For three days, I did almost the same walk, with minor variations, and different people. I thought I would amalgamate them all into one account of the trail, and cover it all in one go!
I've drawn the main route in purple, with the detour I did with Colin (through the school) in blue, and the one I did on my own (to the KKN) in red. With all the detours, it was about 6km. Just the purple route alone, about 4.5km.
It was such a good thing that we got off the island the day before, because in the morning of Dec 18, it started snowing again... I shoveled the driveway, twice! :p But again, I reaped the good karma: when I started shovelling, the plough came! That made twice in one weekend!
After comparing snow shoveling photos, on Dec 19, my friend Kitty decided to come to visit me! Despite living in North Vancouver for several years, it was her first time to Bowen Island.
My friend Nihan sent me photos of herself, flabbergasted by the snow in Vancouver. Coming from Turkey, she had never seen snow like this before. :D I just love everything about this photo, including her expression and the "glow" she's got going...
Kitty and I had 2-for-1 fish and chips at Doc's Pub. Nothing like a warm meal and a pint to warm one up on a chilly day. ;)
Then we walked back to my place together. On the way, she broke the news: She made me a pie! And not just any pie, but an apple pie laced with Thor's Hammer barley wine. Whaaaaaaaaaaa????? Outstanding!!! :D
A few days earlier, I had asked her if she would bring me a couple of interesting beers from the mainland when she visited. She said she "went shopping" in her fridge for some microbrew beers to bring me... XD One of many benefits of partnering with a Brewmaster, right? ;) She brought me a sweet sampler collection...
...but the highlight was definitely this lovely pair of Old School Lagers... a special run so limited (only brewed once!) that they didn't even have labels. Score!!!! They were fan-freaking-tastic!!!
Quite hilariously, as we walked back from the ferry to my place, she randomly met every one of my neighbors! Lol. Total fluke. I said, "Well, now that you know everyone, I guess you can just move in!" hahaha
The walk was gorgeous, with all the snow. Here's a view of the Eco-Preserve, misty with snow drifts in the air.
The walk was gorgeous, with all the snow. Here's a view of the Eco-Preserve, misty with snow drifts in the air.
After visiting at my place for a while, we walked to Artisan Square through the cut-through at the second hairpin turn of Village Drive.
Along the way, we saw quite a few downed trees and branches, including this huge butterfly bush, broken down into the ditch. :(
On the positive side, I found a trail I had been searching for, along Village Dr, because someone had attempted it in the snow: the telltale footprints showed the way!! I had tried to walk that right-of-way easement trail earlier, convinced by a neighbor that it existed and that it was OK to walk on, but with the huge fallen leaves that were covering everything, I had not been sure when I exited the trail that I was not just traipsing randomly through someone's yard, so I didn't blog it... >.< These footprints confirmed that I had indeed been on the correct trail.
As Kitty didn't bring gloves, she borrowed one of my ski gloves to handle the steep, snow-covered stairs to the BIM. Afterwards, we "high fived" with our oversized mitts. At the bottom, the trail sign was half covered with snow.
We wandered up Prometheus Place to Artisan Square. The icicles were huge along the rockface beside the back lane to Artisan Eats.
Being Monday afternoon, most shops in the square were closed, but for some reason, traffic was really heavy along Artisan lane. Everything had been closed the day before, as well. I had hoped to buy a croissant, but a sign on the closed door Artisan Eats simply said, "sorry!" I blamed it on the snow. On the following day, they were open, but had run out of croissants by the time I got there.
We headed down Artisan Lane towards Grafton Rd, with the idea of heading back to the Cove via the Trans-Island Trail (TIT).
By the following day, the roads were clear, and I snapped this photo of Artisan Lane exiting onto Grafton Rd. The entrance to the TIT was to the left of the bus stop across the road.
Behind the bus stop was an intersection of trails. We turned right to head towards the Cove. On the third day of walking this route, I took the path straight ahead, over a small bridge to a path lined with orange fencing, in an attempt to get to the Knick Knack Nook. (I had not been able to find the route through on a previous attempt.) But the trail was just too slippery: I couldn't even get down into the bridge without risking a fall--and potential slide into the creek. So I turned around and took same trail I had been taking for two days already. The trail fail was not a surprise...
"Why?" You ask? I suppose I should mention that on that third day, I titled my walking notes "Face To Earth," because everything was going wrong that day.
It probably had a lot to do with me having had no naps over the past three days. I had awoken in a panic, worrying about handling the upcoming 5 days straight with various family members while so run down.
It probably had a lot to do with me having had no naps over the past three days. I had awoken in a panic, worrying about handling the upcoming 5 days straight with various family members while so run down.
On top of that, I had learned about the Berlin Christmas Market truck terrorism, plus the shooting of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, plus there was a mosque shooting in Zurich, plus a second bombing in Yemen that killed 49 people... Balls!!
I tried to get back on track by going for a walk to get a croissant, but everything was so icy and slippery, that there were almost no trails safe to walk on. So I had taken the same darn route yet again, but as previously mentioned, on that day, Artisan Eats had run out of croissants. But I digress...
