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Mutha's Nature Trail Run - 50km Course

Minister of the New Super-Heavy Funk 50K

Please print out the course description and put them into a zip-lock baggie for the event (scroll down for a printer friendly version).

50km Course Description

The first section follows the Trans-Canada Trail east to Confederation Park on wide trail with rolling hills.

  • start at New Brighton Park near the playgrounds
  • FOLLOW TRANS-CANADA TRAIL EAST under Ironworkers Memorial (Second Narrows) Bridge past CN Rail Turnoff on asphalt path
  • RIGHT ONTO SMALLER PATH a few metres after the asphalt path changes to gravel
  • LEFT ONTO WIDE GRAVEL PATH and follow it back down to the Trans-Canada Trail
  • RIGHT ONTO TRANS-CANADA TRAIL follow the trail markers (pay special attention to the green and red striped poles and trail logos on street signs) until the trail goes diagonally through a park and curves to the right alongside Willingdon Avenue

This next section takes you through the nice hilly trails of Confederation Park.

  • CONTINUE ACROSS WILLINGDON AVENUE ONTO SMALLER TRAIL approx. 10 metres to the right of a large blue Chevron sign follow this trail along a green fence ignoring any smaller offshoot trail until it comes out to a larger gravel trail
  • LEFT ONTO 'CONFEDERATION PARK LOOP'
  • LEFT AT 4-WAY TRAIL INTERSECTION stay right past a gated area, THEN LEFT PAST A LARGER TRAIL HEADING UPHILL TO THE RIGHT.  You will be on skinny trail which passes a bunch of wood planks.
  • RIGHT AT RAILROAD TRACKS WITHOUT CROSSING for a few metres, THEN RIGHT ON A SKINNY TRAIL UP A STEEP HILL WITH A ROPE.
  • LEFT AT A 3-WAY TRAIL INTERSECTION
  • LEFT AT 3-WAY INTERSECTION ONTO CONFEDERATION PARK LOOP follow this until it takes you out onto Penzance Drive ignoring the 'no trespassing' trails and the large trail on the right

This next section rejoins the Trans-Canada trail heading eastbound with the 25K runners.  

***THIS IS WHERE THE 10K COURSE SPLITS FROM THE 25K AND 50K COURSES***

  • LEFT ONTO THE TRANS-CANADA TRAIL ALONGSIDE PENZANCE DRIVE staying on the gravel path until you come to a crosswalk with a trailhead across the street
  • CONTINUE ON THE TRANS-CANADA TRAIL AFTER CROSSING THE STREET AT THE CROSSWALK
  • LEFT ON THE SIDEWALK ALONG HASTINGS STREET on the same side until you reach Kensington
  • RIGHT ONTO BIKE PATH ACROSS KENSINGTON AVENUE look down Kensington to the left about 15 metres from the corner
  • CONTINUE ONTO BACK ALLEY follow the alley until you are forced to turn to the right near some used car dealerships and come out near Hastings and Cliff
  • LEFT ALONG HASTINGS THEN IMMEDIATELY LEFT ONTO BIKE PATH UNDER OVERPASS do not cross the overpass follow alongside Cliff Avenue

This next section takes you to Kask Brothers on a mixture of trails and bike paths where you will cross to the Velodrome and Burnaby Mountain's excellent running trails.

  • LEFT ONTO SMALL UNMARKED TRAIL WHERE GREEN FENCE PULLS AWAY FROM ROAD shortly after you pass Belcarra Street
  • CONTINUE ON BIKE ROUTE ACROSS STREET WHERE follow the Francis/Union bike route for roughly 500m
  • LEFT WHERE BIKE PATH SPLITS AWAY FROM ROAD towards a large trail sign
  • LEFT ONTO DRUMMOND'S WALK which is a large gravel path
  • GO ACROSS BARNET HIGHWAY AT PEDESTRIAN LIGHT where the trail takes you out near Kask Brothers
  • CONTINUE UP ROAD TO HARRY JEROME SPORTS CENTRE VELODROME go around the left side of the building and find a couple of paths, take the one along the fence onto the Velodrome trail

This next section takes you on the some of the excellent running trails of Burnaby Mountain around to the Stoney Creek.  These trails are mostly obviously signed. 

