Nelson Canyon, Tall Trees, Larson Bay, Tantalus, Douglas, Horseshoe Bay, Garrow Bay, Bachelor Bay & Whytecliff: Explored thoroughly and loved well. These are the ones that you can walk to from Allie's house.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Horseshoe Bay Area Route [aka: Allie's Domain]
Nelson Canyon, Tall Trees, Larson Bay, Tantalus, Douglas, Horseshoe Bay, Garrow Bay, Bachelor Bay & Whytecliff: Explored thoroughly and loved well. These are the ones that you can walk to from Allie's house.
Hugo Ray Park
Located on 3rd St, just above the highway.
When I first saw Hugo Ray Park, I thought it looked rather boring. I took a closer look and realized that the building in the distance had a sign on it that read "North Shore Cricket Club". I was right, Hugo Ray Park is boring.
...but the grass is nice and there's plenty of parking:
If you like cricket, I suppose this is a lovely place.
PPR
Good: nice grass, plenty of parking, cricket
Bad: next to a cemetery, cricket
If you love cricket: 10/10
If you don't like cricket: 3.5/10
When I first saw Hugo Ray Park, I thought it looked rather boring. I took a closer look and realized that the building in the distance had a sign on it that read "North Shore Cricket Club". I was right, Hugo Ray Park is boring.
...but the grass is nice and there's plenty of parking:
If you like cricket, I suppose this is a lovely place.
PPR
Good: nice grass, plenty of parking, cricket
Bad: next to a cemetery, cricket
If you love cricket: 10/10
If you don't like cricket: 3.5/10
Hadden Park
Located on Hadden Dr, near Southborough Dr.
Hadden Park is a ravine. Like most ravines, it has been used as a dumping ground:
Dear people,
Please stop doing this. Yard waste and old tires don't belong in ravines.
Sincierely,
All the kids who think ravines are cool
Unlike a lot of ravines, this one is actually accessible without bleeding or dying. I enlisted the help of a local sherpa who showed me the easiest way down the slope
But then we found an easier route on the way up. That's how it goes with ravines. There's no guarantee that you're going the right way, you just have to go for it and realize that you've made mistakes later. But that's why ravines are fun.
Another thing about ravines is that they're dark. There's not going to be any pictures from the creek bed, because those are dark too. All you need to know is that there is bushwhacking to do down there. So if you like bushwhacking, visit Hadden Park. If that's not your thing, then don't visit Hadden Park.
PPR
Good: trees, creek, ferns
Bad: dumping ground, steep ravine, bushwhacking skills required
4/10
Hadden Park is a ravine. Like most ravines, it has been used as a dumping ground:
Dear people,
Please stop doing this. Yard waste and old tires don't belong in ravines.
Sincierely,
All the kids who think ravines are cool
Unlike a lot of ravines, this one is actually accessible without bleeding or dying. I enlisted the help of a local sherpa who showed me the easiest way down the slope
But then we found an easier route on the way up. That's how it goes with ravines. There's no guarantee that you're going the right way, you just have to go for it and realize that you've made mistakes later. But that's why ravines are fun.
Another thing about ravines is that they're dark. There's not going to be any pictures from the creek bed, because those are dark too. All you need to know is that there is bushwhacking to do down there. So if you like bushwhacking, visit Hadden Park. If that's not your thing, then don't visit Hadden Park.
PPR
Good: trees, creek, ferns
Bad: dumping ground, steep ravine, bushwhacking skills required
4/10
Houlgate Creek Park
Located at Deep Dene and Stevens Dr. Access via ???
This park sounded cool from its name, and apparently there's a trail leading to it somewhere. However, the closest thing to a trail I found looked a lot more like the edge of somebody's front yard than a trail.
But here's what it looks like from Deep Dene (that's a street for those not familiar with the strange British Properties street names):
It looks all nice and lush... now if only I could figure out how to get in there...
PPR
Good: green, cool name
Bad: why can't I find this trail? I'm awesome at finding trails
???/10
This park sounded cool from its name, and apparently there's a trail leading to it somewhere. However, the closest thing to a trail I found looked a lot more like the edge of somebody's front yard than a trail.
But here's what it looks like from Deep Dene (that's a street for those not familiar with the strange British Properties street names):
It looks all nice and lush... now if only I could figure out how to get in there...
PPR
Good: green, cool name
Bad: why can't I find this trail? I'm awesome at finding trails
???/10
Glenmore Park
Located at Bonnymuir Dr and Glenmore Dr.
