https://grantstracks.com/Recent content on Grant's TracksHugo -- gohugo.ioen© 2026 Grant S WilsonMon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-waymarkders/Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-waymarkders/The West Highland Way is a very well-marked trail, and I tried to capture photos of some of the waymarkers that caught my eye as I went.https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day7/Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day7/The last leg of the West Highland Way turned out to be both miserable and thoroughly fulfilling at different times during the day.https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day6/Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day6/After a needed day&rsquo;s rest today&rsquo;s hike offered grand views, a slog up the Devil&rsquo;s staircase to the highest point on the West Highland Way, and a long descent into Kinlochleven.https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day5/Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day5/A head &amp; chest cold had thoroughly sapped my energy, so I took a rest day and traveled to Kingshouse Hotel by bus.https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day4/Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day4/This was the first day when both the rain and wind and my head and chest cold became factors.https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day3/Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day3/The hike today is usually billed as the most strenuous of the entire West Highland Way. It started tamely enough but eventually turned into more of a careful crab crawl than a hike.https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day2/Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day2/The main obstacle of today&rsquo;s leg was the ascent and descent of Conic Hill.https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day1/Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whw-day1/Starting out into the unknown on the relatively tame first leg of the West Highland Way.https://grantstracks.com/posts/edinburgh-day3/Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/edinburgh-day3/Today set out to see the most &ldquo;touristy&rdquo; spots in Edinburgh and later in the afternoon took a spontaneous tram ride to Newhaven Harbour.https://grantstracks.com/posts/edinburgh-day2/Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/edinburgh-day2/Anything and everything was new to me in Edinburgh, so I let geocaches determine the general route while exploring parts of the city today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/edinburgh-day1/Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/edinburgh-day1/Despite a grueling &ldquo;day&rdquo; of travel from Western Canada to Edinburgh, Scotland, I managed mini-tour of a picturesque area before crashing into bed with serious jetlag.https://grantstracks.com/timelines/1997-1998/Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/timelines/1997-1998/<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTcZpXsLH0CMv3lDsFTn1FyxHkCIbM-oqM9CyoUAKI-wpr5FbyVhJKNlktUl91wK4s2mpM3bt25Fsca&font=Bitter-Raleway&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&theme=contrast&width=100%25&height=525' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe> <a href="https://timeline.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*7vu1nh*_ga*MjExNzU4MzM4My4xNzY4OTQxNTUx*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*czE3NjkwNzAxMzckbzEwJGcxJHQxNzY5MDcxMjkzJGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank">Created with Knightlab TimelineJS</a>https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2007-2013/Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2007-2013/<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vSKP6V5jw32V6FeHTMAkxfd-trRRTneODaKJDA4PuTqi-jhW6OIiy6u-VsApDOtTU7R6SPDPjzKjdxh&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&theme=contrast&width=100%25&height=525' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe> <a href="https://timeline.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*7vu1nh*_ga*MjExNzU4MzM4My4xNzY4OTQxNTUx*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*czE3NjkwNzAxMzckbzEwJGcxJHQxNzY5MDcxMjkzJGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank">Created with Knightlab TimelineJS</a>https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2017/Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2017/<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vQwaVEdShC8vVTt8GPerqn60cyOVIcTQI8Txf41Bhm3l7ekWu3cCX9Bj0t-okcnuHYfXNiSrnMSer-t&font=Bitter-Raleway&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&theme=contrast&width=100%25&height=525' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe> <a href="https://timeline.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*7vu1nh*_ga*MjExNzU4MzM4My4xNzY4OTQxNTUx*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*czE3NjkwNzAxMzckbzEwJGcxJHQxNzY5MDcxMjkzJGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank">Created with Knightlab TimelineJS</a>https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2018/Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2018/<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTjP2rwPLTeIkXnaMHGntCBQmeJhPY-aQp1U-D3bMpaIMkTeUvCjL-S-uJnHt1L-jcLvIy22r1hL6w-&font=Bitter-Raleway&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&theme=contrast&width=100%25&height=525' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe> <a href="https://timeline.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*7vu1nh*_ga*MjExNzU4MzM4My4xNzY4OTQxNTUx*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*czE3NjkwNzAxMzckbzEwJGcxJHQxNzY5MDcxMjkzJGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank">Created with Knightlab TimelineJS</a>https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2019-2021/Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2019-2021/<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vQ-rb_SSr1IFFVJYmGWOgwH8D1WQDC-R7YQKvj3P-LPA86IUGTzFYTYO3kCnTu433XQ4LL5oYBxDYAW&font=Bitter-Raleway&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&theme=contrast&width=100%25&height=525' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe> <a href="https://timeline.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*7vu1nh*_ga*MjExNzU4MzM4My4xNzY4OTQxNTUx*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*czE3NjkwNzAxMzckbzEwJGcxJHQxNzY5MDcxMjkzJGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank">Created with Knightlab TimelineJS</a>https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2022/Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2022/<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vQs3DiEPM_tBwQnjZAxljWK7GHeB9Mh1BQaGrhNDCd-h1W7fcLTB9ddPtIsspQiWFoHxMvMw9n3Ymhm&font=Bitter-Raleway&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&theme=contrast&width=100%25&height=525' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe> <a href="https://timeline.