Crystal Falls, British Columbia, Canada

The trail along upper Coquitlam River
in Port Coquitlam, B.C.
wanders amongst large
fir trees, a symphony
of birdsong, and the soothing
sounds of river water.
It's an easy 45 minute
hike to the falls, which tumbles
and splashes its way to
join nearby Coquitlam River.
The falls are actually part of
Pritchett Creek, and if you can
manage the mountain goat like
clamber up the hill besides the main falls,
you will be delighted to find 2 smaller falls.
I'm not sure if the smaller ones have
names. I decided to name them
Peace and Serenity respectively.
Well worth the time spent to get here,
Crystal Falls represents a closeness
to Mother Nature in the midst of the
rush and hub bub of the city.

Colony Farm Regional Park, Coquitlam, B.C., Canada

Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam, B.C., Canada is stunningly beautiful in any weather. It happens to be eerily fascinating in the fog.

I have written about this gem before. I still keep returning to her to discover more of her secrets. Like the otter than now live in her waters and have photographers venturing out in any weather trying to catch a glimpse, and maybe that rare photo, of the sleek animal.

There are birds galore here ... today I watched
a Blue Heron hunched over in the fog, eyes trying to bewitch fish to come for dinner. Ducks fluttered and quacked their annoyance at me for disturbing their peaceful morning. Hawks soared lazily overhead watching the whole scene unfold.

There are several km's of walking trails here, as well as a new bike rental and tour company. The Coquitlam River winds her way through on the way to the big blue Pacific Ocean.

I like the peace you can find within the big city. You are a heartbeat away from nature, and a blink away from some spectacular wildlife viewing. You might even catch the otters watching you!

The Coquitlam River, B.C. Canada

The Coquitlam River is a tributary for the Fraser River in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

The whole Coquitlam watershed has a fascinating history. In the late 1800's, an engineering firm called Hermon & Burwell came up with an ingenious scheme to build a tunnel connecting Coquitlam Lake to Buntzen Lake, with the idea of producing hydoelectricity. Now, you have to remember, this is 1898, a wee bit more than 100 years since Ben Franklin was out flying his kite and had his hair raising experience. A pretty big leap of technology for the time.

And of course, far thinking people were jockeying to get control of such a huge undertaking and potential money making endeavor. Let's not even talk about how the different levels of government get all involved and twisted up in this.

The tunnel took 3 years to build (1902-1905) and is 2.4 miles in length. The men working on the tunnel were paid 25 cents per hour. Fishways were installed to help and preserve the spawning of the salmon that inhabited these waters. Unfortunately, like so many things in life, this never happened and the salmon spawn was devestated. Some have reported recently that the salmon have returned. 93 years later. That's what I love about Mother Nature. She just never gives in or gives up.

Today, Coquitlam River is a serene and peaceful waterway gurgling its way through forests and condo developments, with bears regularly patroling her pathways for juicy ripe blackberries. Crows and children spend time along the banks looking for river treasures, and the occaisonal cry of an eagle can be heard far in the distance, searching for the lost way of life that happens when urbanization meets nature.