Winter Photo Walk: Stewart Creek Golf Course

On By GeoKsIn Photography

Last Saturday afternoon we set out to explore the snow-covered fairways at the Stewart Creek golf course just off the Three Sisters Parkway in Canmore. We spotted evidence of Canmore’s coal mining heritage, a herd of elk and a skating pond that we may just have to try out! Total distance walked = 6.3 km

Old mine entrance
For a brief period around 1900, Canmore had several operating coal mines. This old mine entrance is an interesting feature on one of the holes on the front 9 of the Stewart Creek golf course.
Close-up of the mine entrance
From close-up, it's easy to see that the mine has been safely barricaded off abount 7 or 8 meters in. The wooden framing is still in really good shape - perhaps restored during course construction?
Old fasteners
About a dozen heavy-duty fasteners are rusting away on a rock slab above the old mine entrance.
Windy Ridge
Looking east across a wildlife reserve and the 11th fairway towards Windy Ridge.
Steward Creek
More evidence of Canmore's coal mining heritage: an old mine car near the cart path between the 10th and 11th holes. From left to right, Big Sister (of the Three Sisters), no name peak, Ha Ling peak and Mount Rundle are in the background.
Elk herd
On our return route, we came across between 50 and 60 elk hanging out on the fairway. We cut way up into the woods in order to safely circumnavigate the herd, with only a few "shoo, shoo" call-outs necessary to ensure we didn't split a few animals off from the crowd.

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