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*7vu1nh*_ga*MjExNzU4MzM4My4xNzY4OTQxNTUx*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*czE3NjkwNzAxMzckbzEwJGcxJHQxNzY5MDcxMjkzJGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank">Created with Knightlab TimelineJS</a>https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2023/Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2023/<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vSAxRic205mlE27jgD9x5vct-9PNNp2k5w-M3PVGld9CEOE72TDbq0IrfgiSU-DZuyMuAyRvl_bFEpy&font=Bitter-Raleway&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&theme=contrast&width=100%25&height=525' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe> <a href="https://timeline.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*7vu1nh*_ga*MjExNzU4MzM4My4xNzY4OTQxNTUx*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*czE3NjkwNzAxMzckbzEwJGcxJHQxNzY5MDcxMjkzJGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank">Created with Knightlab TimelineJS</a>https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2024/Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2024/<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vQGU83ajR-wlQ5ICEdQeVjVV1ut9SdUJQktCSkB8pdNWmaOOSbLDLizp2TkbivweyEIaj7b_lYwTaHS&font=Bitter-Raleway&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&theme=contrast&width=100%25&height=525' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe> <a href="https://timeline.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*7vu1nh*_ga*MjExNzU4MzM4My4xNzY4OTQxNTUx*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*czE3NjkwNzAxMzckbzEwJGcxJHQxNzY5MDcxMjkzJGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank">Created with Knightlab TimelineJS</a>https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2025/Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/timelines/2025/<iframe src='https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vQfr7zSooKsxrJQF0w5GfrG73jmiZlQzXo3nGuMf9Zfir0ir9XTg1dpSJ5gIrHf9GkVUlR6QLwcjl_e&font=Bitter-Raleway&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&theme=contrast&width=100%25&height=525' width='100%' height='650' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen frameborder='0'></iframe> <a href="https://timeline.knightlab.com/?_gl=1*7vu1nh*_ga*MjExNzU4MzM4My4xNzY4OTQxNTUx*_ga_8F4WPDMPL5*czE3NjkwNzAxMzckbzEwJGcxJHQxNzY5MDcxMjkzJGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank">Created with Knightlab TimelineJS</a>https://grantstracks.com/posts/wandewing-awound-wetaskiwin/Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/wandewing-awound-wetaskiwin/A late fall exploration and geocaching outing in a Peace Hills Park near Wetaskiwin, ABhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/return-to-battle-lake/Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/return-to-battle-lake/I returned to the trails near the south end of Battle Lake today to avenge a 10-year old geocache DNF - &ldquo;Did Not Find&rdquo;.https://grantstracks.com/posts/a-dumbbell-hike/Sun, 21 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/a-dumbbell-hike/A planned 15.5 km hike took me from Islet Lake Staging Area to Central Staging Area and out to what felt like &ldquo;way out there&rdquo; places.https://grantstracks.com/posts/baldy-pass-to-lusk-pass/Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/baldy-pass-to-lusk-pass/It was last day of my 4-day Kananaskis visit and I saved this mostly flat ramble along Baldy Pass Trail following a string of geocache hides over to Lusk Pass Trailhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/climb-hortons-hill/Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/climb-hortons-hill/The geocaches hidden on the way up to the summit of Horton&rsquo;s Hill in Kananaskis have been on my bucket list for years. Today was the day I made the climb of this steep hill.https://grantstracks.com/posts/finding-pathfinder/Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/finding-pathfinder/I did a short hike to find a long-solved geocache puzzle called &ldquo;Pathinder&rdquo;https://grantstracks.com/posts/mt-burke-summit-climb/Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/mt-burke-summit-climb/It was both a physical and psychological stretch for me to successfully climb to the 2536m summit of Mt Burke today. It took a LONG time, but the climb was completed.https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-loop-hike-to-push-shelter/Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-loop-hike-to-push-shelter/I accessed the Blackfoot trails from the Waskehegan Connector Trail, did some geocache maintenance, continued to Push Shelter and returned on Ed&rsquo;s Way, a trail I&rsquo;d hiked before.https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-figure-eight-loop-hike/Sun, 17 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-figure-eight-loop-hike/I did a 15 km figure eight loop hike to Meadow Shelter in the Cooking Lake Blackfoot Recreational Area today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/islet-lake-lollipop-route/Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/islet-lake-lollipop-route/I hiked from the Islet Lake Staging Area to Push Lake Shelter, then to Lost Lake Shelter and continued on in a wide loop back to the staging area.https://grantstracks.com/posts/joseph-lake-loop-may-2025/Sun, 18 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/joseph-lake-loop-may-2025/It&rsquo;s been a long time since I&rsquo;ve walked the trails near Joseph Lake. It was fun rediscoving the place all over again.https://grantstracks.com/posts/mitchell-loop-hike/Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/mitchell-loop-hike/I after a long absence, I &ldquo;rediscovered&rdquo; a grand loop hike in the southeast section of the Ministik Bird Sanctuary. It&rsquo;s a route I call the &ldquo;Mitchell Loop&rdquo;, named after a cabin tucked in the woods along the way.https://grantstracks.com/posts/grassy-fields-return/Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/grassy-fields-return/The hike today was a thoroughly pleasant outing to find a couple new caches and perform maintenance on a few of my own.https://grantstracks.com/posts/deadfall-alley-to-uofa-road/Fri, 06 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/deadfall-alley-to-uofa-road/I lived through what turned out to be a very challenging hike through overgrown trails today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-meadow-shelter/Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-meadow-shelter/Using geocache maintenance