Fall colours of the Northwest park instill calm amidst the hectic
Produced by JUSTIN WILSON
Nose Hill Park in the fall is one of the most visually stunning areas in the city. The vegetation, the hiking trails and the wildlife make it hard to believe it is just 10 minutes from the downtown core.
When it comes to alleviating stress, forgetting due dates, deadlines and debt, walking my English bulldog, Gavin, is as calming as it gets.
On our walks, he and I have an interesting juxtaposition. I’m generally there under the guise of relaxation, while he’s seemingly there for no other reason than to barrel through things he could just as easily walk around. That, and in warmer weather, leaping at grasshoppers he spots in the grass that he doesn’t have a chance at ever actually catching.
Depending on which side of the more than 10 square kilometers you find yourself, the hill presents breathtaking views of our city skyline, Canada Olympic Park, and the Calgary International Airport.
Dog owners, myself included, have seemingly endless pathways to take our four-legged friends—along with terrain for walking, running or biking.
Spotting wildlife is particularly interesting. Gavin hasn’t figured out yet that deer aren’t going to wait for him to catch up. At one point, he seemed pretty interested in a coyote until I decided that wasn’t a very appropriate play date.
The history of the park seems to display itself every time we lose the concrete path for the thicket of trees. In these trees, Gavin and I have stumbled upon old wooden foundations and collapsed walls, made up of rotten wood from a time when the hill was first settled, the history of which can be read about on signs all over the hill.
It’s something more people should know about, but I’d rather they not discover it while I’m there.
I like the quiet.