Tidbits of Alberta

[Red Bullets]

Some interesting sheep hunting history. Seems outfitters were up to no good even way back then.

Most bighorn sheep hunters have heard the names of the early outfitters in the Alberta Rockies. Names like the Brewster and Simpson were outfitters and guides. This is some tidbits about Jimmy Simpson...

In 1909 Jimmy Simpson, guide in the rockies, was caught shooting sheep in the Banff National park. He lost his guiding permit for the year and got a 100 dollar fine. He circumventsed the law by hiring a guide and himself going along as cook, which was false. As soon as soon as he was in the back country he was guiding the hunters again. Around the same time the Brewster guides and hunters were convicted of a similar charge.

Then again, in 1920 Jimmy Simpson had a sheep hunter's dream appear. It was November 2, two days after the hunting season had closed he spotted a lone ram. The next day he scouted and learned the ram had crossed into the National Park boundary with 15 other sheep. He decided he needed to forgo any laws and shoot the ram. His first shot hit the ram in the foot and the ram dissappeared. He thought he had missed but found some blood and followed. He found the ram on an outdropping of rock. The second shot was easy. He knew it was the grandfather of all rams. It had a massive 49 1/2 inch curl. It has since then hung in the New York Museum of Natural history. I could not learn what happened to Jimmy Simpson for poaching the world's biggest ram to date.

Jimmy's big ram in the picture.

[Red Bullets]

In 1917 the Ladies Rifle Club in Lloydminister challenged the Men's Reserve Militia Unit to a shooting challenge. The women's club won by 3 points.

[scesfiremedic]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

When you drive west of Leduc about 17 miles highway 39 dips into a creek valley, in and out.

This creek was known as Atcheskapesekwa Seepee in 1847 when George Simpson crossed the creek on his travels to the pacific ocean.

Translated...Smoking Weed Creek. Now the creek is simply known as Weed creek.

Thought some might like that one.

The rim of the creek was a common camping ground that still has stone tools being unearthed in the fields. It's been determined that many of the stone tools date back a few thousand years. In a very close valley there was a whole 6000 year old bison found in the bank in the 1960's too.

Very cool, this is where I harvested my first whitetail doe as a kid (on a friends property on Weed Creek)

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by scesfiremedic

Very cool, this is where I harvested my first whitetail doe as a kid (on a friends property on Weed Creek)

Some very nice whitetails live on Weed Creek. Even the odd elk, moose, mulie and cougar.

Not to sidestrack my own thread... these two bucks once lived on weed Creek.

Closer to the river on the creek there is a place where a knowledgeable friend and I found a cutbank that revealed an old campfire site, maybe a few hundred years old because it was 3 or so feet below the surrounding surface. In the cutbank there was a charred buffalo bone with marks condusive to being butchered too. Downstream closer to the river there has been signifigant prehistoric findings too. About 20 years ago Tyrell museum came and did a helicopter lift of two intact dinosaur footprints that were found. Even I once sat down on a big sandstone boulder for a break and the whole one side was a dinosaur skin imprint. Overall the Smoking Weed Creek is a real historical gem in its own rights.

Note: ** Don't get any ideas on fossil collecting or hunting (without permission). The land is all privately owned along this creek so access is very limited. There is one very short trail that is open to the public. Called "Creeklands Foot Trail". Managed by Edmonton and Area Land Trust. Donated by the late Ethyl Coates. A peaceful place but marginal trail and lots of mud if it rains. The Weed Creek valley for the most part is just an exercise in bushwhacking and sweating. Off trail, snarly underbrush makes hiking miserable. And bug infested. Limited parking too.

[RandyBoBandy]

^^^ Outstanding pics

[Red Bullets]

In 1877 the last big buffalo hunt set out from Lac St Anne.

Where the surrounding hills were covered in buffalo in 1876 by 1879 there were none. The reason for this was actually that in 1876 Sitting Bull had massacred Custer's army and had fled into Southern Alberta Territory. At the US/Canada border stationed US troops prevented the buffalo herds from crossing the border to come north in an attempt to starve out Sitting Bull and his group. During this time (1877-1879) most of the herds were exterminated, on US soil.

By 1884 several dozen hunters from Lac St. Anne traveled south as far as the Cypress Hills to find buffalo. They reported seeing 11 buffalo and did not shoot any.

[Red Bullets]

When we think of the voyagers having to paddle from Fort Edmonton to Hudson's Bay we don't often think of the logistics. Just considering the food for the journey was monumental.

In 1798 Hudson's Bay factor William Tomison of Fort Edmonton recorded that for a trip to Hudson's Bay he would require 5310 lbs. of pemmican, about 25 bison, to feed his men.

Fort Edmonton took in 125 buffalo, ten moose and nine elk in 1798. Over 63,000 lbs. of meat.

