We love a good hike. It matters not if we’re deep in the wilderness or in an urban setting, as long as we’re in motion and having fun. We’re so darn easy to please. Today’s outing finds us kicking about town – there’s just too much snow in the mountains – where sometimes we’ll be along a section of Calgary’s extensive pathway network, other times we’re walking the streets. It’s all good.
Come join us or better still let us inspire you to follow in our footsteps and soak it all up. A fine walk awaits.
Begin at the far north end of Edmonton Trail, just before the transit gate. There’s street parking here. Intercept the Nose Creek Pathway, which flows beside – you guessed it – Nose Creek. It’s all frozen on our visit. Head south and let the adventure begin. The pathway is cleared of snow (so much of it this year), but watch for icy sections. If you do it in July, ignore that last part.
Nose Creek Pathway – Mayland Heights: a fun and interesting urban trek. A Chris & Connie Adventure!
Come to an underpass. Duck! And if you visit when winter still has a grip on the city, watch for BIG sheets of Teflon slippery ice – we almost went down a couple times. Cross over to the other side of the creek on a road bridge. Another underpass – more ice and low clearances again. Pass the former Airporter Inn, soon to be converted into low income housing. Your author recalls partying there in the 1980s. Seems to me it was a rough place to hang out then. And a dump.
Scroll down for photos and to comment
Another underpass. Watch your head. And don’t slip. At a junction, just past an electrical substation, turn left. Over there’s the Spring Gardens Transit Garage. It’s huge – lots of buses if you’re into that kind of thing. Back when Calgary Transit had old GMC Fishbowl and MCI Classic buses, we used to stake ourselves out in this very spot and photograph them heading out for the afternoon rush. They’re all gone now. And the bus scene is a little less interesting.
Cross over the CPR Tracks (Calgary to Edmonton Line) and soon on bend south, paralleling Deerfoot Trail. The din is something. The golf course to your right is often open this time of year (usually thanks to warming Chinooks) but on our visit is still buried under a thick blanket of snow. So much snow…so much snow…
Cross Deerfoot on a pedestrian bridge and enter the community of Vista Heights. Follow the pathway till it reaches another pedestrian bridge and cross 16th Avenue North, aka the Trans Canada through town. Hit the sidewalk on entering the community of Mayland Heights. Most of the houses here date from the “Mad Men” era. Continue south on 19th St NE.
Come to a small strip mall home to “Family Grocery”. That arched “Marina” Roof, a most iconic design, tells us it was once a Safeway way back when. It’s quite historically interesting and so we’ll be back to look it another time. There’s also a pub and a Pho Place here if hunger calls. Both are good – we’ve been.
Continue south past the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology compound. A satellite campus, they teach railway courses here – see the old rail cars? Just before hitting Memorial Drive, cross over and take that dirt road heading into field, which leads to the Barlow/Max Bell LRT Station. The huge plot of land here was once a Firestone Tire Plant. Now only the tower remains.
Cross under Memorial. More ice here, even inside the building! Back outside, we make small detour here and head into the Max Bell Centre to have lunch. Mmmm, arena dogs! With cheese, and onions! We take in a Ringette game while chowing down. They play well…what an exciting diversion – we got right into it.
Back on the road, take the pathway heading west. Crossover Calgary’s busiest thoroughfare again (Deerfoot). There’s a nice view of downtown here. And if you’re lucky, as we were, you might catch a train on the bridge seen in front. Ah yea, trains. You see, we have this problem. You’re now by the Bow.
On crossing Nose Creek, head north again. Pass under busy Memorial Drive and the LRT Tracks, and soon on come to the Telus Spark Science Centre. The CPR tracks are busy this day. Another train passes. We could watch them ALL DAY. I so want a truck outfitted with rail wheels like that one that passed!
Continuing on we pass under 8th Avenue, then 16th Avenue. The Nose Creek valley is more pronounced here, with escarpments on both sides. Pass a golf course. Over there’s the Eagle Quest Golf Dome looking like some kind of giant cocoon. Looks like it was busy there – with all the snow it’s pretty much the only place where golfer’s with spring fever can hit a few balls. Spring is MIA.
Soon on arrive back where you started, a good eighteen clicks behind you – it didn’t seems like anything more than ten or so. There’s some good exercise and the chance to see all kinds of interesting things. Not a bad day.
If you wish more information about this trail, by all means contact us!