  • LEFT ONTO VELODROME TRAIL AT TRAIL SIGN there is a sign saying that the trail is closed but there is another shortly after telling you to use at your own risk due to some steep hills with no stairs. Keep this in mind as you proceed and slow down here as the trail is somewhat overgrown. Ropes have been placed where the stairs are going to be put in but I didn't need them. The section is not long so take your time.
  • RIGHT ONTO LARGER PANDORA TRAIL at first major intersection
  • WATCH OUT FOR THIS ONE IT IS EASY TO MISS!!! LEFT ONTO SMALLER UNMARKED NATURE TRAIL, where a tree with the middle cut out lies across the trail and a large tree stands just after the entrance to the trail, it is a small trail so keep your eyes peeled to the left. if you come out to a road you have gone approx 200m too far
  • RIGHT ONTO LARGER BURNWOOD TRAIL at a clearing
  • LEFT ONTO TRANS-CANADA TRAIL THEN TAKE THE SIDE MARKED PEDESTRIAN ignore the path going down and to the right at a rustic bench, keep going up and to the left
  • CONTINUE ACROSS CENTENNIAL WAY ON THE TRANS-CANADA TRAIL by the info booth.

***THIS IS WHERE THE 25K COURSE SPLITS OFF FROM THE 50K COURSE***

  • CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE TRANS-CANADA OUT TO A GREEN FENCE THEN GO RIGHT after this you will be sticking to the left following the trail signs
  • RIGHT ONTO SIGNED MEL'S TRAIL where there is a large trail map
  • LEFT ONTO GEAR JAMMER a few metres after a turnoff to the right also labelled gear jammer - you should be headed generally downhill
  • RIGHT ONTO UPPER CUT
  • LEFT ONTO PIPE LINE
  • CONTINUE ON PIPE LINE through the intersection with Jim's Jungle and Power Line
  • RIGHT ONTO NORTH ROAD TRAIL, CONTINUE TO THE LEFT ON NORTH ROAD TRAIL at intersection with Jim's Jungle and follow it out to North Road

This next section follows the trails alongside the Stoney Creek out to Burnaby Lake.  They are fairly flat, with a mixture of wide gravel paths and single track.

  • RIGHT ALONG NORTH ROAD A FEW METRES THEN RIGHT AGAIN ONTO THE URBAN TRAIL back into the same forest you just came out of but on the other side of the creek, which is a wide gravel path
  • CONTINUE RIGHT ONTO GRAVEL URBAN TRAIL where trail turns to asphalt and goes under a bridge and which curves off to the left and up to the road
  • CONTINUE PAST FOOTBRIDGE TO THE RIGHT WHERE THERE IS A BIG SIGN, THEN AT SECOND FOOTBRIDGE CROSS TO THE RIGHT you will go over a second footbridge and go left alongside creek until the trail leads you to a set of stairs
  • CONTINUE STRAIGHT AND UP THE STAIRS cross the road at the crosswalk when safe
  • CONTINUE STRAIGHT ON A SMALL GRASSY TRAIL TO THE RIGHT OF THE CREEK follow as long as you can until the river curves in front of it and you see a bridge above you
  • LEFT ONTO WIDE GRAVEL URBAN TRAIL AND LEFT AGAIN AT INTERSECTION go under the bridge and follow out to Government Street
  • RIGHT ONTO TRAIL SEVERAL METRES TO THE LEFT ACROSS THE STREET to the left of a fenced in area with no trespassing signs
  • CONTINUE ACROSS RAIL ROAD TRACKS WHEN SAFE (THIS IS AN ACTIVE RAIL LINE) AND DOWN SKINNY PATH TO THE RIGHT OF THE POWER LINES

This next section follows a mixture of trails and a couple of blocks of road to the turnaround in the Burnaby Lake Park area, then takes you thorugh one of the nicest section of trail in the park.

