Many Owls Valley (Nose Hill) (4/23/2005)

Categories: nature, trail training
Approximate Distance: 7 km
Degree of Difficulty: easy and mostly flat, with a couple of long, gradual hills to climb; many hill training options along the way

All Nose Hill hikes start with a climb, but for those of you looking forward to some flat trekking, you are in luck. Of course, there is the requisite climb at the beginning of this route, but when you get to the top of Nose Hill, you will notice that the terrain is quite flat. Take a look around and you will see that Broadcast Hill (the hill where Canada Olympic Park is built) is also flat and at the same elevation. Hills south of the city near Priddis are the same. These plateaus are the remnants of a 60-million-year-old swampy, forested landscape into which the Bow and Elbow rivers, and the glaciers that followed their valleys, have incised by 175 metres. That is something to think about while you catch your breath. Enjoy a flat walk on the plateau from this point forward. Hone your senses while you walk. Listen for coyotes howling at passing sirens, and in the spring, summer and fall, enjoy the colour explosion of wildflowers that you can't see from the road. Purple prairie crocuses and yellow buffalo bean, pink wild roses, orange lilies and purple lupines dress up the grassy landscape of the hill.

Please note: New trail closures appear on Nose Hill all the time as a part of the City of Calgary's trail management plan. We will try to stick to the trails in the book as much as possible, but please be patient in case of some deviations.