We see lots of interesting evidence of the original surveyors at our stations.  Concrete monuments, survey markers, and cairns.  My favourite though are the axed down trees.

At many of the stations there is a lovely circle of axed down trees just below camera height so that the surveyors could have a better view for their cameras.  Sometimes we wish we had a chain saw to cut down all of the new trees that came up.  Instead we just move to a different spot.

(1918 Bridgland Survey, Red Deer River Valley, Alberta)

Their cameras had no viewfinders, so often their things (and men) ended up in the images, like this ax.

We are impressed by their ability to lug the axe to the most ridiculous of places.

We are headed up there on Wednesday with new crew members!

W