LIFE's STORIES, ADVENTURES & TRAVELS

During the many years living in Alberta’s wilderness outside of the big cities of Calgary and Edmonton, along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains NW of Calgary, I have encountered situations which to most city dwellers may seem frightening.
(This post continued from my last post – on Encounters with Grizzly Bears [ https://renataveritashistory.com/2014/05/29/alberta-wilderness-stories/ ]).

With our horses we went from Alberta in the Foothills West of Calgary across the mountains towards Jack Lake. [ http://www.albertawow.com/campgrounds/Two_Jack_Lake/Two_Jack_Lake.htm ].
It was a long hike across steep terrain. Near the Two Jack Lake campgrounds, there were also sites specifically set up for horses and riders to overnight in big green armee tents. Upon arrival, I noticed that the entire site had been enclosed with high razor wire. Which during the night was electrified. We stayed three nights in those tents.
At that time nothing particular happened, but the ever present danger of Grizzly Bears in the vicinity could not be overlooked. That was mainly what this fencing was about.
From there after three days back to home – the horses in trailers. My little Q.Horse gelding was one to not load easily. Three guys were needed to coax him into the trailer. Poor thing !
(NOTE. Did not take a camera at that time – but offer a video of another trail ride NW towards Banff, organized by my friends of the Bar C Ranch, then good old Lester B., owner. Bar C today became a big resort [ http://www.bar-c.com/barc/home.html ] )

Grizzlies are scary in a sense, because they are unpredictable and large enough to take
down a cow. Which they often do. But more caution should be given to the big cats, like the cougar. On my 80-acre ranch NW of Calgary in the Foothills, I did have – apart from my resident moose cow – the occasional cougar. Hiding in those enormous wood piles left behind by the loggers. (Next post – the logging operations). Meanwhile news of a “cougar shooting” right here in our neck of the woods: [ https://renataveritashistory.com/2014/06/03/they-shot-a-cougar-vancouver-island/ ]