Downes Bowl is a world unto itself. In the midst of urban development there runs a ravine, hundred of feet deep and covering many acres. The sides are very steep and it may be for that reason that the loggers of old did not venture down there to take the old growth timber.
There are monster Cedars, Spruce, Fir, Cottonwood, and Maple trees that you just don't see on the top side. Standing at the base of one of these trees is humbling. There is incredible strength that holds them up despite tremendous weight and wild swaying in a wind storm.
This bowl is home to a great variety of plants and birds. There is even a resident Barred Owl. At the bottom of the bowl is a primordial swamp with a clear stream running through it, among the Skunk Cabbage and Cattails.
One would never know, while being down there, that they were just a short walk, up a steep hill, to the busy streets and subdivisions of Abbotsford. It is a very pleasant escape and a wonderful reminder of the variety that we have at our doorstep.
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