Worst Canadian Winters

Canada is a vast land of extremes. Winters here are something that we as Canadians have adapted to and have been conditioned to survive the harshest of what winter can throw at us. Human beings are essentially tropical animals that are not equipped for even mild cold winters. It's only because of our behavioral adaptions,  appropriate winter clothing and shelter that we manage to survive and even thrive through our tough winters.

THIS IS NEVER A GOOD SIGN

The most frigid major city in Canada in winter wins  mitts down,  the honor going to the city of Winnipeg,  Manitoba,   where the average daily temperature in winter is  -15.3 c.  that is of course without the wind chill factored in and -40 for weeks on end is as common in Manitoba.  The myth surrounding whether Portage and Main in downtown Winnipeg is the coldest corner in Canada, and immortalized in song by The Guess Who as 50 below,  has been ruled out as just that,  a myth. While it is bloody bone chilling cold in winter alright, it is downtown and with the protection of lots of buildings for wind breaks, it can't help to be a little warmer than it will be out at the airport per say where it's always colder.  The prairies are colder anyway from lack of windbreaks,  natural and otherwise,  so when the winter winds blow up a blizzard, it's usually of significant proportions and comes with a huge downward spike in temperature.

In 1947,  Northern and Western Canada experienced one of the worst winters ever as cold arctic air moved into Canada from eastern Siberia  stalled over the Yukon for over a week setting a record low of -63 c. in Snag Yukon as 38cm of snow laid on the ground.  It went onto set other record lows as recorded in Fort Nelson B.C,  Jan.30/1947,  -51.7 and -50 in Fort McMurray Alberta, Feb.1/1947.  -58.9,  Smith River B.C,  1947.  A temperature was recorded in Calgary Alberta as,  -45 in 1893.  Calgary is lucky as it is situated in what is called a prairie steppe climate. The city is in a valley and subject to warm Chinook winds that can blow down from the mountains and raise the temperature up to 30 degrees in an hour and leaving Calgarians basking in the warm reprieve from winter for a day or up to a week or more.

NO SCHOOL TODAY !

  


To demonstrate the effect of prairie blizzards,  in Saskatchewan a train was halted in a blizzard that raged from, Jan.31 to Feb.9, 1947.  The train was then buried completely by a snowdrift 1 km long and 36.7 ft deep.  It was called the worst recorded winter conditions in the railroads recorded history.  All roads into Regina were also blocked in with snow as was all of Saskatchewan,  and the rest of the prairies didn't fare much better either. Many people were trapped in their homes for over a week.


With temperatures at -60, when you exhale, it makes a hissing sound as the moisture in your breath freezes in the air and vapor trails are created that drift upward up to 500m.
The lowest temperature ever recorded on the planet was -89.2,  July,21/1983,  in Vostok Antarctica.  Apparently, even the sled dogs wouldn't start and went on strike.  Canada is considered the coldest country in the world next to Mongolia and Russia.  The dangers of winter are mainly Hypothermia, driving,  loss of power and heat as strong winds and or ice rain knock out power lines.  Ice rain is restricted mostly to eastern and central Canada. 

TREES IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO COVERED IN ICE AFTER AN ICE RAIN

THE LAST THING A CANADIAN WANTS TO SEE OUT THE WINDOW IN THE MORNING BEFORE WORK

OOPS, AT LEAST HE'S NOT BLOCKING THE ROAD

I KNOW OUR HOUSE IS AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE

Scholastic.ca

FROSTBITE AND FROST NIP EXPLAINED

Women are less prone to getting frostbite than as are men because they have a higher gradient temperature from skin surface to body core. However that makes women more susceptible to surface damage of the skin,  rather than the deeper damage occurred by men exposed to freezing temperatures.  When temperatures drop well below freezing,  exposed skin can freeze in less that 3 minutes.  When windchill is factored in, it can mean a matter of seconds instead if the winds are strong enough and the temperature low enough.  Elder's are at risk of heart attack from shoveling snow in winter and many Canadians get back injuries from shoveling snow.


