Chapman Creek Trail - Oct 21, 2012

Today was an exciting day.  In between visiting numerous studios & galleries during the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl, I took some time to attend the official opening of the Chapman Creek Trail. This new trail is a very important connection in what will be the Suncoaster Trail connecting Langdale to Earl's Cove...80km by highway and much longer by trail.  What is important about this trail is the new bridge that crosses Chapman Creek...the only non-highway crossing of the main watershed here on the Sechelt Peninsula.

The trail was actually christened in July during BC Bike Race.  Volunteers raced to have the bridge installed just days before 500 riders hit the Coast for the prestigious race.  Today was a beautiful fall day to dedicate the trail and to honour the many, many volunteer hours that went into building the trail.

The forest is watching

This section of trail runs from the Sechelt Airport near Wilson Creek to Selma Park.  Today I only hiked the first section which is about 20 minutes from the airport to the bridge.  It is a beautiful, fairly easy hike...just some uneven ground and a bit of a hill at the very end as you return to the airport.  From the airport, it is a short distance to the B&K Road network of trails which is a prime mountain bike area.

downstream from the bridge

the highlight - the bridge itself

We've had a bit of rain the last two weeks, so everything was a deep rich green.  Lots of ferns, moss, and thick vegetation.  Pine needles rained down and covered the trail.  There are some very large old stumps from the original grand forest that I am guessing was logged 70-100 years ago.

upstream from the bridge

Chapman Creek is also home to the Chapman Creek Hatchery which is a bit downstream from the bridge.  Here, millions of salmon are released each year and are now returning to spawn.  Here is a short video clip to try and share the power of the water.

BC Bike Race - July 5, 2012

BC Bike Race is an amazing 7 day adventure bringing 500 mountain bike riders in search of some of the world's best singletrack.  Every year there are a combination of world class racers, international adventurers, and weekend warriors who tackle the course.  Three of the seven days are spent right here on BC's Sunshine Coast.  I caught part of Wednesday's action...the longest course of the tour at 63km and 2,100m of elevation change...when they hit the finish line in Sechelt.  Have you ever seen 500 identical tents in a row in one field?  Assembled & disassembled daily?

Today was my favourite part of the race, though,...and for many of the riders as well.  It's a 'short' course at 40km, but a serious climb from Sechelt up and over Roberts Creek and Mt. Elphinstone to finish with 7km of straight downhill into Langdale.  This last section of riding is the part of Mt. Elphinstone that I often hike...around Sprockids Mountain Bike Park.  The riders emerge from the rainforest a block from my house and cruise down our steep hill to the ferry terminal.

Yes! - thrilled to emerge from the forest toward the finish line

Neighbourhood kids came out to watch and cheer along the street.  Many of the riders waved and appreciated the young fans.  One man even stopped to chat with the kids while he waited for his teammate to emerge from the forest.  Pretty cool...and inspiring for the kids.

As one rider popped over the hill, all I heard was "Wow..look at that!".  The view opens into the deep blue water of Howe Sound, heavily forested Gambier Island, and the Coast Mountains in the backdrop.  Yes, this is the view I'm lucky enough to see every day when I leave the house.

2 person team excited to cross the finish line

 The finish line buzzes with activity as the racers shower...bike shower first of course...then personal shower, food, new clothes, medical tent if necessary and off to catch the ferry to the campsite in Squamish.

In line for the bike showers - lots of mud!

SUP in Davis Bay - July 4, 2012

The sun returned and it was finally warm enough to really get outside.  I took advantage of the blue skies and celebrated some WOW - Wednesdays on Water with my friend and guide Sarah at Alpha Adventures.  This was my first time out on the water this year...it finally felt warm enough.

It was high tide and the water was so smooth.  Hard to believe this is the ocean, sometimes.  A quick reminder of some basics from Sarah and I was off.  This was only my 3rd time paddle boarding and the first time out since last fall.  Yes, just like riding a bike, it all comes back.  In no time I was up on the board and cruising down the beach.

Davis Bay w/ Vancouver Island in the background

WOW takes place every Wednesday.  It's a social paddle...anyone can join and its about practicing skills, making friends and having fun.  My fellow WOW group members were all from out of town. John is visiting from the other Sunshine Coast in Australia. He chose the wet suit because we don't have the tropical waters from Down Under, but he was sweating up a storm after the good workout that paddling provides. I was happy to not have 'taken a swim'...a.k.a. falling in. Every once in a while a wave would run across the top of my board and my feet and remind me that the water is still cool. Two sisters from Canmore Alberta were in town for BC Bike Race (more about that tomorrow) and decided to have a little ocean adventure.

So much fun.  You know how the sun shines and creates a trail over the water as it gets lower in the sky?  I just let myself line up with that trail and paddled along.  Not a care in the world...just me and the ocean.  It's a real sense of freedom.  When I looked back toward the beach, I couldn't believe how far from shore I had gone.

These shots are from the beach after a good workout.  I can really feel my abs tonight!  A couple days of rest and then I hope to be back on the water for Sunday's 2nd annual SUP Festival in Porpoise Bay.  Come out and try paddle boarding for yourself!

