Kanaka Creek Geocaching

Had a couple of hours during the weekend to get out and find a few geocaches in the Kanaka Creek area of Maple Ridge. It was more a chance to get out and stretch my legs than gathering finds, so the 3 - 4 caches I found were an added bonus. Breathing in the fresh forest air and taking the time to stop and snap some photos of interesting things was a good way to relax while I enjoyed some "Eddie" time.

Click on any picture to make it full size to enjoy the true nature of the photo......

Second growth forests are still to be found along streams and in parks where developers have not cut down trees to make more houses. I love these wide paths through the green belts as they allow you to enjoy the nature around you rather than having to concentrate on where you are putting your feet so you don't crash and burn..

 Trees are left to rot where they fell - in this case the smooth bottom of the tree matches the round "table top" covered in moss so well that you don't even realize the table top is actually the base of the tree that was felled.

Fallen trees act as nursery logs for new trees and for other flora as well. There are thousands of fungi types in BC, one source quotes numbers between 5,000 - 10,000 

Here macrofungi colonize the open end of a harvested tree; macrofungi are types that can be seen without the aid of a microscope. Mushrooms are actually a fungi as well.....

Why do those gates look funny? Cause they are designed to allow horses to step through! Maple Ridge is a large equestrian centre and many of the trails are shared pathways.Here the urban trail runs between houses as it makes a jump from one green belt to another. This is also part of the Trans-Canada Trail that stretches from coast to coast - guess that means I can tell everyone I've walked the Trans-Canada Trail !  :)