Time: 10:00AM–12:30PM

The next SFURA walk is at the Pitt Lake Dyke on Wednesday, May 12 at 10:00 a.m. Bob Horsfall will lead the walk, which is rated Easy and will take about 2 hours.

Direction to the meeting spot:
Note: There is no public transit to this walk, so if you do not have a car, contact us and we will try to arrange carpooling.

Driving from the Vancouver area, exit the freeway at the Cape Horn interchange, staying to the right, bending left under the freeway, and turning right at the stoplight. You are now on the Mary Hill Bypass (7B), which avoids most of the slow spots on the Lougheed Highway. You'll merge onto Lougheed (Highway 7), heading east, just before the Pitt River Bridge. Stay in the left lane, and turn on Dewdney Trunk Road (first left). (If you miss the turn, don't panic — simply turn left on Harris Road which is 2.5 km farther along.) When Dewdney Trunk intersects with Harris, you turn left. Continue north on Harris about 4 km. and turn east on McNeil Road. After about 3.5 km, turn north on Rannie Road. You will pass Swan-e-Set Golf Course, and soon arrive at road's end and the parking lot where we will meet at 10:00 a.m. The drive to the Pitt Lake Dyke is fairly smooth; no parking fees and plenty of parking at midweek.

The route we will walk:
Trails are all on dykes, therefore level, and the triangle walk is about 6.5 km. The Pitt Dyke offers spectacular views up the lake and across to Widgeon Slough to the west/north. There are active osprey nests on pilings adjacent to the dyke in the lake, and often blue herons can be seen fishing on that leg of the walk, as well as a profusion of smaller birds. Swan Dyke (second leg) is also relatively open, with a good deal of waterbird activity, and views farther up the lake – again, spectacular! Muskrat and river otter signs can frequently be seen on this leg.

Nature Dyke (third leg) has cottonwood and willow screen – most views are to the west, with a good deal of obvious beaver activity (Bob saw eight lodges, some gnawed trees, and chicken wire wraps to save other trees). A profusion of marsh birds are close by, and a lot of calling by swan and other large birds nesting downriver to the southwest. Bob met a few birders and a couple of fishermen on his walk.

If the weather is good, bring a lunch and we'll picnic there afterwards.
If you have questions, e-mail Bob Horsfall.