Howe Sound Crest Trail

{{Infobox Hiking trail |name=Howe Sound Crest Trail |length_km=32.8 |location=North Shore Mountains, British Columbia, Canada |trailheads={{plainlist|1=*Cypress Creek Lodge (south) *Sea to Sky Highway at Porteau Road (north) }} |use=Hiking, backpacking, and scrambling |highest_m=1,592 |lowest_m=94 |lowest=Porteau Road trailhead near Porteau Cove |highest=South slope of Brunswick Mountain |months=July - October |sights={{plainlist|1=*Coast Mountains *Howe Sound *Greater Vancouver }} |hazards={{plainlist|1=*Avalanche *Bears *Cornices *Dehydration *Falling (accident) *Hypothermia *Forest fires *Landslides *Severe weather }} |photo=File:UNN Camping.jpg |caption=Camping on Unnecessary Mountain |difficulty=Strenuous }} {{routemap | map = ~~distance (km)~~ <ref name=":1"></ref> PARKING~~Sea to Sky Highway fENDEa~~33~~Porteau Road \feABZg+l\fexCONTfq~~Kallahne Creek Trail fexCONTgq\feABZg+r\~~Deeks Bluff Traill uBHF~~Phi Alpha Falls \feABZg+l\fexCONTfq~~Windsor Trail (to Mt. Windsor & Deeks Peak) uBHF~~26~~Deeks Lake uBHF~~Hannover Lake uBHF~~Brunswick Lake BUILDING~~23~~Brunswick Lake Emergency Shelter fexCONTgq\feABZg+r\~~Hat Mountain Trail fSTR+GRZq~~Hat Pass fexCONTgq\feABZg+lr\fexCONTfq~~Brunswick Mountain Trail (access to Lions Bay) BUILDING~~19~~Magnesia Meadows Emergency Shelter fexCONTgq\feABZg+r\~~Mt. Harvey Trail (access to Lions Bay) fSTR+GRZq~~Harvey Pass fGIP~~David Peak (1,480m) fGIP~~15~~James Peak (1,466m) fGIP~~The Lions col (Thomas Peak, 1,540m) fexCONTgq\feABZg+r\~~12.5~~West Lion route fexCONTgq\feABZg+r\~~Lions Binkert Trail (access to Lions Bay) fexCONTgq\feABZg+r\~~10~~Unnecessary Mtn Trail (access to Lions Bay) fGIP~~Unnecessary Mountain (1,548m) fGIP~~6~~St. Marks Summit (1,371m) fexCONTgq\feABZg+r\~~2~~Bowen Lookout Trail fexCONTgq\feABZg+r\~~Sunset Trail to Sunset Beach fENDEe~~0~~Cypress Creek Lodge PARKING~~Cypress Bowl Road | title = Howe Sound Crest Trail }}

The '''Howe Sound Crest Trail''' (often abbreviated as HSCT) is a rugged {{convert|32.8|km|mi|adj=on}}<ref name=":1" /> wilderness hiking trail located near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The trail is located mostly within Cypress Provincial Park and is typically traveled as a single or multi-day hike from south to north, or as a means to access peaks along the route such as Mount Brunswick. It gets its name because it follows the crests of the North Shore Mountains that rise above the Howe Sound, the deep saltwater glacial fjord which parallels the trail to the west. It can be accessed in the south from Cypress Mountain Ski Area and in the north from the Sea to Sky Highway at Porteau Road, or via many intersecting trails that start at Lions Bay.

The trail is maintained by local outdoor groups like the BCMC in partnership with BC Parks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Planned Projects |url=https://www.bcmountainfoundation.ca/index.php/projects/planned-projects |access-date=April 28, 2023 |website=www.bcmountainfoundation.ca}}</ref>

Despite its short distance, numerous search and rescue calls occur on this trail and its adjacent peaks each year. There are scrambling sections with serious exposure risk, and injuries and deaths are not uncommon.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Meuse |first1=Matt |last2=Zeidler |first2=Maryse |date=April 9, 2017 |title='A great tragedy:' Bodies of 5 missing hikers recovered near Lions Bay, B.C. |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/lions-bay-search-resumes-hikers-found-and-recovered-1.4062976 |publisher=CBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 15, 2021 |title=Snowshoer dies after overnight search on Vancouver-area mountain: RCMP |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/01/15/snowshoer-dies-after-overnight-search-on-vancouver-area-mountain-rcmp.html |access-date=April 28, 2023 |website=thestar.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 16, 2021 |title=Death of B.C. hiker a reminder that even a 'single moment of inadvertence' can be deadly: rescue crew |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/death-of-bc-hiker-a-reminder-that-even-a-single-moment-of-inadvertence-can-be-deadly-rescue-crew/ |access-date=April 28, 2023 |publisher=CTV News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Updated: Search called off for missing White Rock man |url=https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/updated-search-called-off-for-missing-white-rock-man-3018546 |access-date=April 28, 2023 |website=North Shore News |date=September 21, 2015 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Family files petition to declare second missing Cypress Mountain snowshoer dead |url=https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/bc-news/family-files-petition-to-declare-second-missing-cypress-mountain-snowshoer-dead-2506997 |access-date=April 28, 2023 |website=Pique Newsmagazine |date=May 6, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> It is typically traveled between July and October due to high avalanche danger and elevated risk during winter conditions, which persist well into the spring.

