Calgary Public Library East Village
I’m not talking about this summer (2025), I’m talking about last summer (2024), as in I’m writing this one summer ahead of the one I’m talking about. But one post for the whole summer does a lot to get me caught up, even if this post goes a bit longer than normal.
My dog friends are my friends dogs.
My summer started with a trip to Lethbridge to visit friends for a week. I’ll stick to a picture of the dog friends.
I returned to Calgary for my usual set of errands. I still have a doctor, dentist, chiropractor of which I’d rather stick with rather than seeing some random person while travelling. Then there is visiting friends and family, plus taking care of a bit of upkeep at the family home. All in all, it’s a pretty boring few weeks that merit little discussion unless I feel like blogging about how to fix stuff in the RV. This year at least, there was little to work on. I spent rather more time painting the house, and a little upkeep that my step-mom can’t really do. There is always something to do with the computer. Someday, I’m going to write a blog on everything wrong with computers these days for old people.
Walking another dog friend in Didsbury
I then travelled to Didsbury to visit a friend there. Since I have a place to park there, I typically stay a while there, doing a few chores around the property while I’m there. I did a few day trips while in Didsbury – its not too far from Bearberry, where my friend trains her dogs, and I have some boondocking spots not too far further west there. Lethbridge, Calgary, Didsbury is pretty much my routine while I’m in the area. I did no different this year (2025), just a different order. I did visit the Didsbury museum finally. I’ll post three quick pics, but I took way more I don’t feel like editing up now.
Swan Lake boat launch
By the time I was out boondocking again, we are talking mid-July. How time flies visiting and hanging out. I decided to explore a bit further north. I wasn’t going a long ways, as I had to be back for an annoying Doctor appointment. It was one of those things that needed to be followed up just in case but was likely to be nothing. I certainly could have worse problems. I had scouted out some promising spots on the way into Swan Lake. While the lake itself is nice, I wasn’t going to pay $28 a night for an unserviced pad even if it did come with a lake nearby.
Boondocking spot
The spot I found was a little far from the lake, but I did manage to take the motorcycle over for a visit one day. I had been there once many years ago with my Dad for a days fishing. But between the gravel road in, and bad fishing, we never returned again. You have to realise, there are not a ton of lakes in the south part of Alberta, especially against the foothills. You end up getting busy and expensive campgrounds, so I don’t camp on water around here. I was happy enough with my spot at the end of a logging road. There were no visitors other than a friend who came out to camp one evening. Overall it was good to decompress in the wilderness again after what had been near two months in civilization.
I had two more weeks before I had to be back in Calgary, and it was going to be over the August long weekend to boot. That is one of the busiest weekends for camping anywhere in Canada, so I needed to find a solid spot. My travels took me north of Rocky Mountain House, into what was a big oil and gas exploration area. That meant there were a ton of roads carved into the wilderness, going to the various pads with wells, and former wells. I hoped to score a spot on one of these former pads, or if I was lucky, a spot on a creek or river in the area. I was travelling quite a ways north of Rocky Mountain House, but at least the first few klicks of road were paved. Even the gravel road was very nice – it’s the main oil and gas road into the area so the maintenance is top notch other than a lack of dust control.
Baptiste River Bridge
I explored a few side branches, hoping to score a spot along the North Saskatchewan River. As I got to Baptiste River, there were some very promising spots along that river close to where it emptied into the North Saskatchewan. But I was on the edge of cell service, not drawing much of anything in the spot I had found. I decided to try one more road towards the North Saskatchewan River. This ended in a field right beside the river, with cell service! My only challenges were crossing the levee to get to the field, the road went right over it leaving me with a steep drop into the field that my motorcycle rack might just clear. The second challenge was the big mud puddle I could just go around in the drier weather. If it rained, it would get interesting for sure.
A bit wet after some rain
I decided both of those downsides were worth it, and took my motorhome over the levee, just clearing my front motorcycle hitch. The puddle was easy enough to get around now, but rain was in the forecast… In the meanwhile, I explored around the area with my Grom, finding a lot of spots in the woods if you are willing to live without cell service at least. There are a few areas with cell service, but you are much more limited for sure. There was a lot of oil and gas remains to explore in the area. The companies managing the infrastructure get a lot more casual about fencing off, and signing ‘keep out’ on old structures way back in the bush. I was able to explore around and even in an old shed while out there. One thing is for sure: you don’t touch anything on the assumption it’s still pressurised.
Stones throw from the North Saskatchewan River
Decommed oil pump
The site was a good spot to launch the kayak. There is a little bit of a drop down to the river, but it’s not too hard to get a kayak or small boat down to the water. I was able to get out and do a little fishing too. My new anchor got some good use to keep me in place against the current. I did manage to catch a whitefish, but threw it back as it’s not the best eating fish. I was expecting visitors at my site with it being such a good spot which did occur, but more from the river than the road. It turns out a lot of boaters travel this section of the North Saskatchewan River, with paddlers going from Rocky Mountain House to Drayton Valley. I even had a water truck come in to draw water from the levee access to the river.
Nice fishing hole in front of my camping spot
I decided to chance it and return to this river spot for a second week. It was going to be the August long weekend, a super busy time of the year out camping. My spot was big enough that someone might try to camp with me, but fortunately that did not occur. I actually had some canoers check out the site then camp down the river at a shitty spot. I wasn’t feeling bad for them – they could have gone down another klick to a great spot where the Baptiste River entered the North Saskatchewan.
Paddlers visiting
While I was super happy with my river view and easy access for kayaking, the mud hole at the access nagged at me the whole time I was there. I was watching the weather forecast like a hawk, for I did not think I’d make it through if everything stayed wet. The first rain I had was only a couple of days into my stay. I figured things would dry out enough with the dry weather following to get out.
My new spot after with all the rain that fell.
Sure enough, things did dry out so I relaxed a bit more until the long weekend. Of course, rain was in the forecast which I watched carefully. I was planning on heading back to Calgary for my appointment, but the rain was coming in just a little too soon. Seeing the heavy rain coming on the weather radar, I decided that the pain in the ass of moving for one night beat the chance of getting stuck. On the other side of the berm was a spot in the grass right beside an oil well site. I could drive out onto the gravel road no matter how wet it got. I did have to park as far over as possible to avoid a low spot that did fill up with water, but it at least I slept well knowing I’d get out in the morning.
It was back to Calgary for one more doctor appointment that did indeed turn out to be nothing. I was free to wander now for the remaining bit of summer and into the fall. Join me next time as explore my way south into the Fall of 2024. I’ll leave you with a few more pictures of my North Saskatchewan river camp.
Abandoned oil site shed and tank
Inside the abandoned shed
In case you were in doubt about my second spot, you can see I left with nary a track in the wet ground. There is good gravel around this well site.