If you're looking for a pleasant, well thought out park that's fun for the whole family in the eastern British Properties, look no further than Glenmore Park. Seriously, it's the only park in the whole area that's more than a bunch of trees.
The park greets you with an idyllic grassy slope with the occasional tree casting dramatic shadows on the ground. There were several joggers passing through on the trails.
I was feeling good about this park until I saw the playground equipment:
I was ready to be disappointed with yet another park only just barely following through on its promise of playground equipment, and sing the praises of this spinny bucket thing
(which actually is really fun), when I noticed this behind some trees:
Folks, Glenmore Park has a real live actual playground. I haven't even got pictures of all of it. Get excited!
It's even got one of those toy diggers. My little brothers used to think those were the coolest things ever invented.
This park is pretty manufactured, but there's a little bit of wildlife left. There's a creek running through the middle of it, and the natural vegetation around that has been left intact. That vegetation includes trees! Trees that you can climb if you're good.
But if you don't like nature, there's a bridge over the creek so you don't have to touch it.
PPR
Good: grass, creek, trees, playground, tennis court, right on a bus route
Bad: um... there could always be more trees, I'm not sure
8.5/10
If you're looking for a pleasant, well thought out park that's fun for the whole family in the eastern British Properties, look no further than Glenmore Park. Seriously, it's the only park in the whole area that's more than a bunch of trees.
The park greets you with an idyllic grassy slope with the occasional tree casting dramatic shadows on the ground. There were several joggers passing through on the trails.
I was feeling good about this park until I saw the playground equipment:
I was ready to be disappointed with yet another park only just barely following through on its promise of playground equipment, and sing the praises of this spinny bucket thing
(which actually is really fun), when I noticed this behind some trees:
Folks, Glenmore Park has a real live actual playground. I haven't even got pictures of all of it. Get excited!
It's even got one of those toy diggers. My little brothers used to think those were the coolest things ever invented.
This park is pretty manufactured, but there's a little bit of wildlife left. There's a creek running through the middle of it, and the natural vegetation around that has been left intact. That vegetation includes trees! Trees that you can climb if you're good.
But if you don't like nature, there's a bridge over the creek so you don't have to touch it.
PPR
Good: grass, creek, trees, playground, tennis court, right on a bus route
Bad: um... there could always be more trees, I'm not sure
8.5/10
Ballantree Park
Access via Kildonan Rd.
At the north western tip of West Vancouver civilization sits Ballantree Park. I'd like to thank my mom for driving me up there, because it is seriously out of the way.
As with most of the land that far up the mountains that isn't covered in road or mansion, the park consists mostly of dense forest. It is entirely wild, except for the narrow trail that winds through the thick bush.
The trail is well maintained and an easy walk provided you're looking where you're going. This would not be a trail to walk at night or if you are blind. But if you pay attention enough to not trip over roots and rocks, Ballantree Park provides an easy and pleasant walk through the woods.
I caution visitors not to look for an end to this trail. The trail does not end when the park ends. According to the map, it actually leads all the way to Hollyburn Lodge (in Cypress Bowl's cross country skiing area). Turn around when you feel like it, not when it looks like you should.
I didn't go very far because I was on my own and there was a bear warning sign at the trail head. Even though I only walked for about 10 minutes, I still saw some beautiful corners of the wildnerness.
I hope to be able to drag a friend up this hill and see more of it someday.
PPR
Good: nice scenery, well maintained trail, peaceful and quiet, perfect for forest bathing
Bad: good luck finding it, narrow trail with tripping hazards
6/10
At the north western tip of West Vancouver civilization sits Ballantree Park. I'd like to thank my mom for driving me up there, because it is seriously out of the way.
As with most of the land that far up the mountains that isn't covered in road or mansion, the park consists mostly of dense forest. It is entirely wild, except for the narrow trail that winds through the thick bush.
The trail is well maintained and an easy walk provided you're looking where you're going. This would not be a trail to walk at night or if you are blind. But if you pay attention enough to not trip over roots and rocks, Ballantree Park provides an easy and pleasant walk through the woods.
I caution visitors not to look for an end to this trail. The trail does not end when the park ends. According to the map, it actually leads all the way to Hollyburn Lodge (in Cypress Bowl's cross country skiing area). Turn around when you feel like it, not when it looks like you should.
