12.06.2017
Spirea nature trail in Golden Ears Park is a short loop with other trails going off of it. The actual loop has signage describing a bog like setting and the various vegetation and animals found in the area. It's interesting and short but I took one of those other trails, not signed, down to Alouette lake. Here's how to do it:
I parked in the Spirea lot and went straight to the yellow metal gate trail, ignoring a path going off to the right. This trail winds down, salmon berry bushes in tow, and soon you'll come to an old black and white trail sign. Turn right here through more salmon berries (most of which have been eaten, thank goodness), ignoring the old gravel trail heading north. Soon you'll be in the forest. The trail continues straight but you will want to turn left at a little junction and follow the trail heading up into the woods. This is the main trail among the evergreens, old cedar stumps and lovely moss that will take you down to Alouette Lake. You'll cross over a couple of small gravel roads but just ignore them and pick up the trail on the other side. You'll come to a small bridge, a parking lot up ahead and, once over the bridge just follow the trail as it winds along a little creek. Further down you'll see a nice creek crossing but for now keep going to that lake you see through the trees. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach but you can squirrel away by an old log and examine the Alouette Dam as you snack on your lunch. This area seems ok for dogs, I've never had any issues, but keep them off the public beach further along where all the picnic tables and trash cans are.
Retracing your steps, cross the creek by the wire fence to a clearing and explore the other side of the dam. Lupins are out right now too, very pretty. That dam controlled river coming out of the dam is the South Alouette River. There is also a tunnel diverting water from Alouette Lake over to Stave Lake but you can't see it. Of interest this river used to have a sockeye salmon run with the sockeye spawning in the lake. When the dam was constructed a fish ladder was not installed and that was the end of the run! ARMS (Alouette River Management Society) continues to lobby for a fish ladder, bless them.
There is a little path through the woods at the far end of the dam and you can see glimpses of the river far below. This path lets you out onto a small gravel road. Going left will take you to an old excavation site (sand? gravel?) with high sandy cliffs. There's a horse trail to the left of the cliff site which will take you down to the river.
Going right on the gravel road will lead you back to the main trail. You crossed over this gravel road coming down the trail. Go back up the forest trail to the junction (remember you turned left and up instead of keeping straight). This time continue left onto the straight trail. In a couple of minutes you'll pass by an old spiral fir. It's on the left and among the trees, easy to miss but there is a worn little path to it. Check it out. It's known as "the scarred giant" in these parts.
Back on the trail you'll come to the "Spirea Trail" sign and a reasonably good map. Turning right gets you back quickly to the parking lot or you may choose to explore that bog and interesting signage.
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