How to get fit, reduce your stress, have fun, and go homestead hunting!

My usual hiking friend Joan and myself went on two hikes this past weekend with my friend and neighbour Norm Watt!  Norm wrote the book “Off the Beaten Path – A Hiking Guide to Vancouver’s North Shore”.  Saturday we hiked my favourite trail, Quarry Rock in Deep Cove.  But unbeknownst to us, there is a connector trail leading up to Indian River Drive, and then the trail continues on to the Rock. That was a challenge for me but the reward of course in the view from the top.

Sunday we started at the trailhead at Hyannis Drive in North Vancouver.  We took the Baden Powell Trail to the Bridle Path, which we followed west to connect with the Power Lines Trail.  From there we crossed Mystery Creek and followed first the Power Lines Trail then Mystery Creek Trail down to Fisherman’s Trail.

So along the way, there were lots of mountain bikers (and I made sure to ask them if they were aware of Lynn Valley Bikes (oh my – I can hear my son-in-law Ken Maude groaning) and then we ran into some hikers that were asking directions.  I told them that Norm was the right person to ask as he wrote the book on hiking!  They were impressed with that and said that Norm should have an app for his hikes (what a great idea Joan and I chimed in) and then we thought that Norm should carry a couple of his books with him while hiking!  (don’t you all agree!)   Well then the brainstorming started and I had this brilliant idea that I should be taking pictures along the way.

So here is the Seymour River at Twin Bridges and from there we hiked the Fisherman’s Trail to the Homestead Trail.

Take a look at what we discovered: a moss covered arch from an early 1900’s homestead (see picture1), a fireplace (picture 2), the only remaining structure from an early homesteading cabin and a tunnel cut into the rock face (picture 3). You can read about all of this in Norm’s book "Off The Beaten Path- A Hiking Guide to Vancouver's North Shore." We then returned to Hyannis Drive via Fisherman’s Trail and the Baden Powell Trail. 

Hopefully more hikes coming your way soon.  Stay tuned!