[Red Bullets]

This is something interesting from the Provincial Archives. Amazing construction that was dismantled 15 years later. And I quote:

"The Duhamel Trestle Bridge was built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway over the Battle River; connecting Edmonton and Calgary. Construction of the wooden rail bridge started in 1909 and was completed the following year. The bridge only stood until 1924, when it was dismantled after the railway was purchased by the Canadian Northern Railway and the trains were rerouted to cross the Battle River further east."

PAA Photo #: BA409

[Red Bullets]

Think you are worth something? Ponder this...

Back in the day a man's life was worth a horse. And sadly a horse 's value was one pint of whiskey.

[Red Bullets]

As we all know the beaver pelt was the measure of currency during the fur trade. So many "made" beaver pelts would get you a trade item.

From the Northwest company...Equivalent of one made beaver pelt in trade was:
2 small beaver skins would equal 1 Made Beaver.
1 Made Beaver would be equivalent to 1 or 2 lynx pelts, 1 to 7 martens, or 9 to 14 muskrats
8 rabbits = 1 beaver pelt

Consider that today a beaver pelt is worth 10 to 40 dollars. Here are the values of many of the NWC trade goods in Made Beaver:

1MB = 3/4 pounds of coloured beads
1MB = 1 1/2 pounds of gun-powder
1MB = 1 brass kettle
1MB = 2 pounds of sugar
1MB = 1 gallon of brandy
1MB = 2 yards of flannel
1MB = 12 dozen buttons
1MB = 1 pair of breeches
1MB = 1 pair of shoes
1MB = 20 flints
1MB = 8 knives
1MB = 2 pair looking glasses
1MB = 2 hatchets
1MB = 20 fish hooks
1MB = 1 blanket
4 MB = 1 pistol
1MB = 2 shirts
11 MB = 1 musket rifle.

[Red Bullets]

A funny old story from Drayton Valley area.

Drayton Valley was sparsely populated up until the oil boom of the 1950's. In 1915 there were only 12 residents. It was only a village up until 1953.

Early on there were only a few trails in the area and the North Saskatchewan river was the main mode of transportation. In 1901 there were only trappers and the loggers logging the area living there. The first settlers came there in the first decade of the 1900s. The first gravelled road from Entwistle to Drayton Valley was built in 1922.

Back in the earlier 1900's one winter was so cold that some livestock had frozen to death. During the cold winter the loggers living in the Drayton Valley area were visited by a preacher. During one sermon on a bitterly cold winter day the pastor finished his service and was ready to go on to the next area with his sleigh and horse. The loggers had hitched up one of the horses that had frozen solid to the sleigh and had a frozen pig in the sleigh holding the reins.

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

Some interesting sheep hunting history. Seems outfitters were up to no good even way back then.

Most bighorn sheep hunters have heard the names of the early outfitters in the Alberta Rockies. Names like the Brewster and Simpson were outfitters and guides. This is some tidbits about Jimmy Simpson...

In 1909 Jimmy Simpson, guide in the rockies, was caught shooting sheep in the Banff National park. He lost his guiding permit for the year and got a 100 dollar fine. He circumventsed the law by hiring a guide and himself going along as cook, which was false. As soon as soon as he was in the back country he was guiding the hunters again. Around the same time the Brewster guides and hunters were convicted of a similar charge.

Then again, in 1920 Jimmy Simpson had a sheep hunter's dream appear. It was November 2, two days after the hunting season had closed he spotted a lone ram. The next day he scouted and learned the ram had crossed into the National Park boundary with 15 other sheep. He decided he needed to forgo any laws and shoot the ram. His first shot hit the ram in the foot and the ram dissappeared. He thought he had missed but found some blood and followed. He found the ram on an outdropping of rock. The second shot was easy. He knew it was the grandfather of all rams. It had a massive 49 1/2 inch curl. It has since then hung in the New York Museum of Natural history. I could not learn what happened to Jimmy Simpson for poaching the world's biggest ram to date.

Jimmy's big ram in the picture.

Fascinating story thank you!

[Red Bullets]

What does the Cypress Hills and Lac La Biche have in common?

They are both points of land that divide our waters. An geo tidbit.

Water that flows to the south of the Cypress hills flows into the Missouri river system which flows into the Mississippi river and then the gulf of Mexico. North of the Cypress Hills the water flows into the Saskatchewan river system and eventually the Hudson Bay.

And just south of Lac La Biche is a land divide too. The water north of this divide flows into the Arctic Ocean. South of that dividing line the water flows into the Hudson's Bay.

