Hike to Cabin Lake and Black Mountain Summit July 25, 2009

Needing to get in some quality hiking before I head for the Rockies in a week's time and also having a couple of other events on tap for today I decide to head over to Cypress Provincial Park and do the Cabin Lake - Black Mountain summit trail - the trail to the top has been altered by ski resort expansion - it is now a much shorter but steeper trail - it only took me about 45 minutes to reach the lake - the trail is hard surface gravel and is well marked - only met a couple of other hikers coming down - it was still early in the day when I started - about 9:30AM but already the temperature was well in the high 20's - one couple remarked about looking out for the skinny dippers at the Lake - the lake is popular with the pure au naturel types - except there wasn't anybody at the Lake.

You get some great views on the way up - across to the Bowl to Strachan, the Lions and up Howe Sound and the massif of Garibaldi at Squamish.

The lake itself is quite charming and peaceful - the opposite shore is where the naturalists usually sun tan - judging by the amount of people I met while hiking down the trail I am sure that some where going to do just that.

After you reach the Lake it is only a short five minute walk to the Summit of Black Mt - here there are more great views in all directions - from Black you can continue west across a short plateau to Eagle Bluffs and then down to Horseshoe Bay - you can also loop around Black Mt and rejoin the new trail just before Cabin Lake. I opted to return the same way.

Yes there is a bit of a flower show on the Mountain - it is alpine terrain after all - here's a few of the flowers that I noticed on the hike.

I was finished up and off the mountain before noon - had a quick lunch at McDonalds at Park Royal and then home to take in event #2 for the day. The Granville Street Party and a preview of the new Vancouver Center Rapid Transit station and one of the new trains that will run on that line.

Later in the evening it was supper with Jim and then home for the fireworks and quite the show it was. In addition to the regular fireworks mother nature presented us with one of the most spectacular thunder and lightning shows seen in these parts in years.

More on than in a separate post.

Cheers

Dennis