Mount Harvey

Introduction

Mount Harvey is in the middle

It's a wonderful trail through the forest and on top of a ridge. There are explicit 360 views looking at Howe Sound, the Lions, Mt. Brunswick, and various other mountains and lakes. It is a challenging hike since the elevation gain is of 1500 meters to hike up in only 6km of trail, so it is fairly steep most the way, but it is definately worth it and a great work out. If you have previously done the Lions or Mt. Brunswick and liked that type of hike, then this is perfect as it is about the same difficulty and the same reward, that is just as close from Vancouver as the Lions themselves.

Route Info

Mt. Harvey elevation: 1 705 meters,

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Trailhead elevation: 240 meters

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Trail length: 6.25 km one way

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Time to complete: 7-8 hours

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Difficulty: moderate ~ hard

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Technical difficulty: steep trail, some rock scrambling

Directions

Drive North from Vancouver for about 11km on Hwy 99 toward Lions Bay then take The Oceanview Road exit. Take the left on Cross Creek Road, turn right on Centre Road, left on Bayview Road, right on Mountain Drive, then left on Sunset Drive and park near the same yellow gate as for the Lions trail. No parking fees are involved, but as there is limited space, you want to make sure that you are there not to late as then there will be no available spots. If the trailhead parking is full, alternative parking is available at the elementary school back down the road. There is a new trail connecting the elementary school overflow parking to the main trail.

Lions Bay can be reach by public transit on community shuttle bus C12. You will have to walk from the highway to the trailhead, which adds a couple of km.

Trail Description

The trailhead is at the same old "parking lot" as for the West Lion and Mount Brunswick trails. The start is just past the yellow gate, up the long gravel road. Ignore the first intersection on the road and head right. The second intersection you will pass is the the turnoff for Mount Brunswick to the left, so just keep right for now. On the third one, keep right again as the trail to the left leads to the north face of Mt. Harvey and is not the correct trail, although it is possible to climb it with plenty of effort and precaution. Consider it if you are looking for a moderate climb and have the proper equipment. Finally, on the fourth intersection, turn left as the right will take you up to the Lions. If you are weary of these intersections, not to worry as they are all properly marked and hard to miss. Now through the forest, up, up and up. There will be a waterfall where you could make a short break and fill up on water, note that this is about the only place with a water source along the entire trail. After a few hours of continuous uphill, you will come out to a ridge which will take you to the top of Mt. Harvey, but it is still at least an hour, so you may consider this place for a break. This area was blazed by fire a long time ago as you may notice on the trees. Don't forget your camera as the view from the top is extraordinary.

Skiing Mt. Harvey

	Avalanche Hazard
	The route and terrain described here is capable of producing avalanches. Safe travel requires the skills and equipment to assess and mitigate avalanche hazards. A professionally taught training course is highly recommended.

Mt. Harvey is a relatively straightforward ski from Lion's Bay. Because of the low start, it's likely that you will have to walk some distance of the harvey creek logging road. The easiest route up Mt. Harvey on skis is to stay on the Harvey Creek road as long as possible. Skip the Mt. Harvey hiking trail and continue on the road past the trail up to the West Lion. Eventually this road ends up at the bottom of a big clearcut on the south side of Mt. Harvey. Ski up thrugh an old burn to join the ridge (and the regular hiking trail) just west of the summit.