Several websites have listed the Mount Seymour hike (to the peak) as one of the "top ten" around Vancouver for SPECTACULAR, panoramic scenery of the lower mainland. It also listed the hike as "Intermediate" in difficulty. Having lived in Vancouver for 20 years and being a pretty experienced hiker, from the descript, I expected the vistas to knock me out of my hiking boots and onto my flat sorry excuse for an Asian ass.
My formula for a good hike is simple - the beauty of the hike should meet or exceed my exertion level on the hike. Sorry, but I'm just selfish that way. Nothing pisses me off more than scrambling over boulders and rock faces, tripping over big tree roots, dehydrating in the searing heat without little opportunity for shade, sliding down slope after mountain of loose rocks, only to be met with pond after puddle of standing, muddy water that resembles a hippopotamus' wet dream of a mud hole, or sewage plant run off.
The trail starts off innocently enough - on the easy side of moderate with moderate elevation punctuated by small snippets of sharper climbs. The terrain is also do-able - some larger and loose rocks. Dried-up creek beds are covered with little wooden bridge-ettes, which are all in good shape. A section of loose rock is even kept under control with some wire fencing. The trail is also well-maintained, cleared of foliage, with markers EVERYWHERE. You'd have to be an idiot-and-a-half to get hopelessly lost (and I'm the idiot to prove it). It's as if the trail maintenance people could read my mind - every time I thought, "Hey, where the @#*$&# am I?" another little orange marker or blue-felt tipped sign appears on a rock or a tree. I did this hike as a clueless and directionless woman and did not get lost once.
The trail is 9km roundtrip with 450m elevation gain. For the first 2km or so, the hike is...how shall I put this - as boring as the top of Donald Trump's pasty bald head. (His toupee is much more enthralling.) With some Pacific Northwest hikes you can enjoy the stately evergreens flanking either side of the trail, wildflowers, or even berry bushes to munch on. Nothing like that here. Trail is mostly exposed and full of rocks and boulders, with the occasional tree root thrown in for good measure. Each step may also be a good climb up, sometimes requiring steady pacing or even hands. Despite this being one of the driest summers, the dirt on the ground was also curiously damp.
At about 2.5km to 3.0km into the trail, the trail markers start getting spotty. This is unfortunate, as this is where the trail really gets down to business. Endless climbs then dips requiring very careful foot placement. Don't be lulled by the scant 450m gain, because this is a NET GAIN. There is a lot of unnecessary ups and downs on this trail. Did you hear a woman cursing up and down the Seymour trail on Thursday, July 30, then proclaim, "Bears, take me now! Serenity now!" That was me.
There are two peaks before reaching Seymour - ones which overlook Indian Arm and the lower mainland - and both are are welcomed sight, especially compared to the bland rice cake boredom of the first 2kms. However - nothing to tip it off the scale of wowness for me. After the second peak and before Seymour a big sign tells you that things are going to get hairy after this point. By this they mean big boulders, narrow rocky paths that drop off on the other side. In dry weather, they were fine, but I could imagine that, in the rain and slick, this hike could be hell.
I brought my 5lb (2.72kgs) DSLR and took less than 5 pictures, and this is an indication of how bland the hike was for me. If you're from a country where ISIS is a constant feature in your life, this hike will seem out-of-this-world for you. My memories are shin splints in both legs and thigh muscles which are sore even two days later. If you go, bring plenty of water (unless you want to get dysentery by venturing to drink from the puddles), have good hiking boots with stable ankle support. This is not mentioned in any of the sites I found online. This is a good workout, but so is the Marine Corps training program...and you get to meet a lot of cute guys in the Marine Corps, but I was the only one on the hike for most of the way up at 10am. read more