Friday, June 1, 2018

June 1 – Iona Beach Regional Park

It was time was a change of venue, away from waterfalls and mountains. Today we went to the beach.

Iona Beach Regional Park is on the other side of the city so we braved Vancouver traffic to get there. I don’t mind heavy traffic but in a new city trying to follow a GPS that doesn’t always take the smartest route can up the tension level a bit.

Screenshot (22)

The park has a huge intertidal flat between two very long jetties. Low tide today was at 2:20 pm so I knew that we would not get caught by the incoming tide.

IonaBeachParkMap

The south jetty is artificial and I think it is just the output pipe from the waste water treatment plant. It is 4 km long and you can walk out to the end.

The north arm jetty seems natural. The park map says you can walk 3 km out but from the map I am sure it extends much farther. It may only be safe to 3 km. We didn’t even get that far. With all of our meandering on the tidal flats I think we only went about 2 km one way.

 Screenshot (23)

The south jetty seemed like a walk for exercise, with not much to look at so we explored the north natural jetty.

The two sentinels guarding the park entrance.

IMG_1046939

IMG_1046940

In the parking lot, this bird came right up to everyone, as I think it was used to getting fed.

IMG_1046823

Down to the beach, across a mat to protect the sand.

IMG_1046937

IMG_5676

The high today was only supposed to be in the mid to low teens and this area is known to be very windy so we both wore our winter jackets and did not regret it. We did get a few sunny breaks and the clouds did make for some dramatic skies.

We walked along the shore for a while but were mostly out on the flats.

IMG_1046825

Lots of huge logs.

IMG_1046827

IMG_5667

IMG_1046837

With the airport just next to us, there was a constant line of planes doing their landing approach.

IMG_1046840

IMG_1046842

IMG_1046868

Definitely a big sky kind of day.

IMG_1046854

When we had arrived there was a school bus in the parking lot but no kids to be seen. After we were safely down the beach they came out but stayed by the entrance.

IMG_1046850

I am not sure what Jennie was taking a picture of.

IMG_1046857

As we got farther out the wind picked up. We used this old log as a windbreak for lunch.

IMG_1046877

IMG_1046891

IMG_1046888-Pano

Sunny skies.

IMG_1046896

Lots of logs upon the shore.

IMG_1046904-Pano

It was a long way out to the water’s edge.

IMG_1046861

IMG_1046887

We only saw 5 other people out as far as we went. One guy was walking his dog and these 4 people with huge backpacks. With the amount they carried I guess they spent the night out at the end.

IMG_1046909

IMG_1046908

Jennie likes to explore more than I do so I got ahead of her.

IMG_5673

A photosphere.

You can just see her as a speck about 1/3 in from the left.

IMG_1046916

We got out far enough that the jetty was narrow enough to see both sides, with a line of angry dark clouds in the sky.

IMG_1046923

The same picture as a panorama with some foreground.

IMG_1046923-Pano

And a photosphere.

IMG_1046931

IMG_1046930

We could just barely see what looked like a beacon at the end of the jetty.

IMG_1046917

IMG_1046918_1

We had taken a very wandering route out but took a more direct route back to the car.

IMG_5675

I wanted to at least take a look at the south jetty. First some pictures from this platform.

IMG_5683

Just looking at it, it was hard to believe that the jetty is 4 km long.

IMG_1046945

It gets very windy out there. They have two wind shelters part way out. The one you see below is 1.3 km away. The second whiter one 2.5 km away.

IMG_1046946

There is 1.5 km between the white shelter below and the end. I think the mountains you see in the background are on Vancouver Island near Nanaimo.

IMG_1046947

I walked out a short way by myself.

IMG_5689

The path to infinity.

IMG_1046958

And a zoom.

IMG_1046959

IMG_1046951

And a photosphere.

Back at the tower, a panorama looking at the north jetty. We got out past that standalone group of trees. The end is still far off to the left of that.

IMG_1046955-Pano-2

We spent about 3 1/2 hours here and then did the 1 hour drive home in even more traffic.

1 comment: