Category: General

I only had one plan today, given the dry and reasonably warm forecast: be outside all day. It started with a long dog walk in the morning, and was followed up by 8 hours out on the bike – turned out to be 4hrs each moving time and not.

I rode my trusty Bombadil, still outfitted with drop bars. I’ve been riding the Evasion most often lately, partly because it’s new of course, and partly because it’s so capable for an un-rushed ride that has a bit of everything. Which is definitely my preferred, and most common, type of leisure ride.

I headed for North Vancouver with the intent of exploring a few connections I’ve been wondering about, but taking some of my favourite paths and trails to link it together. About 10km in I had what I think is the first proper chain-suck experience in the past bunch of years – see below. It bafflles me the chain was able to force its way through, given the clearance between chairing and frame is less than half the width of the chain. I replaced the BB not too long ago with one that’s juuuust a bit wider and that’s where I went wrong I guess. I usually run a spindle length that puts the inner chainring as close to rubbing the frame without actually making contact as possible.

I worked my way up the trails that parallel Hwy 1, which climbs to Loutet park, home of some of the most impressive dirt jumps around. There is a pretty seamless connection of trails from here and through Greenwood Park that I ride regularly in either direction – though going up is pretty tough climbing.

Fall is coming to a close but not technically over, and the forest made a point of this with some nice yellow foliage still hanging on and ferns that are clinging to their seasonal fronds.

I’ll link the route at the end of this post for those who might be curious. I guess you’d need to know the area for it to be of any value. I wasn’t really trying to ride a “good route” in the sense that others might enjoy it; I’m not sure if this kind of route works for anyone who is trying to follow a route. I suspect it’s most enjoyable when it’s come about organically while exploring neighbourhoods, and something gets lost when trying to follow a GPS track in unfamiliar terrain. But, that said, I do think this is a great path to take on your bike, despite the occasional set of stairs. See below.

I had driven by this short but sweet stretch of bike infrastructure on the highway so many times and finally today I rode it – it doesn’t really go from, or to, anything – a failure in many respects, but dang if it isn’t nicely implemented. Now just connect it with similar paths everywhere!!!

Also pictured below is a neat photo of erosion at work from the Capilano river’s current shooting across and into that left bank…

There used to be a gravel path that led all the way up to Capilano Lake on the west side of the river, but it’s been closed a few years due to a section being eroded away. I rode up to the closure and back today just because it’s a lovely stretch of gravel road – and to check out the closure. There was an obvious foot path around the fencing, but the warnings plus the terrain made me feel it wasn’t worth the risk.

I noodled my way west via a combination of side roads and non-pavement .

I’m not sure if I’ve ever took this particular ped overpass – there’s at least a half dozen across the highway along this stretch, but this one is kind of random to connect to.

My route was indirect and rather illogical by most metrics, but it connected up all the good things I like about this area. Once back on the south side of the highway I travelled a bit further west along the road before popping up an easy-to-miss gravel path (below, left) which leads to a neat, random, and rarely-visited clearing (below, middle) that then leads to an infamous-among-my-friends fenceline (below, right).

More photos of the fenceline… the east entrance is pretty hidden, and on the west end it exits onto Cypress Bowl Rd. It’s pretty narrow for the most part and has sections with exposure opposite the fence, but dang if it isn’t perfect.

The Arbutus tree you need to duck under is a classic feature of the section as well (below, left). Below-right is the lookout that is just up the road from this fenceline, near the first hairpin corner on Cypress Bowl Rd. This area is going to see a lot of development in the coming years, and home to this spot are both the showrooms for the development as well as an open-air kitchen and bar called The Shed.

The Shed draws a funny mix of people based on its location – the extremely challenging MTB trails that Cypress is known for tend to dump out here, so there’s a bunch of dirtbags with full face helmets and DH bikes, there’s well-dressed and wealthy-looking folks who are here for the developer’s visitor centre, plus there is no shortage of tourists as well. In fact, someone from Toronto spotted the Hoop Driver (a cool bike shop in TO) on my bike when passing by. I got an overpriced IPA (below, left) while felt fairly priced given I was able to enjoy both a propane fire and view while drinking it. I also got a pretzel which took far too long to be ready, but then was rather incredible so I couldn’t complain.

I did some light trespassing on the descent from here because it connects too wonderfully not to – and the only reason it’s closed to bikes is because of construction which was not active today, anyway. I also took a sweet, sweet path we found on my birthday ride (above, middle) which was just as elating the second time as the first. The photo of the creek? I looked like a weirdo climbing down off the rich-person street for this photo, but I acknowledge that I am a weirdo and I do these things.

