Fraser Valley - North Abbotsford by bike

We ventured out on another route we discovered on the Trails BC website - the North Abbotsford Loop.  The route connects the Matsqui, Discovery and Clayburn trails and features lots of variety.

View of the Mission Bridge

We began the day at Douglas Taylor Park in the Mount Lehman area and quickly joined the Matsqui Trail through the Matsqui First Nation land.  The trail was beautiful, but again, not recommended for road bikes.  We had to hop on and off frequently to cross the equestrian gates and we were moving quite slowly as we navigated tight corners and crushed gravel.

Feeling really happy my bike wasn't loaded with gear!

The trail continued on to the Mission bridge and along dykes as it followed the Fraser River and provided excellent views for the entire length of the dyke trail.

Great views of the Fraser

After leaving the dyke trail we wound our way through back country roads to the historic town of Clayburn.  This quaint little village and has been designated a heritage site and is well worth a visit.  It is a gem.  However, it is located at the foot of Sumas mountain.  Now, past experience has told us that when the route is at the FOOT of a mountain, there generally is nowhere to go but UP.....and UP we went.  It was quite a steep climb out of Clayburn....good training we told ourselves as we gasped for breath!

Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating and it was quite socked in, so we weren't really able to enjoy the view from the top - hopefully, next time!  In all honesty, I am not sure that we were upset about the lack of view, or more upset that we didn't have an excuse to stop for an extended period to take pictures and catch our breath.

Another sign of spring....curious babies!

A highlight of the route was the Discovery Trail.  This trail is 30 km of paved pathway connecting the east and west ends of Abbotsford.  It features towering trees, boardwalks, open meadows and a great section through the Fishtrap Creek wetlands.

Discovery Trail - Abbotsford

Giggle of the day:

We were riding along a section of the dyke trail when we came across a large group of boys.  It was mayhem!  Bikes, helmets and gear strewn everywhere.  They were in the middle of a "repair" session and were in need of extra tools to adjust seat heights.  In turns out it was a group of Boy Scouts training for their summer adventure along the Kettle Valley Railway.  We had a wonderful chat with the boys and their fearless leaders and left chuckling.  It turns out the kids were about 1 km from their start point.....they had already stopped for SNACKS and for seat adjustments!  A great group of leaders and kids....fantastic to see them out there.

Look at the picture closely - We also giggled at how many of the Scouts were "helping with the repair!  

Map and Route Tips;

www.trailsbc.ca