== Route description == The route begins in the south at Cypress Mountain ski area with the choice of two trails that both ascend the western slopes of Mount Strachan. HSCT East is more direct, but HSCT West provides an optional detour to Bowen Lookout around {{convert|2|km|mi|spell=in}} into the trail. Both trails converge just past Bowen Lookout junction, following a well-maintained gravel trail into Strachan Meadows before climbing steeply to reach Saint Mark's Summit ({{convert|1,371|m|ft|disp=sqbr}}), a popular viewpoint for day hikers. The trail, no longer officially maintained after this point, then descends steeply before an equally steep ascent to Unnecessary Mountain ({{convert|1,548|m|ft|disp=sqbr}}) then traversing rocky terrain to the base of West Lion. At this point, the trail gets more rugged and technical, often resembling a scramble more than a hike with exposed terrain and several roped or chain-assisted sections. After traversing an exposed ledge below West Lion, the trail ascends Thomas Peak ({{convert|1,540|m|ft|disp=sqbr}}) in the col between the Lions before descending a talus field to Enchantment Pass. The next few kilometres follow exposed terrain up and down both James Peak ({{convert|1,466|m|ft|disp=sqbr}}) and David Peak ({{convert|1480|m|ft|disp=sqbr}}) before descending Harvey Pass to Magnesia Meadows, a popular backcountry camping area. The next {{convert|4|km|mi|spell=in}} follow the south and west slopes of Brunswick Mountain to the highest point on the trail ({{convert|1,592|m|ft|disp=sqbr}}), with an option to ascend the {{convert|1,788|m|ft|adj=on}} peak, before descending from Hat Pass to the Brunswick emergency shelter and a series of mountain lakes (Brunswick Lake, Hanover Lake, and Deeks Lake). Upon reaching the logjam at the north end of Deeks Lake, it is a {{convert|7|km|mi|adj=on|spell=in}} forested descent to Highway 99 at Porteau Cove.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Bourdon |first=Marc |title=Squamish Hiking |publisher=Quickdraw Publications |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-9877796-7-0 |edition=1st |pages=46–53 |ref=Bourdon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cypress Park: Hiking and skiing |url=https://bcparks.ca/cypress-park/hike-ski/ |access-date=April 28, 2023 |publisher=BC Parks |language=en}}</ref>

== History == The Howe Sound Crest Trail is located within the traditional territories of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples who often used the mountains to hunt mountain goats. Evidence of First Nations use has been documented along the trail, including 350-400 year old bark-stripping scars on old-growth yellow cedar trees above Yew Lake.<ref name=":2" /> The Lions, the most famous peaks along the trail are known in the Squamish language as ''Ch'ich'iyúy Elxwíkn'', meaning ''twin sisters,'' and had their first known ascent by a hunting party guided by Squamish Chief Joe Capilano in 1889.<ref name=":0" />

A trail from Porteau Cove to Deeks Lake was built in the early 20th century to service a hydroelectric dam which provided electricity to Porteau Cove. This trail was later upgraded to a gravel logging road in the 1960s. Mentions of a hiking route from Deeks Lake to Brunswick Mountain area date as early as 1928. The southern route from Cypress Mountain to the Lions, originally known as the Skyline Ridge Trail, was maintained by UBC students and Varsity Outdoors Club members in the 1960s and 1970s. Cypress Provincial Park was created in 1975 to protect the area from clear-cut logging. The park was expanded north along what is now the Howe Sound Crest Trail to Deeks Lake in 1982. A federal grant expended the trail in 1983 from Deeks Lake to Harvey, and from Harvey to the Lions by the late 1980s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Crerar |first1=David |title=The Glorious Mountains of Vancouver's North Shore: A Peakbagger's Guide |last2=Crerar |first2=Harry |last3=Maurer |first3=Bill |publisher=Rocky Mountain Books |year=2018 |isbn=9781771602754 |location=Victoria, BC |pages=95, 170}}</ref>

The northern terminus of the trail between Porteau Cove and Deeks Lake is not part of the provincial park, but was on land owned by BC Rail, a crown corporation. In 2001, this land was transferred to Squamish Nation. There were plans to develop the land into a town of 1,400 residences which never came to fruition. In 2017, development company Concord Pacific took ownership of the land. In 2018, a quarry at Kallanhe Creek blocked the existing trail up to Deeks Lake and the trail had to be re-routed along Bertram Creek to preserve access.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Park History |url=https://cypresspark.ca/park-history |access-date=April 28, 2023 |publisher=Friends of Cypress Provincial Park |language=en-US}}</ref>

Local outdoor groups have criticized the ski resort operator of Cypress Mountain of restricting winter access to provincial park trails like the Howe Sound Crest Trail which passes through the ski area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cypress BAC |url=https://backcountrybc.ca/351-issues/mainland-southwest/north-shore/cypress-provincial-park/bac |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Backcountry BC |date=November 13, 2017 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Future Extension == There is a long term goal of local outdoor groups like the BCMC to extend the trail north to Squamish, British Columbia. Extensive trail work has already been done to connect the trails at Shannon Creek and the Sea to Sky Gondola to Mountain Lake near Sky Pilot group which is currently accessed from Furry Creek Forest Service Road.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Approved Projects |url=https://www.bcmountainfoundation.ca/index.php/projects/approved-projects |access-date=April 28, 2023 |website=www.bcmountainfoundation.ca}}</ref> Future projects will eventually connect the existing Howe Sound Crest Trail from Deeks Lake and nearby Deeks Peak to Furry Creek FSR, although no official work has begun.

== References ==

== External links == *[https://bcparks.ca/cypress-park/ Cypress Provincial Park] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG8lD9_kkdE AdventureSmart - Howe Sound Crest Trail] *[https://cypresspark.ca/ Friends of Cypress Provincial Park] *[https://www.northshorerescue.com/ North Shore Rescue] *[https://lbsar.com/ Lions Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue]

Category:Hiking trails in British Columbia Category:North Shore Mountains Category:Hiking trails in Canada {{Canadian Trails}}