Spirit West

Great News!
As co-host of the Winter Launch Festival we’re thrilled to announce that Ken Read — former Crazy Canuck and past co-owner of Mount Norquay Ski Resort — will be joining us at the !

Ken will personally introduce “The Mighty Quay” at its screening on November 15th at 6:00 PM.

🎟️ Get your tickets at: winterlaunch.ca

Come enjoy an incredible night of mountain films and hear directly from Ken, whose family has deep roots in the Norquay ski area and competitive skiing.

A true Canadian skiing legend — don’t miss it!

Hike of the Headbangers

Long before the age of ACDC, Black Sabbath and Metallica, there was the OG Head Banger - the Bighorn ram. Join the Calgary Explorers Club on Hike of the Head Bangers to learn about this charismatic ungulate during the season of the rut. On this 6.4 km round trip on the Foran Grade Trail, you will hike by dramatic cliffs, view rocky peaks and the stunning Sheep River. There will be an opportunity to also visit the Big Horn Lookout to see this majestic animal in action. Time to rock on with the rams of the Sheep River valley!

$45 + GST per person
Info and Ticket Purchase: https://calgaryexplorersclub.ca/pages/events-1

🌟 A huge thank you to Lorne Perry for his excellent presentation, “Vaka Motu: In the Wake of the Ancestors.”

Spirit West, the Calgary Explorers Club, and everyone who joined us for our popular Pub Night series are deeply appreciative that you shared your incredible experiences with us.

Ever wondered how the landscapes around us were formed?
Dale Leckie Presents: Exploring Alberta’s Parks and Reserves – the Scenic Geology of Alberta

Monday June 23rd, 6:00pm
Calgary Irish Cultural Society
Buy tickets here:
https://calgaryexplorersclub.ca/pages/events-1

Alberta is blessed with countless parks and reserves. There are numerous
wilderness reserves, ecological reserves, natural areas, and heritage rangelands, as well as national, provincial, and municipal parks, all exhibiting spectacular scenery with a geological story to tell.

Allow Dale Leckie to help you explore Alberta’s most scenic sites. Dale tells the intriguing story of Alberta’s landscape evolution from Waterton Lakes National Park, to Dinosaur Provincial Park, into the Prairies, and across the North. With trips to Edmonton, Calgary, Crowsnest Pass, and Elk Island National Park, he takes you to explore volcanoes and glaciations long past.

Dale also delves into the relationship between wildlife and landscape which is exemplified in the lives of golden eagles over the Rockies, the American pika and eroding mountains, of burrowing owls on glaciated plains, and greater, short-horned lizards surviving in badlands and a vast rain shadow. Did you ever consider that to find and observe wildlife in Alberta, it is best to first check out thelocal geology?

Using eye-catching illustrations and photographs, Dale blends storytelling with science, incorporating natural landscape beauty with art and history. Exploring the scenic geology of Alberta with Dale gives you what you need to discover and understand the origins of the spectacular landforms of Alberta and some of the wildlife that lives in them. This talk includes stops along well-travelled and not-so-well-travelled routes that the curious would be wise to see.

Welcome to the Mountains Spirit West is for the self propelled outdoor enthusiast. Serving the Rocky Mountain region and beyond, we offer repair on technical items, customized apparel, adventure travel info and more.

Ever wondered what was unfolding in the Bow Valley long before we set foot here?

Brian Vivian presents:
The Prehistory of the Bow Valley over the past 12,000 years

Date & Time:
Monday, May 26th
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Location:
Irish Cultural Society,
6452 35 Ave NW, Calgary, AB T3B 1S6

Join Brian Vivian, Senior Project Archaeologist and Full Partner at Lifeways of Canada, for an engaging talk on the Prehistory of the Bow Valley over the past 12,000 years. With over 40 years of experience, Brian has worked on groundbreaking archaeological projects across Southern Alberta, the Canadian Rockies, and internationally—from the Canadian High Arctic to Ghana. Highlights of his career include discovering a Clovis point in Clearwater Pass, excavating the oldest site in Yellowstone, and unearthing the oldest carved artwork in the Canadian High Arctic. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of the field's foremost experts on cultural change and high-altitude adaptations in the Rockies.

Click on the following link for ticket:
https://calgaryexplorersclub.ca/pages/events-1

We look forward to seeing you there!

Everyday we receive numerous repairs from our customers outside of Calgary...this one brought a smile to our faces!

Intermission at the Calgary Mountain Film Festival has patrons catching up with each other and taking a well deserved break !
Spirit West has been the co-presenter of this annual event of climbing and paddling films for 17 years...time flies...
Last show tonight, come down to the Globe to watch this years great films.
https://www.cmff.ca/