Above: Best intentions, hopes and dreams, in physical form.

Below: The safest Christmas tree I’ve seen yet, and I thought these big concrete block steps to the ocean were rather aesthetic. You be the judge.

The sun came out!! Today was pretty nice all day but it wasn’t really sunny. It was just, “doesn’t seem like it will rain”. I was pretty happy to see the sun towards the end of the daylight hours.

I rode for a while without taking photos, and also picked up a few beers and some A&W fast food, with the plan of heading up McKay creek until I found a suitable spot to set up the ultralight hammock I had in my bag. I kinda had a spot in mind already, and the tree spacing worked out, so I quickly set the hammock up and hopped in to eat my sandwich and have a beer.

For those who want to know such things, the hammock is a Kammok Roo UL single, and the ropes are Uno Helios Ultralight suspension system. Combined they weigh 280g and fit the palm of my hand, no joke. I suppose you could camp with this (with bug net, insulation, perhaps tarp added as needed) but I consider this a day-use setup for my purposes.

I relaxed in the hammock until the light was nearly gone, and got packed up just before I needed a headlamp (which I did not bring). I was still ~15km from home, and followed the Spirit trail through north Vancouver and over the bridge back into my neighbourhood. Below is a stretch of Spirit Trail just east of Moodyville Park that I really love in the dark – for reasons probably evident. The big building is a grain terminal; I’d love to see inside these massive buildings.

As promised, here is the Strava link:

Weekday rides have become more sparse at this point, with the short daylight hours, damp cold, and near-omnipresent drizzle. I did manage to get a ~11km ride in yesterday to run some errands (and stayed dry!) but that was it for the week, so when the weather was looking nice today I was eager to get out for a proper ride. “Nice” in this case was a 10-20% chance of rain and temps around 6-7C. I can definitely work with that.

I had been working on a route idea that would loop around Burnaby and wanted to test out the first section today. It didn’t actually work out that well in terms of connecting together, but it took me through a number of personal-favourite natural areas. It was quickly apparent that fall was indeed over, with deciduous trees barren and their leaves snagged in the brush below.

I am once again riding the Crust Evasion, an unexpected but welcome addition to my bike stable. As of yesterday the Crust Wombat has been moved on to a new owner, a friend of mine. The Wombat was a super fun bike, but the Evasion really suits my sort of aimless longer rides.

I worked my way through the woods to the west of Deer Lake which have great birding opportunities.

From there I worked my way up and over the land mass that we call Burnaby, taking a strange combination of alleyways and quiet streets that linked together quite well actually. At this point it did start raining lightly, and this continued for the next hour or so, but it was gentle enough I never really got soaked.

Something on my to-do list for today was to follow the powerlines across Burnaby, which I could tell by looking at maps cut diagonally across a bunch of residential streets before travelling through a forested area. I was a bit surprised there was barely a foot path through the unproductive grass below. Seems like a great opportunity for a nice dog walking path or something.

Following the powerlines worked out quite well though, hardly even an awkward street crossing and I was descending down towards the highway and into one of my favourite semi-urban forested areas.

This stretch of trail is featured in my Burnabop route(s) and I don’t tire of it – I also have the Local Legend on Strava for this section it turns out, which probably comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me!

The juxtaposition of the route vs the adjacent highway in the image below is quite poignant.

I looped my way towards the same brewery as usual, Dageraad, but took a few detours along the way to check the water levels of various creeks in the area. Below is Stoney Creek in a couple spots.

I parked myself at Dageraad to try a flight of four more seasonal releases to compliment the four I tried last week – all new to me, the selection contained three Belgian ales and one imperial stout.

From the brewery I rode through Camrose Park which I hadn’t visited in a couple years. Fittingly for today’s ride, it feeds into a series of little trails and sidewalks that follow the powerlines along this stretch.

From there I took a series of alleyways and cutty trails to Beecher Creek, which ultimately puts me on the main bike route back to my place.

The Evasion is a good bike. I bought it as a temporary solution but I’m getting pretty attached to it. “Temporary solution??” you say – well, my intention was to buy a Stooge Rambler next year when they return, which is a similar bike but would fit me a little better. I also am planning to buy a Stridsland Beachcomber though when the updated geo batch comes along – so I’ve got some decisions to make.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the Evasion purchase was not premeditated but rather a way to help out a friend in need while also admittedly benefitting me. I kept in mind these 2026 bike purchasing plans when I spec’d the build, as virtually everything can be re-used on them.

