Riding the Seawall in January

January 15th, 2013

One of the pleasures of living in the West End neighbourhood of Vancouver is that I can easily cycle out to Stanley Park and ride the seawall. I have been doing so regularly, several times a month, despite the deepening cold. Wintertime in Vancouver is toothless compared to what I’ve endured for decades in Toronto. I suppose not everyone feels this way, for the seawall—particularly the far side, beyond the bridge—is virtually empty most of the time. I like it that way.

Today I set out for the seawall despite the light dusting of snow on the ground in the West End. I toured the seawall just a few days ago and encountered frost after passing the 9 O’Clock Gun but nothing I saw on that trip prepared me for what I discovered beyond the foot of the Lion’s Gate. Here, rivulets of meltwater cascaded down the cliff-side beneath thick sheets of wind-sculpted ice. Massive icicles dangled precipitously from concave depressions in the rock, occasionally breaking free to clatter down to the thin strip of roadway below.

The murky haze and freezing drizzle made shooting photos somewhat challenging. Then again, grey skies are a blank canvas for a Lightroom ninja like me! All but one of the photos below were shot today. The one exception is the final photograph—I captured that one on my sunset ride a few days ago. It might not fit the theme but I can’t restrain myself from sharing it here—Siwash Rock looks beautiful in the dying light.