Twelve  Loopers, plus Finn, arrived at today’s designated starting point at the corner of Old Dollarton Road and Forester Street in North Vancouver in the midst of a bit of a downpour.  Two other Loopers, who shall remain nameless, took one look at the conditions and beat a hasty retreat. As this month’s leader, Angela rallied the rest of the crew.

Buoyed by a brief lull in the rain and the promise of clearing skies to come, the group headed West along Dollarton Road, making our way west into Seymour River Heritage Park.  We stopped to admire an artwork, Eventually #3, one of 3 similar installations around North Van.  Some will recall having seen #1 in William Griffiith Park and possibly #2 near the Lynn Canyon Café.

After crossing under Mt. Seymour Parkway, we headed up the east side of the Seymour River on Riverside Drive.  By this point the rain had resumed in earnest and persisted through the rest of the walk.  Partway up the road we crossed and plunged into the woods in Canyon Creek Park where we climbed a steep and narrow trail up to the east side of the canyon.

We then descended to Dollarton Highway via some trails and streets, passing through Windridge Park. 

Just above Dollarton Highway we made a short diversion along Butterflyway Lane.  This was a grassy lane, lined with flowering plants and part of the Butterflyway Project.  This project, established by the David Suzuki Foundation, aims to provide habitat to encourage wild pollinators such as bees and butterflies.  

A short and wet slog along Dollarton Highway brought us to Maplewood Flats. With the rain still coming down there was a brief discussion as to whether to abandon the loop through the park and proceed directly to afters.  In true Looper fashion we made the decision to press on.  Near the entrance was an art installation by Ken Lum, a local artist best known for creating the East Van Cross.  The work consisted of replicas of three squatters’ shacks, one of which was occupied by the writer Malcolm Lowry during his time in Vancouver.

We did a loop through the park along pleasant trails with occasional views across the harbour.  We stopped briefly at a high point in the park before completing the loop and returning to the entrance.  From there it was a short walk back to the starting point.  Total distance for the walk was just about exactly 10km.

Afters were enjoyed at Goodco, where there was some discussion as to where this outing ranked in terms of the wettest Looper outings.  Consensus was that it ranked within the top 3.

While we were marching through the rain, two Loopers were enjoying a sunny outing in Lucerne:  “We set off for a hike with a rucksack supplied by hotel in Lucerne. Crossed over covered bridge and past folding distractions to find Lion statue. It commemorates Swiss guard killed in French revolution and other mercenary situations. Afters were, of course, ice cream.”

 Photo credits to Angela, Jon, and Carol.