Another bike I’ve been thinking about a lot is the Black Mountain Mod Zero – it’s visually not as exciting as the Stooge Rambler, but it’s lighter and sportier while maintaining the ability to run a dropper and pretty big tires. It would no doubt be an excellent pairing with my mixed terrain rides, and a good compliment to the Beachcomber.

A local couple, Steve and Meg, have a social media account called Hardtail Life (instagram and youtube) and organize the occasional hardtail group ride. They’ve had pretty good showings in the past but I hadn’t made it to one yet. Seemed like a great opportunity to get the Stooge out and meet some folks as well.

As I was pedalling over to the meet spot from my car I saw a familiar purple Stooge Dirtbomb – Jeff Kendall-Weed’s! I have watched all his videos with the Stooge and if you haven’t, I would highly recommend it. He has single handedly raised the bar of what can be done on a rigid MTB. He ended up being the only other rigid bike, but still probably the fastest rider of the group.

Below is Tay rolling over the “jelly roll” feature, which is tricky because the “up” side is pretty steep also, making just getting on the rock rather challenging. The roll out is quite steep.

The crew as we worked our way down Neds. Neds, which is short for Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, is a pretty old school trail on Seymour with a lot of rock work but also some modern touches such as the berm below, right.

Meg got some photos of the group as well, which I’ve shared below. One of me failing to make it up a techy climb bit and am in mid-hop off the rock (I did roll away without a dab!) and descending the chunder.

And here are two photos from the big rock roll on Neds: Jeff on the left just airing it, and me on the right rolling it. I was on the fence about riding it but after watching the others, I was willing to give it a go – particularly because I knew Meg had the camera pointed at it!

The group headed directly out from Neds to make their way to the café, but Tay and I looped over through Greenland to ride Bottletop, a short but fun trail. It was nice to have a sort of ‘cool down’ period after the socializing before heading home. Tay and I are much more aligned in how we want to experience the forest – stopping to appreciate beauty at every opportunity. Such as the light here:

Another Saturday afternoon outing similar to a few recent ones, looping around Burnaby Mountain. I was expecting some rain today but the forecast cleared up and I completed the ride dry. Temps were cool, about 6C.

First up, I rode from home to Dageraad Brewing (I know, this is becoming a theme…) to try their holiday seasonal releases. A Belgian blonde aged on cherries, a pear and spice Belgian strong, an Oude Bruin, and a barrel aged Belgian strong. Don’t worry, only a taster glass of each!

My route to Dageraad is somewhat random in the sense that I decide turn-by-turn on the fly, and no two rides are exactly alike, but the broad strokes are pretty well dialled at this point and it bears no resemblance to the bike routes to Dageraad. It’s a noodle though quiet neighbourhood streets, through parks, and with the odd little hidden trail connector. It’s been a process of trial and error, but I really like how it came together.

Again I am riding the Crust Evasion, which I’ve had built up for 2.5 weeks at this point and with today’s ride, it has 212km on it – it’s basically the only bike I’ve ridden since it was built. New bike excitement for sure, but it’s also just very useful for the typical ride I set out for.

I also got a smash burger to sustain me and keep my blood sugar in check with the beers. I met the goodest boy as a bonus!

I left as soon as my slowly-drank flight was done before I got myself into any trouble. Thankfully I avoided any noticeable beer buzz, which was certainly a concern given the strength of those beers. Oh, also – check out this electrified Surly Bridge Club from the brewery, what a unit.

Upon leaving, I made my way around the east side of Burnaby Mountain, climbing up some quiet neighbourhood streets to reach the top of Chines Park, which is a steep north-facing slope with a series of ravines. Two weeks ago I had checked this area out with my pal Rob and we took the one track that had a small amount of heatmap activity – and found it was quite excellent! Today I wanted to check out some of the other tracks that are visible on some maps.

I poked my head into the other potential trails: first one was clearly a lot of stairs (below, left), and I knew this one was the shortest and went to a high school. So it wasn’t very compelling. The next one, above left, was a barely-visible path that plunged into the steep ravine – it looked like it would be a scramble and bushwhack. No thanks! The next one was similar with the added challenge of a 5 ft high fence that would need to be climbed. So I took the same trail from the last time, which is perfectly good. Near the bottom there was a trail to the left that we noted previously but didn’t take, so I took that – and it was awesome! Center and right photos above are from that section, along with center and right below. It’s well maintained, steep in spots but nothing the Evasion is spooked by.

