XTC Down Course

Fast
Time

Down - Course Description

km

07:30

Reference Point - Picnic Area - Start / Midpoint / Finish
The Quarry picnic area is located on your right-hand side, just after the 9k switchback on Cypress Bowl Road. There are parking spaces for about 30 cars, 2 outhouses, 11 picnic tables and an awesome view on a clear day. Note pay parking. Run distances measured from the bronze "Rotary Bluff" plaque next to the information board in the middle of the parking loop.

08:00

Start. The Rotary Bluff cairn.

0.0

1. Canyon Crawl. Welcome to just about every size and quality of trail you can imagine. You will be running downhill on the TransCanada Trail (TCT) for the most part, crossing many bridges and canyons

- go clockwise around parking loop toward paved road. At yellow gate and Trans Canada Trail sign, turn right and under the telephone lines

08:10

- follow a wide, fairly smooth, undulating section of fire road. The trail will go uphill into the woods on the left at the edge of a canyon

1.7

- nice section of trail in the woods with soft footing. Drop down into a shallow canyon with a bridge

- climb out of canyon and regain the power lines. Single track trail is rough and will be wet if there has been rain in the past week. Watch for slippery rocks and wood!

08:15

- as you near the next canyon, note the little wooden cross-shaped trail marker (Forks Trail) on your left. Go past it and then left and uphill before the canyon. (If you are heading downhill away from the telephone lines, go back!)

2.5

- duck into the forest then drop down to a new bridge over a small creek

- go back to telephone lines and downhill, then into woods and over double bridge

2.9

- return to telephone lines, traverse a section of woods then cross a bridge

08:20

- duck in an out of the woods. Cross a tiny bridge, then dodge around a huge, overturned stump. Pass through a deep canyon with 2 old bridges

3.5

- nice section of trail through an area where it looks like there was a fire a long time ago. Drop down into a deep canyon with an old, mossy bridge.

3.7

- return to telephone lines. Continue past Upper Brewis Trail on your left, then further down trail, continue straight under telephone lines past Lower Brewis on your right. There's a short, nasty bit of slippery wooden corduroy, then take go into the woods on a muddy, rooty and rocky bit of trail that ends at a steep canyon with a bridge

08:25

- there will be a "T" intersection at the top of the canyon with a sign indicating Baden Powell Trail. Go right

4.7

- follow wide rocky road downhill and away from canyon for about 90m. (Caution! Don't miss this turn!) Turn left onto TCT/Baden Powell Trail

- trail comes back to telephone lines, then enters the woods to the left. At junction with Brothers Creek trail, stay right and downhill. Drop down steep stairs, cross Brothers Creek bridge. Check out the falls!

5.1

- very steep climb out of Brothers Canyon. At the top, note Viewpoint #10 marker on the rights. Cross a small bridge. Pass junction with Incline Railway Trail then cross small canyon with a bridge

- cross several small bridges, some over creeks and some over little gullies in the woods

2. The Crunch. This relatively short, but steep section takes you straight downhill along the Trans Canada/ Baden Powell trail. Pass through back yards in the British Properties area of West Vancouver. If you are not under telephone lines, you are off course!

- at junction with Brothers Creek fire road, go right and downhill. Go left onto little bridge at Hadden Creek, over some corduroy under telephone lines and back into woods.

- cross small bridge and stay right and downhill

- descend steep section of narrow trail and stair steps under lines as you drop down to road

08:35

Reference Point - Millstream Road – Street parking. Green metal gate at Millstream Road (and Craigmohr Drive.) Cross street carefully and continue downhill under telephone lines.

6.8

- carefully cross Greenwood Road (at St. Andrews). Continue straight ahead and down.

- carefully cross St. Giles Road (near Barnham Road). Continue straight ahead and down.

- carefully cross Glenmore Drive. Note bus shelter and telephone to left of trail entrance. Drop down and cross a little bridge

- at pavement (Glenmore Drive), go left and cross when it safe to do so. (Don't go straight onto trail opposite!)

3. The Capilano Loop. Get up close and intimate with a magnificent rainforest canyon.

08:45

- the trail continues in about 60m at a gravel driveway on your right. Note cedar hedge and wooden retaining wall.

7.5

- run next to tall metal fence (GVRD watershed). At the large dirt road, go right and follow it downhill. You will reach a clearing before the dam where several roads converge. Take the wide road at the edge of the canyon downhill to your right.

- continue downhill a good way with canyon to your left. Turn left onto Giant Fir trail. There is a steep staircase. Pass Grandpa Capilano, a 500-year old tree behind the cedar fence

- go left at first trail after Grandpa Capilano. (Not down stairs to gravel path!) Pass by 2 huge old growth trees then drop down on steep, narrow switchback to a large trail. Go right and follow trail next to canyon wall with river to your left. Pass bridge. (Do not cross to fish hatchery!) Cross small footbridge then stay left. Take pipeline bridge over Capilano River.

