4- Sunday, June 11, 1989 — West Vancouver Villager Spend a day at the Seymour demo forest SCHOLARS, CYCLERS and solitary walkers are all equal- ly at home in the multi-use Seymour Demonstration Forest. That was made abundantly clear ‘during the West Vancouver Villager’s recent tour of the forest, which was conducted by education coordinator Abbie Milavski and on-site superintendent of devel- opment Tom McComb. : Drivers can reach the demonstration forest by travelling along Lillooet Road past Capilano College and the North Vancouver cemetery and up the gravel road to the forest’s entrance gate and parking lot. At that point, the driving stops and the fun begins. An If-km paved road stretches from the parking lot to the Seymour Dam and Hatchery, win- ding through cool green forest and paralleling the path of the Seymour River. The road, closed to public vehi- cles except during pre-arranged tours, is open to cyclists on the weekend. On weekdays, only part of the road is open to bikers. Along the way, bikers can stop off at the Mid Valley Viewpoint, or travel on to the cascading dam and Seymour hatchery. While walkers may not wish to venture as far as the dam, there are plenty of wooded trails closer to the parking lot that lead to the river or Rice Lake. Short trails also provide access to the adjoining Lynn Headwaters Park — no bikes allowed, please — and the Lynn Canyon Suspen- sion Bridge. The most recently opened path is the Interpretive Trail, an enjoyable and educational jaunt suitable for the whole family. INTERPRETIVE TRAIL JUST OPENED during Forestry Week in May, the Interpretive Trail has already proven popular. Explanatory exhibit panels guide walkers past Rice Lake and forests in various stages of development. While all the forest is second- growth, having been first logged in the late 1800s, some of the stands have been allowed to regenerate naturally while others have been pianted and undergone extensive silvicultural treatment. Forests which have been spaced and thinned, the panels point out, result in healthier tree production and an environment more amenable to wildlife such as deer. Walkers also pass by a field which, from a distance, looks to be covered with blue wildflowers. A closer inspection reveals that the “flowers‘*‘ are in fact photo- degradable plastic cages that pro- tect young tree seedlings from deer in search of an easy meal. Panels here explain the various methods of preparing a site for planting. The Interpretive Trail intersects with the Rice Lake Loop Trail, which circumnavigates the fake and joins on to both the Lynn Headwaters connector route and the main road to the dam. RICE LAKE LOOP ALTHOUGH RICE Lake is now surrounded by forest, its environ- ment was quite different in the not-so-distant past. In the early 1900s, the Hastings Shingle Manufacturing Company operated a shingle bolt at the side of the fake, and surrounding Western red cedar was logged selectively. Fires, including one in 1910, have left their mark on the area, some still visible today. Untit flooding damaged the Lynn Creek pipeline in 1983, the eight-hectare lake was used as a reservoir for the City of North pancouver’s domestic water supp- ly. Today, however, it is a cool oasis in the forest for humans and animals alike. The Rice Lake Loop is an easy walk, suitable for strollers and young children. ake Other trails lead walkers and anglers down to the Seymour River. Cyclists and horses are allowed on the Twin Bridges trail, but only walkers are allowed on the Fish- ermen’s Trail along the river and the Homestead Trail which leads back up to the parking lot. When walking along the river, look for evidence of past habita- tion — stone chimneys and foun- dations give mute testimony of early-century pioneers. SEYMOUR HATCHERY FOR THOSE bikers and amibitious walkers who are travel- ling to the end of the 11-km paved road — watch out for the black bear that has been seen recently near kilometre 10 — there are two treats in store: the awe-inspiring dam and the Seymour hatchery. “It’s getting to be quite fun out ‘here on weekends,’? commented hatchery manager Janice Jarvis. Because this hatchery is so much smaller than the Capilano Salmon Hatchery, visitors get a much more hands-on experience. On any weckend day, and some weekdays, staff are on hand to point out the rearing pens, in- cubating eggs and the young spawn at various stages of development. It can be quite a sight to see the young fish battling and jumping for food when the hatchery staff or volunteers throw in a handful of nourishment. oes 3 emitebs photo Terry Peters THE CASCADING Seymour dant, one of the three major dams in the GVRD’s water system, is just one of the attractions in the Seymour Demonstration Forest. A new interpretive trail explains forest manage- ment practices to walkers in a beautiful natural setting, and the Seymour hatchery is easily accessible to bikers on weekends. Both Lynn Head- waters Park and the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge can be reached by following along some of the demonstration forest's numerous walking io Se eed BRING YOUR PR § ESTABLISHED BUSINESS FOR 33 YEARS! BALL WORK GUARANTEED! ICBC CLAIMS! FAST SERVICE! : S COURTESY CARS! RUN INTO =| CAR | PROBLEMS DAVE'S BO 1431 Clyde Ave., West Vancoltver “The smaller they are, the more frequently you have to feed them,” said Jarvis, noting that their small stomachs can’t hold enough fuel to keep them going for long. The hatchery, which was saved from closure in 1987 by a non- profit group now called the Seymour Salmonid Society, recent- ly released 60,000 Coho fry. SEYMOUR DAM THE SEYMOUR Falls Dam, one of the three major dams in the GVRD water system, is enough of an incentive to get even novice cyclists ali the way to the end of the road. Although one cannot’ walk across the top of the dam, a roughed-out trail leads walkers to a viewpoint where they can get a good took at the placid reservoir behind the dam. A 29-foot firetower, currently located at the Mid Valley View- point, will be moved to this spot so people can climb its stairs for an even better view. A 9” buried pipeline can be seen leading from the reservoir back to the parking lot. A note of interest: since no machines — in- cluding trail bikes — are allowed along the top of the pipeline, all landscaping maintenance must be done by hand. ’ whe Travelling mosily by car, it took the Villager three hours to see just some of the natural attractions of- fered at the Seymour Demonstra- tion Forest. On foot or by bike, the fun could be spread out over several day trips. Because the area is so accessible, it’s easy to drive up for an early morning walk, a short afternoon picnic, or an all-day adventure. There’s much to see, and this ar- ticle had room to give only brief details. For more information on trails or tours, call the GVRD ar 432-6286. A nice alternative to flowers ‘Baby Baskets’ Ideal hospital avid shower gifts! Cail Lynn at ‘Baby Basket Company’ 922-7512 Bring your pool to an analyst If you're a litle anxious about pool care, maybe you need analysis. BioGuard Computerized Water Analysis. Just bring in a sample of your pool water. We'll test and analyze it free. Then we'll prescribe a treatment plan just right for vour pool. Our trained professionals can detect problems before they start and save you money on “over-treatment”. ‘lake the worry out of pool-maintenance. Bring your pool to BioGuard. 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