June 08, 2010 | Tips from Us >
West Vancouver, Hiking
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The snow line is dropping, which means hiking season on the coast has begun. First hike of the year for me was up to Eagle Ridge bluffs in West Vancouver. The trailhead is in Nelson Canyon Park (take Exit 4 to Westport Rd).
The route starts by following the TransCanada Trail, but then branches off to the Whyte Lake Trail. Whyte Lake itself is small, but has an awesome log barge that will be put to good use in summer. We stopped to chat with a family fishing for trout in the lake (they'd caught three).
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the outhouse. Why? Because it’s swanky (or as swanky as an outhouse can be). It’s like a mini log cabin. A must-use.
Whyte Lake Trail hooks up with the Baden Powell Trail, which leads to Eagle Ridge bluffs. It was windy up top, so we had a quick lunch (which was eyed quite carefully by the resident raven), and then headed back down.
Total time for the trip was 5 hours (3 up, 2 down), and most of the route is in the woods. The forest floor was thick with ferns, mossy trees stretched overload, and fallen trees or man-made boardwalks crossed over streams. One huge boulder field mid-route and the bluffs themselves add an element of scrambling.
After the trip, my hiking partner and I commented on the number of families out on the trail – so cool! It's great to see kids out enjoying nature, especially nature in their own backyard.