as an excuse, I hiked a 10 km loop along the always excellent trails in the southwest section of the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Prov. Recreation Area today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/meandering-around-millet/Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/meandering-around-millet/I meandered down some rural Alberta roads on the way to Millet, AB today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/natures-magic-tricks/Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/natures-magic-tricks/It was some of nature&rsquo;s magic tricks I noticed along the way that impressed me the most during a hike along the trails of the Chickakoo Lake Recreation area today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/lamont-county-car-caching/Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/lamont-county-car-caching/Car-caching with a buddy in north Lamont Countyhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/short-hike-along-mtn-bike-trails-east-of-goldstick-park/Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/short-hike-along-mtn-bike-trails-east-of-goldstick-park/I returned to these trails with the goal of finding a cache I&rsquo;d been unable to find in Dec. 2023. Compared to that visit, this summer outing today provided a far different experience - and I loved it.https://grantstracks.com/posts/finding-a-fairly-remote-cache-south-of-mandy-lake/Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/finding-a-fairly-remote-cache-south-of-mandy-lake/To get to a remote cache today, I walked down familiar trails but then covered ground that I&rsquo;d only once been near before 10 years ago - and that was in the winter months.https://grantstracks.com/posts/five-meadows-hike/Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/five-meadows-hike/I undertook a grand loop hike in the Ministik today, what I call the Five Meadows Hike. It was a gloriously beautiful day to do it too.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-north-of-510-and-south-to-deadfall-alley-may26-2024/Sun, 26 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-north-of-510-and-south-to-deadfall-alley-may26-2024/Three of us did a two part hike today, first north of Township Rd 510 and then south to Deadfall Alleyhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-explore-trails-northeast-of-mandy-lake-may-24-2024/Fri, 24 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-explore-trails-northeast-of-mandy-lake-may-24-2024/In the past I&rsquo;d walked on stub trails northeast of Mandy Lake and today I wanted to see if they really were actual trails - spoiler alert - there were.https://grantstracks.com/posts/walking-a-mostly-forgotten-trail-off-spilstead-road-18-2024/Sat, 18 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/walking-a-mostly-forgotten-trail-off-spilstead-road-18-2024/There are some out of the way trails in the Ministik that start but eventually just peter out into nothing. This is one of them.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-near-joseph-lake-may-14-2024/Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-near-joseph-lake-may-14-2024/I made the trek down the trails of a corner of the Ministik I seldom visit today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/chickakoo-lake-caching-hike-april-13-2024/Sat, 13 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/chickakoo-lake-caching-hike-april-13-2024/After parking at the Chickakoo Equestrian lot, we proceeded to scour the eastern side of Chickakoo for cacheshttps://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-along-deadfall-alley-april-08-2024/Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-along-deadfall-alley-april-08-2024/Four of us hiked south from the UofA Access Road gate all the way down Deadfall Alley today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-lake-watery-ice-walk-2024-march-16/Sat, 16 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-lake-watery-ice-walk-2024-march-16/It&rsquo;s March and the ice between islands on Ministik Lake can still be walked on. Or can it? Yikes! There&rsquo;s standing water on a lot of it!https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-hide-a-geocache-march-08-2024/Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-hide-a-geocache-march-08-2024/I hiked down the Mandy Lake road, past the old cabin and shelter to hide a geocache today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-across-ice-2024-feb-16/Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-across-ice-2024-feb-16/I&rsquo;d waited to make the trek for a while. But the weather promised to be great today and and as it turned out it certainly was.https://grantstracks.com/posts/shiningbank-lake-group-caching-2023-12-27/Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/shiningbank-lake-group-caching-2023-12-27/Eight of us met at Shiningbank Lake to do a grand loop around the shoreline where geocaches were hidden. First we needed to walk straight across the middle of the lake though. Pucker up and walk!https://grantstracks.com/posts/science-park-to-bike-trails-to-rundle-park-loop-2023-dec-06/Wed, 06 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/science-park-to-bike-trails-to-rundle-park-loop-2023-dec-06/I really didn&rsquo;t know what I was getting myself into when I started the loop hike from Science Park, but I not only survived the hilly mountain bike trails I ended up walking on, but I enjoyed the experience.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-misasin-trail-hike-2023-nov-29/Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-misasin-trail-hike-2023-nov-29/This was fun and challenging outing. I was anticipating a LOT more bush whacking than I ended up experiencing.https://grantstracks.com/posts/calgary-caching-for-specific-caches-october-10-2023/Tue, 10 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/calgary-caching-for-specific-caches-october-10-2023/I made a long-awaited trip to Calgary to target finding specific caches across the city.