23.06.2013
The hike from Horseshoe Bay up to Eagle Bluffs is one of my favorites on the North Shore. If you haven't done it before, I definitely recommend it. The terrain is extremely varied, offering dirt road, creek bed, forest plateau, ridgeway, and boulder field segments. If you're still feeling adventurous when you reach the bluffs, consider checking out other treasures contained within the Cypress Provincial Park such as Black Mountain, Hollyburn, or even the Howe Sound Crest Trail to Saint Marks, Unnecessary Mountain, and the majestic Lions from which so many Vancouver icons take their namesake.
Today's hike was done under disappointing weather conditions, so I regret that the pictures going along with this post don't do the hike justice. From the Trailhead at Horseshoe bay, we follow the dirt road under the highway for about 1km at which point there will be a fork; continuing straight will keep you on the BP trail whereas turning right takes you to White Lake. At roughly the half-way point, you will see a tree stump with a bunch of rocks on it. It's custom to add a rock to the pile every time you climb the trail. In previous years the rock pile had been built to look like an inukshuk. Following the rock pile, the trail steepens significantly, passing through a boulder field 2/3 of the way up. From the top of the bluffs, you have views from Vancouver city all the way to the Sunshine Coast, with particularly impressive views of UBC, Horseshoe Bay, and Bowen Island.
Exercise caution when making your descent. Particularly through the bluffs and boulder field, which can become extremely treacherous in wet conditions (as they were today). I strongly recommend proper hiking boots as opposed to running shoes, you'll appreciate the more confident footing. The annual race along the entirety of the Baden Powell is called the 'Knee-Knacker', you will have a complete understanding of how the race gets its name by the time you're back in the parking lot!
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