Time: 10:00AM–12:00PM

The next SFURA walk will be along trails (and short road or sidewalk sections) on the east side of the Coquitlam River on Wednesday, July 14 at 10:00 AM. Jackie Viswanathan will lead the walk. The walk is rated as easy; the trail is nearly level. Bring some mosquito repellent, especially for the second part of the walk. Bring a lunch, to be carried along on the walk. We will have lunch near the falls, at the turn-around point.

Driving directions:

Drive along the Lougheed Highway (there is construction on the section of Lougheed Highway between Johnson and Westwood in Coquitlam) to the intersection with Shaughnessy Street, the first road east of the Coquitlam River Bridge. Turn north at the stoplight. Continue north along Shaughnessy Street for about 1.5 km after the stoplight at Prairie. Drive past the stop sign at Lincoln Street. About 500 m beyond that stop sign, turn left (careful about oncoming traffic) onto a short road leading to a fairly large parking area which gives access to the trail system. There are other stub trails leading west to the trail system further south and further north than this parking area, but parking along Shaughnessy Street itself is prohibited and this is the only appropriate parking area.

The route we will walk:

A short connector trail leads across a bridge (the Coquitlam River is highly braided hereabouts) to the main trail heading north. At all times on the northbound portion of the walk, we will keep to the right at major trail junctions; this will keep us further from the river than would otherwise be possible, but the route we will take is more clearly marked. After about 2 km we will emerge onto city streets near the David Avenue/Shaughnessy Street intersection; private property along this stretch of the river forces us to walk about 500 m on sidewalks. At Karley Crescent, one block north of David Avenue, we will return to the trail, and continue an estimated 3 km north, generally closer to the river than we were when south of David Avenue. The trail proper terminates just before a pleasant waterfall.

We will return by the same route. On the return, those who prefer a shorter walk can wait about 30 minutes near the river just north of Karley Crescent while others continue the remaining 2.5 km to the cars and drive back to get them.

Lightweight hiking boots are preferable, though if it has been dry for a number of days, running shoes will be OK. The trail after David Ave. is fairly narrow. Drinking untreated water from the Coquitlam River at the lunch spot is not recommended; treat it appropriately, or carry water.

If you have questions, email Jackie.

Special note: If anyone is interested in leading a walk or walks, please contact us. To continue having walks every week, we will need more leaders.