Fort Langley

Amidst all the months of dreary rain and cool temperatures, we have finally been blessed with a sunny and warmer Saturday. We wasted no time in dusting off our bikes and hitting the road. Our destination today– Fort Langley. We are a happy bunch; Hoody (a big purple grape), Koody (in his usual top form), Ye Olde Dutch (slow but steady wins the race) and Newbie (a definite misnomer since he outshone all of us). Speaking of shine, Newbie came all decked out from head to toe in a brand ‘new’bie riding outfit and ‘new’bie bike – we had to don our sunglasses to protect our eyes from the glare of the sun off the ‘new’bie fender as Newbie continually led the pack.

Our ride begins in the lovely, little hamlet of Walnut Grove, part of Langley Township. From West Langley Park we wend our way through some quiet residential streets until reaching historic Telegraph Trail. This trail was once part of an overland telegraph route begun in 1865 to link Russia with the United States. However, the project never materialized although the name remains. There is nothing to distinguish this trail as such, except that it is a long downhill ride and Olde Dutch and Hoody are in sync with their thoughts – what goes down must eventually come back up. It could be tough slogging on the back end of our biking today.

We reach the end of Telegraph Trail and take a scenic stop – very picture worthy. There are horses in the field with two ‘babies’. Babies? – A discussion ensues – are they foals or colts. Newbie, with his trusty wifi at hand does a quick google and we have our answer. Since they are still suckling from their moms’ they are less than a year old and are foals. It was obviously a ‘hot-time’ in the red barn last year.

We venture on from Glover Road to Rawlinson Crescent and take another stop to double check the route. Again the views are picture perfect with the Golden Ears snow-capped peaks in the background. To our surprise, a cute little blue scooter stops to ask for directions to a nearby small zoo. Newbie is able to help out as he remembers seeing a sign. But that scooter is a real conversation starter (it’s definitely a chick or guy magnet, depending on your perspective). It’s only 50 cc, 130 kms/gallon, with no special driving license required. My xmas wish list is filled for this year! (I have to spend a moment calming my bike down – no, I’m definitely not trading in my current wheels for something snazzier.)

We continue down (that dreaded 4-letter word again) the road, under a railway tunnel and then master a short and relatively easy uphill climb (with Newbie showing off his ‘new’bie gears!) to 240th Street. There at the corner are some of Koody’s friends – Dolly the Sheep and Billy the Goat. Poor Dolly – she’s obviously in need of a ‘haircut’ but with our unseasonable cold spring it will have to wait. We tried enticing Dolly over to the fence but no such luck as our ‘baaa’s were truly baaad. And then there’s Billy – Koody using his best ‘bleet’ (ok – it was more of a ‘here billy, billy, billy’) to lure his friend over for a nose pat. Koody has to be careful that he doesn’t get his own nose bitten off!

We’ve now hit River Road and a short jaunt brings us to the historic village of Fort Langley. We’ve heard much about the actual Fort itself so decide to step back in history and give this tourist attraction our attention, spending a good 30 minutes or so within its walls. Of note, British Columbia was proclaimed a colony here at the Big House in 1858. There are volunteers in period costume to give the Fort an air of authenticity. Koody and Newbie thought one lady in particular might be of First Nations descent (a reasonable educated guess) but she was actually Filipina (surprise, surprise)! Hoody enjoyed the variety of furs in the Storehouse. There were many pelts, complete with a head and tail, that could be wrapped around one’s neck to keep out the cold. Hoody remembers playing dress-up as a child with similar stoles that her mother had (seems like just yesterday). Olde Dutch spent time at the Blacksmith Shop, (pyro that he is) watching iron being fashioned into a hook. And Koody gave it his best shot as a farm hand, lifting those bales of supplies.

Our history lesson over for now, we decide it’s time for a coffee in the delightful village of Fort Langley. The local ‘Village Coffee and Tea Company’ was just the place. Once inside the café, the aroma and delectable delights on display got our stomachs rumbling and the next thing we knew, we were ordering up a feast for lunch. We somehow managed to beat the rush and enjoyed our meal in the coveted seats outdoors. Of note, the individualized portions of oatmeal for sale were from Oregon (Newbie recognized the name on the package). So much for buying local.

After lazing for a bit in the sunshine, we saddle up and ride into town. Koody and Newbie spy a candy store and head on in for some treats. Koody can’t resist the ‘space ice cream’ – neopolitan at that! The package feels more like hardened cotton candy. Having just eaten a big lunch, Koody left his taste test for later. Further along Hoody notices a sign for a ‘Cranberry’ store and decided to wander in – hoping to find chocolate covered cranberries. Sorely disappointed as there were none to be had. The other items in the store, such as syrups, jams and dressings, certainly were tempting but Hoody would prefer to make them homemade.

The buildings in town, all turn-of-the-century style, do give an air of country charm and charmed we are. There’s the stately Regional Library and the Fire Department Hall, to name a few. But we’ve dawdled long enough for today and so head off onto 96th Avenue, leaving the village behind, happy to just be taking in the sights and yes, smells of the local farms.

We have to wait for a train crossing. Unfortunately, the train was already in progress so Hoody missed counting the total number, something she has always done since her childhood days. An estimated guess would be 80 cars, but no way to confirm this. And then its across the tracks, pass a golf course and following our route on Allard Crescent until who do we see today? Why yes, it’s Peter Cottontail out to greet us for Easter.

We eventually come to Derby Reach Regional Park. Here there are markings and information regarding the original site of the ‘First’ Fort Langley. It’s time for a photo-op and we are on our way again - along the country road towards Edgewater Bar.

Newbie is intent on reaching Edgewater Bar, his mouth watering for a gin and tonic. Once there he soon discovers the only drink he’d get is with the nearby ‘Happy Campers’ at the local campsite. The ‘Bar’ is just a popular spot for salmon fishing on the Fraser River (albeit, rather sparse these days given government regulations), but also ideal for families, picnics and just plain old R&R. We did meet a local resident who told us a bit about the area’s history. In the past there had been a huge flood when the Fraser River, affected by spring melt, overflowed. The entire area was flooded so in the early 1900’s, a huge dyke was built further in land to protect the area from future disasters.

Thanking our ‘history teacher’ we continue on the last leg of our ride for today. We pass large tracts of cranberry bogs (for our blog), although being spring the bushes have yet to blossom. Allard Crescent curves into 208th Street, we ride up and over the dyke and then are back to our starting point at West Langley Park. All this without facing a huge uphill climb in the end. I’m not sure how this happened but I won’t be one to complain. All in all we tallied up another 25kms on our bikes and we all agreed this was one of our favourite rides to date.