Carolyne on the Dennett Lake trail:
“Four early risers went to tackle Dennet Lake. After a steady climb we had a water break at Munro Lake and then pressed on. It soon became obvious that the trail hadn’t been cleared recently when we started having to go under, over and around many fallen trees. Dennett Lake was lovely when we stopped for lunch. On the map in ‘103 Hikes’, it shows a path to the west end of the lake and then two paths: one to take the ‘wet route’ down via the Village-Lake Trail, the other up to the ridge. We only saw one trail. After a steady climb we emerged about 30-45 minutes later at a junction for Harper Road. Not where we wanted to be. However, there was the consolation of the beauty of Hourglass Lake and making it almost to the summit of the ridge. We headed back to Dennett Lake. After some searching behind one of the campsites, the wet route was found. It went through a number of little water meadows. Eventually we arrived at the junction with the main trail. BEWARE: the trail map is not accurate for the wet route starting at Dennett Lake. Also worthwhile: Munro Lake lookout.”
Yak Peak 05/07/09
Ahmad on Yak Peak (instead of Mt Cheam & Lady Peak):
“There wasn’t much snow on Yak’s basin and there was no need of using ice axe. However, poles will be helpful. The snow was packed in good conditions in most sections. I scrambled up on the rocks rather than going up on the snow. The rocks allured me to be a good way. A mistake that I quickly realized. The rocks were too loose and they lack hand holds. I scouted several directions but each led to a close end or requires a difficult and lucky move. I managed to finish it at the end after more than 30 minutes. It wasn’t a good way. It was difficult and I ended up alone on the summit. On the way back, I found the proper route which was about 5-10 m away. It was fairly easy. It goes on the snow that cover the ridge. The snow seems to be steep but it is not exposed and it is actually fun. The false summit also represents a nice alternative. The other three people that I was with, chose it and they were satisfied with the views. There were also many mosquitoes and they got even more the higher we got and didn’t get rid of them even on the summit.”
Brothers Creek 03/07/09
Dana on the Brothers Creek trail:
“I was pleasantly surprised to get six hikers (including two drivers) on this weekday hike: Stas, John, Kathleen, Chelsey, Constance, and I. The trailhead just off Millstream Road in West Van was full of vehicles, but we passed very few people on our route. The route took us up the Brothers Creek fire road, a long gradual incline (taking in most of the elevation gain) to our first crossing of Brothers Creek. At this point we had hiked only an hour, and decided to continue right instead of left to take in a longer loop, taking us first to the pretty beer-coloured Lost Lake, and then crossing Brothers Creek via stones to Blue Gentian Lake, our lunch stop. On the east side of the lake is a nice lunch spot with picnic table. Heading south and down after lunch, we met up with Crossover Trail, headed east, and again crossed Brothers Creek. Eventually this connected with the fire road and back to our vehicles. Total trip time was spot-on four hours, including lunch, and was just under 10 km with an about 450 m elevation gain in total. I wasn’t crazy about the first hour on the fire road, as it’s full of rocks and stones and pretty wide (as a “road,” not very trail-like, of course) so next time I’d be inclined to turn off onto the Baden-Powell or another intersecting trail to make a different loop. There are a lot of options in the area for routes/loops, which is good to know for future reference. A good outing.”
Howe Sound Crest Trail 03/07/09
Heather on the Howe Sound Crest Trail:
“Suzanna, Keith, Bob and Heather did a long hike of the Howe Sound Crest Trail from Cypress Bowl to the base of The Lions and back. Unfortunately, we started late on a very hot day, and the Crest Trail is a demanding and exposed trail – so heat exposure made for an even longer day. The views were stunning and there were only a few snow patches on the trail. Due to the heat we had to re-fill water from snow melt, and I personally drank 6 litres during the almost 12 hour hike. A demanding day, but still a beautiful place to be!”
Mt Brunswick 01/07/09
Andrew L. on Mt Brunswick:
“Making it to the trailhead just past 8am, we nabbed one of the two remaining parking spots and hit the trail. The Brunswick Mountain trail is steep, easy to follow and almost snow-free. There is also very little water available past the early crossing of Magnesia Creek. We took just over four hours to reach the summit, where we had lunch accompanied by spectacular panoramic views from what is the highest of the north shore peaks. There are a few snow patches near the summit which are melting rapidly. The scrambling near and at the summit is fun, though to reach the actual summit you will have to pass some sections with moderate exposure – your head for heights may be tested. It is, incidentally, well worth carrying a personal-sized watermelon all the way up on a hot day…”
Garibaldi Lake 01/07/09
Pablo at Garibaldi Lake:
“What a better place to celebrate Canada day than Garibaldi Lake. It was a perfect day for this hike, perfectly clear sky, not too hot, and a holiday on a Wednesday, so not many people. After hiking most of the time on snow last weekend on Elfin Lakes in the same park, I was expecting at least patches, but the trial is completely clear. We did the hike in less than 3 hours one way, including pictures, and we took a long time on the lake. A couple of us even had a swim on the lake. The level of the water is very low. After the hike we changed the dinner place in Squamish, and we even got 50% Wednesday Special with a great view of Shannon Falls (also with not much water).”
