On the way back to Pincher Creek, after crossing Crowsnest Pass, I decided to check out one more nearby destination: Beauvais Lake.
My drive out to Beauvais Lake Provincial Park was a last-minute decision, with just one purpose — burn off an extra hour or so, before the end of the day. I wasn’t expecting to see much, because the impenetrable grey blanket had already returned to the sky. And also, I was almost certain that the lake would be frozen solid.
Of course, I was right. Beauvais Lake was nothing more than a flat, snow-covered expanse, with some low hills on the opposite side. There might have been some bigger mountains nearby, but thanks to the clouds, I couldn’t see them.
Once you arrive at the park, the access road runs alongside the edge of the lake, until it cuts across the water on a small bridge. After that, the road started to fade into the snow, and I wasn’t sure if it ended or continued — but I was certain that I didn’t need to drive any farther. I made a u-turn, then found a place to stop at the side of the road, and walked down to the edge of the ice.
I’m sure in summer, this would be a much more inviting spot. I’ve read that it’s a popular place to fish for Rainbow Trout. Simply picnicking by the water would be nice, as well. But in March, Beauvais Lake was cold and lonely. There were probably only a few other people in the entire park — and none had ventured as far down the access road as me.
Sunset may have been a couple of hours away, but I knew I wasn’t going to see much more light on this day. And I was tired of being cold. So, I headed back to Pincher Creek, and called it a day, with hopes that Day 3 would start with a little more blue, and a little less grey.
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