Baden Powell Trail

It's 44km - approximately 14 hours - from end (Deep Cove) to End (Eagle Ridge) and it pretty much skirts the edge (sometimes enveloped) by the urban sprawl of Vancouver. The grouse grind shares 200m of it, as does a Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. It's the Baden Powell Trail and it's hike-able most of the year round. David and I had an afternoon to burn and decided to take on the section from Lynn Canyon to the base of Grouse Mountain.

One of the attractions for me is that we can take transit to various points along the trail. We took the bus to Lynn Canyon and began our hike by going backward - out over the suspension bridge. Lynn Canyon has always been a favorite just because it's so open.

Very early on in this hike it was apparent we would be taking a lot of photos. Both David and I are camera people and there are lots of things to take photos of.

Vancouver area ecology has definite prime times for various types of events. Late in the summer it's mushroom time. Mid summer there are alpine flowers. Early summer there are low elevation flowers and (as I discovered on this hike) new ferns growing up. Bracken fern (in my opinion) is the most interesting as it grows up.

Sword fern (the largest of the local ferns) is somewhat more boring. Deer Ferns are by comparison tiny. As I walked along I was always on the look out for new ferns but I was under the mistaken impression that there are only three species of local ferns.

The trail itself is quite interesting. Unlike most trails around here (up a mountain), the Baden Powell trail is often just the default choice through a web of trails. Some sections of the trail are dominated by mountain bikers and the constructions they like.

Water also dominates the trail. Every 15 minutes or so you will cross some sort water feature - a small stream or a deep valley. Flooding also influences the look of the trail - one section had a thick layer of sediment laid down from an up stream flood. Another valley was washed down to bedrock from flood.

Lesters Bridge over Abeland canyon is an example of an old washed out bridge that has been replaced with a very expensive aluminum bridge. In other parts of the bridge the washed out bridge has been replaced with a large log.

As we neared the grouse end of the trail you get into older and dryer timber.

The last 200 meters of shared trail are like a moon scape - the trail is broad and very well worn. Welcome to the bast of the grouse grind. We popped back into civilization and caught the bus down the Seabus terminal and an awesome evening BBQ. What more could you ask for?

I have been hiking on and around the b.p. trail and north of the water towers above skyline rd, I am looking for the turbine engine that fell from the sky in 1970 from a commercial airliner and the engine impacted the earth in this area , I have made 2 attemps now. anyone out there with a good sence of its whereabouts ? or a detailed map ?

dan
Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 at 19:34:29

does anybody know where the Baden Powell trail picks up from Grouse Mountain (towards the west)? thanks!

sideshowpercy
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 at 01:20:00

Probably a bit late to respond, but yeah, it follows down through the houses (not very exciting) and then you can get back on it at the dam.

ME
Sunday, March 15th, 2009 at 22:51:59

hey i think i know what your talking about if your still looking for it and haven't found it its somewhere on the top of fromme mountain way after the dump almost on grouse mountain . wayyyyyyyyy above the Baden Powell, you'll have no luck looking on that trail.

daniel
Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 00:05:38

can anyone please tell me the exact point of entrance for the baden powell trail at the horseshoe bay end thank you

gary
Sunday, May 30th, 2010 at 19:09:40

"To reach the western trailhead for the Baden-Powell Trail, take Highway #99/#1 to Horseshoe Bay. There is parking for six cars at the base of the Black Mountain Trail, on the east side of highway #99, between the exit to the ferries and the bridge over to Marine Drive (Horseshoe Bay Village). The original location of the trailhead at Eagleridge Drive is no longer accessible due the re-routing of the Sea-to-Sky highway in 2008." From the top of Westport Rd it's also possible to take the Whyte Lake Trail, which connects to the Baden Powell. Here's a map showing the 2 trailheads: http://westvancouver.ca/uploadedFiles/Parks_and_Environment/Activities/Walking_and_Hiking/Hikes/Whyte Lake Trail Map.pdf

jim
Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 15:05:58

Are you sure its an engine turbine that is on the trail, there was a famous plane crash in 1947 in that same area, somewhere near Mt. Elsay, near the Lynn Valley end of the B-P trail, it was discovered in 1994.

Cory
Sunday, October 31st, 2010 at 02:07:18

I've seen that engine turbine a few times, it's near the top of the hike that goes up the old chairlift path going up from skyline drive to the bottom of the cut. Always wondered what it was doing up there.

D
Thursday, September 13th, 2012 at 20:16:04

The jet engine on skyline trail on grouse is from a 1950s fighter jet crash. www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19061

Joshnv
Monday, May 13th, 2013 at 09:41:56

Baden Powell Trail

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