Local residents hitch up their wagons

By Joan Janzen

Every summer, Lionel Story from Netherhill and his friends Duffy Ham and Larry Benjamin hitch up their wagons and head out on a wagon trek; it’s become a long-time tradition. This July, they crossed the Clearwater River, which is west of Caroline, Alberta.

The group met up with about a dozen others from Saskatchewan and Alberta, including three wagons with the others on horseback. They had a guide from Clearwater Basin Adventures on their five-day adventure. “It took us four hours to reach camp,” Lionel said.

Lionel Story, Duffy Ham and Larry Benjamin on a wagon trek through the Clearwater River, just west of Caroline, AB. Photo by Joe Hartung

One of the challenges involved crossing the Clearwater River. “The guy who did it the day before got stuck,” Lionel said. “But Duffy and Larry were the first ones to cross the next day, and everything went fine.”

Lionel has been going on wagon treks for over thirty years. He enjoys seeing the mountains, rivers and trees, fishing, and spending time with friends and sometimes family members who join them.

When asked how they managed to survive during the heat wave they experienced, he replied, “You drink beer.” It’s a testament to the resourcefulness of prairie wagon trekkers.