Before you get frostbite, you get frost-nip.  Your extremities begin to get sluggish as blood leaves the skin surface to try and warm the core.  This is why your fingertips and your ears get cold first and lose sensation,  making it hard to even do up a button or feel your ears.  Even nerve cells transmit more slowly as blood flow is diverted away from the extremities. Frost-nip is when the surface layers of your skin freeze.  Frost bitten skin has fallen below freezing and ice crystals form in living cells,  killing them. Surface blood vessels dilate,  muscular contractions begin and shivering actually produces 5 times more heat production for the body to try and warm up with.  Skin turns pasty white and loses all sensation. 


Deep frostbite turns the skin blue,  black and purple and means extensive tissue damage and even muscle and bone damage  causing the need for amputation.  If frostbitten skin is rewarmed to quickly,  it can cause serious damage to the skin causing it to swell and blister.  When frostbitten skin hardens to a black carapace,  if it's not too severe dead layers of skin slough off and it's a painful experience.  To survive extreme cold,  you have to raise your body temperature by generating enough energy.  The only way to do this is to first have the right kinds of food in your body that provide good fuel and secondly preventing heat loss by what ever manner we can manage. If fire and shelter isn't an option, choices are limited.  


When we get cold we  have to pee more often and this is just your body's defense against the cold as it tries to eliminate as much water out of your urine as it can.  Both children and animals are at high risk from frostbite and must be protected from extreme cold weather.  Do not leave dogs outside for too long or for extended walks without foot protection.  All to often,  a common sight in winter in Alberta is young children of immigrant families going from their house and jumping into cars barefoot and even babies  carried or in a stroller outside in bare feet.  That is extremely irresponsible on the parents part and this practice should be stopped.  

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*WARNING THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE GRAPHIC IN NATURE * 

        

Canadians have a love hate relationship with winter and you either like it or you don't.  We ski,  skate,  toboggan,  snowmobile,  race motorcycles on ice,  play hockey,  ice climb,  ice fish,  and even take annual polar dips. Ya,  we're a little crazy.  We're Canadians, Eh?     A large and growing number of Canadians opt for warmer climates in winter and the sooner I am among their numbers,  the happier I will be,  as winter is my least favorite season in Canada.

Thank You for your continued support of this blog.

Do Have A Good Day And A Warm Night

Jeffrey R Hilton

   

Positive Direction

CELTIC CONTINUITY

This is a list of words that should be a part of your life and everyday vocabulary. You should know these words intimately.  That is to say, they should be a part of your life as an emotion you experience or show others outwardly and put into action yourself each day.   Do your best to make use of these words effectively and your life cannot help but to improve greatly in many ways.  This is my charm of enchantment for you to move forward.  Use,  of these words will set forth the powerful laws of attraction.  These words are not magic by themselves. They only come to life when someone makes sincere effort to use them in a positive light.

***

****

 A ) 
ACTION,   ACCOMPANIED,  ALIGNMENT,  AWARENESS,  ATTENTION,  ACHIEVEMENT,  ATTRACTION,  ABY,  ABSOLUTORY,  AMAZING,  ALERT,  ACQUISITION,  ATTENTIVE,  AGENDA,  ASSET,  APPROACHABLE


B )
BELIEVE,  BELIEF,  BALANCE,  BENEFICIAL,  BRIGHT,  BENEVOLENCE.




C )              
COURTEOUS,  CONFIDENT,  CONSCIOUS,  CONNECTED,  CHARMING,  COMPASSIONATE,  COLLOQUIAL,  CHARITABLE,  COHESIVE,  CARING,  CALM