I didn't go very far because I was on my own and there was a bear warning sign at the trail head. Even though I only walked for about 10 minutes, I still saw some beautiful corners of the wildnerness.
I hope to be able to drag a friend up this hill and see more of it someday.
PPR
Good: nice scenery, well maintained trail, peaceful and quiet, perfect for forest bathing
Bad: good luck finding it, narrow trail with tripping hazards
6/10
Monday, 17 September 2012
Eastern British Properties Route
Ballantree, Glenmore, Houlgate Creek, Hadden & Hugo Ray: Explored Sunday September 16th
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Chatwin Park
Located at Kings Ave & 13th St.
Chatwin Park is a simple one. It's a decent sized chunk of land sitting on a corner with a trail running through it, including a bridge over a small creek.
Good news! The railings of this bridge are very sittable. When there's a park without benches, it can be saved by a bridge. Sometimes the tops of the railings are pointy, and that's just disappointing. In addition to this bridge, Chatwin Park has several other options to make up for it's lack of benches, including the sign and the rocks in the first picture.
The rest of the space in the park is more or less flat with grass that's only sort of maintained and intermittent trees. This space would be an excellent place for a game of hide and seek. There's several of these trees growing out of nurse stumps:
They look like they might have caves perfect for people smaller than I am. Somebody who fits that criteria needs to go check that out.
PPR
Good: path, bridge with sitting railings, place to play hide and seek (and other games)
Bad: no benches, no dogs allowed
5/10
Chatwin Park is a simple one. It's a decent sized chunk of land sitting on a corner with a trail running through it, including a bridge over a small creek.
Good news! The railings of this bridge are very sittable. When there's a park without benches, it can be saved by a bridge. Sometimes the tops of the railings are pointy, and that's just disappointing. In addition to this bridge, Chatwin Park has several other options to make up for it's lack of benches, including the sign and the rocks in the first picture.
The rest of the space in the park is more or less flat with grass that's only sort of maintained and intermittent trees. This space would be an excellent place for a game of hide and seek. There's several of these trees growing out of nurse stumps:
They look like they might have caves perfect for people smaller than I am. Somebody who fits that criteria needs to go check that out.
PPR
Good: path, bridge with sitting railings, place to play hide and seek (and other games)
Bad: no benches, no dogs allowed
5/10
Friday, 7 September 2012
Burley Drive Park
Located at Burley Dr & Mathers Ave.
Burley Drive Park is another one of those playground/ tennis court combinations tucked just underneath the highway like Cedaredale and Westridge. From my experience with those other two, I assumed that the playground equipment at Burley Drive would be equally skimpy. Fortunately, I was wrong.
Whoever designed the Burley Drive Park playground went all out.
There's swings for big kids
and for babies.
There are not one, but two teeter-totters,
a set of bars that would probably be a lot more fun for people more skilled than Douglas and I,
and a pirate ship!!!
There's also a tennis court, but those all look the same and I don't care about them much.
I know several families with young kids who end up as regulars at certain playgrounds. They're all starting to get bored with the ones they know, but I don't think any of them know about Burley Drive Park. This is a hidden gem of a playground that could be a great change of pace for a 5 year old who is so over John Lawson.
PPR
Good: playground, tennis court, on a quiet street
Bad: no slide
7/10
Burley Drive Park is another one of those playground/ tennis court combinations tucked just underneath the highway like Cedaredale and Westridge. From my experience with those other two, I assumed that the playground equipment at Burley Drive would be equally skimpy. Fortunately, I was wrong.
Whoever designed the Burley Drive Park playground went all out.
There's swings for big kids
and for babies.
There are not one, but two teeter-totters,
a set of bars that would probably be a lot more fun for people more skilled than Douglas and I,
and a pirate ship!!!
There's also a tennis court, but those all look the same and I don't care about them much.
I know several families with young kids who end up as regulars at certain playgrounds. They're all starting to get bored with the ones they know, but I don't think any of them know about Burley Drive Park. This is a hidden gem of a playground that could be a great change of pace for a 5 year old who is so over John Lawson.
PPR
Good: playground, tennis court, on a quiet street
Bad: no slide
7/10
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Leyland Park
Located on Fulton Ave, near 11th St.
Since Nina is in Prince George now, I decided to go on the Ambleside route with my little brothers, Peter and Douglas. Here they are modelling the proper way to enter the park from the Fulton Avenue entrance:
When we first walked into the park, Peter shared with us his theory on why teenagers don't get outside enough. He said it was because when you're a kid, you're encouraged to play with your imagination, but when you get older you're expected to live in reality. Leyland Park could be a castle or a battle field, he explained, but instead it had to be just a boring old hill with some trees.
