After a leisurely cabin breakfast (Norma, Randy, Don, and me) and french toast (Glen), we left Elkwater Lake Lodge to drive through to Fort Walsh. There were several lookouts along the way which we hoped to view should the rain stop. As we entered the park, we discovered the road to Fort Walsh was closed. The map I downloaded mentioned that sometimes roads were impassible if it were wet. Disappointed, we turned around and headed back to Maple Creek, Saskatchewan which was the alternate route to the fort.
After leaving this small town, Randy realized he should get gas as there were no services until the Canada/U.S. border. I suggested Glen do the same. The FasGas station had a Subway restaurant so we also picked up some sandwiches for lunch as we had no idea what was at the Fort (it does have a small snack bar). In the meantime, Randy discovered another route to the fort.
This turned out to be a scenic road with very few cars. It gave us a great view of the Cypress Hills rising above the rolling prairie (and no, not all of Saskatchewan is flat). A steep switchback took us up the side of the Cypress Hills plateau and reminded us of the harrowing trip up to Mount Edith Cavell in Jasper National Park done when we 'stomped' around western Alberta years ago.
Fort Walsh National Historic Site has two phases. The first is a modern interpretive centre, the second, a reconstructed fort. We were welcomed by a guide dressed in a North-West Mounted Police (later known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) uniform and told the next 'tour' was at 2:30 (a cost of $9.80/person). We had our lunch outside on the deck since the rain had stopped. After a brief movie giving us a history of the fort, we piled on a bus to drive to the fort. A tour group of seniors joined us.
Fort Walsh began as a trading post set up by Abel Farwell in 1872-73. He and rival, Moses Solomon, traded European goods brought up the Old Forts Trail from Fort Benton, Montana with the natives (Nakoda or Assiniboine) for furs.
On June 1, 1873, there were also American bison hunters and wolfers (wolf hunters), illegal whiskey traders, and Metis freighters in the area. The wolfers had come north hunting natives whom they thought had stolen some horses. Alcohol flowed freely among all the traders and when one man's horse wandered off, the natives were accused of its theft. The hunters and Metis fired upon them and 24 died in the Cypress Hills Massacre.
This incident enraged Canadians who felt the Americans threatened their sovereignty over the west. Sir John A. MacDonald created the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) in response to this and established Fort Walsh, named for James Morrow Walsh who headed the force of fifty men. It served as their headquarters from 1878 to 1883.
Originally set up to deal with the whiskey trade, the NWMP soon became involved in an international incident in 1876. After the Battle of Little Big Horn, the Sioux nation fled to Canada, to settle in Saskatchewan. Among them was the famous holy man, Sitting Bull with whom Walsh developed a deep friendship. The Canadian government wanted these natives to return to America and Walsh was to persuade them to do so.
The fort was dismantled in 1883 to be rebuilt in the 1940s as a breeding centre for the Mounties' horses and now, it is a tourist attraction. In 2004, it was also designated a dark-sky preserve for those interested in astronomy.
During the tour, our guide set up court in one of the buildings and selected Glen to be one of the prisoners. He portrayed a native accused of horse theft in a mini-trial. There were lots of laughs and Randy was called as a witness to Glen's theft.
As we waited for the bus back to the parking lot, Glen wandered over to read a plaque (anyone who has ever toured with him will know this is typical). Norma and I joined him and she spotted a 13 lined ground squirrel. It is the first time I'd seen one alive (I'd studied skins at university).
Glen and I had wanted to see Fort Walsh and the Cypress Hills having read the book, The Englishman's Boy, by Guy Vanderhaeghe. Also, our road trip last year followed the Old Forts Trail and we had visited Little Big Horn (see July 2010 archives below) so it was good to bring the history of the area into prospective. For Glen's sister, Norma, the area had been on her 'bucket list'. When asked why, she said tales by Farley Mowat, especially, Owls in the Family, had evoked her interest. So, two Canadian authors had inspired us to visit the Cypress Hills, "Where Pines Touch Prairie Skies".
That evening, after enjoying some drinks in Norma and Randy's room, we had supper at Bugler's. The name arises from the sound male elk make during the fall mating season (rut) to establish their dominance over other males and to attract females. Listen.
Since it was still raining the next morning, Father's Day, we decided to head home. We had a big breakfast so didn't stop for lunch and got back to Calgary at 2:30. Just in time to mow the lawn, unpack, and prepare for the week ahead.
Comments for this post
