70 Mile Butte

It was a beautiful July morning, the height of the growing season. Button had suggested that Golden walk to Butte Seachdad Mìle and check for herbs along the way. She had brought with her the new leather bag that Button had painstakingly made her, beautifully etched with a large round Celtic knot design on the front flap. Golden had been walking for more than two hours, enjoying all the sights and sounds of nature in full bloom, when she saw a breathtaking sight ahead of her. She quickened her pace.

Looming before her was a high, treeless rise, with pockets of bush and greenery here and there and cacti everywhere. Golden climbed higher and higher, watching for and picking herbs along the trail and placing them in her leather bag. The zigzagging path had short, steep sections and offered a breathtaking view of what she now knew was called the Whitemud River.

Finally, Golden stood on top, on an immense, flat plateau.

- Excerpt from Dagger of Urachadh: Attack from the Underworld, p. 74.

You can take winding trails all the way to the top of 70 Mile Butte but watch out that you don’t accidentally step on a prickly pear cactus. It is a bit of a steep climb but it is certainly worth the view. Once you make it to the top, you can see for miles. The butte overlooks the Frenchman River valley [1] and the endless mixed grass prairie, one of the largest tracks of undisturbed prairie in North America [2]. 70 Mile Butte was one of my favourite sites to visit. It was definitely worth the drive to see it!

Karen E. Mosier

References:

1. Robin and Arlene Karpan. 2018. Saskatchewan’s Best Scenic Drives. Frenchman River Valley. P. 27- 29. Parkland Publishing.
2. Robin and Arlene Karpan. 2017. The Great Saskatchewan BUCKET LIST. Prairie Panorama: Sunset Over 70 Mile Butte. P. 26-28. Parkland Publishing.
3. Parks Canada. Grasslands National Park. 70 Mile Butte. www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/sk/grasslands/activ/experiences/randonee-hiking/sentiers-trails/70_mile