Along the TIT heading to the Cove, the ginormous cedar trees had sheltered the trail, and there was surprisingly little snow on the path.
However, that did not last long, and soon we were walking on pristine white snow.
The TIT meandered back and forth from Grafton Rd, and as we headed up to the road, we left the pristine white snow on the trail, to join the dirty brown snow on the road's shoulder.
The snow was piled deep on the shoulder, and we sunk in nearly to our knees, trying to get to the road.
Normally, the trail ran along the shoulder from there to Carter Rd, but because of the drifts caused by the snow plough, there was no choice but to walk on the road itself for a stretch.
However, just past Carter Rd, we were back on the pristine white snow of the trail.
When I stopped to photograph the beautiful snowy lattice created by some branches overhanging the trail, Colin made us both laugh by shaking the branches into a snowstorm that fell right onto him.
It was a truly gorgeous section of trail. It looked like a Christmas card.
The trail headed downhill to a fork, and while the trail to the Cove was straight ahead, the left fork took a hairpin turn to the left. I had never been down that trail, and wondered where it went. I decided on the third day of taking this same route, that I would head down it and check it out. Maybe it led to the Knick Knack Nook via Mt Gardner Rd, I mused.
After a little ways of walking beside the skinny trees, I saw a shed up ahead.
Past the shed was the Bowen Children's Centre. You know, the one on Carter Rd. Sigh. I told you this was "Face to Earth" day.
I couldn't easily see where to cut through, to get to the trail I knew ran somewhere behind it, so I turned around and headed back the way I had come, and rejoined the TIT trail at the fork.
Along this stretch, there were a lot of trees and branches downed by the snow.
This particular tree branch nearly blocked the right-hand fork of the trail, as it headed back up to Grafton Rd. I took a selfie with it to show just how big it was.
Incidentally, this was also the spot Kitty and I paused to take a selfie too, the day before. You can see the branch in the background behind Kitty's shoulder.
While Kitty and I (and Colin and I, on the second day) took the right hand fork and continued on Grafton Rd to the intersection with Mt Gardner Rd, on the third day, aka "Face to Earth Day," I took the left hand fork, which led to a crosswalk across Mt Gardner Rd right at the Bowen Island Community School.)
On Mt Gardner Rd, I turned left and again headed down towards the Knick Knack Nook. As I walked, a car stopped beside me, and offered me a LIFT. When I said I was only going to BIRD (the recycling depot beside the Knick Knack Nook) and was almost there, he gave me a quizzical look, said OK, and drove off.
As I walked past the school busses parked on the side of the road, it occurred to me why the Knick Knack Nook closed at 2:30pm-- so the volunteers could pick up their kids after school! I felt quite smart, figuring that out. lol. (Hey, I already told you it was a crappy day-- I had a low bar to beat. lol.)
Finally, I arrived at the crosswalk marking the gas station to the left, and BIRD and the Knick Knack Nook on the right. A couple of cars were parked out front, by the entrance to the parking lot.
The parking lot of the Knick Knack Nook was a sheet of ice. No wonder the cars didn't head in, I concluded. Moving slowly on the ice, I slipped but did not fall. My first win of the day!! However, when I got to the door, I realized why the LIFT driver had given me the strange look: both the Knick Knack Nook and recycling were closed. Because Tuesday. And Face To Earth day.
Instead of retracing my steps back to the school, I decided to risk the trail back to Artisan Square: uphill to the Children's Place, then along the "orange fence" trail in reverse. I had noticed that some icy paths were easier uphill than downhill.
The trail started at the end of the crosswalk between the BIRD and the gas station. Although it was difficult to see from the road, and I had to climb over the gross dirty snow plough piles to get to it, it was actually pretty easy to see once I was standing there at the curb.
The trail was actually OK to walk on, despite some minimal downed branches here and there. I chose the right hand fork, and was later glad I did, as the left hand fork was blocked by fallen trees up farther ahead.
Terminal Creek was not frozen and cascaded magnificently down beside the trail.
Some parts of the path were icy, but OK. I was glad I decided against going down this way. It would have been much more difficult.
I saw where I would have needed to go, to cut through the Children's Place to the trail. But, agai, it was for the best that I didn't come down that way. I followed the trail to the right, against the fence.
The end of the trail was ploughed over, but I could see where someone and their dog had forced their way through to Carter Rd, and I followed their steps. Standing on the bridge, I checked out the Cates Hill Chapel, just beyond it. Established in the 1990s, the chapel is an "interdenominational Evangelical Christian church with Christian Brethren roots."
After checking out the dam that ran beneath the bridge, I started looking for the end of the "orange fence" trail, which I knew must come out here somewhere.
I spotted it, nearly directly across from where I had emerged from the trail onto the road. It ran along the top of a casually piled stone "wall."
