I hiked the howe sound crest trail with a few friends as an overnighter september 6th. Howe sound crest trail west vancouver 2020 all you need. This gps map cuts out the most isolated and challenging part of the hike so please be prepared and do your research on other hiking sites. The als habrich ridge trail starts from the top of the sea to sky gondola and offers incredible views of howe sound, the mountain ranges to the west, and to the north in garibaldi provincial park. Marks summit is part of the howe sound crest trail that spans over 30km from cypress to a point along the sea to sky highway near porteau cove. The howe sound crest trail hsct is a gorgeous 29 km trail stretching from cypress bowl to porteau cove. This is the 1st half of the baden powell trail, a point to point trail beginning in horseshoe bay and ending in deep cove in north vancouver.
The trail takes you over multiple summits, offering spectacular views of howe sound, the lions, and the beautifully turquoise deeks lakes, to name a few. The nearest exit was via some new wet trail recently hacked out of the woods. There was evidence of human passage, but not exactly a trail in this place. Ti maps are based on the usgs quads but are updated and have much more accurate and complete outdoor.
Hiker in stable condition after snow bridge collapse on howe. Inlet on the first leg of their journey to hollyburn ridge, which is now part of cypress provincial park. The trail is funny it stars with some of the most beautiful views and then goes into the forest for a long period of time. Click on the red marker to see the quad name and download the multipage pdf file. Started from cypress mountain, the trail there is well marked. Hiking along howe sound and squamish, bc, canada vancouver. Hiking the howe sound crest trail, howe sound crest trail. The route follows the ridge line along the howe sound from cypress mountain to porteau cove south north.
Howe sound crest south trail british columbia canada. Hiking the entire howe sound crest trail which runs all the way to porteau cove is more than a simple day hike, but heading to saint marks summit is a worthy destination of its own and can be done in about 4 to 5 hours. Clearing for the trail between the valley bottom and the view point will consist of a 6 metre wide cut. Trail begins in the cypress mountain resort alpine ski area and leads north along mount strachans western slope past the lions and deeks lake before descending to hwy 99 just south of porteau cove provincial park. Never go across as a group, go 1 person at a time only. The highest point is at the top of black mountain and the lowest at sea level in deep cove. The baden powell trail itself is 42 km long from horsehoe bay on howe sound to deep cove on indian arm with 1200 metre change in elevation. There is a bc parks map at the trailhead and you there are plenty of sign posts marking howe sound crest trail to get you started. Follow the road until you pass a pond and turn left at the fork, where the trail steepens again until the you reach phi alpha falls and deeks lake. Ive done the howe sound crest trail before with kevin stanley so i knew it would be a good trip.
Trailhead go behind the first aid building toward sunshine tow. The trail takes you over multiple summits, offering spectacular views of howe sound, the lions and the beautifully turquoise deeks lakes, to name a few. Howe sound s mouth at the strait of georgia is situated between west vancouver and the sunshine coast. In popular outdoor areas, youll also see yellow polygons with green outlines, which are the footprints of national geographics trails illustrated maps. After that you just have to watch out for little, welltrodden spurs off the trail that go straight where the main trail switchbacks. See howe sound crest trail sign for trail details b a d e n p o w e l l t r a s e a i e w w a l k eagle harbour hollyburn lodge closed in summer only cabin lake trail theagill transcanada maintenance cypress provincial park trails stay safe have fun. Howe sound crest hiking trail wilderness hike trails bc. We started our trip at cypress parking lot and the trail was snow free until unnecessary mountain but only patchy and did not. Howe sound crest south trail begins at the top cypress mountain parking lot, and ends about 28 km later by porteau cove, where the trail is called howe sound crest north. The hike provides view of howe sound from dizzying heights, but the hike itself isnt exceptionally technical or dangerous though some parts can be quite intimidating. When i returned home my new patagonia jacket was missing from my pack.
Part of the howe sound crest trail the route to saint marks summit winds its way up from the cypress mountain parking lot to the summit at 33 m high above howe sound. Marks summit follows the howe sound crest trail and offers great views of howe. Sep, 2011 due to too rough trail, i decided to escape the howe sound crest trail early. People had created home made signage to compensate. Some of the main benefits of rehabilitating the trail. But, the moment you stop, dozens of flies descend upon you, trying to bite. Views are sweeping and spectacular as you look west into the horizon past gambier island. We planned to camp at magnesia meadows, but didnt quite make it. Howe sound crest trail near lions bay, bc a hiking trail. Howe sound crest trail cypress provincial park, west.
