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UNPLUGGED: Lynn Canyon to Grouse Mountain on the Baden Powell Trail

A SENSE OF ADVENTURE is all you need to get out there and enjoy our beautiful natural surroundings. This week's column takes us to Leg 2 of the North Shore's longest continuous trail.
Amber Turnau

A SENSE OF ADVENTURE is all you need to get out there and enjoy our beautiful natural surroundings. This week's column takes us to Leg 2 of the North Shore's longest continuous trail.PLACE: Baden Powell Trail from Lynn Canyon to Grouse Mountian ()LOCATION: North Vancouver, B.C.

Mud, dogs, getting lost, finding our way and stopping to take it all in were the highlights of Leg 2 of the from Lynn Canyon to Grouse Mountain. This 12-kilometre leg of the trail took us from the rumbling Lynn River to the steep inclines of Grouse.

The trail is named after Lord Baden-Powell, who founded the world Scouts Movement. It's no wonder this trail commemorates these outdoor wunderkinds, as there's no better spot in the city for good old fashioned thigh burning outdoor adventure.

Thus far, Mickey and I have hiked 22km of the 41.7  km trail (or 48km, depending on where you research). On this portion of the journey, we were joined by our friends Julia, Steve and their new pup, Maggie Mae.

This trail was an intermediate level and it was noticeably steeper than the leg from Deep Cove to Lynn Valley. Elevation gain is about 200 metres. It's set back in the forest, so it's hard to gauge how high above Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­you actually are. A little sneak peeks through the trees reveals a bird's eye view of our fair city.

The Baden Powell  is well-marked; however it intersects with many other North Shore trails and can be confusing at times. Say, for example: the accidental detour we took up Skyline Trail. This grind is a steep incline that will take you to the top of Grouse an alternate way. There were even some competitors RUNNING up this beast. We were more of the casual hikers in comparison.

Regardless of a few hairy off-trail moments, we had a blast. How can life not be awesome when you're hiking in the woods with your friends? The dogs thoroughly enjoyed themselves and their boundless energy kept us going:

http://youtu.be/-y-j0_pVr2Q

Our next leg will be from Grouse Mountain to somewhere near Cypress Mountain. This appears to be a bit more of a mission than the previous hikes, so stay tuned for Leg 3 in the coming weeks.

Here's hoping we don't run into one of these characters...

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