Thanks for the write-up, John. Lovely words and images. Jim On Friday, May 16, 2025 at 9:40:46 PM UTC-4 John Rinker wrote:
> Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Vancouver briefly, and after > seeing the many wonderful photos Jason F. shared with us, I knew I had to > bring my Hunq and try to find some of the incredible places he’d shared > with us. I reached out to Jason before I left, and, though we were unable > to coordinate a ride together, he graciously shared maps and information > about his backyard in North Vancouver. > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 1 of 10.jpeg] > > I left the city early enough to beat the commuter traffic across the Iron > Works Bridge and found myself at the Rice Lake trailhead in no time at all. > The transition from the speedy highways of the Vancouver metro area to the > quiet, empty parking lot surrounded by forest and birdsong was remarkable. > While I was eager to start the ride, this day was about slowly and > mindfully moving through what promised to be a unique and delightful > environment, so I carefully unloaded and readied my bike, all the while > trying to recognize the many birds celebrating in song. > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 7 of 10.jpeg] > > My ride began with a pedal up the Seymour Valley trail, a paved bike path > which immediately offered up a short, tantalizing side track through the > lush forest for a taste of what was later to come. Ferns bursting through > loamy soil skirted the trees while mosses softened the trailside boulders > as the short section of single track wound its way back to pavement. Back > on the paved trail, I rode through the mixed forest of hemlock and cedar, > filtering the rays of the early morning sun. About 4km in, a single road > bike zipped past me and disappeared around the bend, leaving me alone again > to enjoy the whisper of a slight breeze through the conifers. > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 10 of 10.jpeg] > > Jason encouraged me to watch for the mid-valley trails, which took me off > pavement, down twisty single track,k and around a marshy area along the > Seymour River. Here I took my first photo of the day. So enamoured with the > crisp beauty of the forest, it hadn’t occurred to me to capture a photo > until this tight ribbon of trail and moss-covered trees snapped me out of > my reverie. I struggle at times with the idea of interrupting moments on a > ride or elsewhere to stop, pull out my camera/phone, and compose a picture. > (To flow or not to flow?) At other times, the very act of stopping to do so > encourages me to focus on the macro environments through which I move. As I > stood in the trail composing a shot, the Seymour River burbled and hummed > while the Yellow Warblers and Song Sparrows answered back. > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 2 of 10.jpeg] > > A climb back through the forest put me once again on the Seymour Valley > pavement where I shared the path with a few more road bikers, but when I > reached Stoney Creek and turned off to the Old Growth Trail, I rode in > quiet solitude for most of the ride. Jason mentioned that the Old Growth > was the centrepiece of the Seymour Valley ride, and this was no > exaggeration. Here I found many of the stunning backdrops Jason has used to > showcase his beautiful Bombadil. Massive Sitka Spruce and Western Red Cedar > in forests of fern and beds of moss. There were moss-laden Vine Maples > whose Spring leaves shaded creeks and ponds. I even spotted a hooded > Merganser and its mate quietly paddling about in the Junior Creek wetlands. > I was so enthralled with the Spuce Loop, where the biggest trees stood, > that I had to see just how slowly I could ride it a second time. > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 5 of 10.jpeg] > > The Old Growth Trail ends at the Seymour Fish Hatchery, where one can > enter and take a self-guided tour. The fishery breeds four kinds of salmon- > chinook, coho, chum, and pink- and steelhead trout. Each year, they release > in the vicinity of three-quarters of a million smolt back into the wild. > Would that we one day see the salmon runs as they once were! > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 3 of 10.jpeg] > > A brief pedal from the hatchery to Bear Island and across the Seymour > River brought me to Spur 4 trail, and I headed back down the valley. Spur 4 > is a rollicking gravel road that shoots one along the east side of the > Seymour back towards the mid-valley loops. After a brief jaunt to Lost > Lake, I crossed back over the river and ended up on the Fisherman’s Trail. > This was the home stretch along the Seymour, a fun, zippy downhill that > leads to the Seymour suspension bridge. Here I began to get a sense of just > how popular this trail is as I now shared the trail with bikers, hikers, > and dogs. A pumpy little climb closed the loop and brought me back to the > now-full parking lot. Even mid-week, this beautiful valley draws scads of > forest lovers from the Vancouver metroplex. It’s the right reason to cancel > a day of what the city demands and escape to what the forest offers. > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 8 of 10.jpeg] > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 9 of 10.jpeg] > > I am fortunate enough to live in the mountains, far away from anything > that smacks of urban, and I’m surrounded by beautiful, interior rainforest. > But out here in the interior of BC, we don’t often see trees this size as > those featured in the Seymour Valley, or foliage quite a primeval-looking. > What a treat it was to ride and be in this ancient and wondrous biome. > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 4 of 10.jpeg] > > [image: Vancouver & Seymour Valley - 6 of 10.jpeg] > > Cheers, John > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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