Best Overnight Hike for Camping in May (Accessible by Public Transport/Taxi)

Conditions Questions (See Guide before posting)

Hey all, I am trying to go for a solo overnight hike camping this long weekend, but I only have access to public transportation or uber/taxi up to 50 minute drive.

I've looked up multiple reviews from alltrails, and everything seems to be kinda doable for a hike itself, but what I am struggling to understand is if it's doable with a massive backpack loaded with camping gear to stay overnight this time of the year. Health wise I would say I'm pretty average, and can do grouse grind under 2 hours no problem, but that's without any gear.

I am considering:

Saint Marks summit hike - concerned about snow hiking with gear
Brunswick Mountain Trail - concerned about snow hiking with gear
Mount Harvey Trail - concerned about snow hiking with gear
Eagle Ridge trail - not sure if allowed to camp
golden ears trails - not sure which hike to choose, but this seems to be the easiest and most straightforward from all choices

Recommendations or tips for any of the above, or something that I missed are highly appreciated!

in vancouverhikingby cherrypashka-

57%

18d

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18d

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jpdemers

17d

Have you been backcountry camping before? If you have not been before, it might be better to practice in an easy location rather than picking a difficult mountain right away. (Maybe Stawamus Chief camping, Porteau Cove, Mamquam River Campground, Rolley Park). Camp in a frontcountry campground, and do day hike with a low-weight pack.
Have you been winter camping on snow before? You need different gear for the winter: your sleeping pad needs to have a good R-value (R>4) and your sleeping bag needs to have a good temperature rating (rating of -10C would be comfortable at -3C to +3C). If it's your first time to do winter camping, test your sleeping system in a location where it's easy to bail out (like there is a warming hut nearby); otherwise, you risk hypothermia or a very uncomfortable experience.
How heavy is your backpack? Backpacking is different than hiking, it's much slower, especially when the backpack is very heavy.
Why go alone? Try to find a partner(s), you reduce the consequences in case something unexpected happens. You can share some of the responsibilities and can help each other bail out. You are better protected against wildfire in a group.

Possible locations

If you are ready for winter backcountry camping, one common location to start with is past Brockton Point on Seymour Park. It's not permitted to camp on Brockton Point but it's acceptable to camp just North of it. It's not recommended to go all the way to Pump Peak unless you have your avalanche safety training.
Another option might be on the Burke Ridge in Coquitlam; wilderness camping is allowed year-round in Pinecone-Burk Park. If you go by Harper Access Road, it is a very smooth climb and not steep at all.
There's snow at all the locations that you have mentioned. A group of two people have camped at Alder Flats (Golden Ears Park) which is a bit lower two weeks ago and they were well prepared. Brunswick Mountain and Mount Harvey have a lot of elevation gain (almost twice the Grouse Grind), and they are very steep slopes. There have been hiking incidents because there are cliffs very close to the trail. For Brunswick Mountain, you need to cross a boulder field to get to the top, that is difficult with a backpack because you have to watch your footing and balance yourself.
Because of the snow and steep slopes, you have to be aware of the risk of Wet Loose avalanches (watch this video to learn the warning signs).
Regarding Eagleridge Bluffs, the VancouverTrails website indicates camping is not permitted. The Cypress Park website mentions "Wilderness camping is allowed at higher elevations beyond the Alpine and Nordic ski areas and along the Howe Sound Crest Trail, but no facilities are provided.".

cherrypashka-

17d

Thank you for your effort, this is amazing advice.

To answer your questions, yes I did backcountry camping before to Mount Seymour in September. However, I never did do winter camping (even though my gear is good enough for 0 degree weather). I think that was my main worry to be honest with you.

I think considering I am determined to go solo, it would be safer to do an easier option instead of a more fun but challenging one.

Eagle ridge is probably my best option, if I find the terrain or snow too challenging I can just retreat back and camp by the lake and go for a regular hike without the backpack.

jpdemers

17d

Continue to prepare to be completely ready to make the trip. It seems you are doing good research so far. Here are a few trip reports from the subreddit that you can read, see also many informative comments inside: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 .

You can find plenty of winter camping trip reports by searching on Facebook groups or personal hiking blogs. There are plenty of winter camping YouTube videos to learn more techniques and tricks .

You have to make sure that you have a good sleeping system.

