The IncredibleTemple Giant

There are times, I am reminded, that a simple gesture of kindness can lead to a great deal of happiness! Nineteen years ago I was given some scans of an out of print map published by the Western Canada Wilderness Committee (WCWC) by my good friend Vida. That inspired me to rediscover the remaining old growth trees of British Columbia’s Seymour Valley. It has been a remarkable journey, and during those years not only was I able to locate those giants, but I also was able to find many other hidden treasures!

An excerpt from the WCWC map, now out of print. For today’s purposes, the newer Seymour Valley Trailway runs parallel and uphill to the original Seymour Mainline road ,which is now off limits to the public

The Temple Grove of Giants was really the first part of the map that captured my imagination, with its high concentration of ancient Douglas firs and western red cedars.  A visit to the Temple Giant naturally seemed like the perfect place to start!

Matt meets the Temple Fir back in 2006. Hard for me to believe this was so long ago!

The Seymour Valley was once home to one of the most impressive coastal temperate rainforests in all of  British Columbia, and trees like the Temple Giant were once commonplace. In order to gain a greater perspective, I humbly suggest reading Tolkien, the Story of a Tree, where I have written a more comprehensive account of the Temple Grove of Giants.

Rich approaches the Temple Giant in 2008

Many generations have passed since the Temple Giant took root in the forests of Hydraulic Creek. Since that happened long before the time of colonization in North America, its life remained relatively unthreatened for many centuries. Unfortunately, the turn of the twentieth century was to bring about considerable change, and saw the logging of most of the lower Seymour Valley. So, what might have saved the tree from the chopping block? Some say that a human caused fire in 1936 broke out while fallers were working in Hydraulic Creek, shutting down the logging in the region . Another factor may have been the Great Depression, when timber prices plummeted, significant delaying the destruction of old growth forests, Years later, in the 1990s, there were renewed plans by the Greater Vancouver Water District to begin harvesting remaining groves of old growth trees. A successful campaign by the WCWC was then launched, leading to the prohibition of  logging in Greater Vancouver’s watersheds.

The Temple Giant is among the largest Douglas firs in the province of British Columbia

The Temple Giant is, without doubt, one of the most massive Douglas Firs I have seen, ranking fifth in size within the province of British Columbia. Its diameter is just over ten feet (3.05 metres) at breast height and it pierces the skies at a height of over 280 feet (85.3 metres). It’s age is unconfirmed, but it could well be over a thousand years old! There are many other trees in the Temple Grove of Giants that are at least seven centuries old, I would estimate. I encourage you to visit this incredible Douglas fir while it still stands. Once you do, I’m certain you’ll return time after time, just as I have!

The Temple Giant is a sight to behold. It’s a real time saver if you ride your bike to the trailhead!

*******AUTHOR’S NOTE*******

Recent news has reached me that the Temple Fir may have sustained damage to its crown, and must be remeasured. As a newer member of the BC Big Tree Committee, one of my future projects will be to remeasure all of the Douglas firs in the Temple Grove of Giants, so that we have accurate and reverified data. If you happen to have any images or information about these trees, feel free to message me on this site.