Trip Report by Naomi Ross

On Sunday, December 5th, three hikers, including the leader, started at the Velodrome Trailhead at 9:00 am to hike up Burnaby Mountain. It was a brisk 1°C and cloudy with a bit of blue sky; a welcome break from the recent rainy weather. The Big Leaf Maple trees were all bare, leaving a carpet of brown leaves in the woods. A few frost flowers (also know as hoar frost or hair ice – MORE INFORMATION) were seen throughout the hike. The birds may have been huddling in the woods to keep warm, because they were certainly low profile. We heard a Song Sparrow below the steps. Up the 500 steps of the Velodrome Trail, we stopped for some phenomenal views of Indian Arm with the mountains in the background. Centennial Pavilion Rose Garden is at the top of the stairs and we stopped there for a rest. It was a clear day and the views of Indian Arm, Burrard Inlet and the cies were fabulous. Higher up on the TransCanada Trail, there was lots of frost. As the trail looped along and then down Burnaby Mountain, we saw a Spotted Towhee and, on the way back, along Barnet Highway, we saw and heard a Pacific Wren. We were back at the parking lot as predicted, shortly after noon. The temperature did not make it past 4°c.

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