Thursday, August 4, 2016 (St. Albert Kinsmen RV Park, St. Albert, AB)

Today was a "play day"...we have been so busy since arriving here that we decided to off-load the bikes from the trailer and go out exploring and getting some exercise at the same time. After a relaxing start to the day, Steve got the bikes all ready while I cleaned up inside...and then we were off...

We headed towards Big Lake...

...and Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park... (Click to enlarge photos)

There is a wildlife viewing platform along the eastern shore of Big Lake at the mouth of the Sturgeon River...

Big Lake is eight kilometres long and three kilometres wide at its widest point...

More than 235 bird species have been recorded at Big Lake, some 180 are recorded annually. At risk species that use the lake include Trumpeter Swans, Sprague's Pipits, Peregrine Falcons, Short-eared Owls and Bald Eagles that nest on the west end of the lake.

In the fall the lake is a staging area for Tundra Swans and Pelicans. Fall populations of swans have been as high as 20,000. Cormorants, Loons, Great Blue Herons and Ospreys fish the lake. Lesser Yellowlegs, Dowitchers, American Avocets and Sandpipers reside during low water years.

Fish species found in the lake include Northern Pike, Goldeye, White Sucker, Walleye and Sticklebacks. Big Lake was once a spawning area for Sturgeon for which the river system is named.

Ducks Unlimited Canada has constructed interpretive boardwalks to educate visitors about the sensitive ecology of the area.

We even found a couple of geocaches along the way...although there were a few more, we didn't feel like walking into the tall grass and bushes off the trail anymore...there were just too many mosquitoes!

Lands surrounding Big Lake provide important habitat for Moose, White-tailed Deer, Beaver, Muskrat, Mink, Skunk, Coyote, Red Fox, Porcupine, Snowshoe Hare and Red Squirrel.

We rode the loop and once back to the parking area near the campground, we took a trail that went up over a bridge across the river and then onto an un-maintained trail that led by Grey Nuns White Spruce Park, a Reforestation Project. The park had narrow hiking trails...unsuitable for bikes (or at least for us on our bikes). Not finding much more in that area, we turned around and went back towards the campground and took the trail that follows the Sturgeon River into St. Albert. The RV's on this side of the campground have a lot of grassy area behind them...

We'll be going across that...in a bit...

I managed to take a bit of a spill...while going around a pedestrian on the path, I got a little too close to the edge where there was some mud and water and my front tire skidded out...and I took a tumble. I wasn't hurt (other than my pride) but my front brake was rubbing after that so we stopped at a bike shop along the way called Cranky's and a fellow there fixed it for me at no charge...after selecting a tool it took him all of about 5 seconds! I thanked him very much and we were back on our way.

We crossed the river...

And continued following the river on the other side...

12 Acres Restaurant...cool looking building...

Then we came to another foot bridge and crossed back over and returned down the other side...

About  two and a half hours and 10 miles later we were home. What an awesome trail system they have in this area! See our rig in the centre of the picture?

I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get caught up on our blog and Steve was on his iPad for the most part reading blogs and getting caught up.