2 kayaks - 2 Alaskan cruise ships

smooth water with Vancouver Island in the distance

Canada Day - July 1, 2012

Happy Canada Day!  This afternoon turned out to be a wonderful sunny Canada Day.  We enjoyed taking some time off to enjoy the day with our friends and neighbours in Gibsons Landing.  One of the special activities was the Gibsons Paddling Club giving trial paddle experiences to anyone who wanted to give it a try.  Two outrigger boats spent most of the afternoon taking adults and children alike for a short trip around Gibsons Harbour.

Gibsons Paddling Club - Gibsons Landing

 The main attraction was live music in the amphitheater in Winegarden Park.  The Song Butchers...complete with white butcher coats...were the headline act and did a great job with 2 hours of Canadian music covers.  Live music, farmers market, family & friends, Rotary hot dogs and the Mayor and Council serving up birthday cake...small town fun to celebrate the nation's birthday.

Winegarden Park

Langdale Trail - June 23, 2012

I can't believe a nearly a month has gone by since I have had a good hike in the forest.  We've had lots of rain and I've let work and meetings take too much priority.  I had a sunny afternoon to myself and made the most of it.  I decided to go exploring in my own backyard.

Langdale Trail - easy & level hike

Our street ends a block from the house and is the beginning of a trail through the forest.  This is the first trail I ever explored on the Sunshine Coast.  My neighbour, Jo, took the ladies of our cul-de-sac on a guided tour to share an easy trail we could all hike.  Jo passed away last fall, and I was thinking of her today and thankful that she shared this trail with me and starting my hiking trips.

The trees here are fairly young...new growth I'm sure after logging.  These are skinny, fast growing trees...maybe alder.  Almost all deciduous...the mighty Douglas fir and yellow cedar are further up the mountain.  Looking straight up at the sky the leaves rustled in the slight breeze.  The walk was very peaceful with birds singing and enjoying the sunshine.

Salmon berries are ready to eat

 The trail is lined with what I believe are salmon berries.  They are orange and turn red when ripe.  A delicious snack along the way.

Ten days from now this trail will be the end of stage 5 of the BC Bike Race.  500 riders from around the world will fly down the trail descending from much higher on Mt. Elphinstone as they race to the finish line at the ferry terminal below.  I look forward to cheering them on.

Oak Street Trail - May 25, 2012

Today was absolutely beautiful with full sunshine.  Summer weather has arrived.  After dinner, we decided to take a stroll along the beach and watch the sunset.  Bonniebrook Beach is just outside of Gibsons and is a wonderful place for watching sunsets over Vancouver Island in the distance.  Ocean Beach Esplanade is 2-3km long and only local traffic, so there are more walkers and bikers than cars most of the time.  We had just started walking when I noticed a new trail sign, so we took a detour and look what we found.

Oak Street Trail - look at the size of that stump!

 What an entrance!  Imagine how tall that tree was to leave a stump that big.  I had no idea there was a hiking trail here...I've always just walked along the beach.  It isn't even on the SCRD's trail maps yet.  We decided to explore and see where it led.  What a great trail for an evening hike!  The whole trail couldn't have taken more than 10-15 minutes and connects to the end of a neighborhood road.  If you follow the trail up the road, you end up in Whispering Firs Park along the Sunshine Coast Highway.  

Birds and frogs were singing and large ferns covered the forest floor.  Rushing water from a creek could be heard in the distance.  There were other trees as large as the entrance stump that had fallen and were creating a hotbed of regrowth.  The first part of the trail is a bit steep.  You are hiking up the bank from the ocean, afterall.  Not terribly difficult, but not accessible to everyone.

Educational display & map of the area

 As you come back down the path, there are glimpses of the ocean in the distance.  You can hear the pounding waves more than you can see them from the forest.  As we came out to the clearing, we imagined what is was like for pioneers and explorers to cut through think forest only to find the Pacific Ocean before them.  Absolutely incredible.  We finished the evening with a stroll along the beach to watch the sunset.  So simple, yet so special.

Bonniebrook Beach

Hidden Groves - May 12, 2012

Today felt like summer had arrived.  Everyone was so happy to see sunshine and warm temperatures that it was a must to spend as much time outside as possible.  So after stocking up at the Sechelt Farmers' & Artisans' Market, I headed for Sechelt's Hidden Groves along Sechelt Inlet.  It was the grand opening & ribbon cutting for the new fully accessible trail.  "Take It Easy" or "ayat-tsut" (in shíshálh ) is about 500m of level meandering trail through the forest open to anyone.  Wheelchairs, scooters and strollers joined the group today for the opening hike.

Take It Easy / ayat-tsut

This is another one of our fabulous Sunshine Coast trail systems that is only possible because of extremely dedicated volunteers.  This single trail was built over the past few months and required over 600 hours of volunteer sweat & hard work.  Many local companies and the District of Sechelt came together with materials and equipment, and a number of important grants were earned from various foundations to create a financial base.

The area has a large network of trails that include a number of old growth giants estimated to be 750 years old.  This was my first trip to the area, but the sights from this short trek were fantastic.  Look at this old beauty standing, but at an amazing angle.

new shelter at the trail entrance

I look forward to my next hiking trip to Hidden Groves when I have time to explore all of the trails....and many more days of warm sunshine like today.  If you're not tempted enough...have a look at the Hidden Groves brochure.