This Sunday we went for a great hike on Bowen island which is a short 20 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe bay, just outside of Vancouver.
This photo was taken on our approach to the ferry landing at Bowen island, the inlet is called Snug cove and is certainly well named as the cove is quite narrow. As we approached the dock we took notice of a collection of geese that were paddling about right in front of the ferry. It looked like they were playing a game of who can get closest to the ferry without being over run! Some of the geese actually waited to the very last moment before getting out of the way.
Once docked we departed the ferry and were immediately in the village of Bowen island. This is a very cute area with lots of little shops for art, clothes, a museum and lots of other interesting areas. The whole area feels very different than the city we had left just 20 minutes before.
We figured we should check the trail maps before starting so that nobody gets lost! :-)
Thereare some incredible houses on Bowen inland, this one was right on thewaterfront and is probably worth a cool million or so dollars.
Here is another house tucked away in the bush with a nice little lake in front of it. Looks like they have alot of grass to cut!
Once we starting walking the trails we came across a river with a fish ladder, for the uninitiated, fish ladders allow spawning fish to make their way up river with less work than would be required in the normal course of the river. Fish ladders are also used when it is physically impossible for fish to travel up stream due to man made obstacles.
The next several photos are just various shots we took during the early part of our hike.
Some of the terrain we covered was pretty steep, the proof is in the pictures. In a couple locations there were ropes setup to ease the climb since the trails were full of roots and could be a little tricky at times.
After all of that, we finally made it to the top of Mount Gardner, the view was spectacular, the pictures really don't do it justice. You could see a large part of Vancouver including Stanley Park all the way up the Sunshine coast.
After all that hiking, it was time for lunch, a few others joined us on the peak while we gelled out.
As we made our way down, Emma discovered she still had lots of energy so she decided to do a little tree clearing.
Another shot from a view point about half way down the mountain, you can see the Vancouver island ferry in the distance.
Saw this cool fungus on our way down and just had to snap a photo.
And of course, after doing all that hard work, it was time to treat ourselves. We went to Troll's restaurant in Horseshoe bay where we had fish and chips and beers all around.
All in all, the hike was a wonderful way to spend the day, we hadgreat weather, a little bit of cloud but no rain so the temperature wasjust right. From beginning to end we took about 5 hours to completethe hike which was a little better than 17 kilometers in length. If you are interested in hiking on Bowen island but would like an easier hike or walk, check out the route around Kilarney lake. The route is quite flat and can be completed in a couple hours giving you lots of time to explore the village and perhaps grab some lunch or dinner while on the island.
