Two Cowboys: Hiking

Now More Than Ever

Waterton is a place dear to our hearts. Its scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. But, we are most fond of its people. Waterton is open for business in 2018!

The tiny seasonal village adopted us, the Two Cowboys, as their own. From our start in 2016, they gave us an opportunity to showcase their natural beauty, the variety of food and intrigue, to the world. We cannot start a Summer in Canada without our annual visit to Waterton. This is our fourth year.

Open for Business!

Waterton After the Fire

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At the end of May, the snow melted, and the remaining trees were green. The flowers were out all over Waterton's grasslands, and in the town, the baskets were in bloom. We made our way to our favourite camping spot unsure of what 2018 will hold for the destination. During the last couple of years, we've worked with Waterton to promote the town, the destination and its businesses.

This year we were even more committed than usual to show the world a little of our Spring paradise, because of the recent Kenow fire. The disaster destroyed a lot of the natural attraction of Waterton in 2017. The good news was that the village was saved, except for the Parks Canada Information Centre (which was slated to be moved anyway), and nobody got hurt. We found Waterton open for business.

At the townsite, many of the faithful pilgrims returned to pick up the pieces after the disaster, with the hope to continue where they left off, before the fire. The big question on everyone's mind this year was if Waterton would recover from the incident. Will the visitors return and will patrons again come to enjoy the beauty and the people of the community?

Observations

With every significant and sudden change in people's lives, such as what happened in Waterton, there is a sense of loss. However, such a move also provides ample opportunity for reflection and renewal. Some may regard the event of a massive forest fire in Waterton as a disaster and a loss. We make the case that it need not be the case.

It is not a loss for nature. Instead, it only a step in the continues cycle of renewal. It's a natural cycle that been playing itself out in the forests and on prairies of Canada, over and over for millennia. It will continue to do so long after humanity left the planet. Waterton's forests and animals didn't lose something. It gained necessary renewal.

The question that remains is if the event will translate into a loss for the town and its businesses. Will tourism return in 2018 like before and will the businesses suffer if they don't? People will be aware that what they came to expect from Waterton's Park landscape is no longer there. Instead, there is something different, and equally spectacular, or will they drive by towards the other natural attractions of the Province?

The opportunity now, for the visitors to the Park is to discover this natural process of renewal and experience the unique ways that trees recover, new flowers blossom and animals return to a rebirth of a region.

With it, the businesses in the town have an opportunity to renew and refresh. The tourists are unlikely to return to previous numbers in the near term. It will put pressure on revenue and force a rethink for a complacent few that got too accustomed to the visiting masses. For others, it will open opportunities to try something new, upgrade, or for new businesses to step in where some may decide to throw in the towel.

Waterton's businesses and its people are as much an attraction for the destination as its natural beauty. They are all given a chance to renew, rebuild, attract and grow. The ones that take this chance will be the folks who prevail and flourish and who we will promote in years to come. Those are the people you will find in Waterton this, the next and the years thereafter.

We are glad that Waterton is once again open for business.

Hendrik van Wyk

Waterton Cowboy

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Photos

On the Water of Waterton

Majestic!

Waffletons

Renewal

The Locals

Free Your Spirit

You should know that we have a favorite little piece of heaven at the southern most tip of our Alberta Province. Waterton National Park and Village is where we hang out at the beginning of every summer. There is just so much to do, with so many great people to meet. It is the place where our spirit soars as we get ready for summer.

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This year was no exception. We started with the Waterton Food Festival at the end of May. By the end of June, we were back to take in more of the sights and sounds of this great destination.

What to Do

Waterton's biggest attraction is what it offers hikers. There is a walk for any and all skill levels. It also provides the unique ability to hike the border between Canada and the USA. Remember to bring your passport for this unique experience. You will still have to be stamped in and out. It is a Peace Park, so better to keep it peaceful and keep your human footprint to a minimum by respecting the wildlife.

If you need any outdoor equipment, because the weather can change quickly and dramatically, then the Tamarack Store is the place to pick up what you need. It's been equipping hikers and trampers in the valley for more than forty years. Waterton Adventures, which operates from the Tamarack, offers day-trip and multi-day guided hikes to show you more of what the backcountry offers. If you are in a hurry, they offer a trail running experience.

Waterton's golf course is one for the bucket list. It is also one of Canada's oldest. Inspired by Stanley Thompson and constructed from 1929-1939, this 18-hole course will both challenge you and take your breath away. It is a public course that offers a range of amenities including club and cart rentals, a pro shop, a practice green and a licensed clubhouse. The 18 hole course is challenging, fun, and reminds you of why you started to play the game. Bring your windy game with you. There is bound to be a fresh breeze that will test your resolve, if not keep you cool on a hot day out.

Then there are the horses. It is Alberta, and you have to see a little bit of this great sky the way it was meant to be done, on horseback. Waterton is the start of the Alberta Cowboy Trail for us, and it begins at Alpine Stables. The Stables is a family operation established in Waterton since 1969. Dee and Lorna Barrus and their young family began with 25 to 30 good ranch horses and a desire to show visitors the splendors of the Alberta Rockies. Dee’s ranching savvy, her tracking and trapping experience, love of the wilderness, and his adventurous spirit combined to ensure a memorable ride, whether of one hour or five-day duration. This tradition is carried on by their capable and enthusiastic family, now into the third generation. Today Alpine Stables has fifty head of experienced mountain horses ready to accommodate both beginners and the most experienced riders.

Take home a special memory by enjoying a "two-nation vacation". Step aboard the historic M.V. International for a two-hour cruise. The boat is in its 90th year of operation and continues to be lovingly restored. It travels along the shoreline of beautiful Upper Waterton Lake and across the International border to Goat Haunt, Montana, several times a day. Shoreline Cruises operates the boat and provides this iconic cruise on one of the few remaining ships of its type, in the world.

There is so much that Waterton offers a visitor. It is a place that stays with you. In Waterton, people welcome you with open arms. The scenery is always breathtaking. The wildlife an experience. It is where we free our spirits and where we recommend you should do it too.

Hendrik van Wyk

Waterton Cowboy

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