Just west of the city, in the forest land where the mountain range begins… just beyond the hydro wires, there lies a really interesting place.
A lot of trails converge there. There is a steep foothill to Mt. Benson and a lush developing 2nd or 3rd growth Arbutus and Douglas Fir tree lot. There are also camas meadows and other fascinating things to behold up there.
All told the peak of this foothill is probably about 700ft above see level. On another trip up there I came across some fantastic petroglyphs carved onto the rock. I’m not sure many people have seen these…
There are lots of people who use the area though. It’s a popular spot for mountain biking and some folks enjoy taking their off road vehicles up there too. The hiking trails are well used.
And then there’s the Abyss. A really deep and long crack in the rock at the peak. It’s a potent reminder of the power of Mother Nature and our powerlessness to its scale of whims. The fissure spans about a hundred metres along the top of the Foothill, and nobody is quite sure just how deep it goes.
We set out on a trip to find mushrooms today and were pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to get to the abyss. The kids were excited about scaling the bluff when we arrived in the woods and at the top of the rocks there was the trail to the crack. The last time I went to it I went the loooooong way around… not even intending to end up there.
It’s worth the hike if you have the inkling. The view from up there makes it totally worth it even if cracks in rocks aren’t your thing.