D )
DEPENDABLE,  DELIGHTFUL, DYNAMIC,  DISTINCTIVE,  DIAMOND,  DEEDFUL,  DEVOTED






E )  
EFFICIENT,  EXCELLENT,  ENERGETIC,  ENCOURAGEMENT,  EXTOL, ENCHANTED,  ENGAGING,  EXERCISE,  EXTRA






F )
FRIENDLY,  FAIR,  FEELING,  FOCUS,  FLAIR,  FINESSE  






G )
GREAT,  GREGARIOUS,  GENEROUS








H )
HOPEFUL,  HAPPY,  HEARTFELT,  HONEST








I  )
IMPRESSIVE,  INTERESTING,  IMPROVEMENT,  INDICATIVE








J )
JOY,  JUNK








K )
KINDNESS,  KINDRED








L )
LOVE,  LUCKY,  LIKABLE,  LOYAL,  LEADERSHIP








M )
MOVE,  MOBILE,   MINDFUL








N )
NICE,  NEEDS








O )
ORIENTED,  ON TIME,  OPEN








P)
PASSIONATE,  PRECIOUS,  PRIDE,  POSITIVE,  PLAN,  PROACTIVE








Q )
QUALIFY,  QUESTION,  QUINTESSENTIAL










R )
RELAXED,  REMEMBER,  RETENTIVE,  REGAL,  READY










S )
SWEET,  SENSITIVE,  SPARKLING,  SOLUTION ORIENTED,  STRENGTH,  SHARE,  SAFETY,  SMILING










T )
TOGETHER,  TOUCH,  THOROUGH,  THOUGHTFUL  










U )
UTILIZE,  UNWAVERING,  UNDERSTANDING








V )
VALUABLE,  VIGOR








W )
WELLNESS,  WANTS,  WARM








X )
***






Y )
YOUTHFUL








Z )
ZEAL,  ZEST

****

Think of these words and ask yourself , how may I best embrace these positive words and how many ways  can I use each word beneficially to help myself and others.

CELTIC TRISCAL

Do Have A Good Day And A Rewarding Life.

                                   Jeffrey R Hilton

Elbow Falls Alberta

Elbow Falls,  Kananaskis,  Alberta.  A trip to the falls is always a nice day trip and a great place for a picnic and a barbecue beside the Elbow River,  before it tumbles over the falls. Of course you won't be alone though as this is a busy and compact area, and you have to arrive early to get a picnic table or happen into one as someone leaves.  This site has been constantly improved over the years and now has become amazingly Wheelchair friendly given the kind of place it is.  Pit Toilets are available.  Fire pit BBQ'S come with most of the Picnic tables and there is proper bear proof garbage disposal containers. There are 3 generous lookouts that offer different views of the falls.


On the route to and from the Falls,  Watch Out For Cyclists and Motorcyclists alike as there are many of both coming from Calgary and all points between.

The falls is actually,  a set of falls,  that fluctuates in volume of water greatly from a height of 20ft. in dry season to a mere 9.8 ft. in June when spring runoff is a factor.  Elbow Falls is one of eight falls in Alberta and is located on Highway 66.  Yes,  that's our Canadian version of the American's Route 66,  in Alberta,  only ours is lined with Pines and views of Mountain vistas.  The falls is 20 km West of the small Hamlet of Bragg Creek.

The Elbow River's source is at Elbow Lake,  at 7000 ft above sea level in the Elbow-Sheep Wild-land Area at Elbow Pass. 

Looking Back Upriver From The Falls

  

The Elbow Below The Falls Heading To Calgary

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There are several overnight camp grounds nearby the falls and a 1 km trail that starts and ends at the falls parking lot.  

There are excellent Canoeing and Kayaking opportunities on the Elbow River both above and below the falls, but be prepared to get wet and very cold as there are many sweepers and keepers along the way and even on a hot day,  hypothermia is a real possibility.

This concludes the post.


Do Have A Good day And A Good Day Trip.


Jeffrey R Hilton

The North Ghost In Alberta

North Ghost Valley

The North Ghost is kind of misleading as the actual area of North Ghost Wilderness Preserve is 60 square miles of raw wilderness established in 1967 along the front range of the Rockies 70 km. from Calgary bordering Banff National Park. The area includes Mount Aylmer,  Mount Allen,  Mount Apparition,  Mount Oliver and  Mount Costigan.  Most of the rest of the area is called Ghost River Valley and encompasses 262 square miles.  It takes in a much bigger area that includes the Ghost Valley, Waiporous, Burnt Timber, Fallen Timber, Hunter Valley and several other areas where off road use is lawful,  unlike the Ghost River Wilderness Preserve where only foot traffic is allowed and the area is heavily monitored and many restrictions are in place to protect the pristine wilderness. There are many ice climbers in the area in winter as there is some renowned climbing available. 

