| June 1996

 

 

the

Esther Press

Planetarium-Inter-Urban Cycle
(35Km or 25km)

by Richard von Kleist

Cycling in Vancouver and the Lower

Mainland can be a fun and exhilarating
experience not to mention an excellent
form of exercise. The city offers many
enjoyable routes for cyclists6some
physically challenging—others
affording a more leisurely ride. Spring
has sprung, summeris just around the
comer, itis time to get out your bike and
start cycling!
__ The route I’ll map out for you is
| designed for intermediate cyclists. By
intermediate, I mean cyclists who have
experience with loriger(35km and over)
rides and who are in reasonable physical
condition. More advanced cyclists and
beginners can benefit from this route as
well. I'll direct you from Douglas
College, but you can pick up the route
anywhere along the way or reverse the
route if your starting-off point is nearer
the end.

Begin by cycling up the dreaded hill
of 8th Street in New Westminster. I know
what you’re thinking—a ride that begins
with a killer hill, forget it. But hang in
there, it will get better as we go along—
I promise. Cycle along 8th Street until
you get to 10th Avenue. Turn left on 10th
Avenue. Cycle along 10th and turn right
on Kingsway. Once on Kingsway, cycle
to Royal Oak in Burnaby. Turn left on
Royal Oak and cycle about 2 blocks to
Imperial Street. Turn right on Imperial.
You’ll be heading downhill for quite
some distance. Cycle along Imperial,
crossing Patterson Avenue. You will
notice Central Park on your right.

Second only to Stanley Park in size,
Central Park is a coastal forest oasis in

the middle of an urban setting. It features
a par three, 18 hole, pitch and putt golf
course (club rentals are available), an
outdoor swimming pool (opening every
year on the Victoria Day long weekend),
Swangard stadium, horseshoe pits, two
ponds (home to various species of water
fowl and aquatic life), and miles of trails
for walking, jogging, or cycling.

Cycle past Boundary Road—Imperial
Street changes into 49th Avenue once
you cross Boundary. Keep on going
along 49th Avenue until you reach
Victoria Drive. Turn right on Victoria
Drive. You'll notice a myriad of ethnic
shops and businesses on either side of
you. Many of these shops are specialty
grocery stores offering tasty delights
from around the world.

Cycle to 33rd Avenue and turn left.
Follow 33rd past Main Street. As you
cross Main Street, 33rd will turn into
Midlothian Avenue. Nat Bailey Stadium,
home of the Vancouver Canadians
Baseball Club, will be on your right and
Queen Elizabeth Park will be on your
left. Here you may wish to cycle up
Queen Elizabeth Park where you'll
discover the Bloedel Conservatory,
Seasons Restaurant, public tennis courts,
and another pitch and putt golf course.
The view from the top is spectacular and
well worth the extra effort

Continue along Midlothian, cycle to
Cambie Street and turn right. Follow
Cambie a short distance to King Edward.
Turn left at King Edward and follow this
street to Granville Street. Just a short
distance from King Edward and Cambie
(about half a block) at 587 King Edward

you’ll see one of the more unique houses
in the city. This house has been called
the Mushroom House and architecturally
resembles an English country cottage.

Turn right on Granville. Stay with
Granville and turn left on 16th Avenue.
Cycle along 16th until you come to
Burrard Street. Turn right on Burrard
following it down to 4th Avenue. Turn
left on 4th and cycle one block to
Cypress Street—turn right here. Follow
‘Cypress crossing Cornwall Avenue. On
the northeast corner of Cornwall and
Cypress is a strip mall where Siegle’s
Bagels is located. Stop in and pick up a
fresh-baked bagel still hot from Siegle’s
brick ovens.

Follow along Cypress to Greer. Turn
right at Greer, then about one block later,
turn left on Chestnut. The Planetarium
is located here and is a good spot for a
rest stop.

Enjoy the Planetarium, have lunch, or
walk around Vanier Park, where, if it’s a
breezy day, you may see people flying
kites. The Planetarium site also features
the Vancouver Archives, the Vancouver
Museum which boasts an exhibit
depicting the history of the city, and the
Academy of Music. Check out the
Maritime Museum which is also in this
area.

