Lazy River

Crossing over the river from Hawrelak Park, I began to take a series of pictures of the North Saskatchewan River. A few weeks previous, I had been rafting down the Bow River in Calgary. I wanted to gauge how paddling up the North Saskatchewan River would be. It doesn't flow as fast, but the views are just as stunning! I will definitely be doing this next summer!

Hawrelak Park

The most celebrated park in the City of Edmonton, Hawerlak Park sprawls out from the base of the River Valley west of the University of Alberta. It is acres upon acres of open lawn, fire pits, kitchen shelters, and water (a lake in the middle of the park, and the frontage on the North Saskatchewan River). There is also a bandshell, where concerts, festivals, and outdoor orchestra productions take place throughout the summer. I walked to this park through the River Valley trails several times this summer, a fairly long walk from the 106th Street access (which takes 30 minutes to reach from my house!).

No wonder I'm in such good shape!

Around Allendale (My Neighbourhood)

These two pics were taken on a walk in August. The first one is a common sight in Edmonton, as infill developments see old postage-stamp sized houses bulldozed, only to have bigger houses built in their place. The seocnd pic shows how heavy the tree foilage can get on Edmonton streets, creating tunnels of greenery!

Late Summer Nights

Late evening scene from the backyard in Early August. The apples are out on the tree, almost ready to be picked...

Scariest Road Ever

After dinner, I left Jasper for the Miette Hot Springs. By now it was 8 pm, and though I was 4 hours from Edmonton, I was determined to soak in their waters, especially after getted drenched on Whistler's Mountain earlier. It was a dramatic drive, dropping well over 1000+ ft to the valley floor. The road was as narrow as a two lane road could get, with no shoulder, and more hairpins than I ever seen before. It was nerve-wracking to drive back after my time at the Springs, as it was dark at 9:45pm.

Marmot Basin ... Just Couldn't Wait For Winter!

Even though I was seriously behind on time after getting stuck up on Whistler's Mountain, I still took time out to see Marmot Basin, where I will be going skiing this winter. The gates were across the road, so I couldn't make it to the parking lot, but the views were breathtaking. The first two pictures are of a map of the ski hill and the 85+ runs that snake their way down the mountain.