Escaping the heat of the city

The trail head just off Quarry Rd

The heat in Vancouver had been building for a few weeks and, coupled with the smog from forest fires and the usual city pollution, had created an unpleasant atmosphere in which to live and attempt any form of exercise. It was while being fried on a bike ride the previous day that I glanced towards the mountains north of the city and decided I should go for a hike the next day. Cool, clear mountain air might be just what I needed and I even had a route planned out from last fall.

I had been working on the set of a Netflix drama series (I had to drop that in all casual, like working on movies is something I always do!) in the hills just outside Coquitlam BC. They were filming in a forest and a strong wind had brought down some branches, narrowly missing the cast and crew. The union rep said they needed a tree expert to ensure their safety and I got the gig. I really should have told them that being in a forest during a wind storm is stupid and that despite my advance powers of tree whispering, I was powerless to prevent them from getting hurt if branches did start to fall. But the work load was light and the catering was pretty awesome so I kept my mouth shut and diligently stared at the trees during filming as if I had some super power that would keep everything in place.

During the rather lax schedule I discovered a trail head close to the film set and after studying a map, realized it might be a decent if somewhat steep climb up to some remote lakes. I was planning to take a look one weekend but then the weather crapped out and we were into another long, damp west coast winter. I’d pretty much forgotten about the hike until the aforementioned hot bike ride but it didn’t take long to dig out the correct map and make plans for an early start the next day.

I was on the trail just after 7am and was quickly soaked in sweat and breathing hard due to the steep terrain. Unlike many of the more popular and accessible trails around Vancouver, this one appeared lightly traveled which meant I might be saved from having to dodge a mass of out of shape, poorly prepared tourists on my way back down. Plus there is something oh so special about having a mountain, lake or forest to oneself!

As the trail zigzagged across the mountain I turned back occasionally for partial views across the Pitt and Fraser rivers but as I got higher the haze seemed to thicken and visibility was reduced. I skipped a couple of side trails for “view points” figuring I could catch them on the way down. I had also hit my climbing groove and was happy to just keep on trucking, pausing only to take a drink and wipe sweat from my eyes. After an hour of steep uphill things leveled out a little and I entered a more open forest populated by large Yellow Cedars. The area looked like old growth which struck me as being odd given the intense logging history of the region. Maybe they didn’t value Yellow Cedar enough to spend the time cutting through their massive trunks and hauling them down to the river. Whatever the reason I’m glad they were there as it gave the forest a wonderful open and airy feel.

Shortly after this I came across Munro Lake which is actually a collection of small lakes that are reverting to a vegetation filled wetland. The lake was created to feed a quarry down below but since the removal of the dam in the early 1980’s the landscape has changed considerably. To my partially trained eye it looked like a more useful habitat than a lake and I kept my wits about me for signs of bears and other large predators that might like a nice chunk of human to go with their berries and pond water. Other than a few suspicious footprints in the mud and a myriad of insects, all appeared quiet as I picked my way across the drier parts of land, found the onward trail and carried on uphill.

Munro Lake

The further I moved away from civilization, the quieter it became and I found myself picking up on noises that I’m sure are present at other times but are just not detected above the sounds of traffic, aircraft and the hum of the city. At one clearing the sound of hundreds of bees merrily going about their business on the bushes sounded like a distant airplane approaching. And I swear I heard the sound of a spider’s web breaking around my face as I walked through it (I had stopped freaking out about spiders webs on my face after the first 5 minutes of the hike. I totally freaked out to start with but at least it meant I was the first person on the trail that day!).

Taking a side trail to a lookout I was rewarded with an amazing view over Munro Lake and a haze filtered view of the lower mainland. There was a nice flat spot for a tent and good views to the east so I added it to my list of mountain campsites before heading back to the main trail. I was slightly pissed off to find the remains of a campfire that appeared recently used. The ashes were cold but given the elevated fire risk and the potential for massive damage during such hot dry weather, it showed a complete lack of awareness and respect on someones part. One errant spark would be enough to kick things off but hey, at least they got to have a campfire under the stars so I guess that's OK...

Looking back down onto Munro Lake from the lookout

Hazy view of the mountains

Dennett Lake was revealed to me suddenly when I pushed through some overgrown vegetation and found myself right on the south shore. It felt odd to find such a large body of water this far up a mountain in the middle of a baking hot summers day but I wasn’t complaining. I hiked along the bank looking for a good place to drop my gear and clothes for a quick skinny dip. Fortunately I met with the only other people within a dozen kilometres just before I stripped off. They had camped there the previous night and we had a quick chat about the trail and the weather before I headed off to find a quieter corner of the lake where my not so suntanned parts would have a less glaring effect. The water was cool against my skin and it felt great to wash off the sweat and dirt from the mornings hike. I’m not sure how deep the lake was but when I put my legs down under me my feet they found a very cold layer which would not have been fun to swim in. I floated around for a while then sat on a rock to dry out and eat a sandwich before reluctantly making my way back to the trail.

The oh so inviting Dennett Lake

The trail back down the mountain was steep and technical but I managed to run parts of it without too much risk to life and limb. Stumbling and head-butting a tree would be a pretty stupid way for a Tree Guy to die but I’m sure someone would have got a laugh out of it! The heat of the day increased as I descended and the cool of the lake quickly became a distant memory as the dust stuck to my sweaty legs and face. I screeched to a halt (yes, I sometimes make car skidding noises when running trails, especially when doing tight turns) when a large pheasant like bird ran out onto the trail looking like it had just been shot. I walked slowly along the trail but it kept waddling in front of me before squawking and heading off into the bushes. It was either a very stupid bird (which I told it) or it was trying to lure me away from its nest by pretending to be injured (pretty smart…or stupid if it gets caught) but it eventually flew up into a tree. With a quick wheel spin sound and I was back on the trail and heading down hill.

The lookouts I had skipped on the way up were disappointing due to the haze but I had saved the most intriguing side trail for last. I had noticed on the map a disused quarry close to the trail head along with the words: Film set (First Blood). Now I knew that large parts of the first Rambo movie were filmed up the highway at Hope but I didn’t know they had come this close to the city. The area is barely recognizable but there is a truck with bullet holes (which I hoped had come from the movie and not some local gun nut stalking movie nerds) and lots of abandoned mining equipment which gave the place a wonderful post-apocalyptic feel. Well worth scrambling through a couple of km’s of overgrown trail for in my opinion!

I was back at the car just after midday which wasn’t bad for a hike estimated at 6 hours return in a guide book. It’s not an easy hike but I would recommend it for anyone looking for a quiet day in the mountains, away from the noise and pollution of the city. The trail would be muddy in the spring and fall but it would still be worth it for a swim in the lake!