Hiking is definitely one of my favourite pastimes. As I gained experience, it gradually expanded from a summer-only pursuit into one spanning three seasons. Finally, this winter, it was time to take a shot at hiking during the fourth season—winter.
The logistics of winter hiking are considerably different than those for any other season. This had been the primary reason for not doing it sooner, but after splurging on some snowshoes (and having done the same for microspikes previously) there was no longer a good excuse not to try.
We spent a day trudging around the maintained snowshoe trails at the Cypress Mountain resort on a previous weekend, just to get used to the snow and the additional footwear. Having tested everything out, we returned to Cypress Mountain a couple weeks later to attempt a relatively short trail that we’d done the previous summer (sans snow)—the trail up to Black Mountain.
The Black Mountain trail is approximately 6 kilometres, and in snow-free conditions can be done in a couple of hours. Even in the winter months, it’s relatively well-used, so we figured it would be a good place for some novice-level winter hiking.
Of course, the first mistake was bringing snowshoes. Turns out they’re not really necessary on a hard-packed, busy trail. If there had been more recent fresh snow, perhaps they’d have come in handy, but on this particular Saturday the trail was well-worn, and only the microspikes were necessary.
Most of the route is a steep climb from the bottom of the Cypress ski runs up to a plateau. Part of the way up, we were treated to a fantastic view of Mount Baker in the distance.
Aside from that, it was a pretty straightforward climb to the top. At that point, there are several different trails to choose from, and it’s possible to make a small loop around the plateau and the small lakes upon it.
Our first stop was the namesake of the trail—Black Mountain. It’s a short detour from the loop up to the top, starting from Cabin Lake. However, it seemed like most people didn’t bother to take it, as the trail was far less compact from the lake to the summit. If it had been further, it would have been a great excuse to use the snowshoes that we were trucking along on our backs the whole time.
The view from Black Mountain is excellent, and was particularly so on this clear winter day. The Lions were in full view, and we could see down to Howe Sound on one side and, through the trees, Mount Baker and the Lower Mainland on the other side.
Descending from the summit, we continued along the loop to the next viewpoint. This viewpoint is also called Black Mountain, and seems far more popular. The view here was also great, though perhaps not as much so as the previous Black Mountain (that one is slightly higher).
This second viewpoint offered a sweeping view across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island, not to mention in every other direction.
From there, we passed the junction for the trail to Eagle Bluffs, which is marked as closed during the winter months. Continuing along the loop, we returned to the trail that headed back down to the ski lodge and parking lot.
On the way down, just before noon, we met dozens of hikers heading up. Things had been pretty quiet most of our time up there, certainly much quieter than we remembered from our summer experience with the same trail. But, it seems as though it’s still plenty popular during the winter.
In any case, we completed the whole circuit in a little over two hours, which was a lot faster than we’d expected. This having been our first real experience hiking with microspikes, I must say: it rules. It’s far easier than regular hiking, since the trail is totally smooth—no roots or rocks to stumble over. With the spikes providing traction, we flew up and down.
Of course, conditions aren’t always quite so pristine. Perhaps next time we’ll have a good reason to use those snowshoes.
Questions or comments? Leave ’em below. Want to read another overnight backpacking story? Check out this story about the fantastic hiking and camping at Elfin Lakes.