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-replace-cache-container-september-25-2023/Mon, 25 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-replace-cache-container-september-25-2023/One of my cache containers was the victim of a bored coyote so I hiked in to replace it with a new one today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-spruce-point-cache-2023-sept-15-2023/Fri, 15 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-spruce-point-cache-2023-sept-15-2023/I walked the familiar route from the UofA Access Road gate to the unfamiliar boggy shoreline of a large pond in the Ministik.https://grantstracks.com/posts/car-caching-trip-to-dogpound-september-12-2023/Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/car-caching-trip-to-dogpound-september-12-2023/Dwaine and I had worked on some challenging puzzles and after we solved them a trip to the Dogpound area of Alberta was in order.https://grantstracks.com/posts/geocaching-along-the-north-saskatchewan-river/Fri, 11 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/geocaching-along-the-north-saskatchewan-river/Two geocaching buddies and I traversed some seldom-walked trails along the North Sask Riverhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/glory-hills-hike-2023-june-26/Mon, 26 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/glory-hills-hike-2023-june-26/It was my first time hiking around the trails at in Glory Hills Natural Area. There were a few caches here, but in the end it was the trails that I remember.https://grantstracks.com/posts/caching-and-recon-on-misasin-trail-ministik-june-7-2023/Wed, 07 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/caching-and-recon-on-misasin-trail-ministik-june-7-2023/I&rsquo;d been on this trail a couple of times before but it&rsquo;s been a long time since the last visit. It&rsquo;s named Misasin by fellow geocachings, so I&rsquo;m going with it. It was fun exploring new sections of it today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/sturgeon-river-stroll-series-2023-may-31/Wed, 31 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/sturgeon-river-stroll-series-2023-may-31/This is a geocaching outing where I was <strong>SO</strong> glad to be with other cachers. The first hide was diabolically hard to find and it was Dwaine who spotted it. They weren&rsquo;t all like that but some were oh so nicely crafty indeed.https://grantstracks.com/posts/chickakoo-caching-hike-may-26-2023/Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/chickakoo-caching-hike-may-26-2023/I&rsquo;ve always just loved hiking in the Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area. There&rsquo;s is a great mix of tree species that line both the well-travelled main trails and the less-travelled &ldquo;goat tracks&rdquo;. This was a solo geocaching hike and I found all but one of the caches I looked for today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-caching-hike-to-mandy-lake-2023-may-14/Sun, 14 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-caching-hike-to-mandy-lake-2023-may-14/I traveled down the winding road to Mandy Lake today to find two caches. I was with the cache owner when he hid them, so I&rsquo;m returning to find them fair and square.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-dorward-lake-for-two-challenges-2023-may-10/Wed, 10 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-dorward-lake-for-two-challenges-2023-may-10/I had multiple goals today: to find a challenge cache near Dorward Lake and to capture as many time lapses as I could in the Dorward Lake area.https://grantstracks.com/posts/terwillegar-to-ft-edm-walk-2023-04-19/Wed, 19 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/terwillegar-to-ft-edm-walk-2023-04-19/The walk from the Terwillegar Dog Park to Fort Edmonton takes you over the N Sask River through mountain bike trails and then over the river yet again.https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-hike-to-switch-caches-apr-15-2023/Sat, 15 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-hike-to-switch-caches-apr-15-2023/The main purpose of today&rsquo;s hike was to swap ammo can geocaching containers for lock &rsquo;n lock containers. These caches were hidden quite a distance from parking in the Blackfoot / Cooking Lake Recreational Area.https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-the-twins-cache-ministik-2023-04-09/Sun, 09 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-the-twins-cache-ministik-2023-04-09/I made walk over early spring, still somewhat snowy ground to a remote cache todayhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-from-stove-lake-trailhead-to-new-caches-2023-04-02/Sun, 02 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-from-stove-lake-trailhead-to-new-caches-2023-04-02/Four of us crunched through the snow, on trail and off to find geocaches in the area accessible from the Stove Lake trailhead in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary.https://grantstracks.com/posts/mactaggart-geocaching-hike-2023-march-26/Sun, 26 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/mactaggart-geocaching-hike-2023-march-26/The four of us traversed a good portion of the MacTaggart Sanctuary today looking for geocacheshttps://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-north-sask-river-hides-and-mactaggert-sanctuary-march-19-2023/Sun, 19 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-north-sask-river-hides-and-mactaggert-sanctuary-march-19-2023/The five of us tackled some steep slopes to get to some geocache hides along the North Sask River and after that hiked through the MacTaggart Sanctuary to find more geocacheshttps://grantstracks.com/posts/whitemud-ravine-carw2023-2023-march-04/Sat, 04 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/whitemud-ravine-carw2023-2023-march-04/I traversed the snowy inclined trails of the Whitemud Ravine today with a couple of geocaching buddies.https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-mandy-lake-october-30-2022/Sun, 30 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-mandy-lake-october-30-2022/I followed the road to Mandy Lake to find one cache and do some maintenance on one of my ownhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-in-northern-section/Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-in-northern-section/I hiked on a kind of disjointed trail today with a buddy where I have a string of caches hidden.https://grantstracks.com/posts/running-of-the-bulls-westmost-loop/Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/running-of-the-bulls-westmost-loop/See what a fairly remote section of the Hornbeck Recreation Area northwest of Edson, Alberta looks like a the end of September as two geocachers do a loop trek on overgrown trails.https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-islet-lake-kayak-paddle-aug-17-2022/Wed, 17 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-islet-lake-kayak-paddle-aug-17-2022/Still very new to kayaking, I had great paddle around Islet Lake today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/maiden-voyage-of-the-delta-12/Mon, 08 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/maiden-voyage-of-the-delta-12/This was the first time I was out on my new Delta 12.10 kayak. Woah, Nelly! Here we go!https://grantstracks.com/posts/kayaking-on-islet-lake/Thu, 23 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/kayaking-on-islet-lake/My first forays in my inflatable kayak were tentative, but memorable all the same.