The night was cold and clear, no wind, and the only sound was boots crunching on snow. Just half an hour after parking my car at the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area, I reached Sandy’s Lookout, a high spot at this under-appreciated park located just 20 minutes southwest of Calgary off Highway 22. I stopped to rest, my breath like smoke drifting towards a row of leafless aspens caked with hoarfrost. I turned off my headlamp and looked up. The sky was an opulent dome gemmed with a trillion twinkling stars. It was breathtaking. Read More