Dec 31, 2009

Wishing all our guests, friends and supporters a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year and may all your wishes come true.

Here at Aurum Lodge, we look back at another busy but successful year, which turned out better than expected considering the global economic slowdown. With guests coming back year after year and "sending" their friends, we fared better than much of the industry. We may be biased, but we also attribute this to our amazing location and being able to offer a good product at a reasonable rate. Talking about rates, unfortunately, we have had to increase prices a little for next year as, despite the recession, costs continue to increase - whether it is property taxes, insurance, food, credit card charges, inflation is still with us. However, you will find that our rates for longer stays continue to be as attractive as ever. This, because we do like our guests to stay longer in the area to actually be able to unwind, enjoy our nature and reduce the environmental impact of travelling to and from the lodge.

2009 was a busy year as we embarked on other projects as well and, as a result, we have not been able to get out ourselves as often as we would have liked but still managed to enjoy a few wonderful outings with some of our guests and visiting friends. We also had some unusual and memorable wildlife encounters, like the mother moose and calf which spent the summer at Whitegoat Lakes just accross from our access road, as well as the grizzly mom with her two cubs which frequented the Bow Pass region in July.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last spring and fall the Province went ahead with the prescribed burn of the north shore of the River Valley between Saskatchewan River Crossing and Whirlpool point, after having to delay this for two years since conditions were never right. Whereas fire is the main contributor to natural revegetation in the region, we have mixed feelings concerning both the reasons for this project as well as the way it is done.

The three reasons given for the burn were control of pine beetle expansion (a mute point, because the beetle is already established all over the Province and it would only take them 20 minutes to fly over the burn area...), forest rejuvenation and creating wildlife habitat (the forests in questions were not overly mature and creating wildlife habitat so hunters, trappers, poachers and mechanical recreation can continue to decimate and disturb our resident wildlife makes no sense whatsoever in the absence of any meaningful protection for the region), and reducing the risk of a catastrophic wildfire (this would appear to be a valid reason, considering the prevailing winds in the area, however, with minimal development in the region, again the main purpose appears to be to protect the logging industry further east from loosing harvestable timber to wildfires). Since conditions were moister than usual this year, fortunately the visual impact of the fire is not as significant with many trees and patches of forest surviving the burn. For flower lovers, the burnt area will provide a great place to observe the regrowth of flowers and plants over the next decade and it was amazing to see that patches of forest floor burnt in the spring were already teeming with new grass and asters by the time fall came around. By next year there will be fireweed and many other colourful pioneer plants establishing themselves in the burn area.

Weather wise, we have had more cloud and less sun this year, but also did not have to put up with extreme heat, which is always nice. Of course, being this close to the mountains, it is generally possible to escape to higher elevations in summer to get out of the heat. Precipitation wise, it remains fairly dry in the area and we were spared long periods of rainy weather, to the point, where it got fairly dry in the foothills and prairies easf of us this season. Fall colours, because of the lack of frost in September were not as good as usual, however this also meant we were able to enjoy fairly mild weather until the beginning of October, when a cold spell and snow hit the area. This again was followed by a pleasant late fall wich lasted until the end of November when winter finally arrived with intense cold and above average snowfall.

Currently, we are experiencing a real winter with temperatures between -15 and -20 C and snow cover throughout. The lake froze relatively early this year around December 8th, as the water had cooled off significantly back in October already.

Once again, we have noted this year that it is simply not possible to predict what weather and precipitation are going to be like at any given point in time. We are often asked by prospective guests as to what to expect at a certain time of year, but all we can provide you with is the information as to what the conditions were like this year or last year and a prediction that next year will be different, yet again... Mountain weather is variable and unpredictable which makes for much of the appeal of

living in or visiting the mountains, as there is always room for surprise. As long as you are equipped, you will be fine and can always go out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever the time of year you visit this area, there is always something to see or do, as long as you are open to enjoy whatever mother nature has to offer. Right now, Abraham Lake is at its winter best again. Snow conditions in the parks are great with lots of good snow for skiing and snowshoeing and days have started to get longer again. Crisp, clear nights at this time of year are quite amazing and allow you to observe our stars and planets without the light pollution, smog and haze encountered in urban areas. For those who do not wish to stay up all night, we do have a few cozy rooms and comfortable beds as well. All the best!

 

 

May 19, 2009

Spring has definitely arrived in Bighorn Country, albeit later than usual. For a few weeks, we had alternating snow and sun almost every other day, which has held back spring growth somewhat. In the meantime, night temperatures remain above freezing most of the time and all the snow in the valley has gone (or so we thought…). We had hardly any spring rain so far however, and it appears that the ground is turning from frozen to dry very quickly, which will likely slow vegetation growth for the year, unless we get some good rains in the next few weeks.

Good late winter snowfall did make for some great snow-shoeing at higher elevations in the Parks in April; our favourite spring snow-shoe trip is up to Parker Ridge near the Columbia Icefields.

