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
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