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Moose Mania - Sandy McNabb LbNA #19225

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Nov 12, 2005
Location: Sandy McNabb Campground
City:Turner Valley
County:Alberta, CAN
State:Alberta, Canada
Boxes:1
Planted by:4Sailors
Found by: CarrieOnThePrairie
Last found:Aug 28, 2016
Status:FFOa
Last edited:Sep 1, 2016
NOTE July 28, 2016: This letterbox has been adopted and moved. The clues below are new.

A quick drive (40 minutes) away from Calgary, this short hike offers nice views of the Rocky Mountains, framed by scenic foothills.

When this letterbox was set, we saw a cow moose and her calf from quite close by. Those who complete the walk will also be able to meet a four-legged friend.

The hike is in the Sandy McNabb campground just outside Turner Valley. To reach Turner Valley from Calgary, take Spruce Meadows Trail (aka 22X) west to Highway 22 (the Cowboy Trail). This will lead you straight into Turner Valley.

In Turner Valley, you will reach a 4-way stop. At this intersection, turn right (West). Proceed up the hill, curving right at the top. Here this becomes Hwy 562.

From Turner Valley it will take about 15.5 kilometres to reach the Kananaskis Country sign. Proceed a further five kilometres (on the same road) from the K-Country sign to Sandy McNabb Campground. Turn left to enter the campground.

After you turn into the campground, watch closely for a parking lot at the Sandy McNabb trailhead on your left. It is JUST after the "Group Use B". You'll feel like you're turning into "Group Use B", but then there will be a parking lot on your right.

The trailhead sign advises you to take one and a half hours for the walk. But we did it with a 2-yr-old and a 3-yr-old in just about an hour.

The hike starts off with numbered trail markers quite close together. These numbers correspond to the interpretive brochure for the hike. Print it off before you go. Very interesting! Click here: http://www.albertaparks.ca/media/125794/sandy_mcnabb_trail.pdf

The trail markers aren't spaced regularly along the trail. So don't worry if you go a while without seeing one. The trail is in a loop, so follow the arrow marker that tells you to turn left. Otherwise you'll find yourself going in reverse sequence down the markers. In fact, if you're pressed for time, you could shorten your hike by choosing the right-hand route and following the numbers backwards, and then retracing your steps back to the parking lot.

Your new four-legged friend can be found after Marker #10. The number was actually missing from the sign, but you'll be able to see Marker #9 and then an empty sign post. So, go past the empty post for Marker #10, and then past one park bench on your left. If you get to a second park bench after #10, you've gone too far. About halfway between those two park benches, look to your right (away from the river) and locate a juvenile evergreen tree about 50 ft off the trail. The letterbox is wired to a branch about chest height, on the side furthest from the trail.

Hike length: 1 mile