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-replenish-dragon-s3-cards-june-9-2022/Thu, 09 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-replenish-dragon-s3-cards-june-9-2022/Hiking to one of my geocache hides to do some maintenance was my excuse to experience a beautiful day in a remote, beautiful place.https://grantstracks.com/posts/bluejay-charron-community-cemetery/Fri, 03 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/bluejay-charron-community-cemetery/A visit to the well-maintained Bluejay - Charron Community Cemetery northeast of Atmore, Alberta.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-caching-hike-for-new-hides-june-02-2022/Thu, 02 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-caching-hike-for-new-hides-june-02-2022/I hiked in what was for me a new area in the Ministik today and that&rsquo;s always fun.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-anthony-of-padua-church-and-cemetery/Fri, 27 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-anthony-of-padua-church-and-cemetery/St. Anthony of Padua Church and Cemetery are located southwest of Medicine Hat, Alberta. The church has fallen into disrepair and seems to stand as a symbol of a past reality now fading.https://grantstracks.com/posts/aetna-cemetery/Fri, 13 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/aetna-cemetery/A visit to Aetna, a hamlet in Cardston County, Alberta.https://grantstracks.com/posts/prospy-cemetery/Sun, 08 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/prospy-cemetery/Prospy Cemetery was generally unkept with graves markers lightly scattered across the small enclosure. Despite that, one grave marker in particular caught my eye.https://grantstracks.com/posts/searching-for-spring-along-the-road-to-mandy-lake/Fri, 29 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/searching-for-spring-along-the-road-to-mandy-lake/An early spring hike in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary southeast of Edmonton. Will I find some spring to help thaw my winter-frozen brain?https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-mandy-lake-loop-hike-april-23-2022/Sat, 23 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-mandy-lake-loop-hike-april-23-2022/I did a loop hike over what has become very familiar ground today. But even on familar paths, the experience of them is always changing.https://grantstracks.com/posts/seven-persons-cemetery/Fri, 22 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/seven-persons-cemetery/Seven Persons is a hamlet in Cypress County, Alberta about 20 km southwest of Medicine Hat. There are various stories about how the hamlet got it&rsquo;s name.https://grantstracks.com/posts/hillcrest-cemetery/Fri, 15 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hillcrest-cemetery/Hillcrest Cemetery is memorable partly because of the location and partly because of the mine disaster of 1914 that took so many lives.https://grantstracks.com/posts/the-red-chair/Fri, 08 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/the-red-chair/For almost a decade a single red folding chair has been stationed at a lookout over Williams Lake in the Ministik Bird Santuary. The landscape is in constant flux around it, but the red chair remains.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-south-end-of-oliver-lake-april-04-2022/Mon, 04 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-south-end-of-oliver-lake-april-04-2022/I walked along the crusty snow first on familiar trails, then off trail on new ground to get to the south end of Oliver Lake today.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-on-snowy-road-to-mandy-lake-and-north-march-29-2022/Tue, 29 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-on-snowy-road-to-mandy-lake-and-north-march-29-2022/I had to do some maintenance on a cache near Mandy Lake in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary and had great outing walking along the still snowy trails to get to it.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-mandy-lake-to-fire-tower-via-trails-and-ice-march-18-2022/Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-mandy-lake-to-fire-tower-via-trails-and-ice-march-18-2022/This was a memorable day of geocaching for a few remote caches int he Ministik Bird Sanctuary.https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-ministik-fireplace-and-return-via-red-chair-lookout-march-09-2022/Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-ministik-fireplace-and-return-via-red-chair-lookout-march-09-2022/I made the snowy walk to scout out a geocache hide, realized I wasn&rsquo;t going to be able to get to it, so continued on to visit the Ministik fireplace and Red Chair Lookout.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-dorward-lake-for-two-caches-march-06-2022/Sun, 06 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-hike-to-dorward-lake-for-two-caches-march-06-2022/I had a glorious trudge through (not over) the trails to Dorward Lake today to find two caches.https://grantstracks.com/posts/driving-on-lac-ste-anne-ice-to-farming-island/Mon, 28 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/driving-on-lac-ste-anne-ice-to-farming-island/Hugh and I were planning on walking over the ice to the caches on Farming Island on Lac St Anne. But we saw ice fishers on the ice, so we drove instead.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-oliver-lake-caching-hike-feb-15-2022/Tue, 15 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-oliver-lake-caching-hike-feb-15-2022/I met my buddy Hugh and we spent hours walking over crusty lake ice to find geocachings hidden on islands on Oliver Lake in the Ministik Bird Sanctuaryhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-mandy-lake-to-dorward-lake-over-lake-ice-feb-11-2022/Fri, 11 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-mandy-lake-to-dorward-lake-over-lake-ice-feb-11-2022/I had an excellent walk over hardened trail snow and lake ice to get to remote cache in the Ministik Bird Sanctuaryhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/a-satisfying-hike-over-lake-ice-to-the-domino-puzzle-cache/Fri, 12 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/a-satisfying-hike-over-lake-ice-to-the-domino-puzzle-cache/A geocaching buddy Hugh and I trudge across lake ice early in March, 2021 to get to an island on which a “puzzle” geocache was hidden.https://grantstracks.com/posts/the-endless-loop-of-decision/Thu, 25 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/the-endless-loop-of-decision/Two very different stories share one identical, fundamentally important message.https://grantstracks.com/posts/my-beautiful-teacup-from-bizen/Mon, 15 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/my-beautiful-teacup-from-bizen/I had the rare opportunity to visit with two