In the last few days we experienced our typical late May snowfall and, as often, this happened on the May long weekend!
It started off fairly decent with cloud and some sun on Saturday and Sunday and then it snowed for over 24 hours until we had a good 15cm on the ground.
With temperatures around freezing, the snow was heavy and wet but once the sun came out in the afternoon, disappeared in no time.

Today was a day for the birds in the true sense of the word. In the ten years we have operated Aurum Lodge, we have never seen as many birds around the place as in the last two days, and as you can see, my activity for the day was spent putting my camera equipment to good use...
Even though we had taken the feeders down a few weeks ago (so as not to attract the bears), all of a sudden we were reminded of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie when birds where simply everywhere. It appears that with the snowfall, they were drawn to the warmth and shelter of the buildings and decided this was as good a place as any to wait out the storm, huddling under the cars, deck, picnic tables, spruce trees and on window sills. We estimate that there must have been over 250 individual birds around the property, starting with a few male rufous hummingbirds, which returned on May 14th. There were dozens and dozens of White-crowned Sparrows, Juncos and Grey-capped Rosy Finches. We saw from the windows of the lodge: Yellow-crowned Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Thrushes, Brewers and Red-winged Blackbirds, Cowbirds, a Ruffed Grouse, some Ravens and - what made our day - some really colourful species such as a Yellow-rumped Warbler and Wilson’s Warblers. The prize clearly goes to the two Western Tanagers though, as showy a bird as you can expect to see in this part of the world. It is only the third time we have seen these strikingly beautiful birds since we moved to Alberta.

Most of our migrating birds have already returned by now, including the mountain bluebirds, robins, bald eagles, killdeer and osprey. Our seasonal winter residents like the good sized pine grosbeaks have left, but we still see a lot of other migrating species on their way north.

The bluebirds have still not discovered our bird houses we put up for them many years back, however, for the past two winters a Flying Squirrel decided to overwinter in one of them. These elusive squirrels don't actually fly but are excellent gliders, allowing them to move between trees that are 10 meters apart or more without having to return to the ground. Apparently not uncommon, they are nocturnal and therefore rarely seen.

 

As for our flora, we are already into our second

group of wildflowers (Prairie Crocus and Yellow Draba have been blooming for a few weeks) with Spring Violets and Dandelion within the last week (flowering dandelion means bears and all our guests actually saw grizzly bears this weekend in Banff Park, which is great news considering the dwindling number of grizzly bears surviving in this province).

The grass is turning green and shrubs are budding so within a week we expect more wildflowers such as Bladderpod, Rock Jasmine and our favourite Calypso Orchids, which grow in the pine forest around the lodge.

Last week we made two interesting observations around the lodge, starting with a young moose, an animal species, which is not very common around here as the area is too dry. Moose mostly migrate from the foothills in winter into Banff Park in summer, so chances of seeing one around around the lodge are best in spring and fall. The same day, a Northern Flicker was hammering on our metal fascia all morning, using it like a percussion instrument. Likely it was trying to attract a mate or discourage a competitor, as we could hear answering calls out of the woods much of the time. Eventually it took off, so we assume it achieved it’s goal (and we’ll need to have a closer inspection for potential damage to the metal cladding…).

Abraham Lake ice disappeared about a week ago and the lake level is really low right now but will start to rise again within a few days, as it gets warmer. Migrating waterfowl are frequenting both Whitegoat Lakes nearby and Little Indian Cove below the lodge.

Interestingly, our Bighorn Sheep

at Windy Point have also returned. Other years, they spent the entire winter season in the valley, but this year we rarely ever saw them.

We look forward to a great summer season and hope to welcome you at Aurum Lodge this year.

 

 

March 15, 2009

  

And here I thought I could get some important work done this weekend!? Until two individuals cornered me (in as many days) about the lack of updates in this column.

I gather a change of priorities is acceptable under the circumstances. More importantly, it is always nice to know that there are some people who actually look at our website… 

Needless to say, as far as we are concerned, we would love to share with all our guests and friends on a daily basis, what is going on in God’s country here, even though the news isn’t always positive, and we cannot go out there every day to gather more photographic evidence that we live in one of the most beautiful places imaginable.

 

Come and experience it for yourself.

As you can see, we do offer a comfortable hideaway, a roof over your head and an ambiance that will help you forget the heat of your workday stress… guaranteed to work, if you stay for three days or longer!

 

But then, this column is meant to keep you up do date, so here’s what happened or is happening around Aurum Lodge and the valley. Winter started off with a real cold spell back in December, which lasted into early January and brought a little more snow than we normally get. Conditions were great for ice-climbing,

snowshoeing and winter hiking. From mid January onwards, temperatures fluctuated wildly between –35C and +10C and the snow cover has slowly but gradually disappeared. Due to the extended cold spells, Abraham Lake ice this winter was extremely thick (probably 50 – 60 cm in places) and the ice formations along the shore were different, but as amazing as always, because of the warm fall we had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you do plan to visit us in winter, be prepared for any temperatures, weather, snow conditions and, of course, all kinds of activities. Irrespective of the weather, you will always find a great deal of variety and lots of unexpected surprises out there in nature and this is likely why some of our guests come back year after year. Tranquility and superb scenery are virtually a given.

