2009-06-07 49 -122
| Sun 7 Jun 2009 in 49,-122: 49.4552086, -122.9767424 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox |
Location
At the base of Mt. Burwell, near the Seymour Falls Dam.
Participants
Expedition
I wound up leaving UBC around 9, and biked to the SeaBus station downtown from there. I arrived just in time for a 29 minute wait for the SeaBus, and started regretting not having brought a book along with me. However, I was soon joined by two friendly cyclists, and we started talking about our destinations. They advised me to take the 228 to Lynn Canyon, which would take a large part of the elevation gain out of my ride. The two cyclists, veterans of the area, had a debate about whether I'd be able to make it past "the gate" to get where I wanted. Their verdict was yes. I was confused.
This was the first time I'd been on the SeaBus, and only managed to find the 228 stop just as the bus was about to leave. The driver looked irritated at me for pulling up in front at the last minute to put my bike on, but did not opt to drive me over.
On the bus ride up to Lynn Canyon, another friendly transit user struck up a conversation with me. Apparently I looked lost. He told me where to get off.
Once off the bus, I took another look at my Google Maps directions, which turned out to be completely baffling. Surprise? Anyway, I decided to start following the mob of hikers, and was soon on a footbridge across the Capilano. Seemed right. I followed the trail from there and wound up at a confusingly busy information centre and picnic area, and no sign of the road Google thought I should be on. With the sun shining, it seemed everybody and their sister's child's dog was there. My plans to stop and have a solitary lunch were dashed, so I started looking around.
Turns out I did not need to look far -- there was a signpost with a very convenient "Seymour Dam - 11 km" on it, pointing to a large paved trail. I set forth on my bike, alternating between biking at about 30 km, and taking photos of the wonderful British Columbian vistas while coasting at about 15 km. There were picnic areas about every kilometre along the trail, so I stopped at one for some crackers and lentil soup.
I eventually wound up at a turn off for the "Seymour Dam and Hatchery via Old Growth Trail", and set out upon it. It was a smaller, unpaved trail which followed the Seymour River. I hugged some old growth trees for my mom.
The trail wound up at the Hatchery, about 3 km from the hashpoint. Walking my bike by the hatchery, I found the Seymour Mainline -- the road that Google Maps had told me to take. (Clearly, the hiking trails I was on are not in its database.) I followed the Mainline up to a large and intimidating -- and very closed -- gate advertising the area behind it as the city watershed.
Noticing the fence cut off a few metres west of the gate, I decided to hope that the hashpoint would be west of the watershed. I locked up my bike near the gate, and changed into my hiking boots. I took my backpack out of one my panniers and filled with it all my food, rather than leave it behind and try to bear-proof it.
I set forth with my GPS and found the fence indeed went northwards, not more westwards. I began trailblazing, following the fence for about a kilometre before it abruptly turned west. Seeing as I was still east of the hashpoint at this point, I continued following the fence. The terrain was fairly challenging, and I accidentally destroyed more spider webs than I'd care to admit to. I made an incredible ruckus stepping on twigs and moving foliage that I'm pretty certain all the wildlife in the area heard me coming pretty far in advance. I still made a point of singing and clapping my hands, just to be prudent.
I followed the fence for about half a kilometre before it suddenly ended. I stood there at the ending of the fence for about five minutes debating whether to proceed any further. I could have easily just started walking north from this point, but the signs left at that point really seemed to indicate that I should pretend the fence extended westwards infinitely. Since the signs had made it rather clear that north of this point was technically watershed area, I sighed and turned around. I'd came 1.7 km away from the point.
Photos
Pending.
Ribbons
- No trespassing consolation prize
- Honouray MNIMB? I only got 1.7 km away from the hashpoint, and I did go over Mt Seymour to get that far.
