7 March

 A mild grey morning.   Rain threatened but didn't materialise.  The forest was dark, and very quiet near the path's entrance..

Approaching the junction with the loop trail, I spotted an unusual sight.

We had examined the beginning of the loop trail last week, but hadn't seen flagging tape on last Sunday's visit.  I decided to find out what the flagging tape had to say.

About 100 metres along the loop trail, a new trail had been marked and opened to the left.

It looked to have been very carefully planned, well graded and well cleared.  There was no debris from vegetation clearance left behind, nor were there footprints on the path.

It passes to the east of the stand of hemlock that had attracted my notice beside the loop trail, and has a lovely abundance of moss, some of it on very large stumps.  The forest through which the trail passes is even more beautiful than the trail that passes to the dock--possibly because it is free of signs of human passage--at least since it was logged--likely at the beginning of the 20th century.

There is evidence, a bit further down the loop trail, of a trail that would have led back to the first trail head.  Although signed, it is definitely overgrown and would be a very challenging walk.  

I didn't walk the entire length of the new trail, but surmise that it will rejoin the first trailhead, which has been largely impassable for some years.  There has always been a swamp near the beginning of that trail, which I'd expect to be saturated at this time of year, so I turned back to visit the Marsh.

As I approached the Marsh, the stillness of the Forest's entrance gave way to the frog chorus.  It was too distant to record well, but appeared to be a joyful mixture of red-legged frogs and pacific tree frogs.

The Marsh's water level reflects the snow melt and recent rainfall over the Beaufort range.

A small flock of mallards swam about the south-east end of the Marsh

Blackbirds roosted on the wooden structure at the east end of the Marsh.

High clouds revealed Mount Arrowsmith to the south.

After a time drinking coffee on the bench, and enjoying the frog chorus, I made my way back along the main trail to the parking lot.

Still curious about the destination of the new trail, I stopped to look at the first trailhead.  It seemed freer of litter than I'd seen before, and there was at least one strip of flagging tape matching that which I'd seen along the loop trail.  In addition, there were three Douglas firs numbered with blue marking paint.

I followed the trail until it became a swamp, then turned back.  

When the weather dries up a bit, this new trail will warrant exploration.  It would now, were I less reluctant to wade through a swamp.