I think he makes an excellent point. For some reason, we're all expected to behave in a civilized manner just because we've got a few years under our belts. Once I gave Peter permission to release his inner child, he grabbed the nearest stick and ran off into the trees to fight the enemy. I hope that permission is all that most people need to have fun. So this is me hereby giving all of my blog readers permission to release their inner children!
Now back to those trees that I mentioned Peter running into. One thing that West Vancouver parks are severely lacking in are good climbing trees. Leyland Park, however, is full of them. It's time for a notable tree montage...
That's Douglas stuck in the first tree he attempted to climb. I would not recommend this one for beginners or people wearing shorts. It's perfect for those looking for a challenge and properly protected against inner thigh scrapes.
This tree is easy to climb and has this fantastic view:
And finally, there is this tree:
It's more of descent than a climb. The actual trunk is too high to climb, but if you climb on to this branch, you can climb down to get to the center of the tree where you can climb up the other branches. Be careful, you will end up pretty high over top of blackberry bushes. That would not be a fun fall.
In a world where good climbing trees are few and far between, Leyland Park is paradise. If you're ever itching for a good climb, make the trip up Sentinel Hill. It's worth it!
But if climbing isn't your thing, Leyland Park still has some special things for you. For example, this view point:
From the top of Sentinel Hill, you can get a new perspective on the classic West Vancouver ocean view because the north shore's waterfront area is included in the view. It's also a great vantage point to see the Lion's Gate Bridge from.
Even if you're very near sighted, Leyland park still has something for you... Your own little rainbow!
It's conveniently placed right in front of a bench. Just for you!
PPR
Good: climbing trees, view, well-maintained, benches, rainbow
Bad: at the top of a hill, no flat space
8.5/10
Since Nina is in Prince George now, I decided to go on the Ambleside route with my little brothers, Peter and Douglas. Here they are modelling the proper way to enter the park from the Fulton Avenue entrance:
When we first walked into the park, Peter shared with us his theory on why teenagers don't get outside enough. He said it was because when you're a kid, you're encouraged to play with your imagination, but when you get older you're expected to live in reality. Leyland Park could be a castle or a battle field, he explained, but instead it had to be just a boring old hill with some trees.
I think he makes an excellent point. For some reason, we're all expected to behave in a civilized manner just because we've got a few years under our belts. Once I gave Peter permission to release his inner child, he grabbed the nearest stick and ran off into the trees to fight the enemy. I hope that permission is all that most people need to have fun. So this is me hereby giving all of my blog readers permission to release their inner children!
Now back to those trees that I mentioned Peter running into. One thing that West Vancouver parks are severely lacking in are good climbing trees. Leyland Park, however, is full of them. It's time for a notable tree montage...
That's Douglas stuck in the first tree he attempted to climb. I would not recommend this one for beginners or people wearing shorts. It's perfect for those looking for a challenge and properly protected against inner thigh scrapes.
This tree is easy to climb and has this fantastic view:
And finally, there is this tree:
It's more of descent than a climb. The actual trunk is too high to climb, but if you climb on to this branch, you can climb down to get to the center of the tree where you can climb up the other branches. Be careful, you will end up pretty high over top of blackberry bushes. That would not be a fun fall.
In a world where good climbing trees are few and far between, Leyland Park is paradise. If you're ever itching for a good climb, make the trip up Sentinel Hill. It's worth it!
But if climbing isn't your thing, Leyland Park still has some special things for you. For example, this view point:
From the top of Sentinel Hill, you can get a new perspective on the classic West Vancouver ocean view because the north shore's waterfront area is included in the view. It's also a great vantage point to see the Lion's Gate Bridge from.
Even if you're very near sighted, Leyland park still has something for you... Your own little rainbow!
It's conveniently placed right in front of a bench. Just for you!
PPR
Good: climbing trees, view, well-maintained, benches, rainbow
Bad: at the top of a hill, no flat space
8.5/10
Ambleside Park
Everybody knows where Ambleside is. Everybody knows what's there. I work at Ambleside. Let me tell you how over Ambleside I am.
There's a bunch of sports fields. You can play sports there.
There's a snack bar with somewhat satisfying food for sale, but only during the summer. In the same building there are chronically damp change rooms. The building is basically delicious.