- 10m up from the far side of bridge, turn left onto Coho Loop trail. There will be a clearing in the trail with a big section of a tree. Stay right and uphill. Go up some stairs. Stay close to the canyon edge as you pass by Cable Pool lookout and bridge. (Don't cross bridge!)

- go up, then down bridge ramp. Go straight passing picnic gazebo on your right to paved road at Capilano fish hatchery

- cross the paved road as if you were going to the fish hatchery. Rejoin trail that starts with a small bridge. In about 10m, turn left and uphill onto a wider trail with lots of wooden steps through mossy trees. At the wide dirt road, turn left. (Note metal snorkel opposite.)

- follow this road uphill. Pass a large concrete block structure on your left. Continue uphill and to the right when you see Cleveland Dam.

09:00

Reference Point - Cleveland Dam. Fountain, washrooms and parking lot.

11.5

4. Grouse View. This section takes you uphill from Cleveland Dam to the base of Grouse Mountain then uphill under power lines to Skyline Drive

09:10

- take stairs opposite fountain. Cut through parking lot and run uphill on Nancy Greene Way facing traffic. It's a miserable climb on pavement through a residential area. Just after the Grouse Mountain sign, turn right at yellow gate leading to maintenance yard

12.8

- continue next to fence. Go through the orange metal gate and take wide gravel trail under power lines. You will cross 2 bridges over a dry dam. Continue uphill under power lines

14:0

09:20

Reference Point – Skyline Drive. Parking lot.

14.9

5. The Dogleg. This nasty out-and-back section gives you a chance to others in the race. If weather permits, take in some spectacular panoramas of the city below and Mount Baker, Washington.

- go through yellow metal gate at parking area. Keep uphill through another orange gate.

- stay left on main road at rock "5053" address cairn and again near top when you pass a private driveway. Just after pavement ends, look for trail to the right marked Baden Powell. Take steep, rocky trail downhill to driveway and green-roofed shed

09:25

- just before shed, turn sharply left along dirt path. Pass above houses with green and orange metal roofs, then downhill. Cross bridge over Mosquito Creek.

15.8

- on far side of bridge, follow wide dirt/gravel access road. Big green water tanks are on your left. At yellow gate, take small deeply-eroded path on left up steep embankment and stay right under power lines. Go underneath the tower of power, then right onto wide trail under power lines

- follow wide trail under power lines as it snakes eastward toward the horizon. You will pass through a grey metal gate. Cross paved driveway (4350 St. Mary's Avenue) and continue on smaller trail directly opposite.  Start counting three (3) towers here!

09:35

- you will pass directly under a tower of power then head steeply downhill on narrow, rocky trail. If you are lucky, you will see Mt. Baker on the horizon. Pass a tower on your left and trail turns into a rocky creek bed. Partway down the hill, you will come to a tower on your right. There are 2 huge, old tree stumps directly opposite. Turn around here!

18.5

- follow trail under power lines back uphill, then cross over paved driveway and go through grey metal gate at 4350 St. Mary's Avenue. On a clear day, you can make out a thin straight line of a trail above the houses on the horizon. (The Crunch.)

09:45

- follow gravel trail under power lines back to canyon edge. Go underneath the tower of power and onto small, steep trail. (Do NOT follow Baden Powel trail marker!) Turn right at bottom and go through yellow gate and up gravel road. Big green water tanks will be on your right. Cross Mosquito Creek Bridge

21.2

- go right, then left and uphill on rocky trail. Pass orange then green roofed houses on your left. At junction with driveway, turn immediately right and go up steep, rocky path. When trail opens into wide, overgrown gravel road, go left. Follow road downhill to 2 orange metal gates framing a parking area.

09:50

Reference Point – Skyline Drive. Parking lot.

22.1

6. Mosquito Creek. This section takes you straight down the side of a mountain from the edge of civilization into the city

- Go sharply left and descend paved Skyline Drive. As the road curves right after 100m, take the small trail to your left

- take steep, nasty trail down to river then go right and downhill with river to your left. Gravel trail widens as you gain speed. Pass under the bridge at Montroyal Boulevard. You're almost there!

- follow trail downhill to a footbridge and dam to your left. Go slightly right then downhill keeping spillway to your left.

- Stay left at next trail junction following trail downhill through woods. Go over a small bridge. Trail opens into Del Rio Drive. Finish at end of street (Queens Avenue.)

10:00

Reference Point - Griffin Gym. Queens Road and Del Rio Drive

25.0