Rainforest

Hike to Smuggler Cove

/ edebock / 4 Comments

While the actual distance from Vancouver to Powell River on BC’s Sunshine Coast is only about 125 km (78 miles), it’s a 4 to 5 hour trip by car because it involves two ferry crossings of 40 to 50 minutes each.

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I was born in Powell River and spent the first ten years of my life there. We made the trip back and forth many times for everything from medical appointments to visiting family in the city. Later, after moving to Vancouver, we returned to Powell River to visit my grandparents who continued to live there. Never during all those years did we ever stop to explore the peninsula between the Langdale and Earls Cove ferry terminals. To me, the trip always seemed like a mad dash along the narrow, winding highway to get from one ferry to the next. More than once, we arrived just as the ferry pulled away and had to wait for the next one!

It’s been about 20 years since I last returned to PR and this time I decided to make it a more leisurely trip. Instead of rushing from one ferry to the next, we spent 24 hours exploring the peninsula and spent the night with a good friend at Sechelt. We also enjoyed a hike to Smuggler Cove.

After the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885 ex-Royal Navy seaman, Larry Kelly, used the tranquil waters of Smuggler Cove to collect cargoes of unemployed Chinese labourers who each paid him $100 to smuggle them into the United States where they hoped to find work. Later, during Prohibition (1920-1933) rum-runners used Smuggler Cove as a safe haven.

The hike to Smuggler Cove is a fairly easy one. The first part is a well-maintained trail and includes sections of boardwalk that pass through a wetland area, largely the work of resident beavers.

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Further on, the trail becomes slightly more challenging but it’s still not difficult. Hiking through the coastal rainforest, life beneath the canopy is lush with numerous kinds of ferns and fungi.

Without question, though, the highlight of the hike is the cove itself. So beautiful and so serene! Hubby was curious about the building in the second photo that would only be accessible by water. 

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At the end of the in and out hike, before beginning the trek back to our vehicle, we sat for awhile in this beautiful spot. After experiencing the destructive power of an “atmospheric river” that caused serious damage and claimed at least three lives just a few days earlier while we were staying in North Vancouver, these peaceful ocean waters were a boon to my soul!

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Two rainforest hikes

/ edebock / 2 Comments

I’ve been living out of a suitcase for the past two and a half weeks which hasn’t inspired a fashion post for today. Instead, I’m going to begin sharing some highlights from our trip.

Two full years had passed since our last real visit with our son and his family and my brother at Vancouver. I’m not counting the four days that we spent at the coast at the beginning of December 2019 helping my father settle into long term care and dealing with the contents of the assisted living suite that had been his home for several years or the return trip three months later when he passed away. Those trips were all about doing what needed to be done and left little time for anything else.

Though Covid still made traveling somewhat of a concern and we were extra cautious due to the clinical vulnerability of some of the family members that we’d be visiting, we felt that we couldn’t wait any longer. Grandchildren change so much in two years! 

One of the things that we had hoped to do while we were at the coast was hike. In spite of several days of heavy rain (6 inches in one 48 hour period!) we managed to enjoy two wonderful hikes in the coastal rainforest; so different from our prairie hikes close to home. 

Cypress Falls, West Vancouver

We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday, October 11. While our daughter-in-law was preparing a delicious turkey dinner, hubby and I joined our son and his youngest for a hike to Cypress Falls in West Vancouver. 

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Just a short distance from the highway, Cypress Hills Park is easy to access. Though we were never far from civilization, this was definitely a wilderness park. The first part of the 2.7 km out and back trail was easy, as shown in the photo above, but it became somewhat steeper and more rugged further on.

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Mist from the water thundering over the lower falls hung in the trees above and provided a perfect environment for lush ferns and mosses. 

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Many varieties of mushrooms grew on the forest floor. I particularly liked these little splashes of colour. 

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Continuing on through stands of old growth Red Cedar and Douglas Fir, we reached the impressive upper falls at the end of the trail.

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Lynn Canyon, North Vancouver

The following Sunday, after days of rain, the weather cleared enough for us to enjoy a second hike, this time with the entire family.  Lynn Canyon Park, which is home to several beautiful trails, is located within walking distance of our son’s house as well as my teenage home. We hiked from the north entrance of the park, across Pipe Bridge and down to the very popular 30-Foot pool. Leaves from the park’s many maple trees formed a wet, but beautiful carpet.

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Never have we seen the creek and the pool so full!

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Toward the end of our hike, we crossed the 40 metre (130 foot) long suspension bridge that hangs 50 metres (160 feet) above the canyon. For much of my life, an extreme fear of heights kept me from crossing the bridge and enjoying the trails on the far side of the creek. Several years ago, however, I conquered that fear and this time I was able to stop and take photos from the middle of the bridge! 

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These are just two of the many beautiful places to hike on Vancouver’s beautiful north shore. In my next post I’ll share another one of our adventures, but this time in the heart of the city.