There's a playground. It's not my favorite playground, but it's alright I guess.
There's lifeguards on the beach to watch people swim in the swimming area. It's kind of nice that they make sure you don't die, I suppose.
There's a pier where people fish and a floating dock that only floats at high tide. There's also a fountain over in that area that kids like to swim in instead of the ocean.
And then there's Hollyburn Sailing Club. That's where I work. It's pretty great, actually. You can take sailing lessons there. Those are fun. You should try one.
But yeah... Ambleside... I've been there pretty much every day this summer. Who even cares anymore? Does somebody else want to review Ambleside for me?
Monday, 3 September 2012
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Finch Hill Park
Located at Finch Hill and Langton Pl.
Finch Hill Park is a little silly, if you ask me.
The grass is thick and green. The gardens are wild, yet contained. The masonry is in tip top shape. I mean, it's a convenient set of stairs that cuts a corner and probably saves a few people a lot of time, but does it really need to be this nice?
Then there's this thing, complete with Nina's "But why?" pose. I've always been very confused by these sorts of structures. They do nothing to block the rain or sun. According to Nina, they're supposed to be covered in climbing plants that will eventually block out the sun. While there was some wisteria in the corner, it didn't seem too likely that it would grow to that point. We're not in the tropics.
But we shouldn't laugh at this thing too much, because it is a memorial. The plaque reads:
Finch Hill Park is a little silly, if you ask me.
The grass is thick and green. The gardens are wild, yet contained. The masonry is in tip top shape. I mean, it's a convenient set of stairs that cuts a corner and probably saves a few people a lot of time, but does it really need to be this nice?
Then there's this thing, complete with Nina's "But why?" pose. I've always been very confused by these sorts of structures. They do nothing to block the rain or sun. According to Nina, they're supposed to be covered in climbing plants that will eventually block out the sun. While there was some wisteria in the corner, it didn't seem too likely that it would grow to that point. We're not in the tropics.
But we shouldn't laugh at this thing too much, because it is a memorial. The plaque reads:
In loving memory of our friend
Taylor Steyn
"Tay-Bay-Bay"
February 18th 1991 - ∞
---
You will be forever in our hearts
and you will always be
our sunshine on a cloudy day.
Does it make me a terrible person to find this hilarious? It's actually very sweet, but have you ever seen a memorial use a nickname like that? I sure haven't.
Anyways, Finch Hill Park isn't entirely useless. It's got a sort-of-decent view of the city, but it's really just a pleasant place to check the mail. I never got a picture of the mailboxes, but I'm pretty sure that they're the only reason this park exists.
PPR
Good: well-maintained, corner cut, mailboxes
Bad: silly structure, iffy view
5/10
Normanby Park
Located on Pinecrest Dr.
In an area like the British Properties where most parts of it are not designed for kids, a place like Normanby Park is a breath of fresh air.
When I saw this park on the map, I assumed that the promised playground equipment would be super lame. I'd been to a playground in the British Properties before in a park that was much bigger than Normanby Park, and that playground was just three dinky little structures. My jaw dropped when I came around the corner and saw this:
There's slides, monkey bars, a flying fox, and a bunny to ride. If you think bunnies are stupid, then there's another choice of animal to ride that I didn't get a picture of. I believe it might have been a whale. And can we talk about the colours? These aren't the normal bright primary colours that we're used to seeing on playgrounds. These ones are a little more subdued and very pretty.
Most importantly, just look at this flower swing:
Isn't it precious?
The other half of this park is occupied by tennis courts.
There's two of them cut out of the steep slope of the land. There's also a list of rules on the gate that make it seem like there have been issues with sharing the courts in the past, such as "If there are players waiting, please limit your game to 30 minutes." Nina and I have seen a lot of tennis courts in our travels, but we've only ever seen tennis players once or twice. We were just having a conversation pondering the question, "what time do the tennis players show up?" when two groups of players entered the park. Tennis players show up at 6:35pm. I'd recommend that players show up to Normanby Park at 6:30 to beat the after dinner rush.
PPR
Good: amazing playground, tennis courts, well-maintained, located where it's needed
Bad: steep hill, only one swing in the playground, not enough tennis courts (what?!)
8/10
In an area like the British Properties where most parts of it are not designed for kids, a place like Normanby Park is a breath of fresh air.
