This hike has been postponed and we hope to reschedule it for this year, but if not next year.
Mt. Collins is the third-highest mountain on Bowen Island. Unlike the much higher Mt. Gardner, Collins lacks summit views (although, halfway up, there are a couple of rocky outcroppings offering partial views). Nevertheless, the Glorious Mountains guidebook gives the hike a “bang for buck” rating of 3/5, saying that the trail to the top “is a relatively undiscovered gem for runners, hikers, and peakbaggers.” The book goes on to whet the appetite with this further description: “En route you will see mature trees dappled with sunlight, many arbutus clinging to sunny bluffs, and small clearings carpeted in moss. The noises of civilization are masked by birdsong.” What more could naturalist hikers want? The out-and-back route on both road and trail is 9.6 km with an elevation gain of 350 m. After this jaunt, should we find ourselves with time on our hands, we will circle beautiful Killarney Lake, which lies between Gardner and Collins. This will add about 6 km to our distance and several tens of metres to our elevation gain. We will begin and end the day with a short ferry ride between Horseshoe Bay and Snug Cove. Please contact Mark (604. 552. 0727) for more info. and/or to register your interest.