7/22/2017 0 Comments Day Trip to Pearson WashoutThe winter road washed out a few days ago. Ralph has a trip with the kids coming up so we needed to do some reconnaissance to see where exactly the washout was. When they say 46 miles, they actually meant 46 miles from the drop off point (which doesn't correspond at all with the km markers on our richardson backcountry maps). Any excuse to be outside really. After a week working in the office, I sure missed fresh air and sunlight, there is something really unnatural about air conditioning (unless you live out east where the air is pretty much water with all that humidity). Washouts are pretty serious for limiting access. The firebag bridge makeshift bridge was dangerous, very dangerous (at least for the uncoordinated like myself), so make sure you understand the risks prior to passing by any official warning signs. At the Pearson Washout you couldn't help but notice a certain beauty in the destruction. It is certainly at the hand of a busy beaver. A small sandbar emerged that is just big enough for Ralph and I to enjoy our lunch with our feet in the shallow creek. The water is clear and small fish passed us by every now and then. In the exposed culvert a family of swallows made a home, chirping every once and awhile. It was as though a new little world opened up because of the washout, a mini-eco system in the span of a week. Nature is simply amazing. A few clams made it through the broken dam on the north of the plugged culvert. They leave long tracks in their wake - notice in the photo below the white lines with a dark line in the middle. For those of you crossing north on the make-shift bridge please stop to check for clams first, I've named them George, Sandy and Nina. Fresh water clams are few and far between so please do you part to leave them in peace. On the way back we picked fireweed and berries. Our region has the most amazing berry picking territory - especially blueberries in late summer due to the arid sandy soil. We are fortunate to have natural raspberry patches that surround the urban service area, but to get more variety I head north to the winter road gate. There are at least five different type of edible berries (strawberries, raspberries, pin cherry, saskatoons and blueberries) as well as many inedible berries (make sure you recognize the berry before you even touch it as some can create some very serious allergic reactions or are poisonous).
I have my own small berry patch at home but am missing Saskatoon berries and cranberries. Plus there is no way my small berry patch will get us through the winter and our goal is to avoid having to buy berries. In Wood Buffalo, we are surrounded by a berry bounty and the plan is to try out a variety of berry preservation (mostly yummy jams/jellies). Berries are well worth the effort but make sure to stay safe. Here are a few safety tips:
Tip: Alberta fire dousing buckets make amazing berry containers that you can clip to your belt with a carabiner. They are soft so they don't crush the bottom berries. Remember to bring lots of plastic bags to keep line your bucket with and to store if you hit the berry jackpot!
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About me
I grew up in Athabasca, AB and have spent the majority of my life in Northern Alberta or Montreal, PQ. My husband has been in Fort McMurray since the 70s and continues to love this town and all that it has to offer. We are avid outdoor enthusiasts, spending our summer weekends quadding and camping. As Opimian members we thoroughly enjoy wine pairings and tastings and are working on our wine collection. Ralph is a carpenter by trade and has framed more houses in Fort McMurray than I could count and knows the city inside and out. I work all throughout the region from the NWT to Janvier for the tribal council. My passion is doodling and photography which is featured throughout the website (various mediums), writing, Indigenous studies, and learning in general. Categories |