Mount Strachan, Cypress Mountain
West Vancouver
Trail Key: S~2-3~RT~ST~R~V~PT
Length: 10 Km’s
Elevation: 538 meters
Toilets: Yes
Dogs: Yes but might be difficult for them.
Mt. Strachan is a 10 km's hike with an elevation gain of 538 meters; seems steeper. You can start your hike two ways. Drive to the top of Cypress Mountain. Walk past the sign board and go to your right. There's a marked trail there that says St. Mark's Summit...follow that or in the summer months you can make it a loop going along the yew Trail and up to Bowen Lookout.
Walk past the shops and ski area & toward Black Mountain/Eagle Bluffs. Take the trail to the right. It loops through a flat section and around a pretty lake which if your timing is right you will see all different coloured Lillie's.
Soon it will say Bowen Lookout, follow that trail. It has a few steep switchbacks. You will come to a ‘Y’ go left to Bowen Lookout. Well worth the extra footsteps. When you're finished go back out the way you came and go left.
Keep walking up the trail until you come to another ‘T’ with a sign board, go left. Follow that trail and it will take you to two wooden bridges. In between the two bridges there is a gully...known as Christmas Gully. There can be snow in some parts well into summer. Follow the gully up the rocks. A faint trail will appear on your left part way up and it has the occasional flagging tape here and there. This hike will defiantly test you in every way as you use roots to pull yourself up here and there. It comes out into the open again as you make your way over the rocks. If you can take a look behind you, it's breathtaking. Keep going up as you make your way to the Col on north and south peaks. Expect snow well into summer. Take a few minutes to go up the north peak for panoramic views.
Once down go up the south peak which is very steep but it only lasts a few minutes. You will come out onto a rocky outcrop that is beautiful. Sit back and enjoy your lunch, you won’t find a prettier spot. There’s supposed to be an Old Strachan Trail that leads you to The Bayden Powell Trail along with an old plane wreck from the 70's. We could not find the TH so we followed the steep ski run down to the parking lot.
You can do this hike in reverse. The problem with that is going down the gully is steep and there are no rope's to help you. You can try it with poles but I found our route is much more pleasant even though it was a challenge. Happy & safe trails.
West Vancouver
Trail Key: S~2-3~RT~ST~R~V~PT
Length: 10 Km’s
Elevation: 538 meters
Toilets: Yes
Dogs: Yes but might be difficult for them.
Mt. Strachan is a 10 km's hike with an elevation gain of 538 meters; seems steeper. You can start your hike two ways. Drive to the top of Cypress Mountain. Walk past the sign board and go to your right. There's a marked trail there that says St. Mark's Summit...follow that or in the summer months you can make it a loop going along the yew Trail and up to Bowen Lookout.
Walk past the shops and ski area & toward Black Mountain/Eagle Bluffs. Take the trail to the right. It loops through a flat section and around a pretty lake which if your timing is right you will see all different coloured Lillie's.
Soon it will say Bowen Lookout, follow that trail. It has a few steep switchbacks. You will come to a ‘Y’ go left to Bowen Lookout. Well worth the extra footsteps. When you're finished go back out the way you came and go left.
Keep walking up the trail until you come to another ‘T’ with a sign board, go left. Follow that trail and it will take you to two wooden bridges. In between the two bridges there is a gully...known as Christmas Gully. There can be snow in some parts well into summer. Follow the gully up the rocks. A faint trail will appear on your left part way up and it has the occasional flagging tape here and there. This hike will defiantly test you in every way as you use roots to pull yourself up here and there. It comes out into the open again as you make your way over the rocks. If you can take a look behind you, it's breathtaking. Keep going up as you make your way to the Col on north and south peaks. Expect snow well into summer. Take a few minutes to go up the north peak for panoramic views.
Once down go up the south peak which is very steep but it only lasts a few minutes. You will come out onto a rocky outcrop that is beautiful. Sit back and enjoy your lunch, you won’t find a prettier spot. There’s supposed to be an Old Strachan Trail that leads you to The Bayden Powell Trail along with an old plane wreck from the 70's. We could not find the TH so we followed the steep ski run down to the parking lot.
You can do this hike in reverse. The problem with that is going down the gully is steep and there are no rope's to help you. You can try it with poles but I found our route is much more pleasant even though it was a challenge. Happy & safe trails.
