She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain

 This was our choice for a Thanksgiving weekend hike, about an hour south-east of Red Deer. 

On the top of the cliff the temperature was about 13 degrees Celsius when we started, so at first we wore all our layers. 

The road to the bottom of the river bed (our same Red Deer River) was blocked off, so instead of driving down it, we took the "short cut", wending our way down amongst the hoodoos.

 That took 40 minutes. There were plenty of trails, in between the hoodoos, but you had to watch your step. We could've walked down the road, but this was more interesting.

I always pray that God would make me "as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights." Psalm 18: 33.  

 

Deer tracks imbedded in the soft sandstone.

 

 

We didn't stay at the river very long, as Terry was sure he had found the direction to go on his All Trails app.

The sun didn't shine all day, but it was much warmer at the bottom. I shed my sweater. Terry keeps his down jacket on.

The trail winds through low Wolf Willow bushes onto a grassy meadow.

This chicory flower looks a little misplaced.

Cacti even in the badlands of Alberta!

                                                                    Lichen on a rock.

The trail seemed clear here, and so much easier to walk on, but at some point, we made a wrong turn, and ended up making a complete circle. Not the one we were supposed to make on the All Trails map. We opted not to climb to the top of the buffalo jump. It was much higher than the bluff ahead of Terry, and stands as a dry island overlooking the river.

Some of the irregular terrain we hopped over on the way down.

We chose to return to the parking lot via the road. Once we found it, that is. One foot in front of the other, but I made it! The health app said we'd climbed 41 stories. 

 Leaves in the deep ruts like a river of gold. The road is supposed to be "under development," so vehicles could access the picnic area and boat launch, as they had in the past.

                                                      The Red Deer River meanders along.

Our meanderings took us 7.1 km (4.4 miles) , and we walked 12,800 steps. That's enough for one day!

By 2:00 pm I was eating my delicious tuna wrap with garden lettuce. Temperature had climbed to 18 degrees Celsius. A satisfying day!