After Golden Ears Scramble trip, I was looking to post another British Columbia Mountaineering Club (BCMC) trip. The plan was to do another hike with some moderate scrambling and Crown Mountain fit the bill.
Oudi from BCMC is a mentor to me, and luckily he was available this weekend. Wes, Hamayun, Stephanie and Alan signed up for the trip as well. By now, I had already made two trips with Hamayun and Stephanie, and would be hiking for the first time with Wes and Alan.
BCMC Trail
When we reached the trailhead around 7:05 am, Wes, Stephanie, and Hamayun were waiting for us. We soon started our hike on the BCMC trail. Alan would be meeting us directly at the Grouse Mountain Chalet on top. Grouse Grind is 2.9 km and the BCMC trail is a bit longer at 3.0 km. Both trails end at the top of Grouse with 853 m elevation gain.
We hiked at an average pace and reached the Chalet around 8:35 am. Alan had hiked up Grouse Grind at a pretty good speed and was all set to go. We took a short break and then made our way to Alpine Trail. On our way, we made a quick stop at the Wildlife Refuge home to Coola and Grinder – rescued Grizzly Bears.
Alpine and Ridge Trail
After a short walk from the Wildlife refuge, we were on the Alpine Trail. I have been on this trail only in winter while doing Snowshoe grind. The views were familiar, but the path felt so different.
As you gain some elevation, you will see signs for both Alpine and Ridge trail. The Ridge trail (to your left) takes you to Dam Mountain (high point for Snowshoe Grind) and then drops down to join Alpine trail. We took the Ridge trail.
On the trail, we came across a construction site for Helipad. Given the number of rescues that happen on this mountain, probably this was another rescue point. The weather was great, and as we reached Dam Mountain, we had a great view of Goat Mountain, Crown Mountain and The Camel.
After a short hike down the Dam Mountain, we came across a sign for the Little Goat Mountain trail that went up on the left side.
Within two minutes, we were at another junction. The trail on the right goes to Goat Mountain, and one on the left to Crown Mountain and Hanes Valley.
Hike Down to Crown Pass
From here on, we lost elevation as we hiked down to Crown Pass. Some sections are steep and have chains for support. Just before the Crown Pass, you will come across a small boulder field.
The sign at the Crown Pass says 1.9 km to Crown Mountain, whereas, on the map, it is 1.1 km.
The hike from Crown Pass to Crown Mountain summit is the steepest and the most interesting part of the trail.
Before the summit scramble, there is a viewpoint at the top of the Crown Couloir. It offers a beautiful view of the Hanes Valley.
Summit Scramble
We continued on our hike up and took the trail to the left of the ridge.
The final scramble was exposed but easier than what I expected.
After five hours of starting our hike, we were now on the summit of Crown mountain. It was a beautiful day, and we had an amazing 360-degree view. The Camel was right in front.
It was fun to look back at Grouse and see the terrain we had covered on the way to this summit. Soon, three more groups arrived, and we scrambled down from the summit pyramid. Oudi found himself a great spot to rest.
Hike Back to Grouse
Around 1 pm, we started our hike back to Grouse.
We were back at the Chalet by around 3:45 pm. Few in the group took the Skyride down, and others hiked down the BCMC trail. We were down at the parking lot by 5 pm. It was a 10-hour day, and we had hiked 16 km, with roughly 1700 m of elevation gain and drop.
Dean Perez from BCMC did this entire hike/run in 2 hours 36 minutes. Next time you want someone to pop your bubble or even better get inspired, talk a trail runner.
Resources:
Trail Guide –
Outdoor Vancouver | Vancouver Trails
Matt Gunn’s Book – Scrambles in Southwest British Columbia
Crown Mountain Origin Notes and History on BC Website
If you are in Lower Mainland, check out British Columbia Mountaineering Club for trips and courses.
Disclosure: I am not affiliated with any of the above individuals or organizations.
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