Beaver Ponds & Elbow Falls March 3, 2019

It's been a long time since I had to "save the day"!    

Today I had to put that task to the test!

In my opinion I passed with flying colours...

...because this is what today's "save the day" looked like!

I came up with a plan to hike along Route 66 starting at the winter gate, going out 5km and then returning the same way.  With a forecast like this, I knew it would be gorgeous yet cold for the start.  I did this back in 2017 on March 4th but back then I made it all the way to Forgetmenot Pond.  

It looked like this on March 4, 2017.

Today was totally different.  I started out the road with a plan anyway to walk through the Beaver Ponds.  I did that and then skirted the edge of the campground out onto the 66.  The 66 was snow covered, over the ankle and no one had been further west beyond the campground entrance.  I was not going to be the first!  So....I brain stormed for a few minutes and came up with a plan on how to "save the day"!  This would become a photo shoot day and still cover 10 k.    

trail to the Beaver Ponds

sign says

you are entering a

Provincial Recreation Area Boundary

to me that means you have to play if you pass this sign

at the Beaver Ponds

lots of beauty

I made my way down to the Elbow River by the Beaver Flats Campground.

In most places throughout the Campground the snow was knee deep.  Snowshoes would have been helpful but mine were at home.  I worked my way through the A Loop eyeing sites.  I don't know much about this campground but I am thinking this could be a place to come mid summer, mid week for a couple of nights. It is first come first served which is a downside.  

I left the campground behind and the idea of hiking down route 66 is long gone by the way side. I found a trail leading down to the Elbow River by the Elbow Falls day use area and followed it for a short distance.  The views were pretty nice and by now I was feeling happy with how the day was being saved.

loads of drifted snow

This is a view of Prairie Mountain I never saw before.  I have not visited the Elbow Falls day use area  since long before the flood of 2013.  Now it is possible to walk where before the flood a fast river flowed.

Elbow Falls

Elbow Falls are frozen in places

It was well after noon time and I was ready to dine.  I spied those benches left of the snow mound so went there to settle down in the sunshine and savour my sandwich.  Once I felt full, I knew too I also felt fulfilled.  I was ready to call it a "saved day" and head on home.    

today's route covering 10 kms

(twice through Beaver Ponds twice along part of route 66)

(campground loop, Elbow River, Elbow Falls)