A good leg-stretcher, the trail is in pretty good condition right now – some water in a few places but very little mud. Note I only went as far as Mosquito Creek before returning to Lynn Headwaters. Most of this stretch is shared with mountain bikers, but I encountered only one. On a fine sunny day, I was surprised at how nice it was – I know that on a dull day, it’s quite oppressive under the tree canopy. All the creeks are running which makes for plenty of little waterfall photo-ops :-)
It’s been a few years since I last hiked this trail but it seems to have had a lot of work done in that time. Alternatively, perhaps my memory is faulty…? Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by how little mud there was on the trail. The upgrades provided by the NSMBA don’t always help hikers – the rocks may not always be as grippy as they are when dry. Having said that, I should point out that many sections also have steps although they may not be obvious as they appear to require stepping “off trail”.
The old dam on Mosquito Creek has some new protective measures against floods and debris slides with a huge steel mesh net spanning the canyon. While I appreciate that it’s vital, it’s not very pretty.
The salmonberry is in full bloom, although it was looking pretty bedraggled after the recent downpours. Skunk cabbage, coltsfoot and wood anemone are on show at the Lynn Headwaters end of the trail. Flickrs were noisy on one section of the trail, varied thrushes whistled their plaintive call, I heard a single rufous hummingbird buzz past, and I even heard and saw a small flock of what appeared to be snow geese flying over the tree tops.
All in all, a really pleasant few hours.
Distance: 10.5 km
Elevation gain: 500 m
Photos on Flickr
Being. Outdoors. 