| Time | | Description | km |
| ~7:30 | | meet at the yellow beacon – 3515 Fairmont Road, North Vancouver. Please make sure you sign in at the start and check out at the finish. If for some reason you don't check in at the finish, please call us at 604-904-6552 with your time and whereabouts, so we know you are accounted for. |
|
| 7:55 | | photo |
|
| 8:00 | | start – the street | 00.0 |
|
| | This first section gets you to Capilano Canyon via the scenic route |
|
|
| | - go downhill 50m to the first intersection (Forest Hills Road) and go left. Take the trail at the end of the street. Turn immediately right and follow trail onto street (Del Rio Drive) which t-bones into Queens Road and the Griffin Gym. Carefully cross Queens Road |
|
|
| | - on far side of Queens, turn right and suffer through the sneers as you cut through the skateboard park. On the far side of the skateboard park, go left and uphill on trail that cuts along side of ravine |
|
|
| | - where trail meets the street (Colwood Drive), go right to next intersection (Thorncliffe Drive) then left to where street ends at Dudley Place Park. Go right onto Newmarket Drive then almost immediately left onto Crescentview Drive. |
|
|
| | - about 50m after the bend in Crescentview, find unmarked park entrance to left and descend concrete stairway. (If you reach Highland Blvd, you’ve gone 25m too far!) At bottom of ravine, turn right at first trail and go over little bridge. Pass duck pond and cool log cabin. Stay right and up Mackay Creek. After crossing bridge, go straight then follow path right and uphill thru tennis courts. |
|
|
| | Water #1. There’s a fountain on your RHS near the last tennis court. Assume it doesn't work. |
|
|
| | - go right onto Elizabeth Way. Pass playground. Go right at first street (Paisley Road) up short hill and keep straight toward ‘no exit’ sign at intersection (St. Annes Drive.) |
|
|
| | - Street curves left and ends at trail. At clearing, cross Ridgewood Street carefully and head left for intersection with Capilano Road. At blue ‘Capilano Suspension Bridge’ sign, turn right onto Capilano Road and continue uphill on sidewalk. |
|
|
| | - pass Suspension Bridge parking area. Climb hill. Pass Edgemont Blvd. Pass entrance to Capilano River Park. Climb hill. Cross Capilano Road carefully onto Eldon Road at stoplight. Take path marked with a Trans-Canada Trail sign on left at bend in street. |
|
|
| | - you will soon come to a road crossing. Immediately opposite is a yellow gate. At gate, go left onto marked with a Trans-Canada Trail sign. (Chinook Trail.) trail |
|
|
| | This section through the Capilano Canyon is mostly on narrow, rooty trails. |
|
| 8:15 | | - Begin a gnarly bit of steep climbs and descents in the deep woods with the river always to your left. Stay left on smaller trail at first 2 intersections. Always follow Chinook/Trans-Canada Trail markings |
|
|
| | - after a nasty descent through rocks and roots, you will pass thru a bike gate and come to a major intersection (Pipeline Trail). Go straight (Coho Loop Trail). |
|
|
| | - stay straight past the Cable Pool lookout and bridge. 5m past the picnic shelter, cross the paved road and rejoin trail immediately opposite. (Small bridge over creek that ends in concrete culvert.) Take the trail about 10m, then turn left and head uphill |
|
|
| | - this steep uphill takes you to the fountain at Cleveland Dam. Hug a Doug Fir as you gasp for breath. At the dirt road, continue straight (toward parking lot) and up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, turn left. (If still under construction, go left at gate) |
|
| 8:30 | | Water #2 – Cleveland Dam washrooms and water fountains. Assume the washrooms will be closed and no water pressure in the fountain. |
|
|
| | - cross the dam and take the dirt road downhill to your left. You will now be descending the canyon with the river to your left. At the second intersection after about 100m, stay on the dirt road leading downhill and away from the dam. In about 200m, you will come to Trans Canada Trail / Giant Fir Trail to your left. Take steep stairs down. |
|
|
| | - say “Hi!�? to 500-year old Grandpa Capilano as you pass by the cedar fence. Go right and down a 10m stretch of rooty singletrack then right again onto a wide, very straight gravel trail. Veer left at the first intersection. About 10m before the trail ends at the pipeline bridge, take the trail entrance to your right with the bike gate marked Capilano Pacific Trail |
|
|
| | - at the clearing with 2 rustic seats, stay left. Follow Capilano Pacific trail along canyon wall, over little bridges and over roots about 1500m until you reach a green fence marked ‘private’ on your left (Capilano Suspension Bridge park) and a bike gate. |
|
|
| | - after bike gate, Cap Pacific Trail will become wider and more open. Go left and downhill. The trail will eventually turn to pavement (Keith Road) and go under the Upper Levels Highway. After about 700m (at intersection of Keith and 3rd Street) take the trail with a bike gate to your left. |
|
|
| | - where trail hits the Capilano River, turn left. Follow the riverbank trail about 100m then turn left immediately before bridge. Cross bridge on sidewalk (RHS). At far bank, cross road and take tiny trail at the edge of the bridge onto riverbank trail heading up river. |
|
|
| | - just after the last house, turn right on a small gravel trail through a piney woods. At the clearing, stay left. You will reach Capilano Road. Bowser Trail is opposite and about 10m to the right of where you stand. CROSS CAREFULLY! |
|
|
| | This final section is net uphill. Expect to get your shoes muddy if they’re not already. Be sure to take care when crossing streets |
|
| 9:00 | | - you will now contour the bottom of the cliff on Bowser Trail for about 750m to Pemberton Street. Pass a few dead-end streets and a playground. If you are lucky, there may be a water station along here! Be prepared to eat crackers and whistle or perform a similar silly stunt |
|
|
| | - at Pemberton, take the steep rabbit trail through the blackberry bushes and up the side of the cliff. (It starts at about the 6th step of the big staircase.) |
|
|
| | - when you reach the top, turn right onto the paved street (17th Avenue) and go to the end. Turn left on Mackay Street and go one block up the hill to the trail entrance at the white fence on your right opposite Keith Road. When you get to the concrete bridge, turn left! (This is called Liar's Corner, as it is a shortcut around the scenic route.) |
|
|
| | - you will now stay on the left side of Mackay Creek for about 750m until you reach a concrete bridge. You want to be on the trail closest to the creek. Beware of mud, wobbly little bridges, poor trail marking and lousy footing. (If you get to the Upper Levels Highway, you’ve gone too far!) Pray the batteries in your flashlight and cell are still good |
|
|
| | - cross the river at the concrete bridge. Take the path to your right as you climb out of the canyon. At the top, cross the soccer field diagonally and right to the corner of the school and 21st Avenue. |
|
|
| | - turn left on 21st and go to the end. Cross Fell Avenue and regain the trail about 10m to your right. (Mosquito Creek.) Stay left at the confusing intersection at the bottom. There should be fences on either side of the trail. |
|
|
| | - you will now follow the left bank of Mosquito Creek to the finish. Hopefully, you will meet up with the Group runners along this section. Go under the Upper Levels Highway. At the junction with the paved trail follow the Trans Canada Trail sign. |
|
|
| | - Stay right at the skateboard park. Cross the street (Queens Road) carefully and take Del Rio Drive to the top of the street. Enter the trail. You will go up a small hill. About 20m on the other side, take the first path to your left up to the street (Forest Hills Road.) |
|
| 9:30 | | - At the first intersection (Fairmont Road) turn right and sprint to the finish! |
|
