North of the Muir Creek bridge, old
growth trees trace the creek bed. The first groves of these trees are easily
found along a 1.5 km trail from West Coast Road running parallel to Anderson
Road.
The trail follows the creek through
the grove of substantial cedars, hemlocks, large Douglas fir, yew trees and
massive Sitka spruce. The sun in the summer warms the rocks in the creek and
when the tide returns there are two pleasant, sun-warmed swimming spots in this
lower reach of the creek.
The east side trail is flat for the first 500 metres and then it continues up a steep bank and follows along a ridge another kilometre upstream. In the dry season when the water is low, it is possible to cross to the west side of the creek instead of going up the steep bank.
The
From the ridge trail on the east
side, old-growth trees can be seen down the steep embankments and in the creek
valley. The area of the ridge was logged 60 to 70 years ago, and only a few
trees at the top of the ridge are older than 70 years. Most of the ancient trees
are in the low-lying areas beside the creek. Some of the old growth trees on the
embankments show evidence of surviving a fire that ravaged areas further away
from the wet zone of the creek: these trees were spared logging in the past due
to the steep terrain.
The rain forest along the banks of
the creek displays spectacular abundance. It is filled with wildflowers and
medicinal plants among the more obvious giant trees, mosses and ferns. The
forest is home to many bird and animal species including eagles, bear and
cougar. The
creek itself hosts healthy,
self-sustaining salmon and steelhead populations. The overhanging lace of old
growth forest shelters their spawning beds and the purity of the water is
protected by these
guardians.
The forest path has its own
particular enchantments. Amongst living spruce and firs are the many fallen
trees representative of older forests: some sag downward; some lie on the floor
of the forest; many, blanketed in verdant moss, are the nurse logs which provide
nutrients for the young trees growing out of them. The stillness of the forest
is only mildly broken by the faint sighing, creaking and groaning of the
evergreens.
is an area known locally as ‘the
canyon’. Here, the creek bed rises significantly and there are cliffs, huge
boulders, waterfalls and clear, deep swimming pools. Dipper birds nest on the
bank underneath wild-
The second largest cedar and the
largest Douglas fir found by Society members are just downstream of the canyon.
Somewhat further upstream, past the old logging bridge, the second largest yew
tree listed in the Provincial Big Tree Registry can be
found.
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