The Coquitlam River

The Coquitlam River flows from Coquitlam Lake into the Fraser River — a distance of only fourteen kilometres. I’ve hiked its trails that span both sides of the river from Crystal Falls in its upper reaches to the estuary.

Richmond Hiking Trail

Richmond was almost devoid of parks in my view. One area set aside for a park was still being developed while along the Fraser River, a trail extended along part of the river.

Lillooet

I visited Lillooet more for its beautiful sounding name than the well known music festival. As I came closer to the quiet town and its gold rush past, the mountains were parched.

I turned left at a church to the Chinese Rocks piled above the town. Below the wide main street stretched close to the Fraser River. While searching for gold, Chinese miners had washed and stacked these rocks. Across from the Chinese rocks, was a barren skeleton of a tree ominously called the hanging tree.

Deas Island Regional Park

 

Delta’s Deas Island Regional Park was not accurately named. It wasn’t an island. The park was joined to the mainland by a narrow band of land. I crossed a wooden bridge over a stagnant creek and followed the trail that led to the tip of the so called island. On the way, I was faced with another contradiction.

Ladner

Ladner was the perfect place to escape the busy city buzz. The Delta fishing village was located between Vancouver and the U.S. border.

Westham Island’s George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary

South the Vancouver lies a bird sanctuary with the Fraser River on one side and the Salish Sea on the other. In the distance lies the Strait of Georgia and the Gulf Islands where the salty sea air washes over the exposed landscape. This is a bird watcher’s haven and although I’m not one of them, it’s still a pleasure to visit the island and come into contact with thousands of birds.