Trail Brew
Big Cedar and Kennedy Falls Trail – Lynn Headwaters Regional Park (Unofficial Trail)
Black Lager – Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub

On October 28th, 2018 I headed out to a great rainy day hike location in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Vancouver.  The trail is not part of the official trail network in the park but it is well marked.  To get to this trail you do not go to the main entrance to the park.  If you are heading there from the Vancouver area hop on Highway 1 heading West / North.  Take the Mountain Highway exit and turn right to head up the hill.  Follow the road until you get to the gate and continue past it.  Follow up the road and park in the parking lot on the right hand side.  This is more for mountain biking and much of the parking is a 3 hour maximum stay.  If it is nice out make sure to be there just as the gate opens as it fills up fast.  The hike is on the side of Fromme Mountain and starts on the Fromme Mountain Trail Network for mountain bikes.

I have to point out that the North Shore Mountain Bike Association has a great mandate and here is the poster.

The trail is 10km long and is rated to take 5 hours to finish.  The trail says there is only 150 meters of elevation gain but this trail goes up and down all over the place.

From where you parked head up the road past the gate blocking vehicle access past the water towers.  You can pop off the road rather quickly on the bike trails but I would recommend walking up the trail until you come to the Cedar Tree Trail a mixed hiking and biking trail and taking it on your right.  Follow the Cedar Tree Trail until you get to the split off for Kirkford a black diamond biking only trail and the Cedar Tree Trail for hikers only.

The trail has some minor creek crossings, debris shoots and dry creek beds to hike through as well as some very slippery sections on the hills when it is wet out.  The first attraction of the trail is the Big Cedar.  The big cedar is estimated to be 600 years old and is odd that it still stands as the whole area was logged starting in 1863 and the last parts of the park and the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve were logged in 1994.  While you are hiking the rail watch for obvious offshoots that used to be old logging roads and old Corduroy roads.

 

Once you have taken in the Big Cedar its time to continue on to Kennedy Falls.  The Kennedy Falls trail continues up the mountain from behind the cedar and to the left.  Do not get confused with the trail that goes downhill to the right of the tree with the plaque shown in the photos above.  This trail just brings you down to Lynn Creek but there is no way to cross into the other side of the park as the Creek is quite the river at this section.  Continue walking up hill as it fluctuates up and down on the way to the falls.  You will experience much more old Corduroy Road further on the trail.  You will know the falls are getting close as the roar of the water picks up.  When the waterfall is flowing full force light right now it rains horizontally so it was more wet than normally as it was raining in two directions.

This is a really nice hike that is well marked and worth hiking.  I would recommend saving it for a rainy day though just to keep the crowds down.

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Well like always I had a brew to go with my lunch.  To start here are two photos fro scale.

Now lets get to the brew itself.

I felt it only fitting to bring a beer on the hike that is brewed by water as the destination was a waterfall.  I brought the Black Lager from Spinnakers Brewpub in Victoria on Vancouver Island.  The beer pours a jet black colour with a fluffy brown head.  The aroma consists of roasted malts, ash, coffee, chocolate and earth.  The flavour is of roasted malts, ash, burnt coffee, chocolate, toffee and some mild bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 4.5% with an IBU of 20.  This is one tasty black lager that borders on a stout really and paired well with a rainy shitty day.

Commercial Description:  A roasty, cold-fermented German style Schwartzbier with coffee and chocolate notes.

Disclaimer: Drinking while excising and hiking can be dangerous and can put you in serious danger or lead to your death. These posts do not recommend that you drink while you hike but if you decide too make sure to be a responsible adult.