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The winds and
waves at Jericho Beach have been familiar to local Native
people for a mighty long time. Thick middens of clamshells on the
nearby hills testify to where the Musqueam people once maintained
a seasonal residence. Now wild bunnies and coyotes cavort among
the brambles, while on the beach windsurfers and kayakers get their
kicks being blown around. Jericho Beach is one of the few beaches
in Vancouver where, on
a big wave day, you run the risk of getting tumbled 'in the washing
machine,' as they say in Hawaii. Jericho Beach is easily reached
from Fourth Avenue west of Alma Street in the Point Grey neighbourhood.
The Jericho Sailing Centre Association maintains an old Royal Canadian
Air Force office building as a staging area for anyone wishing to
swallow some seawater. The centre is located at 1300 Discovery off
NW Marine Drive.
Jericho Beach Park, Locarno Beach, and Spanish Banks Beach might
well be considered as one since they connect to each other along
Point Grey's 3.7 mile shoreline. Locarno Beach begins just north
of the Jericho Sailing Centre. A pedestrian and cycle path runs
beside the beach from here west to Spanish Banks Beach.
When the tide goes out between Jericho and Spanish Banks, it goes
way out. This is a good place to explore the sand flats and get
a closer look at the freighters anchored offshore. At low tide,
skim boarders gather here to play in the tide pools.
In Tsawwassen, on the
south side of the BC Ferries causeway that carries travellers out
to the ferry terminal, is a beach that attracts anglers and windsurfers.
Best time to catch the breeze here is following a storm blowing
from the south. Although this small bay empties at low tides, at
other times you can rip out here. Take Hwy 17 south to the beginning
of the causeway, then follow the service road that parallels the
causeway. You'll find portable toilets for changing and rough picnic
spots where you can build a fire to dry out.
Also in Tsawwassen
is Boundary Bay
Regional Park, located on the east side of the isthmus. The
winds can blow just as hard across its surface as out by the BC
Ferries jetty. A good place to launch is the vehicle-accessible
ramp at the east end of 1A Avenue via 67th Street, several blocks
south of the park's main entrance.
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