Getting here is half the fun and while a lot of it is accessible to cars and motor-homes, it's much more suited to trucks and 4x4's.  the road in is usually pretty hard going,  from bumpy hard packed gravel with millions of pot holes to soft mud and water on the road in some places along with a few small creek crossings.  On my last trip there I was really disappointed to walk down a trail and see a TV set that obviously quit working and was thrown on the fire then smashed and left in the bushes by some careless and thoughtless asses that think being able to camp here free is their right and not a privilege to be coveted.  For God sake's,  if you're that irresponsible then stay home.  It's people like these that end up spoiling it for all the rest as usual.

There are beaver ponds in this area that are stocked with trout and caught early in the spring or summer before their flesh becomes too mushy, make an excellent pan fried breakfast.  While there are loads of off road vehicles in the area, it's still easy to find a peaceful place to camp.  I don't usually camp on a ridge but the last time I went, it was in a car and places near the creeks were too hard to get to or were already taken. It was a stunning view though, nice and breezy and no rain after we arrived after it poured all the way there.  There is an abundance of wildlife including, Bears,  Wolves,  Big Horn Sheep Deer,  Moose and Cougars.  Ghost River starts in the high ranges on the boundary of Banff National Park and has 2 tributaries being Waiporous Creek and The South Ghost River.  The river and creek levels usually remain high all summer due to runoff of melting snow from the mountains.  The area is generally always breezy.    

The Ghost River name comes from a Stoney tribe legend that was told to Dr. Hector, a member of the Palliser expedition. Indian Ghosts were witnessed along the river collecting the skulls of warriors killed in a battle with the Cree tribe.  Legend has it that the ghosts had taken the skulls and hid them in nearby Devils Head. Legends abound in the area regarding The Cree, The Blackfoot and The Lokoda tribes. The Blackfoot or Blackfeet were a feared tribe and were always at war with most other tribes like the Sioux and the Cree.

Devil's Head Mountain

The area is also used heavily by the equestrian set.  Margaret Lake is not to far from here and is an alpine lake stocked with Trout that often suffer winter kill. Margaret Lake is situated with a lovely backdrop of mountains.

Margaret Lake

I already can't wait to get back there this summer and enjoy a few days of peaceful 
camping and relaxing.  I've had so many great trips to the area with and without a Dirt Bike. Common sense, bear safety and being well prepared apply as always to using the back country.








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Do Have A Good Day And Explore The World At Every Opportunity.

Jeffrey Robert Hilton

Saving Seniors. Will You Be There?

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Saving Seniors, Will You Be There?

Nobody's getting any younger. The population is heading for a drastic change already well under way,  a demographic shift that will see seniors as a larger majority of the populace than ever before.  The population of seniors 65 and over is currently on the rise from between 2000 and by the year 2050, The percentage of seniors will grow to be 147 % of the U.S population,  while during the same period,  the general overall population of the U.S will only increase to 49 %.  


In 2006, 13.7 % of Canadians were 65 or over and by 2056, the number will increase to 
30 %.  The way the present structure to take care of the elderly is set up,  It is headed for collapse as a growing number of older Canadians and Americans retire and younger people are not moving into the workforce to replace many of them, the system will struggle to maintain the funds to support old age with this model.  Surely with the amount of young and talented bright minds out there today,  one of them could come up with a better model than the current failing one that exists today.  I think a percentage of lottery funds should be funneled to be the base for a better improved system to take care of the aging population.  


