2025 September 7: Port Moody

Sixteen of us (plus two guest dogs) met at the corner of Clarke Road and Moody Street in Port Moody. We crossed the bridge over the railway line and immediately arrived in Rocky Point Park. Ignoring the siren calls of ice cream emporiums and fish and chips dispensaries, we strode along the path next to the inlet, shepherded by our leader, Carol.

The day was cooler than it has been recently; it was a nice temperature for walking. The path through Rocky Point Park and thence through a series of other parks on the Shoreline Trail was pleasantly winding and fairly flat, with plenty of greenery. Evergreens are mainly fir and cedar. There is at least one very tall cottonwood tree.

Carol talks while Alan apparently times her

We took the slightly rockier footpath, but there is an alternative hardtop, multi-use trail that runs along the same coastline.

There were several viewpoints on the left and Carol pointed out other sites of interest, such as a pillar carved with the names of early Port Moody families, and the remains of beehive lumber waste burners at Old Mill Park. The heron nesting colony was deserted, but there seem to be some nice fixer-upper nests available for when they return.

We missed walking on the boardwalk that stretches out into the water, as a project to refurbish the structure is not yet complete. The section from Suter Brook Creek to Noons Creek, including the viewing platform, was closed. We could walk out onto the first part and get a sense of how it will be upon completion.

We lunched at the picnic shelter at Old Orchard Park. Here, we were near the former home of some of Adrienne’s family members on Alderside Road. And also a Little Free Library.

On our return walk, we took the more or less parallel, multi-use trail for different views. Some unruly members wanted to take other variations and, although there were a few moments of worry when we were found to only number 15, the missing member was safely located and our motto (“No Looper left behind”) remains unviolated.

Arriving back in Rocky Point Park, we discussed options. Most went to Rocky Point Spirits, where we sat on the patio and ordered tacos and tortillas from the food truck. Carol’s daughter Maddy made a guest appearance. The coffee crowd went to Outpost.