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What: 1355m. An intermediate climb with partial views.
Where: St. Marks Summit is located on the Howe Sound Crest Trail between West Vancouver and Lions Bay, BC.
Difficulty: | 2/5 | Well-marked trail |
Runnability: | 4/5 | Popular HSCT offers a good warm-up from Cypress |
Peak view: | 4/5 |
Partial views of surrounding peaks and islands of Howe Sound |
Scenery: | 4/5 | Old growth, second growth forests. Ocean views. |
Children: | 4/5 | Child friendly |
Dogs: | 5/5 | Great opportunity to go walkies |
Route overview: St. Marks Summit is located on the Howe Sound Crest Trail (HCST) between Lions Bay and Cypress Mountain.
Trip distance: From Lions Bay, exit off #1, roughly 11 km. From Cypress parking lot, roughly 7 km.
Trip time: From Lions Bay, anticipate 2.5 - 5 hours. Add an hour or so if you have to park a long way from trailhead in Lions Bay. From Cypress, plan for 2 - 4 hours. This assumes a moderate running pace and some contingency for getting lost.
Safety:
Name Origin: Named in association with Camp Agwatilah in Lions Bay, operated for many years by St. Mark's Anglican Church. The name "Mount St. Marks" was originally applied to the next peak north (what is now known as Unnecessary Mtn).
Headwaters for: Some small streams.
Getting there: From the north: Drive to Cypress Mountain Provincial Park. Park in paid lot. Take Howe Sound Crest Trail (HCST). From the south: Drive to the Lions Bay exit off Highway #1. Parking is a challenge. Best to drive to the trailhead and descend to where there is legal street parking. Warning: Locals don't like you being there and they ticket!
Route Details: Unnecessary Mountain is on the Howe Sound Crest Trail (HSCT). There are 3 routes: From the south (Cypress Park) or the north (Lions Bay) via the West Lion and HSCT.
Cypress (1 - 2.5 hours)
Lions Bay (2.5 - 5 hours)
Neighboring peaks:
Submitted by: Ean Jackson and David Crerar
More information:
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