Cypress Hills - Saskatchewan's Beautiful Highlands by Habeeb Salloum The morning air blowing through our open car window was clear and crisp as we left the T. rex Discovery Centre, a world class facility overlooking the Town of Eastend housing the fossil record in the area. A short distance further on, we began climbing upward through a rolling prairie landscape. Soon shrubs began to appear in this heart of Saskatchewan's ranching country, as we made our way to Cypress Hills Inter-Provincial Park- a highland oasis, created in 1989 by an agreement between the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments.
 Labelled the ‘oasis of the prairies’, 75% of these flat-topped uplands straddle the South Western corner of Saskatchewan and the remainder are spread across the South Eastern corner of Alberta, with a small part in northern Montana. The plateau encompasses an area 130 km (80 mi) long and 32 km (20 mi) wide and forms a divide between the waters that flow south to the Missouri and the rivers that make their way northward.
 Rising to about 11,468 m (4,816 ft) above sea level, Cypress Hills are the highest elevation of land between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador. In prehistoric times they were an extension of the Rockies and one of the few places in Canada that escaped the effects of the last ice age some 15,000 years ago. Fossilized remains of huge bison, caribou, mammoth and other giant mammals that populated the area after the era of the dinosaurs, have been uncovered.
Called Mun-a-tuk-gaw (beautiful highlands) by the Cree, these hills, the First Nations’ hunting and wintering grounds for many centuries, are today one of Saskatchewan's most fascinating provincial parks - a year-round resort. The park incorporates an area known as the West Block that has been left in its natural state. On its southern edge is located the Fort Walsh National Park, a historic site under federal control. It is bordered to the east by the ‘Gap’, an area of grasslands leading to the most visited part, the Centre Block, containing all the modern facilities, lying in the central segment of the plateau.  The park sprawls over the tree-filled highlands - mostly lodge-pole pines, unique to Saskatchewan. Mistaking them for Cypress trees, Peter Fiddler's voyageurs, the first white men to visit the hills in the early 1800s, named the area Cypress Hills. These rare prairie trees along with the white spruce and aspen defuse their subtle aromas into the park's clean cool air and create, both in summer and winter, an invigorating atmosphere. In spring and autumn, the colours of the natural vegetation come alive. During the spring months, newborn fawns, spring bird migrations and the sweet smell of rain all come in one great package for visitors to enjoy.
 Amid the trout-filled streams, trees and exotic plants, there are 21 species of orchids, and animal life is abundant. Where the now extinct bears, bison, mountain lions and wolves once roamed are to be found the big game animals: antelope, elk, moose and both mule and white-tailed deer; as well as the beaver, bobcat, coyote, lynx, red fox and a host of other smaller animals; and 220 species of birds. Surrounded by a panorama of greenery, trickling springs and lush coulees, the some 500,000 annual visitors are often thrilled at sunset by the bugle of an elk intermixed with the howling of the coyotes.
 A few feet past the administrative offices, we drove past a large swimming pool, edged by a new interpretive centre due to officially open in 2009, then around the trout-filled idyllic Lake Loch Leven. Nestled in a forest, in the core of the park, this small body of water, edged by a beach and all types of cabins, offers many water recreational activities.
 Back on the main road, we turned and slowly made our way under towering trees to the Cypress Park Resort Inn - a deluxe modern inn set amid the tall slender lodge-pole pines. An employee who I talked to was in love with his prairie oasis. He waxed poetic about its attributes - from among these that mosquitoes came only in spring and disappeared in summer. There were no mosquitoes that day, but all summer? I was leery of his words.
 Exploring the Park we drove past an amphitheatre, seating about 260 people, a 9-hole golf course, riding and hiking trails; and a horse rental site before reaching Lookout Point - a high spot overlooking the countryside below. The panoramic scene of the a forest island tumbling down to a patchwork quilt of farmland below made it appear that we were standing on a green landscape in the sky. In winter the slopes before us, leading to the prairies below, are the playground of skiers and toboggan lovers.
 From the centre Block we took a dirt road through the ‘Gap' to a paved road that led southward to Fort Walsh National Park and northward to the Cypress Hills Vineyard & Winery. We turned northward and drove for about 10 minutes to the Winery - the only winemaking establishment in the Prairie Provinces. After touring the facility, we tried a number of its fine wines, which put us in a good mood for the exploration of Fort Walsh, a 20-minute drive away.