To return, follow Chestnut to Greer,
then Greer to Burrard. Turn right on
Burrard and cycle along until you reach
16th Avenue. Take 1 6th to Cambie Street
and cycle back up to Midlothian. Turn
left on Midlothian and retrace the route
back to the college

This route is a good way to experience

Island Exploration

by Miguel Strother

Every now and then I am reminded
of what a beautiful place British
Columbia is. After moving from the
Rocky Mountains of Banff] felt I would
be hard pressed to find.a location any
more diverse and majestic.

Although the rolling green hills of the
Coastal Mountains will never compare
to the powerful peaks of the Rocky
Mountains, it is widely
known that BC is home to the

most diverse bit of
geography in Canada. Along
with the dozens. of

recreational and competitive
athletic activities available in
the North Shore and Coastal
Mountains, the Pacific
Ocean presents its
worshipers with the
opportunity to take
advantage of everything
from World class sea
kayaking to salmon fishing.

Over the May long
weekend this land lubber was
introduced to the wonderful
world of sailing in BC by
some long time sailing
fanatics. Captain Tom

- Gartner, a salty old Scottish
dawg with a voice that
bellows over the loudest of
crashing waves, his family,
and trusty vessel Powamis
were my hosts on my first
seaward expedition.
Although our time together was brief, I
was given an opportunity to see how
much the secrets of the pacific coast are
appreciated by so many British
Columbians.

The quaint shores of Newcastle
Island provided us with harbor for the
evening. Newcastle is just one of
hundreds of islands within a day’s sail
of Vancouver and is graced with some

well groomed recreational hiking trails
and a fresh water lake in the middle of
the island.

The Island, directly across from the
port city of Naniamo, is home to many
types of wildlife including deer, (which
I’m told make a nightly appearance),
scores of rabbits (where there is one
there is a million) and, the coup de grace,

 

a nest of bald eagles. Wildlife of a

' different variety can be seen on the deck

of the Dingy Dock, a floating pub
seconds away from the harbour by small
craft.

This Island may not be the spot for
students looking for the enlightenment
of the great outdoors (sail boats cost a
lot of money nowadays) but it is perfect
getaway for families. From what I am

told, however, there are literally
hundreds of islands that are easily
accessible and are capable of providing
the discomforts that all you roughnecks
out there want to be exposed to. A wide
variety of islands can be reached by BC
ferry service if you can’t convince
somebody to lend you their sailboat for
the weekend.

After enjoying a peaceful
evening, complete with a
gourmet potluck supper put
together by crew members of
various vessels docked in the
same harbour, Captain Gartner
took us out into open water.
We set sail for Port Moody.
Over the eight hours trip we
were exposed to the green
rolling hills of Gibsons and
Bowen Island, the jutting
slopes of Stanley Park’s
Prospect Point and the
playfulness of porpoises
which followed our wake
across the straight.

Along with these
aesthetically pleasing sights
and landmarks, the members
of the Powamis crew provided
me with some practical sea-
fairing skills. These included
learning how to correctly flush
the “head” and the true value
of the fisherman’s friend.

All in all my first experience
at sea was completely
exhilarating! I am now thoroughly
convinced that BC is truly the most
beautiful place in the world and dedicate
any free time I have to finding treasures
like that of Newcastle Island. I strongly
recommend exploring one of BC’s many
different Islands to anybody who hasn’t
already done so. For anybody who may
find exploring interesting phone 663-
6000(tourism BC) for more information.

some of the sights and sounds of
Vancouver. It’s an urban ride, so
remember to apply all safety rules and
traffic laws. On any cycle it is
recommended that you wear a cycling
helmet. Your bike should be in good
working order and I recommend that
you pack the following items with you
at all times: 2 small crescent wrenches,
a tire patching kit, a spoke wrench, a
set of tire irons, a pump, and a tire
pressure gauge. Always carry a water
bottle filled with water or an electrolyte
based beverage. Dehydration is not fun
and will quickly end your cycle trip. Do
not carry a backpack. The weight from
a backpack will cause an uneven weight
distribution. This will slow you down
and impede your progress. If you must
carry additional items, invest in a set of
panniers (saddle bags).

Remember there is no shame or
disgrace in stopping along the way. It’s
perfectly acceptable to dismount your
bike and walk up a steep hill. Don’t kill
yourself. Fatigue is the number one
enemy of cyclists—when you are

19

 

exhausted you can make mistakes that
can be injurious or fatal. Take it easy.
Maintain a steady cadence in your

 

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