Hiking Deep Cove in Vancouver - part two


Another jet lag fuelled early morning start woke us up ready to enjoy our last full day in Vancouver. Luckily the sun wanted to come out to play and it streamed through the trees into the back of the house.



We fancied a decent hike to stretch our legs and to see some of the views Canada is famous for. Our friends recommended the Quarry Hike at Deep Cove, which would be a nice 10k uphill with a great view at the top.

Hiking boots on and armed with some bear spray in case of a chance encounter with the local wildlife, we set off through the opening in the forest. We walked higher and higher, stopping to enjoy the forest and waterfalls rushing down through the trees.

The walk got a bit steep at times giving us enough of a challenge and helping to meet our exercise quota for the day. Occasionally we'd spot neighbourhood residents and their pooches enjoying the trail but it was still quiet so we were able to enjoy the trail in relative peace.

After a good climb the sun streamed through the trees and we knew we were nearly there. Our reward for the hard work came in the form of the most jaw dropping view out over the bay.


Canoes and people were tiny ant like specks on the water from our perch atop the cliff top. We found a sunny spot to sit and admire the scenery, the carnivore and I having a little cuddle to celebrate the first hike of our holiday. As I'd been in Croatia immediately before we flew out to Canada we'd barely had two minutes alone so it was nice to do the walk together, chatting idly all the way.

A short while later we reluctantly got up from our rock where like lizards, we'd be absorbing the heat of the sun, and set off back down the hill. Guided by our rumbling bellies we made it down a lot faster than when we went up.

Back down in Deep Cove we met up with our friends and headed into Arms Reach for a decent brunch. One  order of eggs florentine by the herbivore and eggs benedict by the carnivore later, we sat outside sipping coffees and chatting about the rest of our holiday.

Next on our list was to visit Grouse Mountain look out but our friends assured us that the view was better from Cypress Mountain, so we drive up there rather than take a few hours to hike it.

At the top we were spoilt with views over the islands and as far away as America with Mount Baker in Washington standing proudly in the distance. Others had had the same idea but arrived red and sweaty on their mountain bikes making us feel guilty for cheating in the car...but only for a minute until we went back to enjoying the view.

An enormous cruise ship set sail past the iconic 5 sails building in Downton Vancouver and our friends pointed out other famous landmarks we might want to visit on our trip.

After taking Sophie the gorgeous pitbull for a good walk, talk turned to dinner and before we left Van I wanted to try Canada's famous export Poutine, or chips, cheese and gravy to us. Now I'm a convert already and often eat it at home but I wondered if the Canadian version might be different somehow. Although delicious, there wasn't much difference in this version but I vowed to visit one of the many poutineries which provide a multitude of topping options, from pulled pork, bow chicken to grilled vegetables.




That night we prepared to embark on the next leg of our journey and said our farewell to our friends. Next stop Seattle!

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