When I saw this park on the map, I assumed that the promised playground equipment would be super lame. I'd been to a playground in the British Properties before in a park that was much bigger than Normanby Park, and that playground was just three dinky little structures. My jaw dropped when I came around the corner and saw this:
There's slides, monkey bars, a flying fox, and a bunny to ride. If you think bunnies are stupid, then there's another choice of animal to ride that I didn't get a picture of. I believe it might have been a whale. And can we talk about the colours? These aren't the normal bright primary colours that we're used to seeing on playgrounds. These ones are a little more subdued and very pretty.
Most importantly, just look at this flower swing:
Isn't it precious?
The other half of this park is occupied by tennis courts.
There's two of them cut out of the steep slope of the land. There's also a list of rules on the gate that make it seem like there have been issues with sharing the courts in the past, such as "If there are players waiting, please limit your game to 30 minutes." Nina and I have seen a lot of tennis courts in our travels, but we've only ever seen tennis players once or twice. We were just having a conversation pondering the question, "what time do the tennis players show up?" when two groups of players entered the park. Tennis players show up at 6:35pm. I'd recommend that players show up to Normanby Park at 6:30 to beat the after dinner rush.
PPR
Good: amazing playground, tennis courts, well-maintained, located where it's needed
Bad: steep hill, only one swing in the playground, not enough tennis courts (what?!)
8/10
Shields Dam Park
Trail heads: Millstream Rd & Eyremount Dr, Pinecrest Dr.
Before I learned that Shields Dam Park existed, I had no idea that there was a dam in the British Properties. First I thought it might be a big dam like the one at the top of Capilano River, but that didn't seem too likely. Nina thought that it might be an impressive beaver dam. That seemed more plausible, but neither of us could guess what the dam was actually like.
We approached the park from the east, where the trail head was labelled like this:
The trail is a wide, rocky cut through thick forest clearly an old logging road. Signs along the way indicated that there is a logging history walking tour that includes this park. On of those signs is this one:
Shields Dam is a log dam in every sense of the word. It's a dam made out of logs that was used for getting logs down Hollyburn Mountain via Lawson Creek. It's a very cool thing to see, but I would not recommend following the arrow on this particular sign. Instead, keep following the main trail.
In just a few minutes, you will come to this set of bridges over the creek:
If you visit in the summer, you'll be able to skip the bridges and just walk straight across the dry creek bed.
Keep following the trial after that and soon you'll find a gate with a big warning sign. It's the type of sign that just makes you want to walk past it, but I managed to find the self control to save that path for another day. (I'll definitely go back, though. There was another sign that said something about a viewpoint.) Instead, I turned left and found myself at the official viewing area for Shields Dam.
There's a bench and a barrier to keep you from falling into I'm not sure what. The barrier also says "Shinglebolt" on it for no discernible reason. The barrier doesn't make much sense at all, but the bench is a good place to look at the dam from. Unfortunately, you're just going to have to take my word for this because Igor was home sick the day that all the little cameras learned to take pictures in the forest.You'll just have to visit Shields Dam Park to get a glimpse of this cool piece of logging history.
PPR
Good: patch of history, easy trail, many other trails start from this park, plenty of signs so you won't get lost, it's just cool
Bad: not much light, at the very edge of the developed British Properties (hard to get to), it's more of a trail than a park
7/10
Before I learned that Shields Dam Park existed, I had no idea that there was a dam in the British Properties. First I thought it might be a big dam like the one at the top of Capilano River, but that didn't seem too likely. Nina thought that it might be an impressive beaver dam. That seemed more plausible, but neither of us could guess what the dam was actually like.
We approached the park from the east, where the trail head was labelled like this:
The trail is a wide, rocky cut through thick forest
Shields Dam is a log dam in every sense of the word. It's a dam made out of logs that was used for getting logs down Hollyburn Mountain via Lawson Creek. It's a very cool thing to see, but I would not recommend following the arrow on this particular sign. Instead, keep following the main trail.
In just a few minutes, you will come to this set of bridges over the creek:
If you visit in the summer, you'll be able to skip the bridges and just walk straight across the dry creek bed.
Keep following the trial after that and soon you'll find a gate with a big warning sign. It's the type of sign that just makes you want to walk past it, but I managed to find the self control to save that path for another day. (I'll definitely go back, though. There was another sign that said something about a viewpoint.) Instead, I turned left and found myself at the official viewing area for Shields Dam.