potters who made Bizen pottery in Okayama Prefecture in Japan. The purposely rough, charred style of pottery conjures an aesthetic called wabi-sabi.https://grantstracks.com/posts/my-ugly-mug-from-tobe/Wed, 10 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/my-ugly-mug-from-tobe/I still have my &ldquo;ugly mug&rdquo; from Tobe, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. I think of it as an important momento of my time living in Japan but I still think it&rsquo;s ugly.https://grantstracks.com/posts/zettelkasten-the-promise-of-a-truly-effective-method-of-learning/Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/zettelkasten-the-promise-of-a-truly-effective-method-of-learning/A brief introduction to the Zettelkasten method of note making as described in How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens.https://grantstracks.com/posts/storymapjs-part-3-sharing-a-storymap/Mon, 24 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/storymapjs-part-3-sharing-a-storymap/In Part 3, the final part of the series, we cover how to share your StoryMap with others.https://grantstracks.com/posts/storymapjs-part-2-building-a-storymap/Mon, 17 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/storymapjs-part-2-building-a-storymap/In Part 2 of a three-part series we cover how to build StoryMap slides.https://grantstracks.com/posts/storymapjs-tutorial-part-1/Mon, 10 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/storymapjs-tutorial-part-1/This is Part 1 of a three-part series on how to use StoryMapJS. Here I&rsquo;ll introduce you to the software and review examples of what it can do.https://grantstracks.com/posts/winter-fire-tower-walk/Wed, 08 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/winter-fire-tower-walk/A hike to a fairly remote fire tower in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary southeast of Edmonton is brought to life with StoryMapJS, software that combines maps with images and text.https://grantstracks.com/posts/timelinejs-in-action/Sun, 01 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/timelinejs-in-action/Using a restrospective of REM&rsquo;s discography, this post walks through the capabilities of TimelineJS a piece of timeline software hosted by Northwestern University&rsquo;s Knight Lab.https://grantstracks.com/posts/monitor-cemetery/Wed, 20 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/monitor-cemetery/Located on the side of a long, sloping hill, I visited Monitor Cemetery when the surrounding crops were in full bloom, justaposing new life with other part of the cycle: inevitable death.https://grantstracks.com/posts/our-lady-of-perpetual-help/Tue, 05 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/our-lady-of-perpetual-help/Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church and Cemetery lies 32 kms northeast of the town of Athabasca, Alberta and serves the Spruce Valley district.https://grantstracks.com/posts/quad-trek-to-grizzly-ridge-tower/Fri, 18 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/quad-trek-to-grizzly-ridge-tower/I&rsquo;d been &ldquo;map-dreaming&rdquo; for literally years about making the trek to Grizzly Ridge Tower. I&rsquo;d even tried and failed once foiled by muddy roads. But because of the kindness of friends, I was finally able to get there.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-laurence-anglican-church/Sat, 12 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-laurence-anglican-church/St. Laurence Anglican Church is located in the hamlet of Monitor, Alberta. Constructed in 1915, it is registered in the Canadian Register of Historic Places.https://grantstracks.com/about/Thu, 25 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/about/<p> <figure class="box-right-40"> <picture> <source type="image/webp" srcset="https://grantstracks.com/about/images/gsw-300x300-1_hu_aacba787b11386ad.webp"> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://grantstracks.com/about/images/gsw-300x300-1_hu_aecb51476bd28ae2.jpg"> <img src="https://grantstracks.com/about/images/gsw-300x300-1_hu_aecb51476bd28ae2.jpg" class="nozoom" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="A quick rest while hiking up Mt. Stearn, near Grande Cache, Alberta"> </picture> <div class="img-right-40-caption"> <figcaption>A quick rest while hiking up Mt. Stearn, near Grande Cache, Alberta</figcaption> </div> </figure> Hi there, I&rsquo;m Grant Wilson from Edmonton, Alberta. Wherever I’ve happened to settle down, I’ve always loved to explore. That could mean exploring anything from city streets to trails through the bush to an almost featureless arctic tundra. I grew up in small town Saskatchewan, Canada, but I’ve been lucky enough to be able to change “habitats” a few times in my life: a summer working in Germany beside the Baltic Sea, a couple years of living and working in Hiroshima and Matsuyama Japan, and a year living above the arctic circle in Nunavut.</p>https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-oliver-lake/Wed, 20 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-oliver-lake/My goal for the day was to find two new caches hidden by Jazzhiker who, like me, came to geocaching via hiking.https://grantstracks.com/posts/siracky-chapel/Mon, 21 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/siracky-chapel/A tiny, quaint chapel built from stone.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-demetrius-ukrainian-orthodox-church-jaroslaw/Fri, 18 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-demetrius-ukrainian-orthodox-church-jaroslaw/St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Jaroslaw) is a compact structure which stands near a well-kept cemetery.https://grantstracks.com/posts/russo-greek-orthodox-church-of-st-michael-the-archangel/Wed, 16 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/russo-greek-orthodox-church-of-st-michael-the-archangel/This church is one of the earlier examples of an “open-dome” cruciform church: a large, single central dome is built on an octagonal basehttps://grantstracks.com/posts/assumption-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/Mon, 14 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/assumption-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/A visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church (Star-Peno) and cemetary with a timelapse video and photo gallery.https://grantstracks.com/posts/protection-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-ukrainian-catholic-church-krakow/Fri, 11 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/protection-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-ukrainian-catholic-church-krakow/The history of this church echos many others in the area: early churches built, destroyed by fire in this case multiple times and always rebuilt again.