Sunday Stroll- Lynn Canyon

       Yesterday dawned cloudy, cold and yes raining again- now as promised I am not complaining just stating the facts- it was a bit damp out to say the least. Our weekend was deliberately and luxuriously slow and lazy- I spent every spare minute curled under a blanket reading a book while the Littles and the Mr made elaborate Lego structures- listening to the giggles and disputes erupting from the living room was music to my ears! Sunday was no different- we had a long morning that stretched into afternoon- cooking and kitchen dance parties, fresh espresso and eggs- all the good things about a lazy Sunday morning. We decided to do a hike that would inject a bit of excitement into the day and so we went in search of Fairy Doors in Lynn Canyon.

     We decided to hit one of the most popular spots in Lynn Canyon- the Suspension bridge and hike to Twin Falls- hoping that due to the weather it would be not so busy however even on this grey day it seemed that a lot of people had the same idea as we did! The scenery in Lynn Canyon is spectacular with the remains of old growth forest combining with breathtaking water falls. Opening in 1912 as a tourist attraction the cost to cross the suspension bridge was .10- now it is free- apparently the only thing in Vancouver to go down in cost.

     The Littles loved all the exploring and while this is not a trail to let them run too far ahead they did have their share of freedom- I would be remiss if I didn't say that in spite of the safety fences this Momma is more than a bit nervous of heights and hands were held through most of the hike! This is most definitely not a hike to do with strollers as a great deal of the trail is stairs- however  a carrier would be perfect for non walkers. 

     As part of the Baden- Powell trail which runs from Lynn Valley up to Grouse Mountain- there are some fairly rugged spots of terrain to this trail and LOTS of mud but anyone who can do stairs can do this hike- although a bit of bribery in the form of chocolate was added as incentive to get up the last set of stairs!

      With the exception of the stairs this was a very leisurely hike- lots to look at and identify- currently the Littles are interested in moss and bark- well trees in general- they will tell you all the different parts a tree has if you have five minutes to listen! Post hike we all snuggled up in the van with hot chocolate and made our way back downtown- the echo of the waterfalls still roaring in our ears and the silence of the forest surrounding our hearts.

P.S. if any of our friends are interested Lynn Canyon is FULL of Fairy Doors!

Sunday Stroll

   January can be a tricky month to maneuver- in the past we have kept ourselves busy with baby related things but this year there is no denying we have kids not babies! How is a family to get through this gloomy month of January- not just get through it but thrive through it! Saturdays are never a problem what with soccer, ballet and the Farmer's Market- but Sunday can be a sneaky day. What starts out as relaxing can often escalate into full scale anarchy by  late morning. So  yesterday when the cannonballs started flying off the back of the couch we did what any sensible family would do- we took to the forest of course!

      Before we had these Littles my Mr and I loved a good hike- mainly because it is free and we were broke-hiking was a great way for us to explore the hidden beautiful places of our new (to us then) city.
We are still eager to explore new places and so we decided to check out Pacific Spirit park- shockingly a place we had yet to set foot in.

     Vancouver may have been experiencing a deluge of rain but under the sweeping arms of the giant spruce trees we were fairly dry- stepping onto the path and into another world we ran and hid and played for hours. In a city where most of this climate has been erased it is easy here to see where the spirit of Vancouver comes from- imagine once upon a time this forest covered all of the city!

     Pacific Spirit park is a whopping 763 hectors in size and sits between our city and the University of B.C.- a dog walker's dream  with 54 kms of semi packed, easy to walk paths this is a great beginner trail for families with small kids- you could easily spend an entire day here. Even though one of us ended the hike with a shoulder ride on a pair of sturdy Daddy shoulders everyone agrees this is a good hike- mushrooms, birds, squirrels, rocks and sticks- we give it two enthusiastic thumbs up!

   The forest worked it's magic on our family- after an entire week being cooped up inside with the flu this was just what we needed to get centred. We have challenged ourselves to a hike a week- we are starting small with just the month of January- this give us a new project as a family- something to research and plan for in a month where there is nothing to plan for!