We awake to a decent morning, cloudy and cold, sure, but not really raining! Oh, we will take this as a win. 

We quickly drink our coffee and get geared up to go out exploring some of the trails we’d identified in our research. Today we decide to try the Rice Lake Loop and Seymour Valley trailway on the other side of Lynn Canyon.  Mostly because the trailway is a paved road that has been turned into a hiking/biking area and we know it has been pretty wet and muddy here lately.  The drive over takes us about 40 minutes, through North Vancouver and then up through the Capilano University area and out into the forest.  Arriving at the parking area, we are literally the only car there – another bonus – and we strike out through the park to the rice lake loop. 

It is gorgeous here. So peaceful and quiet. And the trees!  Amazingly covered in this gorgeous vibrant green moss, Hemlocks, Firs, Cottonwoods, Red Alders – all sorts of different trees in varying stages of growth or decay – lining a lovely path that winds along the shores of the lake.

At the top of the loop, we veer off on the connector trail that leads us to the Seymour Trailway and begin a long trek up through towering firs, passing little waterfalls alongside, and marveling at the rocks, the moss, the scenery.

We happen upon a Nurse Log tree – which at first looks like a big overgrown stump, but in reality is a long fallen tree stump that has now nurtured all sorts of new growth. Nature at its finest!

Back along the lake, we revel in the silence and the beauty and almost hate to end our hike once back at the car.  Excellent morning outing!

We make the trek back to the apartment to hang our for a while and grab some lunch.  The skies have really cleared and you can see all the way out to Vancouver city from up here – this is a perfect place to be for explorations of the area. We could even take the bus into town if we wanted to – there is a stop not more than a block away from the house!

A bit later in the afternoon, we decide we don’t want to waste what clear skies we have and strike off toward Lynn Canyon where there is an ecology center, a suspension bridge and hiking trails.  The suspension bridge is not as long as the Capilano bridge, but this one is free to walk along and reputedly not as crowded as Capilano, so we figure that sounds more like us!

Arriving at the parking area we figure out once again how to pay to park – this time by QR code.  I love technology like this!  And then we are off to the Ecology center which is a cute little museum about all things nature around Lynn Canyon.  It’s a quick visit – it’s a small museum – but there are some interesting little displays, including the odd old records and tapes – including one of mine!!! Ha ha – my nemesis – Cat Stevens!  I’m famous, sort of, not!

Heading back out into the actual nature, we hit the trails and the bridge hanging 165 feet above Lynn Creek, which happens to be fairly crowded this afternoon.  But it is still a nice little excursion and there are some great waterfalls alongside the bridge that we manage to get some pictures of as the crowd disperses before escaping for the less traveled trails. 

Lynn Canyon is a coastal Temperate Rainforest with Douglas fir and Western red cedar trees that was milled into lumber in the late 1800s.  As we walk through the forest we begin to see some of the stumps that remain from these huge trees (some were as tall as 300 feet and 40 feet in diameter). The second forest growth is lush – due in large part to the 6.5 feet of rain that falls annually in this area.  Many of the trees in the park are between 100 and 150 years old. 

As we head out into the forest again, this time circling around and down (oh down so many stairs) to the Twin Falls area of the park.  It is all so gorgeous and green with the young hemlocks, red alders, black cottonwoods and Sitka spruce all around us. We are loving this wilderness and this area. Arriving at the Twin Falls , we take what pictures we can – while it is so very pretty, there really isn’t a good viewpoint to get the total effect of the falls, but we do what we can from above on the bridge, still enjoying the whole atmosphere!

Then it is up, up, up, over 100 stairs to get back to the top of the park area and the parking lot.  Phew!  We’re getting our work out!  We’ve still got time on the parking meter, so we stop at the little café at the top of the falls and warm up with a couple of cappuccini before returning back home.

We decide to eat out tonight, and head down the street to the Queens Cross Pub, which is another totally local place.  Unfortunately, when we arrive, there are no available spots in the lot, but there is a sign for underground parking on South Street.  Huh?  We drive around in circles twice and cannot find South Street to save our souls.  Sigh.  We end up parking in the grocery store parking lot across the street – going into the store to by some pretzels so it looks like we were shopping there at least, then walking across the street to the restaurant.

Entering the pub, we are a little unsure whether we seat ourselves or wait, and after an uncomfortable few minutes at the door, a waitress does come up and ask if she can help us, then seats us upstairs after a brief conversation. Apparently we are supposed to just seat ourselves….for future reference, which we more than likely will not need as we plan to cook at home for our next 2 nights!  But anyway….we settle in to a great little pub with some good food choices.  I order the Crispy Chicken Burger and Ed the fish and chips then sit back and watch some of the football games on the huge screens hung all over the place.  Our food comes – but the waiter who brings it gives me what he calls a Chicken Club.  I tell him I ordered the Chicken Burger, and he says, oh, yeah, I misspoke.  Ok. Except this is the chicken club! Oh well – it isn’t what I ordered, but it is the same price, and it is pretty good.  Not worth the hassle of waiting for another order to come out, etc., etc.  All in all, it was a good, fun meal and our car was still in the grocery store parking lot without any tickets or boots – so all is well!

Back at the apartment, we settle in with the electric fire – bonus!! – watch a few movies and try not to worry too much about the storm raging in Asheville.  At last check, we had 2.69” of rain and the worst hadn’t even hit yet.  Fingers crossed…..