  • RIGHT AT WIDE BRUNETTE HEADWATERS TRAIL continue past turnoff to the right near an RV park
  • CONTINUE ONTO PATH ACROSS ROAD AND TO THE RIGHT on the north side of Cariboo Place until it comes out to an intersection
  • LEFT ACROSS STREET ON PATH ALONGSIDE CARIBOO ROAD
  • RIGHT ONTO AVALON AVENUE
  • TURN TO THE RIGHT JUST BEFORE THE PARKING LOT
  • RIGHT ON THE TRAIL ALONGSIDE BURNABY LAKE leading towards the Cariboo Dam
  • CONTINUE ONTO BRUNETTE HEAD WATERS TRAIL TO THE LEFT ACROSS THE DAM follow this past 2 turnoffs for the Spruce Loop Trail
  • RIGHT ONTO CONIFER LOOP TRAIL continue to the left the Spruce Loop trail (do not go right) at the first intersection
  • LEFT ONTO BRUNETTE HEADWATERS TRAIL AND STRAIGHT PAST THE CARIBOO DAM ON THE ASPHALT BIKE PATH
  • CONTINUE ONTO SKINNY PATH ALONG CARIBOO PLACE WHERE BIKE PATH TAKES YOU OUT TO THE ROAD, THEN CONTINUE ONTO BRUNETTE HEADWATERS TRAIL AND PAST THE RV PARK

This next section takes you back to the Stoney Creek and retraces your steps to Burnaby Mountain where the route differs from the way out.

  • LEFT ONTO SKINNIER PATH NEAR THE POWER LINES, ACROSS THE RAIL TRACKS THEN LEFT AT THE FORK IN THE ROAD
  • FIND URBAN TRAIL ACROSS ROAD AT GOVERNMENT STREET FOLLOW UNDER BRIDGE
  • ***WATCH OUT FOR THIS ONE!!!***  JUST AFTER GOING UNDER BRIDGE TAKE FORK TO THE RIGHT THEN IMMEDIATELY FIND THE TRAIL JUST PAST THE METAL GATES NEAR THE RIVER JUST PAST A BRIDGE OVERHEAD
  • PROCEED ONTO THE SKINNY TRAIL AND FOLLOW ALONGSIDE THE STONEY CREEK. CROSS AT CROSSWALK WHERE TRAIL TAKES YOU UP TO ROAD AND GO DOWN THE STAIRS.  FOLLOW THE TRAIL STICKING GENERALLY TO THE RIGHT ALONGSIDE THE CREEK, crossing two footbridges then you will be on the other side of Stoney Creek.
  • LEFT ONTO URBAN TRAIL FOLLOW BACK OUT TO NORTH ROAD

This next section takes you through some of Burnaby Mountains other mountain biking trails on mostly single track to Barnet Marine Park.  Again most of these trails have obvious signage.

