[mudrunner]

This one is in North Vancouver...it's called Haynes Valley & while it is only a couple of miles from the 'burbs (about 5km from my house...in fact there is a bus stop right at the trails edge), it is virtual wilderness/backcountry travel. No ammenities, no bathrooms, no water (except for a couple of creeks..if you are lucky).<br>
The route that we took included a detour up Crown Peak (a very small point that barely accomodated the 6 of us). Although the entire route is less than half a marathon, it climbs over 5000'. The bonus feature, is that it finishes at the top of Grouse Mountain...the #1 tourist destination in Vancouver & perhaps the terminus of the busiest trails in the Lower Mainland...the Grouse Grind. In the entire 5 hours, we saw less than 6 people until the final 2km...then we saw a couple of thousand.<br>
The photo quality is crap....taken with a phone.<br><br><i>Looking up the Valley at Crown Peak...the perspective is misleading. It takes an hour to get to the saddle. Those boulders in the foreground are about 15 to 20 tall.</i><br><img alt="" src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/mudrunner/Photo_082606_002.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><i>Near the top of the saddle (Crown Pass)...the previous photo was taken waaaay down in the background.</i><br><img alt="" src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/mudrunner/Photo_082606_005.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><i>Finding a spot on the peak & looking over the 3000' drop...Vancouver in the background</i><br><img alt="" src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/mudrunner/Photo_082606_008.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br><i>Jim on the edge of Widowmaker...we came from the valley far below.</i><br><img alt="" src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/mudrunner/Photo_082606_012.jpg" style="border:0px solid;">

 

[altoids]

Wow! Beautiful.

 

[sierra]

Looks like a beautiful place! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Smile">

 

[JJJessee]

Spectacular! Thanks for the photos.<br>
jjj

 

[dg1]

You live 5K from that?????<br><br>
Damn.<br><br>
Great pix.

 

[mudrunner]

I know...sick, hunh? Don't believe for a second that I take this for granted, though...it's partly by design.<br>
I just have to cross 2 streets & I'm a trail that leads to that backcountry...if I really tried, I could connect through to Whistler & then Alaska without seeing pavement (except, perhaps one or two backroads to cross). One local actually made a ski traverse to Nome, Alaska in 6 months (Guy Edwards).

 

[rhody92]

Beautiful! Those are much bigger than the mountains here in RI. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Smile">

 

[Tim]

No wonder you're such a strong trail runner. Man, I need to vist Vancouver. Do you ever see Neal Peart?

 

[mudrunner]

Twice on stage.<br>
Saw Geddy Lee on Robson Street, though.<br><br>
It's a requirement to keep my Canadian passport....now if I could only find Martin Short or Anne Murray...

 

[Tim]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Very Happy"><br><br>
So have we figured out the next 100?

 

[mudrunner]

I'm waffling between Leadville & Angeles Crest....Mrs Mud prefers Angeles Crest because it means we get to hang out in Hollywood after the race.<br><br>
I'll post more in the 2008 thread.<br><br>
You?