Prairie Winds – Not Flat Here!
As you are driving around in Southern Alberta you are surrounded by the prairies – flat endless land and then a surprise, the prairies are not always flat. This area of Alberta is part of what was identified in 1863 by John Palliser, as a semi arid steppe region unsuitable for agriculture because of its unfavorable climate and soil. Check around you, agriculture is the base of this area.
An essential part of all areas is a drainage system and so, too, for the prairies. The river below is the Milk River which is part of the Mississippi River drainage system, that’s right, the water you see flowing is headed for the Gulf of Mexico. For more information about the Milk River check out GC2YR2N Prairie Winds - Tea with milk.
The landmark hills to the south of this location are West Butte, a part of the Sweet Grass Hills, Montana. For more information about the hills you can check out GC2WQRR Prairie Winds – Hills of Home.
What you are looking at is a huge community project that started in 1962 with the acquisition of the land for recreation purposes. The oxbow* of the river is stocked with trout, wild Canada geese call this lake home and it is a great place to learn how to canoe because of the still water that comes from a spring in the side of the hill. Some of the trees, like the cotton woods & willows are native to the area but many more have been added over the years.
Plan your trip to take advantage of what is available here. The cache is placed with permission from the owners. Please park beside the main entrance and walk to the cache to prevent ruts or traffic from packing down the fire guard. You may access the cache by a short walk on foot even when the gates are locked.
*oxbow lake cutoff is "a small curved lake lying on the flood plain of a river and constituting the remnant of a former meander" Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003