This descent and newly-found traverse connected up quite seamlessly with the Trans Canada Trail that runs parallel Barnet Hwy, below center. I was going to follow the trail all the way home despite the diminishing light, but realized I needed to take a more direct path due to an agreed-upon meetup to sell some parts. I’ve now successfully sold off the Wombat and all the parts I didn’t use for this build! Nice to recoup a little bit of the build cost.

Here’s the route for those interested:

After yesterday’s rainy ride, today was looking a lot more dry and I had a new personal challenge in mind. I had noticed on Strava’s global heatmap, when turned to ‘All Sports’, had an image of a small shelter that was constructed on the north side of Burnaby Mountain in a rather random area. There was zero heatmap activity for bikes, and very little for hiking/running as well. I was very intrigued. I knew the area well enough to know these trails would barely exist, if at all, but it also wasn’t too far off-trail to go – maybe a few hundred metres?

How bad could it be?

Well I know better than to ask that question, but I did it anyway. The ride out to this area is nice as well – a series of easy trails which become quite lumpy once I reach Burnaby Mountain. The area I’m headed to is on the far side, just before Port Moody’s neighbourhood developments.

I also decided to take the optional side trail, which is lower traffic and a little more technical, but the Evasion was great in here. It’s a bit much on the Bombadil. These spots look fine, but some of it is pretty rooty and rocky.

Then I reached where I was headed – a staircase up from the main road with a familiar trail, but I was cutting across a clearing by the trail and heading into an area of the woods I’d never considered exploring previously. On the far side of the clearing I saw a small trail head up what looked like an old logging skidder road perhaps, so I followed it.

What started as an already small trail quickly dissipated into nearly nothing. Soon after crossing a creek and scrambling up a steep embankment, I was basically just bushwhacking with no clear path.

I pushed on for a bit, but it became clear that a) I was not going in the direction I meant to be and b) to get to where I needed to go, every step was going to be hard fought. I turned around and headed back… well, I tried to. I ended up somewhere different, a testament to how utterly lacking any sort of trail was.

So that was a complete failure, but I also was pretty off-track from what I expected, so I looked around down lower for a trail in. It was easy to miss but I found a path on the other side of the creek so attempt number two began.

The first bit was steep and slick, but then I was on a plateau with a trail that was easier to see and also somewhat rideable. Things were looking up! Just as I was getting excited at my progress though I came across a very janky pile of logs in the vague form of a bridge. It doesn’t look so steep and deep in photos, but there wasn’t really a viable way across without taking this bridge, so I carefully shuffled across with my bike.

The trail became a little more technical but still easily walked. I hoped to see the shelter around every corner at this point. However, instead I reached a steep and long descent into a ravine. Sigh.

I slipped and slid my way down (not really exaggerating) the muddy trail down to a small creek crossing. The trail then followed the creek at the bottom of this ravine and a few minutes later, success! There it was!

I was impressed by the quality of construction as much as I was impressed by how completely random this location is. Truly a hidden gem.

Along the trail were various trinkets as well. This is, or was, someone’s pride and joy trail for sure. I would love to know if they still use the trail.

I made my way back out and continued around the mountain, now sticking to established trails that I knew and trusted. Green and blue MTB trails are a lot of fun on the Evasion – with the saddle dropped it tracks over roots and rocks with ease. I do have to be mindful that it’s still gravel bike geometry, as I nearly went over the bars on a slightly steeper rooty section.

Around the other side of the mountain is Dageraad Brewing, it just so happens. I was able to refuel with a burger and beer… okay two beers.

Looking now at Strava heatmaps, here is the global map (blue) and now with my ride (red).. needless to say probably the first and logically the last bike to go this route! I do not recommend bringing a bike, but I do recommend checking it out!

Late November around here means rain and cold, and getting out for a ride in these conditions can be motivationally challenging. After getting thoroughly soaked on a long dog walk first thing in the morning, I figured I’d spend the rest of the day inside in sweats – but then I remembered a trip to Rice Lake I’d taken a couple years prior during a cool, drizzly day and how beautiful it was. That was the motivation I needed.

I packed up the Evasion with hot coffee in an insulated mug, my new-but-trusty Blue Lug sit pad, and an umbrella and headed out of town and over the bridge. Rice Lake is located at essentially the mouth of the Seymour valley, about 12km from my door.

As I got onto the trail that paralleled the river, I noticed how high the water level was so I decided to detour to a river bend spot to have the first half of my coffee.

