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| Swinging from the trees.... |
Mark and I climbed up the back trail of Bear Hill on Sunday. This was our 22nd outing of the year and we wanted to stay in our own backyard. There is a trail head on Brookleigh road just across the street from the Elk Lake boat launch. It is just a signpost going into the woods so if you're not paying attention you might miss it.
A friend of ours told us that this direction on Bear Hill is a more rugged experience and he was right. One of the fun attributes of Bear Hill is the ascent which begins almost immediately on all of its approaches. This trail is also a bridal path and gets a bit chewed up and muddy in places. The muddy spots are a small part of the trail and easy to navigate around.
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| This angle illustrates the density of the forest in some places. |
There were other paths branching from this initial one. Since our objective was to get to the top we stayed on the main trail. At times we passed just alongside a property fence but for the most part the park felt secluded and vast.
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| Mowgli on a level portion of the trail. |
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| Some parts are steep enough that the universe threw in natural steps. |
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| I feel like yodeling. |
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| Overlooking Elk Lake. |
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| If you have to have a cell phone you must accept the towers. |
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| One of the views from the top. |
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| Elk lake to the south. |
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| The Strait of Georgia to the east. In the background are Washington state's San Juan islands. |
We hiked Bear Hill on our second outing of the year. That approach is the main one accessed off of Bear Hill Rd at Oldfield. This hike felt like a completely different park. The view is worth the climb. It was my first glimpse of Elk lake from any elevation and I was excited to see it. I could easily fall in love with this park and will be ready to hike it again soon. Next time we will plan to stay longer and explore the secondary trails from this approach. This is indeed the more rugged side of Bear Hill. As a bridle path the trails are not always hiker friendly but worth the extra work. The ascent makes the hike a work out.
It is week 22 into our 52 week commitment and I can feel myself getting stronger. We are also seeking out the more difficult and challenging hikes; I was still happy to take a couple of breathers on the way to the top. Of course, the pause at the summit is always a great time for relaxing.
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| I'm proud to say it looks as if Mowgli has had the worst of it. |
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| Don't let me fool you; I was actually just lying down. |
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| My hiking buddy/sidekick. I couldn't ask for a better one. |
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