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. The highest point is at the top of black mountain and the lowest at sea level in deep cove. 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. It was a beautiful sunday and we had to go for a hike. 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. When you have eliminated the javascript, whatever remains must be an empty page. These handy new map booklets are the result of a collaboration between halfmile and national geographic. I believe it fell out of my bag and onto the trail somewhere in between james peak and porteau cove. 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.
As you plan your trip, consider every member of your party. Since that time the fmcbc has worked with bc parks on both planning and fundraising for the project. Ive done the howe sound crest trail before with kevin stanley so i knew it would be a good trip. Yew lake trail to howe sound crest trail loop is a 11. We are thinking of doing it in early september, from cypress to porteau, taking 3 or 4.
For specific information obtain a topographic map of the park or a hiking guide. Yew lake trail to howe sound crest trail loop british columbia. Keep going past deeks lake to hanover lake and the howe sound crest trail. View a map of driving directions to st marks summit. This guide contains general information regarding grand teton national parks backcountry. Hiking the howe sound crest trail, howe sound crest trail. We hiked the hsct over two days, started at cypress and ended in porteau cove. 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. Marks summit follows the howe sound crest trail and offers great views of howe.
In conclusion, we had an awesome time, and i think that this is the most scenic trail i have ever walked. 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. Never go across as a group, go 1 person at a time only. Howe sound crest trail cypress provincial park, west. Howe sound crest older 2002 near vancouver, bc a hiking trail. 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. I went to the map page on my gps watch and did my best to follow the.
The howe sound crest trail hsct is one of the most epic hiking trips one can do in the vancouver area. But, the moment you stop, dozens of flies descend upon you, trying to bite. Started from cypress mountain, the trail there is well marked. Yew lake trail to howe sound crest trail loop british. Howe sound crest trail find lions express ski tow and cabin. The trail climbs steeply for a short while until it meets up with an old logging road, where you turn right. The caption under the photo said something along the lines of an ambitious overnight hike best done over 3 days. 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. 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. Trailhead go behind the first aid building toward sunshine tow.
Howe sound s mouth at the strait of georgia is situated between west vancouver and the sunshine coast. Mobile pdf halfmiles pct maps pacific crest trail maps. 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. Some of the main benefits of rehabilitating the trail. 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 crest hiking trail wilderness hike trails bc. The map on the other side of this guide is only for planning purposes and selecting campsites. Howe sound crest trail federation of mountain clubs of bc. From the porteau road parking lot, follow the posted signage to the trail starting from the highway exit. 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. Ti maps are based on the usgs quads but are updated and have much more accurate and complete outdoor. 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. We planned to camp at magnesia meadows, but didnt quite make it. There was evidence of human passage, but not exactly a trail in this place.
Clearing for the trail between the valley bottom and the view point will consist of a 6 metre wide cut. 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. 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. An alternative route to the howe sound crest trails northern access has been opened. Hiker in stable condition after snow bridge collapse on howe. The howe sound crest trail hsct is a gorgeous 29 km trail stretching from cypress bowl to porteau cove.
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. 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. The route follows the ridge line along the howe sound from cypress mountain to porteau cove south north. 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. Howe sound crest south trail british columbia canada. Hiking along howe sound and squamish, bc, canada vancouver. Halfmiles pct maps have been replaced by a new series of pacific crest trail maps from national geographic. Howe sound crest trail near lions bay, bc a hiking trail. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from july until october. I ended up in lions bay after connecting to the binkert. People had created home made signage to compensate. In popular outdoor areas, youll also see yellow polygons with green outlines, which are the footprints of national geographics trails illustrated maps. We started our trip at cypress parking lot and the trail was snow free until unnecessary mountain but only patchy and did not. Sections of the trail are extremely rugged and easy to lose in inclement.
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 map for this hike, as seen on page 9293 of the guidebook, is somewhat misleading. St marks summit along the howe sound crest trail at cypress. If anyone has found a bright red womans patagonia jacket size medium please contact me.
The complete howe sound crest trail is not a walk in the park. 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. Howe sound crest trail, sept 14 2010 clubtread community. I hiked the howe sound crest trail with a few friends as an overnighter september 6th. We planned to camp at magnesia meadows, but didnt quite make it that far on our. The hsct is an ambitious overnight hike that will surely kick your butt and supply some breathtaking views. Bowen lookout spur trail and the existing howe sound crest trail beyond.
Howe sound crest trail west vancouver 2020 all you need. Marks summit is a peak along the howe sound crest trail that offers spectacular views of howe sound. 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. After that you just have to watch out for little, welltrodden spurs off the trail that go straight where the main trail switchbacks. Views are sweeping and spectacular as you look west into the horizon past gambier island. When i returned home my new patagonia jacket was missing from my pack. Sep, 2011 due to too rough trail, i decided to escape the howe sound crest trail early. 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. I find the east branch of the trail at the start nicer than the west branch west branch goes by yew lake. The trail is entirely located within the cypress mountain provincial park. Best grand teton national park hike, trail map adventure. Areas trail maps for skiing or snowboarding winter trail and backcountry corridor map pdf.
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. Howe sound crest trail hiking guide outdoor vancouver. 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. 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. It was quite hot, about 2628 degrees in the shade, and the 1. The first half of the trail features the high point, at the top of black mountain. The nearest exit was via some new wet trail recently hacked out of the woods. Click on the red marker to see the quad name and download the multipage pdf file.