short break we would ask to "stop for a picture".

There were quite a few wild flowers, although they were not at their peak. This gorgeous blue colour of beard tongue really caught our attention. Much of the walk was beside Prairie Creek, muddy with run-off from a rainy week. One meadow was shining with vibrant, mineral rich, organic dandelions but alas, I was not allowed to pick in a provincial park.

 

Soon after, we found a comfortable log and enjoyed a late lunch or early supper.

We talked to some hikers who warned us of muddy trails and marshy areas but it had all been dry so far so we didn't hesitate.

 

Sue fell in the mud twice without complaining; she definitely earned a sportsmanship award. I tried to run on water and did manage to keep my feet dry. We were quite surprised and impressed to see the flooding at various points along the trail.

One treat was this grouse which accompanied us for a few minutes  patrolling the edge and hissing.

Understanding mother love, we quickly took a picture and moved on.

What a Sunday afternoon stroll, why were we tired with sore feet?

We used a connector link to return via Powderface trail and enjoyed walking along Powderface Creek.

Curiously, we came upon this ice floe. How had it survived this long?

Tired and muddy, we returned to Calgary, safe and willing to try another hike.