10 Must-Do trails from 103 Hikes (5th Ed.)

Let's be clear, this list is not a list of the 10 best stand-alone hikes from the book,.. this is an ENSEMBLE of the 10 I believe everyone should do.  The audience I have in mind while writing this is one that I encounter often in Wanderung: someone new to the city or visiting that may not ever do hundreds of trails, but should at least not be subjected to doing 10 very similar ones due to lack of information.

In my last blog post I touched on the story of a guy that came to Vancouver and hiked 3 great trails,.. but they just happened to be right next to eachother with very similar views: boring.  Granted, this list will partially be excluding trails with horrid logistics, I think that this is the list that all local hikers should review and ensure they have at least knocked off these rites of passage, and visitors would get the most bang for their buck without too much repetition. I also wanted to create an array that will take people to several different areas.  In no particular order:

1 - MOUNT SEYMOUR

Locals will probably close their browser window right now but that is because we all take it for granted.  Lets recap what a great Vancouver treasure this place is. PHOTOS

• 30 min from Vancouver and you've already gained a ton of elevation
• Views of Vancouver itself
• double header: hiking destination by summer, great snowshoe destination in Winter
• great connections to other hikes and hot weather swimming holes

2 - MOUNT HARVEY
I have to include one from the Howe Sound Crest Trail set (Lions, Unnecessary, Brunswick), and Harvey is the best IMO due to more interesting stuff in behind, a view OF the Lions, and the ridge that extends out into the water view,.. it is the reason you see more photos from Harvey than the Lions (I'll touch on this in my "Hike this not that" blog entry). This trail can also be done on snow under the right conditions but I highly recommend fall, as the red foliage really adds to it. PHOTOS










3 - WEDGEMOUNT LAKE
Yes it is steep and not for everyone but the trail is actually not all that long. Trail access is basically pulling off the highway, and the payoff, wow.  The colour of that lake will be etched in your mind forever once you see it. If you are new to hiking and hit this place on the right day,.. you will be hooked so long as you are fit enough not to feel as if the trail was torture.  You can camp up there on tent pads (or in the cabin) also which I highly recommend. PHOTOS

4 - NEEDLE PEAK
The Coquihalla area deserves some attention.  This trail does have one challenging part that could deter some people but I'm not much of a scrambler and I got there. I suspect anyone getting to the top of Needle Peak will get the bug for the area.  People with the skills and know-how can also do this area in snow season.  PHOTOS

5 - HAYLMORE-MELVIN DIVIDE
Using only a normal 2WD car you can gain admission to a highly under-rated area.  This one is up near Pemberton, moderately challenging, but has great lake and mountain views plus you can hop off to do some other interesting diversions.  I suggest doing this one at least as an overnight trip. PHOTOS







6 - MT. CHEAM
You have to do a Chillwack hike! You need a good 4WD and someone that knows how to drive it to navigate some hair raising obstacles and slope side roads,.. but once at the trailhead,.. this one is all payoff.  Catch it at the right time of the year and the wildflowers are insane.  The summit offers a unique view of the valley and mountains to the south. There is even this funky swimming hole that is perfectly round, PHOTOS

7 - MT. OUTRAM
This one is technically not in Manning Park, but close.  No hike in the book has more elevation gain (1800m)and I actually felt the elevation slowing me down here, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. When I went we stayed overnight at a super scenic camp spot near a tarn, and did the summit the next morning. Very few people seem to go here but I have no idea why. It allows you to look down on all the ones in Manning. PHOTOS

8 - 3 BROTHERS
I did this the first time when I was in scouts as a detour from the Heather trail. This one gets high marks because of the scenic, but dry, ridge walk to the peak and getting there puts you in the heart of wildflower country.  I feel this is best done as part of some sort of multi-day trip to Manning. PHOTOS

9 - MT. GARDNER
One of the few island peak hikes in the book and this one comes with the added "adventure points" of a nice ferry ride and a few decent pubs to hit for a full day excursion.  Gardner's trail is nice, and typical "coastal", but it is not alpine so it has quite a nice long season due to the low elevation (bonus!).  What you will remember most is the view of Vancouver from the helicopter/lunch pad.  No other hike will get you this unique angle and is the main reason why I have added it to my top 10 to recommend as part of the ensemble. PHOTOS


10 - RUSSET LAKE
This Whistler based one has to be done over 2 days.  What I like about this one it that it is the perfect loop if done the right way: hike up singing pass, camp at scenic Russet Lake, hike the musical bumps, and then take the gondola down. Mind blowing views the entire way and never retracing your steps.  This loop might be one of my faves of the entire book (not just as part of the ensemble).  PHOTOS