A gorgeous day for a hike up Eagle Mountain. It really felt like summer today ! We started off at the end of Hickory Drive (325 m) in Port Moody at 9 am and made our way up through the mountain biking trails. We reached Cypress Lake (800 m) 1.5 hours after starting and we met two other guys heading to the same location, but taking a different route. After a short stop at Cypress Lake, we headed to the West Rampart viewpoint via the east loop of the East Bastion Trail. We made it to the West Rampart viewpoint (880 m) at 11:30 and we met the two guys we met at Cypress Lake – It turns out they are the architects of the East Bastion Trail ! Anyways, after a 10 or 15 minute break, we headed off to the White Rock viewpoint (950 m), where we arrived at 12:30. After 20 or so minutes basking in the beautiful sun (and listening to the woodpeckers), we made our way back onto the trail and began the descent. We finally made it back to the starting point just after 3 pm. The only snow we saw was a dusting in a shaded area off the side of a logging road.
Check out this POST for some more info on this hike
Today’s Stats:
Distance: 14.6 km (return)
Low point: 324 m
High point: 977 m
Elevation gain: 653 m
Cumulative Elevation gain: 860 m
Trailhead: 49° 18’ 25” by 122° 49’ 58” (Google Map)
The route:
Here’s the amazing view of Coquitlam Lake at the West Rampart viewpoint…
Our stop at the West Rampart viewpoint…
Cypress Lake today…
★★★★★★★★★★★
Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means, having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.
Bring your smartphone, fully charged and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring back-up battery packs for extra piece of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device; I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.
For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule to which hikers follow; it is called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed.
To learn more about LNT, please check out this BLOG by a certified LNT Trainer.
Beautiful photos. The map is complicated — and having hiked in this area, there are
several trails that aren’t identified by signposts. Could you please note on the map where the West Rampart viewpoint is just to provide some perspective as to how far from Cypress Lake you need to hike to reach that destination. Thanks.
RJC
There is more info here… http://www.buntzenlake.ca/west-rampart-viewpoint/
Great! Much appreciated!
Hiked up to Cypress Lake with a friend yesterday hoping to reach the East Bastion Tail and on to the West Rampart lookout. The route map indicated that beyond Cypress Lake there were two access choices — from a fork in the road a couple of hundred metres past Cypress Lake. We decided to take the access heading east as the map seemed to indicate it was a somewhat shorter shorter distance to the lookout. Unfortunately this route was overgrown with small trees pushing branches into the pathway requiring us to kneel and even crawl in a few places through the first 100 metres. We decided to re-trace our steps and return to the fork whereby we took the access route heading north, ending up at a fork that divided the trail – north west to the White Rock Viewpoint and north-east along the East Bastion Trail leading also to the Rampart Vewpoint.
The East Bastion Trail was to put it mildly, treacherous. There were several large trees that had fallen onto the trail – not a few that were difficult to get across. The trail was obliterated with very large wind fall trees in at least two sections. We stumbled around trying to find a way through — wasting time, energy and having a few slips that could have caused serious injury. Fortunately we escaped sprains/breaks but after the second major impasse, we decided the risk was to great to proceed further. Maybe if we were younger ( both of us over 55) we might have pushed on but the prospect for more of the same and the fact we were still a considerable distance from the viewpoint, we decided to give up and retrace back to Cypress Lake. Too bad. It was a huge disappointment for having gone so far.
I would not recommend this hike to anyone because of the high risk of injury. It has just too many difficult sections to navigate along sloped terrain. It passes through extremely dense growth in several sections, the trail literally hacked out by some determined and brave individual(s). Maybe if a bunch of hikers banded together with chain saws to cut through the fallen trees over the space of a month, it might become a decent trail. But as it stands right now (July, 2018) — definitely too risky except for dare-devils.
Thanks for the update. That trail was apparently made by two guys, who I actually met up there once. It’s too bad the trail is not maintained, having such a great viewpoint.
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