[owlhoot]

The Cypress Hills are also the highest point of land between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by owlhoot

The Cypress Hills are also the highest point of land between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador

The top one hundred meters of the Cypress Hills escaped the effects of the glaciation. This area is one of the oldest surfaces in western Canada that is undisturbed since it was formed millions of years ago. Putting it in perspective is interesting because the top of the Cypress Hills was once the bottom of an ancient river. The hard packed gravels protected the sediments from eroding from the melting glacier waters. Everything else lower in the hills eroded and was altered by glaciation. This top of land is full of fossils from 35 or more million years ago. And this high point of land separates two river systems, the Missouri river and the Saskatchewan river.

[wildwoods]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

The top one hundred meters of the Cypress Hills escaped the effects of the glaciation. This area is one of the oldest surfaces in western Canada that is undisturbed since it was formed millions of years ago. Putting it in perspective is interesting because the top of the Cypress Hills was once the bottom of an ancient river. The hard packed gravels protected the sediments from eroding from the melting glacier waters. Everything else lower in the hills eroded and was altered by glaciation. This top of land is full of fossils from 35 or more million years ago. And this high point of land separates two river systems, the Missouri river and the Saskatchewan river.

Keep them coming Red!



A side note
People and Peaks- Willmore Wilderness book is an amazing read. Highly recommend.

[huntsfurfish]

The best thread on AO! Thanks RB!

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

The top one hundred meters of the Cypress Hills escaped the effects of the glaciation. This area is one of the oldest surfaces in western Canada that is undisturbed since it was formed millions of years ago. Putting it in perspective is interesting because the top of the Cypress Hills was once the bottom of an ancient river. The hard packed gravels protected the sediments from eroding from the melting glacier waters. Everything else lower in the hills eroded and was altered by glaciation. This top of land is full of fossils from 35 or more million years ago. And this high point of land separates two river systems, the Missouri river and the Saskatchewan river.

My friend you need to write a book. You're knowledge of western Canada is second to no one. Even a compilation of your contributions to this thread in a hard cover book would be awesome.

BW

[KUDUHNTR]

Red Bullets,

Was up early this morning, and could not sleep, red this entire thread, from beginning to end, what a great read!!

Thanks so much for your input into this fascinating thread,

I have been to the Num Ti Jah lodge a few times where they talked about Jimmy Simpson, and the seeing his Ram that you posted, that he poached.......
Im sure anyone would have turned into a poacher also seeing that magnificent regal Ram

[Red Bullets]

A North Saskatchewan river system tidbit. Before the Brazeau dam was built in 1963 and then the Bighorn dam built in 1972 the NSR was considered a cold water stream to east of Edmonton. In a cold water river is trout habitat. Because of the dams the river now transitions from a cold water river to a warm water river roughly where the Clearwater river enters the NSR near Rocky Mountain House.

To the tidbit...
Poplar creek is a 25 km. long tributary of the North Saskatchewan river. Poplar creek joins with Buck lake creek and then enters the river a couple miles downstream of the Berrymore bridge on the NSR.

Noted from 1927...

Poplar Creek just 4 miles NW of Breton, or 7 miles straight west of Ashland Dam. Next to the present Poplar creek Natural Area. This area was still being homesteaded in the 1920's.

One pioneering settler there made mention that in the early springtime, late April, in Poplar creek great numbers of suckers came up the creek, then a week or so later (early May) great numbers of Northern Pike would come up the creek. Then later in spring when a big rain came the creek had lots of trout to 8 pounds. These would have been bull trout. The homesteaders brined and stored four 6 gallon crocks of fish from the creek. She also mentioned that the trout were tough and tasteless. The suckers and pike were better tasting.

The picture is of a Mrs. Myrby and the 7 lb. bull trout she caught in 1927. 4 miles NW of Breton.

[Who Da Fisherman]

I'm gonna have to look at some watershed maps and do some touring this summer when I'm up at the lake, maybe find a fishing hole or two.
Thx for this Red
WDF

[Desert Eagle]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

A North Saskatchewan river system tidbit. Before the Brazeau dam was built in 1963 and then the Bighorn dam built in 1972 the NSR was considered a cold water stream to east of Edmonton. In a cold water river is trout habitat. Because of the dams the river now transitions from a cold water river to a warm water river roughly where the Clearwater river enters the NSR near Rocky Mountain House.

To the tidbit...
Poplar creek is a 25 km. long tributary of the North Saskatchewan river. Poplar creek joins with Buck lake creek and then enters the river a couple miles downstream of the Berrymore bridge on the NSR.

Noted from 1927...

Poplar Creek just 4 miles NW of Breton, or 7 miles straight west of Ashland Dam. Next to the present Poplar creek Natural Area. This area was still being homesteaded in the 1920's.

