Another Adventure with Karen and Larry

We had another reminder of our own mortality just recently, so we've been trying to make a point of taking the time to do some fun stuff.  Yesterday, after picking blackberries in the morning (we are up to 46 one gallon pails now) and then three batches of jam for me in the afternoon, we loaded up our bikes and headed out.  This time the destination was the dyke along the Fraser River, starting at the Mission Bridge and heading to the base of Sumas Mountain, and then riding back along the roads.  

Park Map

It took us longer to get there than usual, as we had to stop at two different train tracks and wait for two very long, very slow trains.

We set off on the dyke and quickly detoured to a trail closer to the river.  As we rode along, there wasn't much of a view, and I was saying that they could have cleared out some of the scrub in a few spots.  Right after that we came upon a bunch of grassy clearings, some with a bench, and one with a hitching rack, for sitting and watching the river go by.  We did see two people riding horses.

There are a couple or roads that run right up to the river bank, so we checked those out.  The first one wasn't much, but the second one led down to a nice sandy beach.  We rode down on our bikes and kept riding along the beach, because it was there, and we could!  That's what adventure is all about, taking the routes slightly less travelled😊

Eventually we ran into a few obstacles, but nothing we couldn't heave our bikes over, or under.

Then the sand ran out.

Rocks ahead, but we can do this!

So we got over the rocks, pushing and carrying our bikes. 

More sand, more rocks, more sand, more rocks, and then one reaaalllly big tree.  We had left our bikes further back and we were doing a reconnaissance  mission.

And we came to a lovely little bay.  According to my phone, we were right by a lane coming through a field from the dyke.  Larry scrambled up the bank to look.

That's Sumas Mountain in the distance.  Still a long way to go, and we had used up much of our time.  

We pushed and pulled our bikes up the bank and rode out between a hay field and corn field.  Passed a sign facing the other way saying 'authorized access only' 😉

We checked out another road access further down the dyke, but it ended at a high bank covered in blackberries, and we didn't see a way down.  

After that we headed out to the road and made our way back.

When we got to where Sim Rd. was going to meet up with Page Rd, I could see a big cornfield with a long line of ornamental trees alongside it, and something yellow.  When we got closer it was sunflowers.  What a lovely sight, a farmer with a vision of making his boring cornfield a sight to behold!

And finally back to the car