I woke up the next morning excited to head back to the Provincial Park. There was 7 kilometer loop to a waterfall that sounded like a great way to start the day and I was on the road shortly and at the trail head by 9am.
The Lower Falls Trail took me further into the coastal forests of British Columbia. Again I was stunned by the size of the massive tree stumps and the scars left by loggers a century ago. The trail follows Gold Creek for several kilometers and was a mostly easy, quiet walk. When I stopped to drink from the creek at a beach half way up I was amazed by how cold and clean it tasted.
(Not a trace of beaver shit in this water for those who know about my Giardia or 'beaver fever' incident a few years back).
Usually the water from lakes and streams is warm, and when chemically treated has a slight metallic taste. This water was straight from the mountains and it was amazing. It was a beautiful morning and I took my time along the trail stopping to take pictures and just enjoy the natural surroundings. Making my way along the creek and closer to the waterfalls, I could hear the water rushing and splashing ahead of me and before I ever saw it I could feel the spray in the air from the falls, cool and refreshing.
The trail continues past the waterfalls and up towards Gold Creek Lookout and back country camping at Alder Flats where you can sleep in the same sites loggers did almost a hundred years ago. I wished I had time and my hiking/camping gear so I could've kept going but with work to do I headed back down the path regretfully. I passed several groups of tourists/hikers heading up the trail on the way back, most of them Japanese which meant we didn't speak more than a few words of greeting before continuing and I was glad i had started early so I had the path, the beach and the waterfall to myself.
It took about 90 minutes to make my way down through the East Canyon, through Gold Creek campground and up an unmarked trail to the north beach. I had brought a book to read, a book to write in, snacks of fruit bars and trail mix and a couple cans of beer and I planned on finding a secluded spot on the rocky beach and spending the rest of the afternoon in quiet solitude. The day passed slowly as I read and wrote and I felt the pressure of everyday work and home demands slip away. With no cell or Wi-Fi signal deep in the Coast Mountains I happily turned off my Blackberry®, the only link to the world around me and passed the time with the pages of my books and the thoughts in my head.
Later that night I decided to check out on of the restaurants the guys at the pub had suggested. Charlie's Mexican Cafe in Port Moody was about a thirty minute drive from the hotel in Pitt Meadows and was worth every minute of the drive. Amazing food that I let the waitress suggest for me, accompanied with Dos Equis beer and deep fried ice cream and all with a window view of the beautiful marine town on the Fraser river. it was a great meal to end an amazing day and my only only sobering thought was that I had to return to Toronto early the next morning.
I love Toronto and I love being home but I wasn't anxious to leave. I have really started to enjoy my time in BC and would've loved a couple of more days to explore the trails and the towns in the lower mainland. As I was packing my suitcase that evening I had a strange mixed feeling of sadness and excitement, sadness to say goodbye to the amazing mountain forests, creeks, and beaches of Golden Ears but excited to move on to the next place and an opportunity to spend some time in the small towns of the interior.
The historic gold mining town of Princeton BC is next on the list and with a full week booked in the town I was planning on coming prepared not only with dress clothes and training materials but with tent and backpack as well.
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