  • LEFT ONTO NORTH ROAD TRAIL
  • LEFT ONTO JIM'S JUNGLE at the first intersection
  • CONTINUE ON JIM'S JUNGLE across Power Line
  • LEFT ON PIPE LINE AT INTERSECTION WITH JJ & POWER LINE
  • CONTINUE ON PIPE LINE past Lower Snake
  • RIGHT ONTO NICOLE'S TRAIL
  • RIGHT ONTO MEL'S TRAIL
  • RIGHT ONTO GEAR JAMMER (SAME TURN YOU TOOK ON THE WAY OUT)
  • CONTINUE TO THE LEFT ON GEAR JAMMER AT UPPER CUT TURNOFF
  • LEFT ON FUNCTION JUNCTION, follow it slightly to the right across Power Line
  • LEFT AT FIRST TRAIL (NORTH ROAD TRAIL BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S MARKED HERE) continue past a turn off to the right until a T-intersection, go right there
  • LEFT ONTO DEAD MOPED past a bike park, take the trail the cuts away from the chain link fence at the fork
  • RIGHT ONTO TRANS-CANADA TRAIL and downhill towards the Indian Arm
  • LEFT ONTO COUGAR CREEK TRAIL at sign, CONTINUE ONTO BARNET TRAIL
  • RIGHT ONTO HANG YOUR HAT
  • RIGHT ONTO ELEPHANT RIDGE LOOP, follow this back out to Hang Your Hat and GO RIGHT
  • RIGHT ONTO BARNET TRAIL under the power lines past the bike park

This next section takes you thorugh Barnet Marine Park and up to Kask Brothers from where you will retrace your steps to the start/finish at New Brighton Park.

  • CROSS BARNET HIGHWAY AT THE PEDESTRIAN LIGHT where trail comes out to road
  • CONTINUE AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT across the street over the overpass crossing the rail lines
  • LEFT PAST THE WASHROOMS, THEN LEFT ALONG THE TRAIL CLOSEST TO THE BEACH towards the off-leash dog park
  • RIGHT ONTO DRUMMOND'S WALK BEFORE CROSSING THE RAIL ROAD TRACKS when the path goes alongside a green fence, watch for the fence to end
  • LEFT ONTO SMALL TRAIL at the end of the green fence where there is a clearing with a bench along the shore, heading up towards the railroad tracks
  • THIS IS AN ACTIVE RAIL LINE but you will be able to hear the bells from the crossing in the park if their is a train coming.  Please make sure to use your eyes and your ears.  When it is safe cross the tracks and find a trail to the left about 15 metres towards a power shack between two posts
  • RIGHT ONTO THIS STEEP SKINNY TRAIL following it to the left where there is a retaining wall

You are now back at Kask Brothers and will follow in reverse the same route you got here on to New Brighton Park.

  • RIGHT ONTO THE DRUMMOND WALK and right onto the bike route to Cliff Avenue
  • CONTINUE STRAIGHT ONTO THE SMALL overgrown path near the route posts on Cliff you took to get here and take path back out to Cliff Avenue
  • CONTINUE ALONG CLIFF AVENUE underneath the overpass on Hastings
  • RIGHT INTO THE BACK ALLEY, FOLLOW IT TO THE LEFT TO THE BIKE PATH, BACK OUT TO KENSINGTON, THEN THE SIDEWALK TO THE TRAIL ENTRANCE ON HASTINGS AND FOLLOW THE TRANS-CANADA TRAIL BACK TO PENZANCE DRIVE cross street and go right onto the trail and back through Confederation Park in reverse
  • RIGHT AT 3-WAY TRAIL INTERSECTION THEN RIGHT AND BACK DOWN THE HILL WITH ROPE, FOLLOW THAT TRAIL BACK UP TO THE 4-WAY INTERSECTION AND GO RIGHT
  • RIGHT AFTER GREEN OFF-LEASH DOG PARK SIGN ONTO TRAIL BACK OUT TO WILLINGDON AVENUE
  • CONTINUE ON TRANS-CANADA TRAIL BACK TO SIGN FOR TRAIL SAYING 'TO BOUNDARY ROAD'. TAKE THIS TRAIL ON THE LEFT
  • RIGHT ONTO TRAIL BACK DOWN TO TRANS-CANADA at the top of the hill
  • LEFT BACK ONTO THE TRANS-CANADA TRAIL
  • CONTINUE ON THE TRANS-CANADA TRAIL back to the start in New Brighton Park
  • We will meet at JJ Bean at Powell Street and Victoria Drive after.
View Interactive Map on MapMyRun.com for best results view as 'hybrid' map
trails not exactly placed 

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