35 - Sunday, May 27, 1990 - North Shore News TRAVEL North Shore trails offer afternoon adventure IN DOING some research for last week’s North Shore — So Much More! tourism supplement that ran in the North Shore News, I was again impressed with how many neat things there are to do in our neck of the woods. After covering the well-known attractions, such as the suspension bridges and Maplewood Farm, ! had wanted to do an article about the various trails on the North Shore — but stopped short when I saw how complex the network of footpaths really is. I quickly gave up the thought of trying to describe our wide-ranging hiking trails in a 400-word article, but my interest was caught and I went searching in focal bookstores for a volume that would introduce me to the basic walks in our area. great escapes Peggy Trendell-Whittaker EC NS I came up with two — the newly-revised 109 Walks in British Columbia's Lower Mainland by Mary and David Macaree (Douglas and Mcintyre) and the now out- of-print Exploring Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains by Roger and Ethel Freeman. . There is a certain romance about knowing intimately the area in which you live. It gives one a feel- ing of connection to know the native trees of the area, the names of the flowers and the precise lie of the land. At least, that’s what I’ve always imagined, not ever having known the names of the flowers or which mountain was which. So these books fired me with the en- tbusiasm to start to get to know the environment in which I have lived all my life. I decided to start out small, and chose the Dog Mountain hike il- lustrated in 109 Walks. The two- and-a-half-hour round trip from the main parking lot up Seymour offers little elevation gain (that caught my attention right away) and stupendous views over all of the Lower Mainland. I tried to do things right, and left notes with responsible citizens NORTH SHORE ‘VENTURE TRAVEL CHRISTMAS AIR CHARTERS TO HAWAII Vancouver to Honolulu Return Hawaiian Airlines L1011 Service CAD $599 to CAD $699 Price range based on specific dates Call us for details. telling them where I was going, with whom, and when I expected to be back. That done, it was off to Seymour, camera and map in hand, the fire of adventure cours- ing through my veins. The book had said the trail was good from June threugh to October, and this was only mid-May, but what’s a little mud? Well, imagine my surprise when we reached the top of the moun- tain and realized that snow doesn’t melt quite as quickly at higher altitudes. After plowing about in the white stuff for 10 minutes, we couldn't even find the start of the trail let alone hope to conquer its entire fength. Taking the wise course, we decided to retire Plan A and find somewhere 2 bit warmer and safer. After consulting 109 Walks, we agreed upon the Vancouver Look- out trail farther down the moun- tain, and 1 phoned my responsible citizen pal to notify him of the change in itinerary. Amazing, the difference a few thousand feet can make, isn’t it? We parked in a sunbeam at the Vancouver Lookout parking lot (look for signs off the main road up Seymour) to the sounds of birds twittering and the smell of fresh springtime air. The trail took us through forests of varying densities, over clear mountain streams and twice cross- ed the powerline access, enabling us to catch glimpses of Vancouver. We visited the site of the Histor- ic Mushroom, a covered tree stump on which early-day hikers would leave messages for each other. The Vancouver Lookout area provided us with a good chance to sit down and enjoy the view. In completing our circuit route, we also travelled the Old Buck Trail and a portion of the Baden- Powell Trail, which connects the entire North Shore, from Deep Cove to the Horseshoe Bay area. The one and a half hour hike left me feeling pleasantly tired (1 did end up doing a little climbing, after all) and glad that I had made the acquaintance of at least a few of our local trails. We rounded off the day with a bite to eat at the Raven Inn, which is only a few minutes more along Mt. Seymour Parkway from Mt. Seymour Road. The Raven is another local tandmark I had never before expe- rienced, but now that I have I'll be sure to visit again. Its prices are very reasonable, the service was down-home friendly and the at- mosphere laid-back and restful. The afternoon was a_ perfect Great Escape. If you, too, are in- terested in getting to know our local mountains, a book like one of the ones mentioned in this arti- cle will get you off to a gocd start. Or, you might want to contact the Federation of Mountain Clubs in British Columbia (737-3053) to see what information they can of- fer. And when you do set off on your adventure, remember the basic rules, even if you're going off on a short hike: tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back. If you get lost, don't try to walk down the moun- tain (that’s where you'll often en- counter dangerous bluffs and gullies), stay put and ‘‘hug a tree.”” Consult the above resources for more guidelines on basic equip- ment and safety rules. And remember to wear good footwear, respect nature, and have fun! 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