Residents and Visitors Alike Enjoy Mt. Elphinstone Forest
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The proposed Mt. Elphinstone Park area is quiet, clean and accessible by car, bike or bus. It is hard to believe that Vancouver rumbles and spews less than 50 kilometers away. Just steps from the road, a hiker enters a refreshing world of green. On cold clear days the air is quickly warmed by the sun because the proposed park lies on Elphinstone's south-facing slope. In the summer, veteran oldgrowth and maturing Douglas firs, red cedars and white pines keep the forest floor cool. The air has a clean purity that concrete-encased city folks yearn to breathe.
The well-packed, gently sloped trails are often wide enough for two to walk hand-in-hand without intruding on the spongy moss and deep ferns that grow alongside. An observant stroller is rewarded by seeing a surprising number of oldgrowth-dependent plants, animals and strange fungi growing near the trail in the crevices of rotting logs and in damp indentations in the earth. More than 20,000 hikers each year use the over 100 kilometers of trails within the proposed Mt. Elphinstone Park. Still, it is rare to encounter litter. This is testimony to the careful and respectful behavior of outdoor enthusiasts who respect this treasure and leave only their soft footprints.
An estimated 5,000 bike rides are taken on the trails each year. Community bike clubs provide much-needed signs and help keep the trails clear. Local horse owners occasionally enjoy the trails, too. In addition, groups come from off-coast to conduct research and explore this biologically rich forested area.
Year round, residents and visitors of all ages traveling on foot, wheels, or hooves enjoy this area as if it were a park. Now is the time to provide this Mt. Elphinstone forest with the permanent protection it deserves and to make it a real park!
