It’s remembrance day, and without work nor rain today I went for a ride. I chose the Beachcomber this time because I wanted to revisit some creekside trails along upper MacKay in North Vancouver that were a bit too technical for the Bombadil when I first found them.
I climbed the ‘Loutet’ series of paths and trails that parallel the cut on hwy 1. It’s a bit arduous, but a really nice series of trails – especially the somewhat hidden section that overlooks the highway below.
I had been meaning to check out the new pedestrian overpass at the top of the cut, and I hadn’t thought about it today until I got to it, but checked that off the list now. It’s pretty nice! I need to think about routes that utilize it now!
I am glad I visited Greenwood Park when I did, because the understory is full of huckleberry whose leaves are glowing right now – this is a fleeting part of autumn and they’ll be bare soon enough. They’re pretty inconspicuous the rest of the year, so it’s fun to see them light up.
Some further autumn colours and textures in the area; a vine maple with interesting green splotches, and ferns on their way out for the season.
I traversed over to Mosquito Creek and headed uphill, but decided not to ride all the way to the top. Instead I explored different ways to get into MacKay creek – most of which failed, and I ended up noodling down neighbourhood streets mostly until the highway, and riding the lower section of trail instead.
Before crossing the Lions Gate back into the Vancouver side, I detoured to check out the water level of Capilano River, and it was about as high as I’ve ever seen it. Like Seymour River, this one’s fed by a watershed dam, which must be nearly full-open right now from all the rain up in the mountains. I probably should have rode up to check that out, since I wasn’t far away at the north end of my route today.
In the end, a little under 50km of wandering – a good Wednesday!
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