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-john-the-baptist-russo-greek-catholic-orthodox-church-farus/Wed, 09 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-john-the-baptist-russo-greek-catholic-orthodox-church-farus/This church stands at the top of a small hill overlooking a cemetery and farmland beyond.https://grantstracks.com/posts/church-of-the-archangel-st-michael/Mon, 07 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/church-of-the-archangel-st-michael/As was the case with many churches in the area, a history of nationalism inherited from the &ldquo;old country&rdquo; affected the lives after settling half way around the world in Canada.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-john-ukrainian-orthodox-church-sachava/Fri, 04 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-john-ukrainian-orthodox-church-sachava/The Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. John of Suchava, the first organized Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church in Albertahttps://grantstracks.com/posts/presentation-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/Wed, 02 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/presentation-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/Another immaculate church in that speaks to the devotion and work ethic of the people from Europe who settled this part of the province.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-michael-the-archangel/Mon, 30 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-michael-the-archangel/This church provides an interesting historical twist: here&rsquo;s an example of a town being named after a church.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-nicholas-orthodox-church/Fri, 27 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-nicholas-orthodox-church/Built in 1900 after three years of labour, this church has the distinction of being the oldest original church in Lamont county.https://grantstracks.com/posts/holy-trinity-orthodox-church-sunland/Wed, 25 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/holy-trinity-orthodox-church-sunland/This church, bell-tower, and ajoining cemetery continue the theme of being well-kept and picturesque.https://grantstracks.com/posts/holy-trinity-ukrainian-orthodox-church/Mon, 23 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/holy-trinity-ukrainian-orthodox-church/The dome and supporting cupolas of this church are a distinctive bronze colour.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-michael-the-archangel-2/Fri, 20 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-michael-the-archangel-2/Like so many others, this church is an example of a structure rebuilt after a previous church succumbed to fire. Now in need of some repair, the building is still an imposing structure.https://grantstracks.com/posts/our-lady-of-good-counsel-roman-catholic-church-skaro/Wed, 18 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/our-lady-of-good-counsel-roman-catholic-church-skaro/The church and the surrounding grounds are expansive and impressive.https://grantstracks.com/posts/holy-trinity-russo-orthodox-church/Mon, 16 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/holy-trinity-russo-orthodox-church/In 1987 the first Orthodox liturgy on Canadian soil was celebrated near this church site. Completed in 1899, this church was the first Orthodox Church in Canada.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-john-the-baptist-ukrainian-orthodox-church-peno/Mon, 16 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-john-the-baptist-ukrainian-orthodox-church-peno/The more you read about the history of rural churches, the more you see instances of parishioners breaking off from a congregation to build a new church and form a new congregation.https://grantstracks.com/posts/nativity-of-the-mother-of-god/Fri, 13 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/nativity-of-the-mother-of-god/A quaint church has as beautiful, imposing bell tower and well-kept cemetery beside it.https://grantstracks.com/posts/holy-ascension-russo-greek-orthodox-church/Wed, 11 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/holy-ascension-russo-greek-orthodox-church/This parish can be traced back to 1897–1898, making it one of the first Russo-Greek Orthodox parishes in Canada.https://grantstracks.com/posts/exaltation-of-the-holy-cross-ukrainian-catholic-church-skaro/Mon, 09 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/exaltation-of-the-holy-cross-ukrainian-catholic-church-skaro/This church is extremely impressive. Almost everything about it seems to stand out: the form, the surroundings and how well it is maintained.https://grantstracks.com/posts/all-the-diamonds-in-this-world/Sat, 13 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/all-the-diamonds-in-this-world/A winter walk over lake ice to Birch Lake Isle near Innisfree, Alberta.https://grantstracks.com/posts/roman-catholic-church-of-the-precious-blood/Sat, 19 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/roman-catholic-church-of-the-precious-blood/Although mass is only held here once a year, this church remains in pretty good shape.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-demetro-ukrainian-catholic-church/Fri, 18 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-demetro-ukrainian-catholic-church/The present church is an architectural departure when compared to other rural churches in the area. But when you read about the history of past buildings being lost to fire, you realize that compact, practical buildings may be the wise choice in the long run.https://grantstracks.com/posts/russo-greek-orthodox-catholic-church-of-st-james/Tue, 15 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/russo-greek-orthodox-catholic-church-of-st-james/Russo-Greek Orthodox Catholic Church of St. James is one of the oldest churches in Lamont County.https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-marys-church-of-shishkovitzy/Sun, 13 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/st-marys-church-of-shishkovitzy/St. Mary’s Church of Shishkovitzy is a very well-maintained church and stands on the same piece of land that housed an original structure built from 1898 to 1903, before Alberta became a province.https://grantstracks.com/posts/spas-moskalyk/Mon, 07 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/spas-moskalyk/The &ldquo;Spas Moskalyk&rdquo; church is an example of historical building almost slipping off into oblivion. This one didn&rsquo;t slip away, but was saved by the local residents.https://grantstracks.com/posts/tofield-cemetery/Tue, 01 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/tofield-cemetery/Tofield Cemetery is a large, well-kept enclosure about 1.8 kms north of Tofield on highway 843.https://grantstracks.com/posts/wilhelmina-lutheran-church/Sat, 29 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/wilhelmina-lutheran-church/Wilhelmina Evangelical Lutheran Church near Hay Lakes is nicely-built and obviously well-kept church.https://grantstracks.com/posts/crooked-trees/Fri, 14 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/crooked-trees/I found out about the &ldquo;Crooked Trees&rdquo; from my sister so I made a point of visiting on my way back to Edmonton from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. My scientific opinion?: &ldquo;They&rsquo;re weird!