Musical Bumps 28/06/09
Ahmad on the Musical Bumps:
“Everything is beautiful on Musical Bumps. The peaks, the glaciers, even the clouds look more beautiful there. The level of snow is much less this year. There are only snow patches and the biggest one was about 50 m in diameter. The trails were in good condition. The bridge over Harmony Creek doesn’t exist but there are logs. Slippery but not too much. The area before the bridge seemed it is frequented by bears. We saw a mother and its cub just before the trailhead. It might get confusing when you get over Harmony Ridge. Go along the ridge rather than crossing it prematurely. The grade will get gentle then. We got to Roundhouse at 7 pm and took the gondola down free. The whole trip took 9:30 in an easy pace.”
Elk-Thurston 28/06/09
Beth on Elk-Thurston:
“Astrid, Bahman, LJ, Geoff and I hiked Elk-Thurston Mountain on Sunday. It started with a pleasant hike through the forest which lead us to a ridge walk from Elk to Thurston. Along the ridge the meadows were beautiful, in bloom with Indian paintbrush, lupine, tiger lilies, glacier lilies and more! We had great views of surrounding peaks of the Chilliwack area and the Cascades, though Mt. Baker was hiding under clouds. This is a great hike! The trail was virtually snow-free and in good condition, with only the occasional small snow patch at the top which did not cause any difficulty. We could see that there was more snow on the north-facing side of the mountain. The day was topped off with a drive over the new Golden Ears bridge (very bumpy, yet majestic), and a bite to eat.”
Northern Stein 27/06/09
Chris in the Northern part of the Stein Valley:
“Bob, Cara, Do, Ian and Michal joined me on a trip to the northern Stein. We managed to drive most of the way up the Texas Creek road (off the Westside road south of Lillooet). It appears that this road is usually blocked just past the 4 km mark from April 15 – June 30 each year to give grizzlies a break from humans but it was open this year. The road surface is rough but 2wd-able until a patch of loose rocks on a hill just past the 9-km marker where we needed 4wd. Up until around 18 km, there are no waterbars. A dandelion-filled landing to the right at around 19 km makes a good parking spot – the bars get deeper, trickier and more frequent over the last 2-3 km of the road. From the road end, we hiked over the Texas – Siwhe divide and camped in the meadows at 2100 m (you will encounter cows here and in Cattle Valley). We had below-freezing temperatures every night and it was frequently windy. From Gordon White’s Stein book (recently republished – the trail descriptions are pretty accurate though road info is dated), we completed hikes 23, 24, 26, 27 and part of 28. We also completed a couple of other routes, discovered some lost trails and generally explored the whole area during some long and ambitious dayhikes. We only encountered appreciable snow on the eastern flank of the peak to the east of Brimful Lake. There’s currently a sow grizzly with 2 cubs resident in Cattle Valley.”
North Coast Trail 27/06/09
Su-Laine on the North Coast and Cape Scott trails:
“Magnificent location, no crowds, more adventure than we’d hoped for. After a 7 pm ferry to Nanaimo, our group of five got on a 10 am water taxi in Port Hardy, and by noon on Saturday were on the white sand beach in Shuttleworth Bight. A quick walk took us to Irony Creek, where we set up camp and dropped the weight from our packs, then spent the afternoon walking on the beach eastward and back.
From Sunday to Tuesday, we backpacked to Laura Creek (11.8 km), Nissen Bight (7.5 km), and Guise Bay (10 km). The trail alternates between beach and forest sections, with one cable car across a river. The mud was deep in places but the trail was easy to moderate in difficulty. The more difficult parts of the NCT, which we didn’t do on this trip, are at the east end. The beaches are teeming with tide-pool life and colourful seaweeds. After setting up camp at Guise Bay, three of us took an afternoon walk to the Cape Scott lighthouse where we were greeted with enthusiasm, Freezies, and a canteen of junk food and cold pop (bring your wallet!).
On Wednesday morning, we packed up for our 10 am water taxi pickup, feeling a little over-privileged for taking this luxury and for our amazingly good luck on the trip: near-perfect weather, and having had three campsites and their huge gorgeous beaches all to ourselves. Our mood changed when the boat didn’t arrive that morning, or afternoon, or evening. It took a frustrating day to make contact with the water taxi operator via borrowed satellite phone, and to find that rough seas to the east were making a pickup impossible that day and probably the next as well. Our best option was to walk 18 km to the Cape Scott trailhead where we could meet an arranged ride out. We looked at the maps, waited for scattered group members to return, and made a quick decision to try to hike to a campsite 8.5 km down the trail that evening. By then it was 8 pm. We covered the distance in 2 hours and set up tents in the last rays of sunlight. On Thursday morning, we did the rest of the hike out in 3.5 hours and made it back to Port Hardy in time for showers, a quick meal, and a sprint to the 9:35 pm ferry home.
I’d planned our original itinerary as a way to cram 4 full days in prime scenery into just 5 days. But if I were to do it over again I would have arranged for a vehicle or bus ride at the trailhead, with a hike out to it, instead of a boat pickup which is much more weather-dependent. The original Cape Scott trail has been improved a lot recently and we found it relatively easy. If you do arrange for a boat pickup, work out a contingency plan with the operator before you leave, carry a satellite phone (not just a VHF radio), and bring enough extra food for what could be a long wait. But however you do it, the North Coast Trail is an incredibly beautiful place, and I feel lucky to have seen it with a great group of people. It is also, for now, a remote place. We didn’t see another person until the third evening of the trip.
Things we saw: sea otters – colourful characters at the Cape Scott lighthouse – a beaver – Craig throwing oatmeal at John – black bears – sunlight on the beach at 10:45 pm.”
