Three Good Summer Hikes

Good things come in threes—like August, September, and October—and hiking season is no exception. Consider upping the bar one hike at a time if you’re not quite in shape for your gold medal outing of the year.

Remember: One person’s ramble is another’s forced march. Much depends on your age. Most youngsters don’t warm to the concept of putting one foot in front of the other for hours at a stretch until their teenage bodies—turbulent hormones and all—twig to the fact that strenuous exertion hurts, but it’s a good hurt.

Start on West Vancouver’s Brother’s Creek Trail which traces a five-kilometre, round-trip loop from Millstream Road at the top of the British Properties and culminates at a cloistered pair of mountain ponds, Blue Gentian and Lost lakes. Not enough time to do the whole length? No problem. This trail is easily split into one-, two-, or three-hour increments. Icing on the cake: towering old-growth timbers line the route, guaranteed to take your mind off your burning quads. Bonus: the trailhead is accessible by the #254 bus from Park Royal. For a preview, visit www.westvancouver.net . Ability level: novice. Dogs allowed on leash.

Given a lingering low snowline that may well persist into August, best save high alpine jaunts for later in the summer. Meantime, check out routes long on distance with limited elevation gain. One choice that always fits the bill is a network of paths running through Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Vancouver. Interwoven with the Cedar Mills Trail are the Switchback, Lynn Loop, and Headwaters trails. Together, the quartet bob and weave for seven forested kilometres beside stony Lynn Creek as well as on the terraced hillside above, eventually delivering you to a stunning viewpoint at the base of Norvan Falls. Cartoonish cedar stumps, elaborate wooden staircases, and bracing swimming holes act as salves to the pain that is but sharp sauce to the dish of pleasure. At least that’s what trail runners say. Full details are posted at www.metrovancouver.org/services/parks_lscr/regionalparks/Pages/LynnHeadwaters.aspx. Ability level: intermediate. Dogs allowed on leash.

Hiking and rushing water go hand-in-glove. Choose an ascent bordering a tumbling creek and you’ll feel as impelled to reach the top as a salmon leaping home to spawn. High Falls Trail satisfies on all counts. Be prepared to feel the earth tremble as you scramble across outcroppings on the steepest stretches of this six-kilometre, rock-and-roots trail. The higher you go, the more sublime the views across the Squamish Valley to the wall of Tantalus Range peaks from where waterfalls spill like shoelaces. Follow the Squamish Valley Road from Highway 99 north of downtown Squamish for 25 kilometres. The well-marked trailhead lies just past a BC Hydro powerhouse. Ability level: intermediate/advanced. Dogs not recommended.