&rdquo;https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-up-cardinal-divide-ridge/Mon, 01 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-up-cardinal-divide-ridge/Although not at all easy to get to even by vehicle, the Cardinal Divide is a memorable place to visit.https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-south-recon-hike/Sun, 16 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/ministik-south-recon-hike/This recon hike was made and the blog post written early in my explorations of the Ministik Bird Sanctuary. It&rsquo;s fun for me to relive the experience these days when the area is well-known to me.https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-islet-lake-hike/Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-islet-lake-hike/A hike to inner depths of the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area. Starting from the Islet Lake Staging Area, I was on the hunt for &lsquo;cigar&rsquo; caches.https://grantstracks.com/posts/climb-to-the-summit-of-folding-mountain/Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/climb-to-the-summit-of-folding-mountain/A made the memorable climb to the summit of Folding Mountain mid-August, 2010.https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-lusk-creek-ridge-central-summit/Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-lusk-creek-ridge-central-summit/It was my first ever visit to Kananaskis where I made the very memorable off-trail climb to the central summit along Lusk Creek Ridge. It was July 1, Canada Day, too!https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-the-summit-of-mt-louie/Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-to-the-summit-of-mt-louie/My friend Amy and I hiked to the summit of Mt. Louis. There was an elevation gain of 714 meters and along the way the reward of some breathtaking views of the mountains and valleys that surround Grande Cache, ABhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-up-mt-stearn-near-grande-cache/Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/hike-up-mt-stearn-near-grande-cache/We arrived in Grande Cache wanting to do some hiking and chose almost randomly to climb Mt. Stearn. Boy, did pick a day for a workout!https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-hike-wanisan-lake/Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-hike-wanisan-lake/A second visit to Cooking Lake – Blackfoot Recreational Area in two days. After a fresh snowfall, I broke trail to out of the way places that were brand new to me.https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-geocaching-waskahegan/Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/blackfoot-geocaching-waskahegan/A memorable day of geocaching in the Cooking Lake Blackfoot Recreational Area. I was new to geocaching and this area was completely new to me at this time. The experiences of the day really made an impression onhttps://grantstracks.com/posts/the-odd-ice-fishing-excursion/Sat, 11 Apr 1998 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/the-odd-ice-fishing-excursion/These are my memories about an ill-fated group ice-fishing trip by plane from Cambridge Bay to somewhere on the artic tundra. Everyone came out completely safe and unharmed, but let&rsquo;s just say that no fishing of any kind happened.https://grantstracks.com/posts/sleeping-in-an-igloo/Sun, 29 Mar 1998 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/sleeping-in-an-igloo/After an igloo building bee, and hearing the stories from the brave women who were first to try out sleeping overnight in the little dome, it was the guys turn.https://grantstracks.com/posts/building-an-igloo/Sun, 22 Mar 1998 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/building-an-igloo/Helping to build and later sleep in an igloo still remains a strong memory from my time in Cambridge Bay.https://grantstracks.com/posts/a-trip-to-taloyoak/Mon, 17 Nov 1997 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/a-trip-to-taloyoak/A complete - fairly long - account of a trip from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut to Gjoa Haven, Pelly Bay and finally Taloyak.https://grantstracks.com/posts/snowblind-on-a-quad/Sat, 27 Sep 1997 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/snowblind-on-a-quad/During my 10-month stay in Cambridge Bay, any chance to get out of town to was a chance not only to explore, but also escape.https://grantstracks.com/posts/taking-pics/Sat, 27 Sep 1997 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/taking-pics/This little piece is about a jaunt out of Cambridge Bay just across a small bay to the east where the rotting hulk of a boat sits on the shoreline.https://grantstracks.com/posts/the-meal/Tue, 09 Sep 1997 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/the-meal/The title suggests this post is about a meal, but the topic is really about adapting to new and different realities.https://grantstracks.com/posts/out-on-the-land/Sat, 06 Sep 1997 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/out-on-the-land/Sure, it was just a quad ride out of town, but it was also my first chance to escape the what was becoming the prison of being in Cambridge Bay for too long.https://grantstracks.com/posts/a-google-earth-web-tour-of-cambay/Sat, 30 Aug 1997 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/a-google-earth-web-tour-of-cambay/Tour a few places in Cambridge Bay using Google Earth Web and Google Streetview images.https://grantstracks.com/posts/traveling-to-cambridge-bay/Mon, 25 Aug 1997 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/traveling-to-cambridge-bay/This is my account of the trip north from Saskatoon, SK, to Calgary, AB, then Edmonton, AB, then Yellowknife, NWT and finally Cambridge Bay, NWT (now Nunavut).https://grantstracks.com/posts/where-is-cambridge-bay/Sun, 24 Aug 1997 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/posts/where-is-cambridge-bay/This post is all about Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada. Be sure to check out the Google Earth Web tour at the end of the post.https://grantstracks.com/contactform/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://grantstracks.com/contactform/Contact Hike The Ministik!