It looked very icy, thin, and steep. A pile of snow also blocked the base of the trail. A raven flew over, telling me: don't try that icy trail! ;p
So instead of taking the trail, I turned left onto Carter Rd, and followed it back up to Grafton Rd, and from there, took a right back up to Artisan Lane, where I turned left and headed up to Artisan Square.
In the end, walking did help me feel better that day, even despite several "fails." After all, I had managed to figured out some trails I had been wondering about. I happily headed home in time to shovel ice in hopes the propane truck would make it through tomorrow morning. Arriving on my street, I got the best Xmas gift of all-- all the snow had melted!!!! I nearly cried in gratitude and relief.
The first two days had been much less dramatic... After the big downed branch on the TIT, where I had taken my selfies, in both cases I headed up to Grafton Rd with my hiking companion. The snowy shoulder was again deep, gross, and dirty, and we again walked on the road a stretch.
On the first day, Colin and I turned in at the Bowen Island Community School, because the playground attracted Colin like a magnet. ;)
After descending the stairs from the road to the playground, Colin ran up onto the slide to take a run.
He made it look so fun, that I had a go too. Graceful as a swan! XD
From there, we skirted the fenced field to the basketball court behind it.
On the other side of the basketball court, the fence opened and we could see a trail leading down the hill away from the school. It was REALLY slippery. Colin slid down on his feet like a pro, while I flopped my way down on my butt like a beached seal.
At the bottom, a level trail led around the outside of the fenced field and back towards Grafton Rd.
About half way down, we encountered a Parks Board sign advertising a viewpoint. "Let's go!" cried Colin.
The trail led into the woods to a clearing.
But I have to say, not much of a "view." A bench at at the crest, covered in a foot of snow.
Then Colin said "let's keep going!" I looked down at the step drop off ahead of us, and delighted him by answering a high pitched, "WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!?" He laughed at my perfect response to his joke, and we turned around and headed back towards the field.
Turning left at the field, we followed the trail back out to Grafton Rd, to where Kitty and I would walk the next day. Instead of taking the school-based detour, she and I had just walked past the school along Grafton Rd.
The trail picked up again alongside the road. Although the trail was invisible under the snow, it was marked by a yellow post. Based on the tracks in the snow, many people had walked along here, and a couple had sledded. In the distance, we could see the first buildings in Snug Cove.
At the bottom of the hill, the trail ended in another yellow post. Just beyond it was the Bowen Island Museum and Archives.
In the late 1960s, a small group of volunteers, called "The Historians," collected information, photographs, and artifacts telling the history of Bowen Island. Although the land was initially purchased in 1974, the museum didn't open until 1997, although steps towards its opening were being accomplished throughout the previous decades.
To the left of the yellow post was a sign describing an upcoming development to the area. About 1.3 acres of trees would be cleared in preparation for residential strata apartments and optional commercial use. The revenue would be used in part, to build a Bowen Island Community Centre, which has been in demand for decades.
On both days, we detoured through Village Square. On the day with Colin, it was to head back up Village Drive to Artisan Square. On the day with Kitty, it was to show her around a little, on the way to the ferry.
Since we were early getting to the ferry dock, we decided to detour along Cardena Rd to the Lagoon. Kitty noticed signposts directing passerby to Santa's Workshop, the Elf Village, and the Reindeer Loading Zone.
At the Causeway, it was very low tide, and a heron fished placidly on the fish ladders, before taking off in flight at our arrival.
As I tried to photograph the heron, Kitty grabbed me into a silly impromptu selfie.
Even though we probably would have had time, I didn't want to walk Kitty around the Lagoon, because it's where I had fallen last time, and this day was even icier than that day. So we just hung out at the Causeway for a while, before heading back along Cardena Dr to the ferry.
On Cardena Dr, we passed the "Boulevard Cabin" which housed The Caring Circle. I yet again didn't take a decent photo! But later saw this Facebook posting by Sven Tchernoussoff about the warming centre at the SOS, which included a great photo of the building.
While Bowen Island didn't have a large "homeless population" per se, it was no better prepared than Vancouver this winter to handle all this heavy snow and unusually cold weather. This winter, Vancouver had opened several community centres and even a Quality Inn (on Howe St) as emergency Warming Centres, as their shelters filled to the brim in the sub-zero weather.
The Bowen Island Warming Centre had taken in over two dozen people, several of whom lived in older under-insulated houses, as well as some who were living (temporarily or year-round) in boats and cars. Surely, some of these people were really struggling financially, but about half of the users of the Warming Centre were reported to be "of average privilege and just cold."
Kitty and I chatted at the ferry while we waited for the boat to come in. While we waited, I mentioned that Bowen had a nude beach within walking distance of my house and the ferry. I hadn't actually visited it yet, but it was definitely on my list! It would definitely be easier than heading to UBC's Wreck Beach-- for both of us!
On Dec 18, I set up my mini Christmas tree and decorated my fireplace mantle. On Dec 20, I just settled in with a great salad.
**Sorry about the multi-colored fonts! I keep trying to fix it, but it won't stay black.**
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