party

if you are downtown on saturday night
come over and
dance

challenge accepted

i have promised the little lady i would learn all these moves for saturday
wanna come and watch?

The Baden-Powell Trail, Lynne Valley to Grouse Mountain Part 1

A couple of weekends ago Andrea and I finally got ourselves sufficiently organised to complete a leg of the Baden Powell trail. The trail stretches some 45 kilometres from Deep Cove in the East to Lighthouse park on the other side of the Howe Sound in the west, passing along the fringes of greater Vancouver and Grouse Mountain. It is said to be one of the most amazing walks in all of British Columbia and with most of the trail accessible via public transit Andrea and I have been meaning to take a crack at it for some time. On this occasion we selected a ten kilometre section linking Lynne Valley and Grouse Mountain. This section covers some amazing terrain past creeks and old logging trails with some great views of the lower mainland. This walk took about three hours with numerous stops for photos and snacks - we had an amazing day.

The highlight really was a most unexpected introduction at the highest point on the trail where we met a generous and serene Persian gentleman resting at the Burnaby lookout. This fine old gentleman shared his dates and pistachio nuts with us as he proceeded to educated us about Lord Baden Powell and his contribution to young men's education, and the intricacies of the tying of a reliable knot (Ok so this last bit may be a piece of poetic license as they say!). This old fellow has been a scout for some 45 years and promised us that he completes the trail between Grouse and Lynne valley 3 times a week. He certainly looked as if he was capable of such a feat. After he had finished his story he bid us on our way with "Happy Good Day!" - Andrea and I were tickled with this farewell and used it for the rest of the day.

Our own "Happy Good Day" ended on a very high note with drinks and a bon-fire at sunset on third beach later in the day - truly one of the great days!

Half Way up Grouse Mountain

So this was taken from around the half way point of our walk - half way up Grouse Mountain. The trail was broken at this point by the truly spectacular Sunset Drive - a ridge of houses stuck half way up the mountain side on the last available blocks of land on the edge of the Grouse Mountain reserve. Each house is nestled in among the trees and gullies with amazing views of the entire lower mainland. We snuck down to the mouth of one such house's drive way to take this photo of North Vancouver and Burnaby.

Lunchtime!

We stopped at this creek-side rest for a snack and a bit of a breather - it really was a highlight of a great day's walking.

Breaking for a Rest

This was taken sometime after the potentially injurious incident with the camera and the aborted conservation photo-shoot - as you can surmise Andrea now has the camera and we have broken for a rest - really a far more agreeable set of arrangements! This makes both for better photos and greater harmony on the marital path! I am as usual exaggerating, but the photos are better. May have something to do with the superiour and far more docile subject matter but I would only be guessing...

Put the Camera Down Fatman - Let's Go!!

OK so this is how most of our bushwalks play out - me straggling behind with the camera in an attempt to photograph every conceivable shade of green present in the forest, while Andrea motors on ahead quickly tiring of the fool's errand I've set for myself. Here friends is proof of such a scenario! Andrea way out in front exhorting me to get a move on - there is after all many miles of trail ahead of us to document. I couldn't resist taking this cheeky shot of Andrea on the verge of cracking it with me. Taking my cue a moment before calamity was due to rain down upon my ill-prepared hide I snapped this photo, stowed the camera and picked up my pack.

The Sunshine Coast At Sunset

So I'm Stuck at Work and Anjie's off to the Sunshine Coast

Really I won't complain - I've had quite a few local trips for work lately where Anj has been left at home to ruminate on the vagaries of this cruel life. This is the view from the ferry to the Sunshine Coast as it leaves from Horseshoe Bay. Bowen Island is in the centre of the picture with the Coast Mountains behind - glorious!