There's a bench and a barrier to keep you from falling into I'm not sure what. The barrier also says "Shinglebolt" on it for no discernible reason. The barrier doesn't make much sense at all, but the bench is a good place to look at the dam from. Unfortunately, you're just going to have to take my word for this because Igor was home sick the day that all the little cameras learned to take pictures in the forest.You'll just have to visit Shields Dam Park to get a glimpse of this cool piece of logging history.
PPR
Good: patch of history, easy trail, many other trails start from this park, plenty of signs so you won't get lost, it's just cool
Bad: not much light, at the very edge of the developed British Properties (hard to get to), it's more of a trail than a park
7/10
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Andover Park
Located at Greenwood Rd & Andover Cr.
Andover Park looks like this:
It's really not impressive at all, but we were a long way from the next park, so we did what we could with it.
There was a small clearing, but the ground seemed like it had once been used as a yard trimmings dump spot. We put up with it for the sake of a good time, but I wouldn't recommend planning to sit there.
PPR
Good: not an impenetrable forest of thorns
Bad: squishy ground, overgrown, nothing there
1.5/10
Andover Park looks like this:
It's really not impressive at all, but we were a long way from the next park, so we did what we could with it.
There was a small clearing, but the ground seemed like it had once been used as a yard trimmings dump spot. We put up with it for the sake of a good time, but I wouldn't recommend planning to sit there.
PPR
Good: not an impenetrable forest of thorns
Bad: squishy ground, overgrown, nothing there
1.5/10
Northern British Properties Route
Andover, Shields Dam, Normanby & Finch Hill: Explored Tuesday August 28th
Erwin Park
Located on Erwin Dr.
I love getting to a park I've never been to before because of the surprise and feeling of discovery. I thought that Erwin Park was going to be like that, but when I walked around the corner of the hedge, I was instead hit by a wave of nostalgia. I had no idea that I'd been to this park before, but now I can remember visiting it once before. I went with my cousins to play on the playground.
It's a simple structure, but I remember having a great time on this playground. Unfortunately, I was not in the mood for a reincarnation of my childhood when I arrived at Erwin Park. I had already been to six parks that day and had been walking for a long time. All I wanted to do was sit, drink water, stare at the ocean, and relax. There is a bench next to the playground that looked great for parents to sit at while they watch their children play, but that's not quite what I was looking for.
I walked deeper into the park and immediately found exactly the place I was looking for.
Not just a bench, but a picnic bench! I always get excited to see picnic benches, even though I usually don't have a picnic with me. The tables are just so much better for sitting on, and the benches make great foot rests. You can spread all your stuff out beside you on the table and lie down if you want to. The merits of a picnic bench are infinite, and Erwin Park has one that's placed perfectly for viewing the classic West Vancouver waterfront view of Point Grey.
However, the benches in Erwin Park aren't all bad. I found another candidate for the best bench inscription there.
I love getting to a park I've never been to before because of the surprise and feeling of discovery. I thought that Erwin Park was going to be like that, but when I walked around the corner of the hedge, I was instead hit by a wave of nostalgia. I had no idea that I'd been to this park before, but now I can remember visiting it once before. I went with my cousins to play on the playground.
It's a simple structure, but I remember having a great time on this playground. Unfortunately, I was not in the mood for a reincarnation of my childhood when I arrived at Erwin Park. I had already been to six parks that day and had been walking for a long time. All I wanted to do was sit, drink water, stare at the ocean, and relax. There is a bench next to the playground that looked great for parents to sit at while they watch their children play, but that's not quite what I was looking for.
I walked deeper into the park and immediately found exactly the place I was looking for.
Not just a bench, but a picnic bench! I always get excited to see picnic benches, even though I usually don't have a picnic with me. The tables are just so much better for sitting on, and the benches make great foot rests. You can spread all your stuff out beside you on the table and lie down if you want to. The merits of a picnic bench are infinite, and Erwin Park has one that's placed perfectly for viewing the classic West Vancouver waterfront view of Point Grey.
However, the benches in Erwin Park aren't all bad. I found another candidate for the best bench inscription there.
Here time stands still
and love and peace prevail
Ray & Ann Frost
I
don't know what it is about this one, but I really like it. There's
something about how it makes me feel. It's a nice sentiment and also very accurate. Erwin Park was the perfect spot to rest and regain my ability to move after a long walk.
PPR
Good: playground, picnic bench, nice view, well maintained, plenty of shade and sunlight, no hill getting there
Bad: playground not colourful, small & simple
6/10
6/10
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