Where the Buffalo Roam
by Karen Harrison
Whether relaxing in a spa or touring the North, our travel articles seek intriguing and unusual getaways, the sort that can be found during a brief holiday near home or by extending a business trip. Intriguing and unusual are just two words of many to describe a one-day itinerary on the open terrain south of Calgary.
As Alberta celebrates its Centennial, the province’s rich history and prosperity are at the forefront. Two national parks in the region offer very different yet equally vivid illustrations of the ways in which early European adventurers and ancient Aboriginal societies met the challenges of the land.
A short drive south of Calgary on Highway 22 and you are surrounded on all sides by wide, open spaces, punctuated by towns such as Turner Valley where the Dingman No. 1 oil well marked the beginning of Alberta’s oil and gas industry. Normally, this particular drive would feature a marvelous view of the Rockies to the west. However, we would learn by day’s end that the low ceiling, torrential rain, and driving winds we were experiencing produced the first of two serious early summer floods in the region.
In a strange way, not seeing the ‘big sky’ only served to emphasize the big land we were crossing – tens of thousands of hectares of ranch land, rich fescue grass which, even after centuries of buffalo herds, aboriginal settlement, cowboys and cattle, has never been ploughed.
Our first stop was the Bar U Ranch, a national historic site near Longview. The Parks Canada staff warmly welcomed us, and a hearty bowl of soup with a sourdough biscuit soon warmed our insides, too.
The Bar U was first established in 1882 by Frederick Stimson of Quebec. Within fifteen years, the railway reached Calgary, thousands of head of cattle were brought to the area, and a farsighted and ambitious ranch foreman, George Lane, introduced such innovations as engaging local aboriginal tribes in ranch work and importing Percheron horses from France to expand the capacity of the ranch operation.
Today, skilled interpreters portray ranch life in a cluster of buildings dating back to the earliest days of the ranch, demonstrating in authentic fashion the daily chores of an early 20th century cattle ranch. This example of ‘living history’ is open from late May until Thanksgiving, and occasionally can accommodate groups during the off-season, if booked in advance.
Continuing south, we crossed into the Porcupine Hills, with rolling countryside still covered with fescue as far as the eye could see. As we got to Pincher Creek and turned east on Highway 3 (also known as the Crowsnest Pass Highway), we discovered a different sort of farming – wind farming. At that junction, there are long lines of huge wind turbines, going in three different directions. Given the weather that day, they literally disappeared into the clouds.
Our next destination was the curiously named Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. While the name can be a bit of a conversation-stopper, the place itself is breathtaking. An archeological marvel, it has revealed the ingenious and systematic buffalo hunts of Plains Indians at the same time as the Egyptian pharaohs were building their pyramids. At the tail end of the Porcupine Hills, in the Oldman River Valley, the buffalo would graze well into the fall. The hunters organized stone cairns in lines some ten kilometres long to create drive lanes, provoke a stampede, and direct the buffalo over a cliff to their deaths. At the bottom of the cliff, the hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of carcasses would be harvested.
The Interpretive Centre, set into the side of the sandstone cliff, features artifacts and illustrations of the stages of the hunt. This unique archeological find earned the designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
Our return route took us over the breathtaking Oldman Dam, and along Route 785, a gravel road infamous for damaging tires. Fortunately, we were spared (pardon the pun) but next time we will opt for pavement over scenery.
