Where's water valley? I can't find it on my map.

Get a better map...

Follow highway 2 north from Calgary to Crossfield. Go west from Crossfield on Hwy 574 to highway 22. Jog north a few km and head west again on highway 579. Water Valley is about 5 or 6 km west of Highway 22...

Or...go to Google maps and punch in Water Valley AB and it'll show you...

The highway West of Water Valley was NOT paved as of last year. Last time I was on it was I believe last fall, and it was gravel....smooth but muddy. Not sure if you wanna trek out that way....but since there are a lot of gas wells, the oil people may have paved it since then.
If anyone wants positive confirmation, I can get it. My wifes farm is near there, and my in-laws have land out that way. I also seem to remember the highway west of Crossfield turning into gravel...but I may be wrong on that.
Hope you guys have fun. Wish I could be there!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Greg

LOL that's a good one...the last place oil companies spend money is on the lease roads/leading to and from....trust me i know this!

confirmation would be nice for the pretty car's coming out....as for my car...bring on the mud!

ciao

I'm in YOOOOOOTAAAAAHHHH looking for multiple wives, i mean, mountain biking. I'll be back around noon monday, so I'll call and see where you fools are at and if I can meet up with y'all, I will.

Happy turkey weekend.

Yeah, kinda true....but this isn't a lease road. I know in that particular area, they have paved some of the outlying roads which then access lease roads. Its public land, so it sort of an act of good will....there's lots of traffic that isn't oilfield related.

OK, so I got off the phone with my father-in-law. Here's the scoop. Its only paved for about 6 miles West of Water Valley, and he figures (take this with a grain of salt) there's another 20 miles of gravel before you get to the Trunk road. The road has been "improved" but its been raining there, so it will be nasty. After that he's not sure, but figures the Trunk road may be paved as far as Waiprous, but he hasn't been "out that way" in quite a while. At any rate, there's gonna be gravel.
It is paved through Crossfield all the way to the 22, but you have to take a couple jogs at and after Madden to stay on pavement.

I do know of a nice paved road going west into the hills just north of Cremona, but eventually its gravel as well. Not sure which road Brad was talking about.

Hope the info helps!
Greg

I'm not doing any gravel with my car. There's already enough mess under my car.

Well...one would hope that Brad reads this sometime but perhaps not. Guess I'll call him and see which road he was talking about...

Dale ... an option

highway 1 to 22 south.
22 south to Bragg Creek
Bragg Creek to Millarville on 762
join back onto 22 and then where ever.

We could also drive up 546 or 541 off of 22 some distance until we hit snow then turn around

Just an idea.

I might go back home directly by Rocky Mountain House and Saskatchewan River Crossing.

I'll camp in the Deerfoot Mall parking lot sunday night, so you should find me there monday morning.

Just got off the phone with Brad. Seems we cross 22 on the Big Hill Springs road. That road ends at a "T". Turn roght at the "T" and you get 10 or 12 km of twisty turny blacktop. That road runs into Water Valley...

It's a bit short but I'm not sure I want to do a whole day thing anyways.

Any one of the roads that head back east off 22, south of Black Diamond would be fine. Actually, the road from Millarville to Okotoks is kinda fun. Maybe we should do that...Highway 2 to Okotoks, west to Millarville. South on 22 and back across somewhere south of Longview. The road that goes east from Bar U Ranch corner is beautiful new pavement for about 20km and then it's kinda rough with some broken spots. Running the rough section at 120 isn't great unless you're driving a Suburban but taking it at 80 (speed limit) or 90 shouldn't be any trouble for anyone...

If we're going south, meeting at Deerfoot Mall isn't likely a good idea.

Let's do it this way... Meet at Deerfoor Inn & Casino (114 Ave & Barlow Tr SE) parking lot off 35th St at 9:30. We'll head south on Deerfoot, past High River to the Bar U turnoff. West on that road to 22. Back north on 22 to Millarville. From Millarville turn and head back east into Okotoks and then back home. Depending on time, we can stop at any number of places for a bite to eat (read picnic lunch). The loop shouldn't take more than a couple of hours...maybe 3 at the outside. Heck, we could be back in town for lunch, if we wanted to...

Steph...there's a futon in the basement. You're welcome to sleep here. We're just going to be out for the evening. There's also a tent trailer in the driveway. Bring your warm wooly sleeping bag and crash there if you want...

I wouldn't say no to the futon (if I knew your adress), but I prefer my car over the tent as I will have some heat.

So...

has anyone decided if we are meeting at deerfoot mall or deerfoot casino on monday morning?

- R

Well...being as no one else has any ideas ('cept Ian), I'll say we're meeting at Deerfoot Casino and heading south...

Steph...

312 Lynnview Way SE

And it's a tent trailer. Up off the ground... 4" foam sleeping pads. I sleep better there than in my own bed...