 James Walsh, the first commander of the North West Mounted Police in South Western Saskatchewan established Fort Walsh in 1875 - once the largest town between Winnipeg and Vancouver. Whiskey drinking had resulted in the massacre of 20 Assinniboin Indians around the Abe Farwell and Moses Solomon Trading Posts and this bloody event hastened the dispatch of the North West Mounted Police (RCMP) to the area.
However, the fort was abandoned in 1883, but during its six years of existence, law and order was extended to the lawless so-called ‘Whoop-Up’ country on the prairies. They dealt with the local tribes, the thousands of Sioux who sought refuge in Canada after the defeat of Custer in Montana, the settlers and the whiskey traders.  At the Visitor's Reception Centre, we examined displays highlighting the history of the region then took a bus for the 2.4 km (1.5 mi) bus ride to the being restored and refurnished Farwell Trading Post. On the way back to the Centre, we stopped at the reconstructed Fort Walsh, reminding one of the colourful and compelling past - when men crossed the frontier on horseback and millions of bison roamed freely on the plains. Here we lived awhile in the re-created atmosphere of the 1870's frontier town, brought alive by costumed guides.
 Amid this aura, it was easy to go back to the time of the ‘Whoop-Up’ country when the area was peopled by a fascinating assortment of characters - the time when there was a saying, ‘A man's life is worth a horse, and a horse is worth a pint of whiskey’.
As the day began to wane, we made our way to the Reesor Ranch, located in the lush-forested plateau where we intended to stay the night. That day, amid the greenery of Saskatchewan's most unique provincial park we had gloried for a while in its cool breezes and marvelled at its beauty. It was truly a fulfilling experience, our shot journey through Cypress Hills - one of the most visited spots on the southern prairies. IF YOU GOCypress is a Great Place for Camping: There are six campgrounds, containing a total of 411 electrified and non-electrified sites, situated within a 2 km (1 mi) radius in the park’s centre block. Also, in the heart of the park there is a gas station. A Fine Stopover: Cypress Hills Vineyard & Winery, the only winery on the prairies. Box 122, Maple Creek, SK S0N 1N0. Tel: (306) 662-4100. E-mail: Cheers@cypresshillswinery.com Website: http://www.cypresshillswinery.com/ A Good place to Stay: Cypress Park Resort Inn, includes cabins, condos, and a hotel complex. A restaurant, lounge, and indoor swimming pool add to its offerings. Box 1480, Maple Creek, SK Canada S0N 1N0. Tel: (306) 662-4477. Fax: (306) 662-3238. E-mail: resort.office@cypressresortinn.com. Wesite: www.cypressresortinn.com Rates range from $65. to $169. per night. Interesting Attractions in the Cypress Hills Area: Eastend T. rex Discovery Centre, a world class facility overlooking the Town of Eastend and the beautiful Frenchman river valley and housing the fossil record in the area, including one of the most complete tiprannosscuros skeletons in the world. Website: http://www.dinocountry.com/ Grasslands National Park, located in South Western Saskatchewan near the Saskatchewan-Montana border, it is the first national park of Canada to preserve a portion of the mixed prairie grasslands inhabited by prairie animals and birds. Website:
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/sk/grasslands/index_E.asp Old Man on His Back Shortgrass Prairie and Heritage Preserve, a 13,000 acre prairie piece of land that serves as a home for several species of endangered species including the Burrowing Owl, Swift Fox and Ferruginous Hawk. In 2004, a herd of 50 bison were released into the area, the first group of bison to roam freely in over 100 years. Website: http://www.natureconservancy.ca/r Historic Reesor Ranch, located in a scenic valley on the north slope of the Cypress Hills, this former ranch has been operating as a guest ranch for a number of years, inviting guests to share in a traditional ranching experience. Website: http://www.reesorranch.com/ For More Information, Contact Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park – Saskatchewan, Box 850, Maple Creek, SK CANADA S0N 1N0. Website: www.saskparks.net - Park Office (year round): Tel: (306) 662-5411. Fax (306) 662-5482. E-mail: cypresshills@serm.gov.sk.ca Fort Walsh National Historic Site, Visitor Information, P.O. Box 278, Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada S0N 1N0. Tel (Administration office): 306-662-2645; Tel (Site office - May to October): 306-662-3590. Fax: 306-662-2711. E-mail: fort.walsh@pc.gc.ca Website: http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/sk/walsh/index_E.asp | 