John Harvey Photo

Mount Gardner

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Sailboat Race

Mount Gardner is the tallest mountain on Bowen Island, a 20 minute trip from Horseshoe Bay.  We arrived in time for the 9:30 sailing (see the current schedule at BC Ferries), and walked on.  About 15 minutes into the trip the ferry stopped to let a sailboat race go past.

Killarney Lake

We arrived at Killarney Lake around 11 am and then started hiking up the mountain.  The lake is a park with trails around it an picnic tables on one end.  We walked up the road next to the lake and then started up the mountain.

Rocks In Forest Hiking Down Trail

Snake2

At 1 in the afternoon we happened across a snake sunning itself on the rocks in the tail.

Snake

You could see the snake breathing (its little sides expanding and contracting at a human-like rate) while Chris Lemay and I circled firing off pics.  Both these shots were done with my 24-70 IX lens (70 and 38mm respectivly) but I wish I had my 105mm.  (Of course my pants would be covered in mud if I did have it.)  Once the snake did wake up it scurried into a tree root system.

Trees On AHill

On the trip up we passed though rain forest, pine forest, and then some alpine.  The mountain isn't high enough to have true meadows so the only true vistas are when you get to the top where BC Hydro has cut down the trees.

Vista1

Along the way we did get to glimpse the city (through a lot of haze).  It's always funny to see the city you started in and know you have to walk all the way home (or at least to the terminal.)


 


View Towards GibsonsView Towards SquamishView Towards Van

This is the view from Gibsons to Squamish to Vancouver.  There are two helipads, and a whole heck of a lot of antennas, generators and repeaters all surrounded by several layers of fences and barbed wire.  We arrived at 3:50ish so we didn't have much time before we had to head down.
 



Rocks In Forest
Sailboat Race
Tags: boat
View Towards Gibsons
Location: Go To...
Tags: gulf island, summit, vista
Trees On AHill
Tags: forest, hiking
Hiking Down Trail
Tags: hiking, trail
Snake
Species: Thamnophis elegans terrestris (Coast Garter Snake)
Tags: BC fauna
Killarney Lake
Tags: hiking, lake
View Towards Van
Person: David, Karen
Tags: hiking, summit
View Towards Squamish
Tags: coast, vista
Snake2
Species: Thamnophis elegans terrestris (Coast Garter Snake)
Tags: BC fauna
Vista1
Tags: hiking(4), Do Not Tag(2), summit(2), vista(2), BC fauna(2), lake(1)
People: David(1), Karen(1)
From: John Harvey Photo > John Harvey Photo - Hiking > Mount Gardner on Bowen Island

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Last Modified Saturday, January 21st, 2023 at 23:41:09 Edit
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