Goldstream trestle bridge trail 29/23 weeks

Standing at the base of the falls in Niagra Canyon.

On Sunday Mark and I hiked at Goldstream Provincial Park. We plan to hike Mt Finlayson eventually but for today we chose the trail that winds around Niagra Canyon and up to the C&N rail trestle bridge.We told our son we were heading to Goldstream and wanted a hiking goal. He asked if we would prefer the 'Wall of Death' or the 'River valley of Death'. Frankly, we are getting too old to hike anything that has the word death attached to it but it was a nice ego boost to think that our son thought we were capable of it.

Goldstream is a BC Park and, as such, qualifies for next years blog celebrating the 100th birthday of the formation of BC parks. We will tick that one off the list by camping there, but that is another blog. 2011.
It turns out that Mark and I have hiked this trail before. Its a testiment to our hiking commitment and our subsequent fitness that I remember the trail being longer, steeper and hotter.

However, I didnt remember making it to the trestle bridge. As you come up over a steep portion, look up to see the trestle standing tall and strong against the sky with its bridgework blackened by age. It can really be breathtaking. And I wish I could show you. However, blogspot.com will only allow me to load these two measily photos that do NOTHING to show the beauty of this park. Or the height of Niagra Canyon.

Niagra Canyon base looking across Highway One at Mt. Finlayson.

At the trestle looking back over the Highway it is easy to see that only the very tip of Mt. Finlayson is left. Of course if you have ever hiked Finlayson then you know the tip is the hardest part; where you cling to bare rock on narrow trails that wind over the controversial golf course.
Apparently the C&N train only runs in the morning and evening so you are alright to walk out onto the trestle bridge. It is a long span over Niagra Canyon and has no railings; just platforms to hunker down into should you be unfortunate enough to have the train roar past while you are up there.
I love trestle bridges. They are a fine example of the engineering feats of a time gone by. When men put their heads together to figure out how to get goods and people across a span. They are fading from our landscapes as they weather and rot and the cost of replacing them becomes higher and higher.
I will try to post some pictures later and will alert to their presence on more recent blogs.