Date of adventure: March, 2018. Location: Calgary, AB. Distance: 18km loop. Height gain maximum: 100m-ish. Height gain cumulative: 100m-ish. NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate. Technical bits: Ice (rarely applicable in summer).
(A long read) After twelve years it's time to put a face to the name and come clean on something. That's rarely-seen Chris in the photo, one half of Team BIGDoer, my best friend for almost thirty years and orchestrator of everything you see here. For his entire adult life, he's battled a deep depression.
Mostly it's manageable, but there are extended bouts where it's crippling and his life comes to a grinding halt. Sometimes there are days or weeks where he's lost. Sleep does not come easy at this time and further aggravates the issue. As he ages, it's worsening and seems intent on destroying him from the inside.
If you see a lack of posts here, or ones poorly worded, confusing or simply off, it's from one of these periods.
Through all this, he remains as kind, thoughtful and loving as ever, but is somewhere else. To the family, it's just Chris and accepted as it should be. The kids and grandkids adore him no less. Until today, however, this has been hidden from the outside world, although closer friends and some readers were probably already suspect of his condition. I hope admitting this does not break the site.
He finds clarity when we're out and doing things, hiking or documenting something historic and it's only THE reason this page and our website exists. It's therapy. Then he's a new and passionate person, but the monster as he calls it always returns. The Beer Parlour Project has brought out a side I've never seen and when out in the field he's never been so on point and confident.
This post is not for sympathy but to inform. Just so you know where he is and here's what you can do to help (a last ditch request)...
If you see a missed comma or oddly worded sentence in a post, please be kind. You'll probably see his uncertainty when he's off and be nice there too. But if you like what you see, even if the write up could be presented better, post your encouragement. Say something and say it loud...it's important and will keep him sharing. Help Chris get better by cheering him on.
Other than some photos that are mine, everything else comes from him. All the tiring research and the writing (he admits he's NOT a writer), are his.
Chris puts every dollar he makes into this "project of a lifetime", and it's supplemented by donations from readers who enjoy the content. If you want to help...
Admittedly he was not thrilled with the idea of posting this but agrees it probably should be said, even if it makes him uneasy. He doesn't like appearing in photos either. He's so shy, thinks he looks goofy and hates his husky eyes. I love them and they're windows into a wonderful, complex and quiet, but tortured soul. It breaks my heart when he's in a bad space.
This image comes thanks to photographer Arturo Pianzola and was captured while exploring the historic Riverview Mental Hospital in Coquitlam BC. Chris thought since he was in the area last year, he'd stop by to visit with a grandfather he never really knew, who spent his last years at the facility and is buried on the grounds.
Thanks for listening and your understanding. Hopefully we'll see you next week. Johanna (Connie).
Journey of Natty Gann (Disney 1985) and the same location in the Crowsnest Pass 2014. We're visiting the Pass over the new year, as we often do, and this time we'll be staying at a house that appears (briefly) in the film. How cool, eh? Chris has decided it's time on this visit to reshoot this and other Natty Gann comparison shots we did from ten years ago. Stay tuned!
This scene was shot in historic downtown Coleman and shows the former Holyk's Grocery. It was built in the early 1900s and the store closed in the '60s. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
From 2015. Rob Pohl and his strange old-style view camera joined us in documenting the Laing House (with permission). Head down to the comments to see an amazing coincidence with something I found inside.
From the Crossley slides, it's an undated view of Towers School, out near Cluny Alberta. It was originally called Swastika School but that's before the word and symbol were ruined by negative connotations. Built 1922. Gone? _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
The same alley in downtown Calgary's west end, in the 1970s & today. You have to look hard to see the connection! The area was quite run down back then and is in stark contrast to all the shiny condo towers seen present day. Calgary Place West, an apartment block, appears in both images although it's barely a sliver in ours. Check the comments for more info.
Photo credit: James Tworow collection. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Lost highways (2022): a section of old #93 in Southeastern BC. That BIGDoer-mobile is gone now but quite famous and had a following of its own. Old mine roads, cow paths, 4x4ing across fields - no problem and people would recognize us out in remote areas just by this car. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Free Bolr? Now that’s funny.
Well at least someone got it.
A fun time!
Always when we’re together!
How do you two do it? This looks like a mundane walk at best, but you made it interesting. You are good.
It’s our superpower. Keep it entertaining no matter where you are and life will never be boring. Make the best of every day and everything.
Looks like an awesome time was had by all!
Amen to that, it was fun!