The problems that plague the elderly are generally the same across the board. What they worry about is that  living skills and abilities diminish causing the need for care and losing the independence that many try to hold onto desperately.  Common health problems associated with age like crippling forms of arthritis, mild dementia and heart problems. The cost of prescriptions and procedures is such that a lot of seniors are foregoing treatment because they can't afford the high cost of drugs and extra billing.  This end result is further strain on the medical system from these seniors developing more serious conditions as a result of not getting treatments and taking prescribed drugs.


The elderly worry about affording medical aids that allow them more freedom and ability.  Insecurity, financial worries and relationship problems with spouses and children are often a worry.  Children with elderly parents, sadly,  often abandon them at a certain age in North American culture.  This causes more strain.  Affording home care is another worry seniors face and the added strain of having to find a care-giving company that only hires top notch qualified personnel and monitors their care givers,  as not all of them give the kind of care the elderly should be afforded and many perform services that are substandard.  it's not uncommon to see bruises on the elderly after a care giver leaves them from rough handling techniques from inexperience or even losing their patience.  Even affording basic necessities to live is a major concern for many seniors.


Seniors residences are turning into big and profitable business's.  Great that more of these places are being built,  but most are upscale and beyond reach of the average senior.  We must change the mindset of government that continually removes or rescinds on fair benefit rates and breaks for seniors and keeps them on the poverty line.  Seniors are often to the target for budget cuts and as always if nothing changes, the same people responsible would never entertain the thought of doing anything as generous and contributing to resolve the situation by taking a pay cut themselves.


Maybe the Government should be run by non profit organizations. Wow would that free up a load of cash to pump into problems that plague us.  Why does North American society not embrace and revere their elderly like other countries do?  We need to adopt the same mindset. Seniors are vastly overlooked as a source of valuable knowledge and wisdom of experience.  And besides,  why not repay the kindness to our parents of bringing us into the world. The sacrifices our elders made to build and defend our countries and rebuild them time after time against the Nazi war machine and other aggressors is nothing less than spectacular patriotism and determination in the face of adversity.  Most elderly war veterans would go to war again if it meant defending their country even in their advanced state of age. Most younger people have no appreciation for the kind of sacrifices their elders continually made to maintain the freedoms we are allowed today.


The whole world needs to learn the benefits of being compassionate not only to their elders but to all of their fellowmen.  In many other countries,  parents move in with their children when they get to old to manage on their own, where they remain until they die. This is a great respect of elders at work and a model every country should follow. Nursing homes are a rarity in Japan.  Would it not be a great accomplishment to be able to say the same of North America?


Let's work together for the future of seniors so they may lead dignified lives after retirement. After all,  you'll be there soon enough!

    ***

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Do Have A Good Day And Never Overlook Compassion As A Tool To Achieve Greatness.

                                             Jeffrey Robert Hilton

                            










  
   

Alberta Badlands

The author sitting beside a hoodoo that resembles a capstone resembling a dinosaur's head.

The Badlands.  The very name conjures up images of shootouts after an ambush in the Old West to some.  To other's it's means rich Dinosaur fossil beds.  I've taken many fabulous canoe trips down the Lower Red Deer River to the thickest band of the Alberta Badlands where it's 2 miles from the riverbank through prime badlands to the prairie above.  It was  there we made our usual camp close to the river bank in an area that you could only call an oasis on the river compared to any of the other choices to make camp at near the halfway point to where the next bridge is and where we get off the river,  pack up and wait for everyone else to come in.


Getting there was part of the fun with trying to ferry a bunch of canoes down the highway on top of various cars and trucks, often having to pull over and retie a knots in the ropes that would come loose,  and then the vehicle shuffles in the dark down unfamiliar back roads.
Finally getting into the canoes the next morning was exhilarating and everyone was raring to go,  as we had a long paddle ahead to reach camp by mid afternoon.  Once in awhile,  I would leave a few days ahead of everyone with another friend and we would put in up river from our usual starting point so that we could explore more of the area.  


What we found were old ferry crossings,  some of which probably ferried dinosaur bones across the river in the 1930's and 40's when paleontologists were jostling each other in the area trying to get specimens for museums. we found abandoned homesteads from different era's,  their roofs covered with the same rocks, dirt,gravel and grass blending in perfectly with the surrounding terrain.  we found 3 old cars that had sunk up to their rooftops in the soft muddy clay along the river.

