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PLACE: LOCATION: Maple Ridge, B.C. I relocated to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania nearly three years ago now and while I love Pittsburgh the two places do not share much in the way of similarities. The one thing they do have in common however is the ease of access in both locations to State/Provincial Park-land. That said, it was this excursion that proved to me Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­stands alone in providing it's urban residents a multitude of magnificent, seemingly isolated and expansive natural spaces. This week I was simply blown away by the size and beauty of Golden Ears Provincial Park.

What stood out the most for me was the fact that upon entering the park it took another 13 clicks until we actually reached the trail-head where our hike would begin. Looking at it is clear that one could go no place else and not repeat the same hike twice for a very long time. With that in mind my hiking buddy Dave and I decided to take the rather short 2 hour round trip hike along Gold Creek to . This hike was easy and highlighted by beautifully serene views of Gold Creek at nearly every bend. One point in particular (below) featured a crystal clear 15 foot deep lazy bend that, were it the heat of summer, would be an ideal location for an afternoon swim. The falls themselves were more of a narrowing of the canyon around the river with a 20 foot or so drop. This dramatic pinch forces the river to roil in a way that produce a strong mist. As a result I wimped out on pulling out my camera and decided to take a few steps down from the falls and capture this "camera safe" shot. There are a couple things to be aware of. First, this park is definitely dog friendly so feel free to bring your four legged companion along for the hike. Also, due to the thick, high canopy the first half of this trail is very sloppy. Expect to be ankle deep in mud at some locations if it has been raining recently. Lastly, you need to be aware that parking is not free and the pay station is located near the entrance to the park. Stop. Pay and be on your way.

If you have any suggestions for an upcoming UNPLUGGED please feel free to drop me a comment below or email me at [email protected]. Also, feel free to share your thoughts on this feature or anything else (within reason and sticking to the VIA commenting policy of course).

Until next time…Happy Trails!

-mt

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