Three Days in Saskatchewan
At very short notice we decided to take a road trip to Saskatchewan, just to see the prairies before another winter set in. So on Thursday 10th November 2016 I scoured the internet for info on places to visit and booked a couple of overnight stops beginning the very next day. We set out from Cochrane at sunrise with a rake of cloud illuminated by the rising sun to guide us north on highway 22 avoiding the main highways and instead opting for the empty prairie roads where other vehicles are still so rare that every single one acknowledges you with a wave, raised index finger or similar.
We first made our way north and then east to Drumheller but passed through the town without stopping as we have visited the Royal Tyrrell Museum there in the past. From Drumheller it's a short hop on highway 56 to Rosedale where the old Star Mine Suspension Bridge made our first stopping point. Built in 1931 for miners to cross the Red Deer River to get to work it has been maintained as a tourist attraction since the mine closed. After crossing there are some short hikes to be had to the old mine workings and tailings ponds.
Less than 10km from the Star Mine bridge on highway 10x is the ghost town of Wayne Alberta. When mining was prevalent in the area the town had almost 2500 residents, now it has only 28. The only real 'claim to fame' remaining in the town is the 'Last Chance Saloon' which unfortunately for us was closed.
From the disappointment of Wayne where we left without a drink at the last chance saloon we returned to highway 10 and continued south east for about 7km to Willow Creek Coulee where a short trail takes us round some significant hoodoos. While there the morning cloud finally burned away and the sun came out at last.
After a 30 minute break at the hoodoos we picked up highway 570 and headed east toward the Alberta-Saskatchewan border stopping only to shoot this lovely twisted old grain silo at the roadside before we crossed into our neighbouring province.
Once in Saskatchewan we drove nonstop to the small town of Leader close to the Great Sand Hills Provincial Park where we found our motel for the evening (I wouldn't recommend it for anything other than guys travelling alone as it is a less than salubrious establishment) After dropping our bags off we grabbed a sandwich in the local Subway and made a dash for the Great Sand Hills. I had planned on arriving there with an hour to spare to find compositions for a sunset shoot however, in Saskatchewan they do not observe daylight savings time so even after some rally driving on the 30 km of dirt roads to reach the park the sun was setting as we arrived. I grabbed the rucksack, tripod, filters etc and sprinted up the nearest sand dune where I found the boot rack in the main shot below. With the light of sunset hitting the boots and the super moon rising on the distant horizon it was a simple shot.
My run up the nearest dune only resulted in the one image above as the dune was entirely grass covered and relatively uninteresting compared to some of the neighbouring dunes. So, I ran down the first one and up a second larger sandy dune to grab some more shots before the sun was gone. After a few shots I realised my filters were still back on dune one so I had to run back down this one, back up number one, gather my gear and run back again (by now I was on my knees, my own weight combined with a 60lb pack and running up and down sand dunes left me gasping) but I did get some shots that were ok. I'm a little annoyed about the whole dunes thing as just one hour would have made all the difference. There are definitely some fantastic shots to be had at this location but I'm going to have to return to get them.
All too soon the sun was gone and darkness fell across the dunes, rather than just give up I returned to the truck and grabbed a home made light stick with some LEDs on it and made a few light trail shots around the boot rack. We then went back to the sandy dune nearby and used some other lights and the torch to make a few more images before calling it a day after seeing a shifty looking guy poking around my truck in the dark, when we shone a torch on him he scarpered so he was obviously up to no good.
After an evening best forgotten in the dodgy motel in Leader we saw the sunrise over the prairie once again as we set out on highway 32 heading east toward Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. Photo's are easy to come by as grain silos and old forgotten barns and buildings littering the prairies are illuminated by the golden light of dawn.
It takes about 90 minutes to reach Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park but it's still early when we arrive and the visitors centre is yet to open. The low sun is an easy target for the camera again and short walks around part of the mirror like lake and a hiking trail at the far end of the park make for another round of shutter clicks.
After the park we headed north east through the town of Lucky Lake to Gardiner Dam at the northern end of Diefenbaker Lake, this enormous dam is one of the largest embankment dams in the world with a huge spillway at the western end and 5 concrete control towers dominating the centre. There are beaches, toilets, a visitor centre and plenty of fishing for those seeking such pastimes. For us it was another leg stretcher on our prairie road trip.
From Diefenbaker Lake it's almost directly north to the city of Saskatoon where we spoiled ourselves with a suite in a very nice hotel overlooking the south saskatchewan river. We had time to walk a little around the city, go to the midtown shopping mall and some of the streets and along the riverfront walk before treating ourselves to a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant. I grabbed some shots of the city including the setting sunlight on St Johns Anglican Cathedral, I ended the day with a shot of the riverfront at night from the hotel window.
By now it should be unsurprising to see another sunrise and grain silos bathed in orange light as we set out for the journey home from Saskatoon. We had no plans for the day other than head west and see what we see along the way.
As the sun got up there was a slight mist around the prairie and a hazy grey/blue color which sat perfectly with this trio of grain silos beside highway 7, I had to make a slight detour into the fields to make this shot and it was certainly worth the diversion.
Still heading west on highway 7 we became aware of a white cloud that was moving fast and twisting and turning in the sky, as we got closer we saw the most incredible sight, tens of thousands of snow geese flying over and settling on a wetland area. Another detour was required as I flicked the 4x4 switch and drove through the roadside field on a little used and deep rutted track to a bog area where we got out and walked as far as possible toward the phenomenon. The noise of all those geese was insane and the movement mesmerising, how they avoid collision is a feat all of its own. I wish we could have got closer but they stayed to the far side of the wetlands. I did shoot a few as they flew overhead just to show the scale. The main image below does a good job of showing the group and gives just an indication of how wonderful it was to see, we felt like we were watching one of those documentaries about life on the serengeti.
After the stunning bird show we continue on until the small town of Flaxcombe where the local grain silo has me stopping and reaching for the camera again. There's something about these iconic structures that keeps me interested. There's so much history in them, history of the growth of agriculture on the prairie, the spread of railways and its subsequent decline leaving these leviathans stranded and the small towns close by without income as a result.
Our final gift from the prairies of Saskatchewan was an encounter with a beautiful Snowy Owl. We saw him by the roadside but as I pulled over to grab a shot he flew away, we kept an eye on him and he landed in a field about 500m from the highway. time for the 4x4 switch again and a drive across the muddy field as close as I dare before stopping and commencing the 'cartoon sneak' from the truck toward my quarry. Every time he looked away I scurried forward just a few steps and then stopped again before he looked back at me. I repeated this again and again until I ultimately got caught and he flew away, but not before I'd grabbed some lovely shots of this incredible creature.
Our Prairie Road Trip may well have been hastily planned and rushed through at the last minute, it may well have been very short for a road trip, but boy did we ever make the most of it. We have loved the open spaces of the prairies since we lived in Oklahoma back in 2007/8 and this trip really did rekindle our love of these wide open spaces. I have no doubt that this is not the last we will be seeing of Saskatchewan.