It felt like "someplace real" to hike on good, dry trail on a 20 degree day, except that it is still incredibly bleak for early May, and there are a few snow patches in the trees in the foothills, and especially in the ditches on the road into West Bragg Creek.

It was 10 degrees in Calgary but we were all glad we resisted the urge to wear shorts, as it was a chilly minus one on the thermometer at West Bragg Creek parking lot. The sun came out on cue as we left the lot, and soon we were shedding layers. We went counter clockwise around the Merlin View loop and took a short break on the rock sofas near the top of the trail before taking a short detour to the Kestrel viewpoint, where we had lunch. It was suddenly grey, windy and cold, so lunch was not long, but on the descent of the loop the sun came back and it was time to shed the layers again.

Peter, Brian and Phyllis on Kestrel viewpoint with Moose Mountain above

We were back to the parking lot by 3:10.

Participants: Madeleine, Bill,Carl, coordinator and scribe, Brian,June,Mohsen,Peter,Phyllis,Chris,Douglas,Ross.