The roofing material lends itself to almost completely making the place invisible from not faraway.

An Abandoned Homestead

An Old Bed Sits Inside The Cabin Waiting For It's Owner That Will Never Return

The 2 pictures above are of a newer homestead that was built,  after the original one we found closer to the river was probably destroyed when the river flooded higher than usual.  It's not hard to see why the First Nation's Blackfoot Tribe settled into the area as it still has a magical and spiritual feel to it.  

A Natural Cave

In the Badlands,  wind,  water and soft sedimentary rock combine to erode the landscape into odd shaped  Hoodoo's,  Butte's,  Coulee's, Canyons and gullies.  Coal seams are often exposed in Badlands,  which is why coal mining towns used to exist nearby.  There were 139 coal mines operating in the area at one time, and these Towns themselves died out when the mines closed all but a few.

Exploring

We hunted bones and teeth all weekend enjoying the desert like heat the area provides and in general,  just having a good old time.   Dr. Vladimir Markotic,  a one time professor of archaeology and paleontology at the U of C and the co-author of one of the books published on The Sasquatch,  even joined us on one of our expeditions in a Voyager Canoe.

Some of the best times of my younger days were spent there with friends.  We used to average 2 or 3 trips a year to the badlands including a Thanksgiving trip in October where we would enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings we would have enjoyed  at home, including Pumpkin Pie.  We cooked the Turkey in a fire pit refashioned to be an oven keeping hot coals under it and were never disappointed with the results.

Flat Rock Covering  4  Sides Of The Fire 

Different Location With No Usable Rock, Used Beaver Technology To Make This One

Main Camp in Fall

Looking For Dino Teeth

When it rains in the badlands, the hills become slick mud and you can ski down them in your running shoes for fun.

An Old Tepee Ring Up On The Prairie Above The Badlands

Red Deer River As Seen From High Up In The Badlands

Doe A Very Dead Deer

Nearly every year without fail as the May 24 weekend approached the number of people definitely going on the 1st trip of the year would go from 20 people down to about 7 or 9 of us.  Usually the excuse was that it was going to snow,  and while it often did in Calgary the weather was always hot out there in the badlands and we would have a great trip and return tanned. We once located remnants of an ancient forest complete with petrified trees,  or what was left of them.  Some of the specimens were really large and the grain of the wood was so clear and colorful. I couldn't believe I was holding a 65,000,000 million yr. old piece of wood in my hand. 

Over the years I found several tooth tips from an Albertasaur complete with clearly serrated edges like a butter knife.  I eventually made one of these into a necklace I wore for a few years.  Typically,  the teeth that turn up on the surface after rainfall is about 2 inches long and are just the tips that have broken off,  but I have seen friends find larger 3 to 4 inch teeth. The dinosaur bones wash up to the surface and are exposed the same way from the constant erosion. 


There are rattlesnakes and scorpions in the area,  but the deadliest predator some of had the misfortune to tangle with was when someone kicked a Prickly Pear Cactus,  while wearing sandals  when they were walking and not watching where they were going.  These cactus needles inject you with a venom like substance that makes the punctured  area swell and become extremely painful for awhile.  


There is the World Class Tyrell Museum not far out of Drumheller that has amazing displays and their is Horseshoe Canyon in the area that looks like a miniature Grand Canyon and the 48 km loop by car they call the Dinosaur Trail, but it's the Badlands I know faraway from all that,  with peaceful solitude where you can absorb the scenery and contemplate life while poking around for fossils.  Sit around a roaring fire at night and listen to Coyote's howl to each other. Jump in the river in the midday sun and sit down holding a big rock to cool off and not float away at the same time.  The ghost stories,  stargazing and camaraderie of friends. That's the Badlands I knew that still calls out to me. 

Do Have A Good Day And A Smashing Expedition.

                    Jeffrey R Hilton