A walk on Cypress

While Mum & Dad were with us we took a walk in Cypress Provincial Park.  There are several peaks accessible from the out-of-season ski resort but we took the trails in and around the Nordic Ski area made up predominately of the various cross-country ski runs.

Thanks to Mum for the pictures in this post.

The entrance to Cypress Provincial Park.

We stop at the lookout on the way up for a view over the city.

Looking over North Vancouver.

Burnaby, East Vancouver and the edge of the Lions Gate Bridge.

Downtown and Stanley Park.

City of Vancouver and Vancouver Island on the horizon.

Pacific Spirit Park, University of BC and on the coast Spanish Banks beach where we had walked a few days before.

We drive and park at the Nordic ski parking area then take the trails in through the forest.  The trails are wide and light by comparison to many of the North Shore forested trails.  Most of the trails are actually the Nordic ski runs in the winter and just used for hiking in the Summer & Fall.  In the background you can see one of the downhill ski runs.

We reach First Lake.

Mojo having an explore.

Hollyburn Lodge which is closed during the summer but offers a cafe and importantly hot drinks during the winter.  It also looks a lot better under a few feet of snow !

We disturb a heron on the lake which takes flight and mum captures this excellent photo.

Another view of First Lake.

Mojo gets a good swim in the still clean water.

We walk on the trail to the opposite side of the lake to ascend away from First Lake.  View back from the lake as we leave.

Before Cypress became a Provincial Park a number of cabins were built on parcels of land in the area and are still privately owned today.  Mojo took a particular liking to this one, appropriated named ‘The Doghouse’.

The trails are wide and natural, pretty much unkempt during the summer months.

We then reach West Lake.  Another chance for a swim for Mojo but the number of mosquitoes in the area stops us from staying long.

The park is very quiet this time of year.  Of the few people that come most head to the nearby peaks such as Hollyburn Mountain.  We saw virtually nobody on our walk.   It does however increase your chances of seeing wildlife and we were warned by someone in the parking lot before we set off that a bear was currently on the Hollyburn Mountain trail.

We loop around and pass back close to First Lake, this time from higher up and looking down on one end of it.

The boys !  Dad, Mojo and I.

Mum and I.

The occasional flood lights are one of the few tell-tale signs this time of year that the area we’re walking in is not just wilderness park.  Night-skiing is a big part of the business so it’s well illuminated here during the winter months.

Eventually we make it back to Powerline Trail which leads us back to the parking lot.  This view across the bowl to the downhill skiing area on the other side.