One pioneering settler there made mention that in the early springtime, late April, in Poplar creek great numbers of suckers came up the creek, then a week or so later (early May) great numbers of Northern Pike would come up the creek. Then later in spring when a big rain came the creek had lots of trout to 8 pounds. These would have been bull trout. The homesteaders brined and stored four 6 gallon crocks of fish from the creek. She also mentioned that the trout were tough and tasteless. The suckers and pike were better tasting.

The picture is of a Mrs. Myrby and the 7 lb. bull trout she caught in 1927. 4 miles NW of Breton.

Some other history surround this. The Brazeau Dam was built not only for power generation, but also for flood control for Edmonton. It has had some significant flood events prior to the dam being built. The most recent flood event in 2013 would have been catastrophic had the dams on the NSR not been in place. Yes there was a lot of water in the system at that time, but if there was no holding back it would have been 100 times worse.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by Desert Eagle

Some other history surround this. The Brazeau Dam was built not only for power generation, but also for flood control for Edmonton. It has had some significant flood events prior to the dam being built. The most recent flood event in 2013 would have been catastrophic had the dams on the NSR not been in place. Yes there was a lot of water in the system at that time, but if there was no holding back it would have been 100 times worse.

Before the dams were put on the NSR late in the fall and during winter the river would be down to just a trickle in the main channel too.

The 1915 NSR flood was the result of heavy rains upstream of Rocky Mountain House. By the time the word got to Edmonton the river was rising a meter every 3 hours and peaking at 10 meters high. (32 feet) An earlier flood in the 1890's the river supposedly rose 42 feet.

[Red Bullets]

In 1964...

A man, Vant Hayes, was farming near the Alsike corner which is the junction of Hwy 39 and Hwy 20. About 65 km west of Leduc. He discovered he had a big bear harrassing his sheep. In his first attempt Vant shot and wounded the bear unfortunately. He then got another man, Cecil Ellis and his dogs to track the bear so he could finish off the bear. They found the bear shortly after. The bear charged them but luckily Vant was able to drop the bear before it got to him or his dogs. It took four men quite a struggle to get the bear out of the woods.

This was the first known big silvertip grizzly bear to be shot in the Alsike/Warburg area. As recent as 1964.

[Fish along]

Still an awesome thread,lots of very interesting history,i was reading about the value of beaver pelts.. There must have been a lot of lynx back in those days.

[Red Bullets]

In 1914 a very well known man used the Athabasca Trail that went north of Edmonton to the Athabasca River Landing. He wrote...

“I shall hear the roar of rivers where
the rapids foam and tear,
I shall smell the virgin upland with its
balsam-laden air,
And shall dream that I am riding down the
winding woody vale,
With the packer and the packhorse
on the Athabasca Trail.”

Though he had been in wilderness before he was beside himself when he traveled north and traveled west of Edmonton. He traveled west to Jasper where he and the new Jasper Park superintendent Rogers tried to design a golf course together.

This well known man was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes.

[hayseed]

Wow Red, love the Breton area info. I grew up two miles west of the Poplar creek, always caught pike outa there. Still have land out there, I am 6 miles west of Breton.

As for Cecil Ellis, yep, a man of undeniable adventures for sure. I have hunted with Cecil many times over the years, as he lived a mile down the road from me until his passing. Quite the character indeed.

What stories he could tell for sure. They dont make men, or men like him much anymore.

[MountainTi]

Keep em coming Red. Still one of my favourite threads!

[Riverboy]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

A more recent tidbit.. There was a recent successful re-introduction of an animal into the parklands that was never really publicized much. The Fisher.

In 1990 twenty fishers were released a few miles east of Edmonton in the Blackfoot/Cooking Lake Recreation area. They were monitored for 2 years using radio telemetry. Most stayed in the area and to this day there are sightings east of Sherwood Park ,28 years later, which would suggest successful natural breeding. I remember talking to one of the people involved in the project and he told me they lost tracking on one of the fishers 3 miles upstream of Devon on Conjuring Creek.

So next time you are exploring, riding, or hunting around the Blackfoot grazing lease and Cooking lake area keep and eye out for a fisher.

I helped track the introduced Fisher in the 90s. We’ve had one visit most every summer over the last 7 years along the NSR near Genesse. I’ve attached this falls pic.

[Head Lice]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

Where the surrounding hills were covered in buffalo in 1876 by 1879 there were none. The reason for this was actually that in 1876 Sitting Bull had massacred Custer's army and had fled into Southern Alberta Territory.

Enjoy your thread Mr. Bullets.
Book: 'Custer's Fall' . . . . . David Humphreys Miller . . . Copyright 1957
The book is a compilation of interviews done by the author between 1935 and 1957 of Indians that were there during the Little Big Horn battle. Custer was shot off his horse and fell into the river 1/2 hour after the soldiers attacked. Apparently he never fired a shot . . . .
ISBN 0-452-01095-0