the beach is back

The wildfire smoke had made the beach a rather smoggy and undesirable place the last couple weeks, so once the smoke cleared it was like rediscovering a lost love. For my dad's last day in town, we went to church, enjoyed lunch al fresco, and then went down to soak up the beauty of sun and sea. 

 The crazy tides were way out again (some previous posts discuss this phenomena) and dad got to experience the strangeness of walking far out into the channel.

I still can't get over the standing water, sand bars, shallows, reflections, and the general novelty of walking so far out from shore. 

We took a break from the beach for afternoon iced coffee and then for dinner at a rooftop pub, then strolled back down to the water for sunset...even with clouds rolling in, a burst of burning sun shot through on the horizon...as we sat there eating wild blackberries from the brambles along the beach. A fittingly sweet and glowing ending for my dad's week in Vancouver.

driving from sea to sky: Sea to Sky Gondola and Summit

When I pointed out the cable cars of the Sea to Sky Gondola from the highway and told my dad that was what we were going to be doing, he didn't seem as excited as I'd hoped. I think he said something along the lines of "no way." It was touch and go there for awhile, but he came around in time and up we went. Its a pretty cool ride. Even cooler because I remember hiking it and seeing how steep it is makes me incredibly impressed with myself all over again:) Dad survived the ride, and when we got to the suspension bridge up at the summit lodge, once again, he wasn't as excited as I hoped. I think he said something like "nope." But of course, after recuperating a minute from the gondola ride, went across just the same:) It was a great day on the summit, so we we hiked a scenic loop—basically a nature trail that leads between various lookout points and viewing platforms. 

It was great having such stunning vantage points to view the surrounding peaks, and Howe Sound below—it was a particularly scenic birthday. When all was done, said, and seen, my day finished with a glass of wine on the lodge's dining patio before we headed back to the city. 

Really grateful for such a rich and beauty filled day out with my dad:)

driving from sea to sky: Porteau Cove and Tantalus Lookout

This week, my dad came to visit me in Vancouver over my birthday! I took several days off work to spend time with him and show his the sights...except for the first few days there was precious little to see as far as views were concerned: smoke from the wildfires in the interior had settled heavily over the city and you could hardly see the nearest hill, much less the mountains. But we visited my college, had a lovely dinner with some of my friends (photos forthcoming), went to the Granville Island Public Market, and walked (extensively, my dad would tell you) around downtown. We even caught a film about salmon which was being projected on the underside of a bridge. So we still had a nice few days. Just in time, however, the wind picked up and blew the smoke off the coast...so on my dad's second to last day the mountains suddenly materialized on the horizon. A friend generously loaned me his car, and dad and I set off on the sea-to-sky highway. Since hiking the sea-to-summit trail last month, I've been wanting my dad to see the area... so we spent my actual birthday doing a mini road trip up to Whistler and back. 

The drive itself offers stunning views on clear days, and there are beautiful places to pull off the road and explore (such as Porteau Cove, seen below).

The mountains seen from this lookout are the Tantalus range—my phone camera really can't do them justice, but trust me: it was worth pulling off the highway.

an afternoon in the forest

A week ago, my friend Heather and I spent a Sunday afternoon exploring Pacific Spirit park, which sprawls over more than 750 hectares of forest land.  We roamed the trails for about three and a half hours walking and talking before we decided it was time to head home. It's a lovely place to have write at your doorstep...

long days

The days are as long as the shadows—fifteen hours of daylight, they tell me. I wish I could store it up...because even now in the golden glow, I remember the winter all too well.  The glow is more than golden this week, though. It is an apocalyptic pink-orange. Wildfires are burning inland and steady wind has driven the smoke over the city; the close, hazy atmosphere feels stifling in typically clear and scenic Vancouver. The warm hues cast over everything and the sun a dusty burning orange blur remind me of the days they'd burn the sugar cane fields in Maui and you'd wake up feeling like you'd woken to the end  of the world....especially when it began to silently snow down flakes of black ash. Anyhow, its all taken the heady edge off the gloriously long days, but I am still glad for the warmth and light, even if it is buffered by the diffusing haze. 

I will be back to school in less than a month—crazy. Really just enough time to enjoy an upcoming visit from my dad, pick some blackberries, and get familiar with my syllabus...