The rugged and refined in Alder Flats

So I have been telling you to explore your backyard and check out places like Evansburg, Breton and Eagle Point Provincial Park. But what about Alder Flats? What the heck is there to do in Alder Flats? To answer this question I have visited Alder Flats five times since July to have a new experience, discover a new place and give you guys some actionable ideas.

To give a bit of context, I am no stranger to Alder Flats but most of my visits have been specific to spending time with family. In the early 1960’s my grandpa found himself raising a family on a well site in the middle of the bush, somewhere in the vicinity of Alder Flats. I say somewhere because after visiting the place several times I am at a loss on how to even give directions to get there. It is literally a labyrinth of lease roads that lead into thicker, thicker bush. No other neighbours for miles with bears, moose and deer being some of the most frequent guests. I have added my grandmother’s Spicy Moose Stew recipe below for your gustatory pleasure.

The trails are unmapped and shrouded in thick forest so good luck picking any sort of line on Google Maps.

-thoughts on the rugged Rose Creek Trails

Having been born in the area my dad would be considered an Alder Flats local although his family ties extended between there and Breton. My mom was a migrant from BC that somehow also landed in Alder Flats. Over the years these ties have led to frequent visits to Alder Flats to meet with extended family who still live in the area.Visit yes, exploration of the region? No.

At first glance the small hamlet leaves one truly wondering, “Okay I am in Alder Flats, now what?” Signage to attractions are few, so without a local to guide you may just decide to breeze past this community without a second thought.

Don’t do it. Here’s why.

Grey Owl Meadery – Distance from Drayton Valley 31 minutes

I am going to lead with my big card; The Grey Owl Meadery, a bona fide tourist attraction including; facility tours, flight samplers, and a beautiful pastoral setting overlooking the Rocky Mountains. If you are in the area you should really plan to stop in.

Coming off the mountain after a gruelling two-day 30 km hike near Nordegg my friend and I were famished. But, looking at our sad sack of “power” food we knew that as convenient as it was it just wouldn’t do. Standing by the car peeling off our sweat soaked attire, and removing my slightly too small but “they were the right price” hiking boots we ran through the 3-4 options that Nordegg had to offer. Although they were good, they just weren’t grabbing us. Then it hit me! “What about the Grey Owl Meadery?” The meadery is Located on Hwy 22 just south of Alder Flats. It is a local farm to glass story with their mead being made from their very own honey hives located in Buck Creek and Alder Flats.

I haven’t had mead before, but I like charcuterie, as did my hiking companion. Sold! We arrived at the Grey Owl, properly hungry and thirsty. We took our seats on the patio and ordered a sampler flight of mead to share and some charcuterie. The salty meats, and cheeses paired with sweet fruits and mead was just what we needed. Looking out the patio to the west was a picturesque pastoral setting that extended all the way to the rocky mountains.

We did not do a tour but tours are on offer and perhaps something I will sign up for at a later date. If this is not on your bucket list I suggest you add it. My friend and I took our time, chatted with other patrons and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Rose Creek Float

From camping in the mountains to camping in my aunt’s backyard AKA “Backyard Bumming”. Her acreage in Alder Flats is normally a nice place to take the kids, but this time we found ourselves in the grips of a mid-summer heat wave where the thermometer soared to the high twenties by mid-morning and we found that no amount of sprinkler water was going to put out that fire. So we packed up blow ups, snacks, water and sunscreen and rolled out to Rose Creek.

There are two access points to Rose Creek that I know of. The first is at the Rose Creek bridge straight west of Alder Flats and another about 15 minutes away navigated by a series of range roads and lease roads. Without a local guide I would have been lost a number of times as the roads got rougher and the trees got thicker. But luckily my aunt knew where to go so we found ourselves at what I have always known as “The Mouth of the Wolf. This designation was from the time when Rose Creek was “the creek formerly known as Wolf Creek.” This is where the creek meets the North Saskatchewan River.

Flat dry creek beds and a low flow creek was the perfect break from the summer’s horrendous heat and a great spot for my young kids to play in. But as noted to get here you will have to rely on a local or a mental map as roads are not signed. I think this adds to the overall ruggedness of the area.

Rose Creek Trails

Speaking of ruggedness there is another place to explore that has the Rose Creek namesake: The Rose Creek Trails, at the Rose Creek Educational Forest, just west of Alder Flats. The Trails were originally built for Nordic skiing. Remnants of the chalet, outhouses, and signage still exist. The trails have been taken over for multi-use purposes such as hiking, snowshoeing, and atving.

This November weekend we took the dirt bikes, to do a short exploration of the area before picking up the kids at my aunt’s. A quick walk over some of the trails proved to be a little too technical for my riding ability paired with the time crunch we were facing led us to decide to hike them instead. The trails are unmapped and shrouded in thick forest so good luck picking any sort of line on Google Maps. We were able to note several cut lines and my foggy memory of shoe showing the area with Linda McKinnon and her gals about eight years prior laid out a nice little 6km hiking loop.

Heading west out of town you will come to some signage noting the educational forest, to the north is a large parking area that will serve as your jumping off point. Being that these trails are shrouded in trees there is no particular viewpoint but if you take the time to get a bit more up close and personal with the area you will begin to appreciate the beauty surrounding you.

On our hike we came across a number of grouse, birch tree groves, deep ravines, and thick forests. With the right kind of snow fall the trails could definitely be snowshoed and possibly skied. I would love to get back to these trails and explore more, with some website posts noting 80 km of trails you could spend a whole weekend just exploring these trails.

Leaving the area the husband pointed out an eagle. I thought he was mistaken because a crow was also flying overhead. Well, I was wrong as we drove along the road. A huge golden eagle flew up out of the ditch just outside my passenger side window. It was absolutely majestic.

While you are in the area check out some other notable mentions: Seely’s General Store, and Maw Grub & Pub. Seely’s General store has a historic presence in the community started by one of the area’s long- time families; it has stood the test of time and if you head there you can have a peek of the visual history of the area from a mural on their store front. Seely’s has all necessary provisions for campers visiting in the area but one thing that interests a passerby like me are the five cent treat bags. All your favourite childhood candies, changed weekly, bundled nicely and whaddayaknow, five cents still holds its value.

Maw Grub & Pub is located right across from the Alder Flats School. As a side note the school playground is a really good one, and one we visit often. This is the local restaurant, with a wood facade and farm signage on the outside it harkens back to the heritage of the area that was once a homesteaders’ haven, and at the apex of the Alberta logging boom. A nice place to stop and refuel with comfort food menu selections.

Golfing Breton and Birchwood

A one day golf extravaganza, 27-holes, 3-courses. Breton Municipal Golf Course, Big Tee in Breton and The Village Golf Course in Birchwood.

Fumbles and bumbles at Rose Creek

We were about 45 minutes into what turned out to be a very thick bushwack. I was mid-lunge and my ski was looking like a “U” as I tried to get over a fallen tree when my aunt asked, “How much weight do you think we can put on our skis before they break?” I paused, unweighted my ski and looked around to see if there was another way through.