Walking from Georgia Beach to Gibsons Marina
Val's Vlog #07
It was a nice day with a very low 3.5’ tide so I decided to walk around Gibsons’ Bluff. The Bluff is a fancy neighbourhood in Gibsons with awesome views. At high tide, the east part of the Bluff is under water and impassible. But when the tide is very low, you can walk from Georgia Beach all the way to Gibsons Harbour. It’s pretty cool to walk along a stretch of beach that’s usually submerged!
There’s a very thin, overcast cloud layer, but not really. All in all, it's a gorgeous day. Before I started, I thought maybe I had left it too long and I wouldn’t be able to make it around in time. But after I looked a little bit, I decided I had timed it just right!
Walking around the Bluff is a lot of fun when you wear the right footwear. Running shoes or hiking books are a must-have: don't wear sandals. You might even want to wear gloves because sometimes you need to climb over rocks and barnacles.
Leaving Georgia Beach
Once you leave Georgia Beach, you get to see all kinds of things that are usually underwater. After looking at the under sides of some big rocks, I managed to find a bunch of starfish and some underwater plant life that makes a farting noise when I squeeze them! How cool is that? I also catch a glimpse of a seal spying on me but I’m not quick enough with my camera to get a really good shot of his little head poking out of the water. I'm so glad I took a few minutes to stop and explore. So much to see! Very fun!
This is a very fun walk. I got to see kinds of life going by. I'm alone out here and it's very nice but I keep expecting to see somebody coming around the Bluff from the opposite direction. Soon I’ll be around the corner and be able to see Gibsons.
Walking around the Bluff
When you’re about halfway around, you’ll have rocky cliffs on one side and just a little bit of beach on the other. Not much sand here: it’s rocky and covered in barnacles. It’s different than a typical beach experience but still very pretty.
By this point, I was done with the big boulders and just had regular rocks to contend with. As I come around the bend, I’m rewarded with a view of the North Shore Mountains as well as Mount Killam and Mount Liddel on Gambier Island. I also get to see Soames Hill. Soames Hill is smaller and greener than those other mountains and it’s also much closer to my current location. If you’re in Gibsons, you can walk to Soames Hill but going to the mountains on Gambier Island or the North Shore Mountains on the mainland would require a ferry (or a swim!).
If you’re travelling to Gibsons Harbour in a boat, you need to watch for the Green Lady. This is what locals call the harbour channel marker that warns of a drying reef. It’s really sticking up out of the water today.
The tide slowly starting to creep up on me so I better quit lollygagging and keep going if I want to make it to the other side. Otherwise, I'll find myself stuck at the bottom of the Bluff along a random cliff.
Oh, wait. Maybe I was worrying too much. Here I see Gibsons and Mount Elphinstone. Waaaaaaay in the distance I can see the ferry leaving Langdale and heading toward the BC Ferries Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal.
I am loving this day out here! It's so nice to be out. I had a bunch of work earlier in the week and final got all caught up. This hike around the Bluff is my reward - I kind of promised myself that today would be a “Val Day.” I’ve been out for a couple of hours so I text Paul and let him know that I’m fine and having a nice time and that he didn't have to worry about me.
I’m getting closer to Gibsons Harbour and I’m no longer worried that the tide is going to catch me so I slow my pace and do some more beachcombing. I find an oyster shell that is stuck to a rock, and some kind of man made, rusted old beach finds. As I’m wandering the beach looking for treasure, an outrigger canoe and a kayak silently glide past.
On this part of the beach, there are all a lot of small pebbles. There's no worrying about low tide here, but don’t think your walk around the Bluff is done! It’s the beginning part and the end part of the hike that gets cut off during high tight which means I still need to beat the time to Gibsons Harbour. If I don’t time it right, the water will be too high and there's no getting around. That means I can’t hang around this spot too long. In the distance, I can see people coming around from the other side, using the path I’m following. This is a good sign as it means I can still get through.
Through the marina and walking home
Phew! I’m back in Gibsons! I made it! I walk through the marina, just inside the breakwater. You almost always see ducks, crows, pigeons, and geese here. They all (mostly) get along.
I walk home through town and get to see a lot of flowers, and a lot of blooming trees, and I get to take video of all kinds of colours. The entire scene is just so pretty, with the colours and the ocean in the background. I love it!
I get home and reflect on my walk around the Bluff. I totally enjoyed my day off! At the end, I was getting a little bit tired and I was ready to come home and see Paul and ask him about his day.
Anyway, that’s that. Thanks for reading and/or watching and I’ll see you in the next vlog!