The sleeping pad is very important because it is isolating you from the snow or the cold ground. Most summer pads only offer cushion, but do not thermally insulate you from the ground. If there is no "R-value" on your pad, consider that the thermal insulation is close to zero, meaning you will quickly lose your body heat over the night. Here is a good introduction to sleeping pads with a comparison table between brands.
You can supplement your sleeping pad by adding cheap mats, 'foam roll mats' and 'closed-cell foam' camping mats, at the bottom. Those mats have R-values of 1-2 and the values are additive. You can find mats at MEC and Canadian Tire.
Your sleeping bag needs to be rated 10 degrees lower than the intended temperature. A bag with maximum rating of -10C will be comfortable around 0C; a bag rated for 0C will be comfortable at 10C. The mummy-type bags are better as they hug your body shape more snugly and your body has less space to warm up.
A 3-season tent might be good enough. A 4-season tent provides resistance to high winds and snow loading . In the case of precipitation (snow or rain), you can place a tarp on top of your tent to make it more protected.
The tent location is very important. Avoid placing it in a windy or gusty area, try to find a location that is quiet and wind-protected. Do not place your tent at the bottom of a valley, because the cold air accumulates down there. Build a wall of snow (1-2 feet) around your tent to prevent cold wind from entering the tent; this preserves your 'heat bubble' intact.
Make sure you have snow pegs or snow stakes to pitch the tent (MEC and Canadian Tire) and you can bring extra paracord. You can also use heavy rocks attached to your guylines. An ultralight collapsible shovel (like an avy shovel) can help flatten the camping area and build the wall.
You can use something called an overbag that you put outside the sleeping bag to make it warmer, as well as a bag liner that you put inside. You can bring a survival bivy, a large plastic garbage and/or emergency blanket (space blanket) to act as an emergency overbag/liner.
Try to go to sleep with an empty bladder; your body needs to produce heat to keep the liquid warm inside you, so it helps to sleep more comfortably.
Bring a change of clothes, you will need dry clothes to sleep comfortably. For sleeping, I'm using a puffy jacket, a second wool toque, merino wool socks, and insulated slippers.
Bring bear spray and be bear aware. Bear spray also work on smaller animals (cougar, ...). Read the advice in 'exploring bear country' and 'bear safety tips'. For backcountry camping, it's very important to avoid bringing food to the tent. The 3 critical areas are separated into a triangle with a lot of distance in between: a) the tent/sleeping area, b) the food storage cache (learn to do a bear hang), and c) the cooking/eating area.

Dieselboy1122

17d

Every hike you mentioned has lots of snow this time of year as done them all over the years. St Marks as well as we did it on a May long years ago overnight. You are best to stick to Golden Ears and View Point Beach low elevation type hikes this time of year.

Lindeman Lake another great option mentioned below as very short hike and no snow at lake this time of year. Day hike to Greendrop Lake from here which will have snow 100% still.

TravellingGal-2307

17d

But you cant get to Lindeman lake on public transit.

Dieselboy1122

17d

Take transit to Chilliwack then Uber or Taxi or rent Car for 2 days.

Mount Gardner (Bowen Island) a great option also which is transit and ferry friendly option and snow free. Technically not supposed to camp overnight but hundreds do every year. Views amazing up there on a clear day.

bradmbutter

17d

I agree with Golden Ears and viewpoint but if OP is relying on public transit the spotty cell service in Golden Ears could prove challenging.

cherrypashka-

17d

Thank you! It appears that the safest option that is still fun for a solo camping trip would be Golden Ears.

Miserable_Insect7957

17d

For golden ears, you can camp either at Alder flats or Panorama Ridge on the Golden Ears summit trail. Recent trail reviews indicate minimal snow at similar elevation (to panorama ridge CG) peaks such as Evans Peak. Regardless, you should be prepared to encounter snow and be prepared for avalanche conditions if you want to camp at Panorama Ridge. I should also mention that the trail beyond Panorama Ridge CG upto the summit is almost never snow-free all year round and is slippery with exposure. In my opinion, if you dont push towards the golden ears summit and just stay at panorama ridge, it's well worth the trip.

Edit: Just checked and idk if it falls in your criteria but lindeman lake might be another option as it's about an hour drive from where i live (langley). I checked uber's rates upto the lindeman lake parking lot and it shows about $70 one way. imo you're better off booking an evo or any other ride share services if you know how to drive.

cherrypashka-

17d

Thanks! It looks like Golden Ears the best option to doing a camping trip solo, without worrying too much about the snow as it provides lake camping to retreat to.

numberknitnerd

17d

You could try Plumper Cove on Keats Island. It's about a 1 hour hike from where you get off the ferry. It's not very hilly, so it's a good option if it's your first time hiking with gear. Montague Provincial Park on Galiano Island is similar, but it more walking on the road to get there from the ferry.

cherrypashka-

17d

I think that would be too boring for what I am looking for haha. I really enjoyed camping at Seymour mountain so I want to get as much to that experience as I can :)

chlorophy11

-1

17d

Maybe put in a least half an ounce of effort to do your own research instead of asking others to plan your hike for you ? Just a thought. The way this seems to be going makes me think you’re going to show up to the trailhead of your hiking trip armed only with what others have mentioned in a smattering of comments on Reddit.

cherrypashka-

17d

It took me 3 hours to come up with a somewhat doable list and research my options. After that, I decided to hear opinions of other people and perhaps their experience.

Even yours, as absolutely useless and invaluable waste of a comment it is, it's still an opinion somehow.