At this point, whereas spring appears 

to be in the air on some days, we do expect some more snow and one or two more cold spells, before we can say goodbye to winter. Traditionally, no matter how pleasant and warm it is in March or April, our last big snowfall often seems to happen in mid May, around the time the humming birds and bears return to the area.

 

Wildlife sightings this winter have been lower than other years, partially because of the weather, but also due to excessive hunting and trapping in the area. Overhunting of ungulates (elk, mule deer and Bighorn rams), legal but unethical and for some species unrestricted trapping or hunting of carnivores (wolves, cougars, lynx, marten, etc.), disturbance by mechanised recreation (helicopters, ATV’s and snowmobiles) and continuing habitat destruction by the resource industry (oil & gas and logging) are taking thier toll on one of the last wilderness regions in the Eastern Slopes.

The current and proposed land use policies of the Alberta Government do give rise to serious concerns for all who can see and feel the damage done to our environment in the name of progress. While the disastrous tar sands development in Northern Alberta has recently been singled out because of the inordinate amount of pollution, water waste, and habitat destruction involved, the problem is everywhere in this province, where a not so progressive conservative government is wreaking havoc with our environment, our economy, our society and the future of this province. 

As an eco-tourism operator, this puts us in an uncomfortable situation all the time. Unfortunately, "traditional" anything goes tourism development is often part of the problem and frequently leads to the very destruction of the natural, cultural or historic values, which attract visitors in the first place; on the other hand, tourism could be developed into a truly sustainable and economically very important industry, able to use the land base without destroying it completely. As a small business, we do not have the resources to influence the government or stop the adverse development. We can merely walk the talk, lead by example within the confines of our own venture and small property lease and appeal to our guests to tread lightly when they are out in nature, so as not to make things worse.

We always find it encouraging therefore, how many of our guests are interested in what we do and willing to implement changes in their own home or office as a result.

Also on a positive note, we find that green building practices are on the rise and there are more and more projects, which strive to reduce environmental impact and resource waste. What we implemented ten years ago when we built Aurum Lodge, is finally becoming "fashionable" and, hopefully, will maintain its momentum during these recessionary times. Unfortunately, there is a tremendous amount of green washing going on as well, requiring consumers to do their own research in distinguishing the evergreens from the greenbacks…  

 

 

We are convinced that environmentally responsible developers, business operators and individuals will always be better off and less affected by economic downturns like the one we are currently experiencing. With lower operating costs and an approach based on “making a living” rather than “making big profits”, we are well positioned to weather the storm. We are proud of our quality product and continue to offer fair pricing, and we now find that guests are booking longer stays, which has always been one of our objectives.
Our minimum stay policy is based on our conviction, that visitors taking the time to stay in a particular area longer, will not only enjoy a more relaxing vacation, but also reduce their environmental impact; especially, if they mitigate the combined effects of mode of transportation, choice of recreational activities and accommodation selection.

One of the lesser publicised downsides of the current recession is the fact that charitable organisations and conservation groups are finding it difficult to raise funds and maintain their good work. Obviously, when people are loosing their jobs, they will need to review their contributions. Less acceptably, our governments are doing the same and not only reducing funding for social causes but actually throwing more responsibilities onto the shoulder of these organisations.

Aurum Lodge is committed to maintain 

its contributions to environmental groups and local charities, as they need our support more than ever. We sincerely encourage those of our guests who can afford to do so, to do the same. As an eco-tourism provider, our focus in this respect has always been on environmental causes.

 

As for our facility, we have not changed much lately. Towards the end of last year we did replace our battery

bank with a larger system, which will further reduce our fossil fuel consumption.

An aging battery bank necessitated the change, as well as an expanded photovoltaic system, which doubled in capacity over the past few years. As a result, we ended up producing excess power more frequently, which could not be used or stored.

February saw another two successful photography field trips (most images in this section were taken during those events). Because these field trips are so popular every year, we will be adding two additional courses this year, albeit with a very different focus. In June we are hosting a ladies only photography weekend with Edmonton photographer Leslie Degner. This is on a beginner to intermediate level for all those ladies wishing to improve their photography skills under the guidance of an experienced instructor. It is interesting that in our traditional field trips we often find the ladies to be more creative than the guys, but generally less into techie stuff and expensive equipment. This weekend will focus on taking great pictures, with relatively basic equipment, for the fun of taking photographs.

For late fall, Darwin Wiggett is designing a more demanding workshop, which will be a combination of about 50% instruction / digital image processing indoors with short photography outings and assignments to apply new techniques and capture images for subsequent processing at the lodge. This event is geared towards experienced individuals who are good photographers but wish to learn more about processing their own images to make them stand out. Stay tuned for this one or drop us a line if you wish to be informed once the details are worked out.