Text and Photos by Naomi Ross, Janet Snell, & Caroline Penn

Sunday, October 31, was a crisp sunny day. Nine members met at 9 am at the Rabbit Lane (W. Vancouver) trailhead which leads to the west side of the Capilano Canyon. Naomi Ross, our trip leader, is very familiar with the trail and pointed out her favourite sights in the forest of towering Douglas firs and red cedars. The lighting at the first viewpoint over the Capilano River gave the photographers in the group a real treat as they clicked at the rapids below. 

As we walked along the trail, we spotted an adult Bald Eagle crossing the river far below us, and then he posed on a branch on the other side. As we walked to the second viewpoint, another Bald Eagle was on a branch about 20 metres away, enthusiastically picking at the remains of a salmon. He went about his business, totally indifferent to his thrilled audience. At this time of year, Coho and Chinook salmon make their way up the Capilano River to complete their life’s journey. The Cleveland Dam now blocks access to the higher elevations of the river, and the Capilano River hatchery now exists to support and enhance the salmon population. Unfortunately, the hatchery is closed to the public at the present time.

The last viewpoint on the west side of the river allows a view of the water cascading down the front of the Cleveland Dam and we were lucky to see it with a spectacular double rainbow. After crossing over the top of the dam with the vertiginous sight of the river below, we took a short break, with stunning views of the Lions to the north and the reservoir in front. We passed several fishermen on precarious perches over the east side of the river on the way back and arrived at the trailhead at about 1 pm. The various electronic devices in the group measured the trip length roughly eight kilometres. 

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