That was nice for about ten minutes, but the roar of the river started to infringe on the tranquility I was looking for, so I packed up my partially drank coffee and headed towards the lake.

I arrived at the lake and it was just like I was imagining from my previous experience – there was a haze of clouds mixed in with the trees, rain drops across the still water, and a rather profound silence. I had the place to myself.

I set up my pad and coffee and tucked under the umbrella, amongst the trees at the edge of the lake. I had identified this spot a while ago when poking my head in to see the lake – it’s away from the more popular wharf, and I really like the vantage. I ended up sitting and taking it in for about 40 minutes, I think – I wasn’t really paying attention to the time. It was starting to get dark though, so I figured it was time to head home. What especially prompted me to leave was the rainfall warning i received on my phone!

Instead of taking the road descent, which would be a lot faster but would be chilly due to the wind, I decided to take the trails that weave through the adjacent forest. It was pretty dark, but my Edelux lamp did a good job of illuminating the way. The forest was very moody and wonderful with the fading twilight and the foggy haze.

This is the second ride on my newly built up Crust Evasion, and the first one with freshly installed fenders. The weather was looking drizzly but not overly rainy, and cool but not too cold – about 7 or 8 degrees Celsius. I had noticed a trail on heatmaps months ago that piqued my curiosity, as it descended quite a significant hill next to a road climb/descent I was quite familiar with. Knowing the terrain, I knew it wouldn’t be a lot of fun on one of my Rivs, but riding out that far on my Stooge wasn’t super attractive, either.

As soon as I’d committed to buying the Evasion, I knew I’d have the right bike for finally checking this one out. I had no intel on how rideable it was though.

I roped my good buddy Rob into checking this one out with me, and we had a stretch goal of heading around the inlet to some trails in Port Moody if we felt up to it. Rob’s always up for some hike-a-bike if it takes us somewhere interesting or links up a route in a nice way.

Here is the be-fendered Evasion as I waited in the meetup spot for Rob. What a chunkster!

The ride out was pleasant and not too noteworthy, mostly consisting of a mix of gravel paths and quiet streets. I routed us through a couple parks which added some stairs and very slippery wooden structures.

The image above right is near the top of the mystery trail we went to see. It was deeply rutted but generally rideable. Furthermore, the forest was beautiful! The trail traced along a ridge, so the forest floor fell sharply to either side of the trail for sections.

Feeling energized by a very successful recon mission, we decided to continue around Burrard Inlet over to the trail network on the other side. It was just a few kilometres of paved pathways which were not too busy thanks to the weather.

Below, left: the Gatensbury hill trail descent
Below, center: exploring an adjacent trail
Below, right: the start of the climb up on the other side of the inlet

I had already explored once before in this zone, Bert Flinn park, so I knew it was a tough climb to start. We opted for a very direct route on a little-used hiking trail, which was efficient, though some tough hike-a-bike over a lot of coarse river rock. I suspect this “trail” regularly becomes a creek bed during the rainy season.

Some sections were pleasant while others were less so, but it was almost exclusively a walk up – which was totally fine by us. It eventually levelled off, and we were in the mountain bike trail network. Unlike the fabled north shore, the trails here are decidedly more XC style and mostly green and blue difficulty – lending themselves to gravel type bikes, as long as you don’t mind some under-biking.

This area of forest is beautiful, and the lightly foggy weather was making it even moreso.

We found a traversing trail that was perfect, though not straightforward to link up in any meaningful way. This is what I love about these rides though; if you’re open to dragging your bike through trails that most couldn’t be bothered, you’ll often be rewarded with the most special trails. Below are a couple views of one of my favourite stretches, which rode beautifully if you don’t mind hopping over the odd root.

It tends to come with a price though, and this case it was a steep bushwhack down to a parallel trail in order to get out the way we needed to go. Thankfully it was pretty short, and I didn’t fall.

There was also one creek crossing that I knew to expect from my previous trip in this area – it was fine, though it might become quite difficult if the waters rise much more.

We were spat out back onto the side roads by the seaside path, and from there it was a rather ordinary ~22 km ride home on the road.

I felt like my quiver was really settled, and there was basically nothing on my bike wishlist anymore. But then a friend who’d just purchased a Crust Evasion frame set had some unexpected financial and health challenges come up that necessitated selling it, and I got to thinking. I had never considered an Evasion despite being long familiar with the bike, but the more I considered it, the more I realized how well-suited it was to my type of riding: a little bit of everything from pavement to intermediate MTB trails. Disc brakes are something I’ve denied myself on all but my dedicated MTB, which is a bit silly.