We planned to camp at magnesia meadows, but didnt quite make it that far on our. Aug 16, 20 howe sound crest trail photos here its been on my to do list for a couple years, and i promised myself to do it this summer. The complete howe sound crest trail is not a walk in the park. With the realization that the end of summer is fast approaching i did some final internet research on the howe sound crest trail, packed my day hike kit and the night before my hike i drove my vehicle to the porteau rd. Howe sound crest trail federation of mountain clubs of bc. At the top end of this new trail, a short 100 metre spur trail is also being proposed to access a new view point area. Since that time the fmcbc has worked with bc parks on both planning and fundraising for the project. Keep going past deeks lake to hanover lake and the howe sound crest trail. Marks summit is on starts from cypress mountain which is the first mountain along this route and offers spectacular views of howe sound on a clear day.
I ended up in lions bay after connecting to the binkert. From the porteau road parking lot, follow the posted signage to the trail starting from the highway exit. The howe sound crest trail hsct is one of the most epic hiking trips one can do in the vancouver area. Baden powell trail west vancouver hiking trail, bowen. Yew lake trail to howe sound crest trail loop is a 11. The map for this hike, as seen on page 9293 of the guidebook, is somewhat misleading. The trail is entirely located within the cypress mountain provincial park. Yew lake trail to howe sound crest trail loop british. Howe sound crest trail find lions express ski tow and cabin. I believe it fell out of my bag and onto the trail somewhere in between james peak and porteau cove. Howe sound crest trail hiking guide outdoor vancouver. We hiked the hsct over two days, started at cypress and ended in porteau cove. Best grand teton national park hike, trail map adventure. In conclusion, we had an awesome time, and i think that this is the most scenic trail i have ever walked.
Yew lake trail to howe sound crest trail loop british columbia. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from july until august. Sections of the trail are extremely rugged and easy to lose in inclement. Howe sound crest trail, sept 14 2010 clubtread community. It was a beautiful sunday and we had to go for a hike. The signature hike of grand teton national park threads its way along the interior spine of the teton range, joining high divides and passes, alpine lakes, and intimate looks at those iconic. The hsct is an ambitious overnight hike that will surely kick your butt and supply some breathtaking views. View a map of driving directions to st marks summit. Howe sound crest older 2002 near vancouver, bc a hiking trail. An alternative route to the howe sound crest trails northern access has been opened. I went to the map page on my gps watch and did my best to follow the. The caption under the photo said something along the lines of an ambitious overnight hike best done over 3 days. Areas trail maps for skiing or snowboarding winter trail and backcountry corridor map pdf. For specific information obtain a topographic map of the park or a hiking guide.
Mobile pdf halfmiles pct maps pacific crest trail maps. Howe sound crest trail hiking trail in southwest british columbia. As you plan your trip, consider every member of your party. St marks summit along the howe sound crest trail at cypress. We are thinking of doing it in early september, from cypress to porteau, taking 3 or 4. I remember seeing a photo of a section of the howe sound crest trail hsct when we first moved over. It was quite hot, about 2628 degrees in the shade, and the 1. If anyone has found a bright red womans patagonia jacket size medium please contact me. When you have eliminated the javascript, whatever remains must be an empty page. This guide contains general information regarding grand teton national parks backcountry. The first half of the trail features the high point, at the top of black mountain.
Marks summit is a peak along the howe sound crest trail that offers spectacular views of howe sound. I find the east branch of the trail at the start nicer than the west branch west branch goes by yew lake. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from july until october. They can be purchased from the pacific crest trail association online store or other national geographic map retailers. The howe sound crest trail is a fantastic, but challenging 28 km hiking journey along mountaintops north of vancouver between cypress mountain and porteau cove.
These handy new map booklets are the result of a collaboration between halfmile and national geographic. I know that there are many trails in bc that are considered world class, but surely the howe sound crest trail, in good weather, is hard to beat. Bowen lookout spur trail and the existing howe sound crest trail beyond. A man is in hospital in stable condition after an accident that involved two hikers in strachan creek on the howe sound crest trail on thursday. The trail climbs steeply for a short while until it meets up with an old logging road, where you turn right. We started our trip at cypress parking lot and the trail was snow free. The map on the other side of this guide is only for planning purposes and selecting campsites. Rehabilitating the howe sound crest trail hsct is a legacy project from the 2010 winter olympics when funding was first obtained through vanoc to begin upgrading the trail. This trail wears you out quickly, and when it is as hot as it was 28 degrees by noon in the shade, a rest would help.
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