Also by purchasing it I was helping out a friend in need which made it a lot easier to justify. I promptly put in some orders for a nice build, helped by a raise I’d just received at work.

My original intent was to build it up 27.5″ with some 2.2″ tires, but several Evasion owners or ex-owners convinced me that the bike works best with the 26+ tires it was originally designed for. While these are overkill for my needs, I went with it.

Sure, 2.8″ tires are overkill, but gosh they are pretty fun too. In larger wheel sizes they feel quite immense, but in 26″ the bike remains nimble as the outside diameter is pretty close to the 27.5 x 2.2 I originally planned.

The dropper post, actuated by an Easton lever that can be actuated both in the hoods and in the drops, is a very welcome addition when the trail gets a little spicy. The limitation for me becomes being able to grip the brake hoods and also operate the brakes while going over bumpy or technical terrain. But it’s not a mountain bike – it can just fool you into thinking it is sometimes!

This inaugural ride was about 36 km and a good test – mostly paved, but there were some trail connections that were at or beyond the limit of what I could ride on my Bombadil, and the Evasion felt great in these spots. The WTB Rangers are remarkably quick on pavement given their size and knobby profile, though obviously they’re not exactly fast. As long as I’m not trying to keep up with speedy friends, it’s fast enough for me.

On this particular Sunday, I set off on a mission to see some salmon at the hatchery at Cleveland Dam, which is located at one of the two watershed lakes in North Vancouver. I didn’t take a lot of photos of the ride up except the one below left after hoofing my bike up a particularly strenuous set of stairs – I’m a sucker for an efficient way up elevation! First I rode to the dam itself, below right, which was not flowing – the first time I’ve seen this in my 15 or 20 times to the dam!

I then had to backtrack downhill a bit to get to the hatchery. I’d never been, and wasn’t entirely sure where it was at first. I have to say, it’s a pretty interested and fun architectural building with a mid-century feel to it.

I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of salmon, but the tanks were packed with ’em! Feeling accomplished, I traversed over to Murdo Frazer park, home of the cabins featured in old Kokanee commercials among other things – it’s a very tranquil spot with a small pond that is home to a beaver, several turtles, and no doubt plenty of other wildlife.

This links up quite conveniently to another lovely stretch of trail along McKay Creek. In fact, McKay also hosts salmon during this time of year, but it’s a bit too late now to find any here. Maybe next year I’ll time a visit successfully!

McKay Creek trail dropped me off along the sea side bike path which I took home (with a beer stop to enjoy the moment a little longer) over the bridge from North Vancouver back to Vancouver.

As I approached the bridge I started to notice the formation of asperitas clouds (I think?), which got better as I got closer to home. Apparently these are quite rare, but perhaps it’s a similar but less rare type of cloud since I seem to notice them a few times every autumn and spring.

I’ve titled this the ‘Mushroom Ride’ but that wasn’t what it was planned to be. I hadn’t been up the Seymour valley for about a month, and I’ve made it a soft goal that I get up there once a month so I prioritized the valley for my route selection on this ride.

I actually set off to ride to mid-valley, but ended up riding all the way up to Seymour lake because the mid-valley connector was temporarily closed and I didn’t want to just turn around and go home.

I stopped where I had taken a foliage photo last time I was up here – the big leaf maples at that time were just newly yellow – and now they’d dropped all their leaves and looked entirely different. Below is Nov 2 vs Oct 7.

It was just a normal ride until I rode past a few folks who seemed to be inspecting stuff near the forest floor along Fisherman’s trail. I started to look around the forest floor once I passed them and realized there were a lot of mushrooms. I stopped to admire and photograph a couple of them, and just like that, my ride had a newfound purpose: to see how many different mushrooms I could spot.

I became quite obsessive from here on out scoping the forest floor either side of the trail for mushrooms. I was quite successful, seeing quite a few types that I’d never seen before. Mostly, I was appreciating the excuse to slow down and pay close attention to my surroundings, which is a very meditative experience that fills me with contentedness.

I kind of felt like I was birding in the sense that I was quantifying the different species I could spot, but unlike birding, the subject matter stays perfectly still – making photography a heck of a lot easier.

While I’m no mushroom expert – heck, not even a mushroom novice – there was one type of mushroom I had found up in the valley two years’ prior which captivated me named the violet webcap. Apparently it is quite rare, and I had just happened upon them deep in the valley previously. I really wanted to find one today.

It took quite a lot of trudging around in the mossy understory to find one, but I did! See below, center. It was alone in this case.