Coliseum Mountain

[simage=3408,200,n,left,] The August long weeks poses a challenge for the backpacker who wants to enjoy a convenient trip in the Coast Mountains, but doesn’t want to suffer the hordes of idiots that descend on beautiful places like Garibaldi Lake with cases of beer and stereos. There are a few places that can still combine fantastic alpine campsites and solitude, and Coliseum Mountain is one of them – with a trailhead accessible by bus! However, like the other relatively quiet locations – Lake Lovelywater (hard to cross the Squamish River) and Mamquam Lake (too far for most people to hike in a day or even two days) – the hike is a challenge with a backpack. We met several day-hikers, but in the two nights on the summit only one couple arrived to bivvy at the summit.

We caught the bus to Lynn Valley Headwaters – joined by our friends Pierre and Dan for this hike. The first part of the hike is 7 km along the popular Lynn Valley hike to Norvan Falls. It’s a very gentle hike with lots of casual ramblers heading to the falls, and a few people planning to head up Hanes Valley and the back of Grouse Mountain. The secondary growth Douglas Fir and Western Cedar is pleasant, although the large boles of the trees that were logged do give it a bit of a graveyard feel.

Not many people make the turn off to Coliseum, where the trail because immediately very steep with lots of roots to navigate. The trail is very clearly marked, and in a few areas does level off, before getting steep again. A few amazing berry patches to pass through. Eventually the climb brings you up onto a shoulder of Coliseum to the south east of the mountain summit and climb some rocky sections into the alpine area. There are a couple of sections where you need to use your hands, but this is definitely not a scramble. We camped the first night on the south side of the mountain with views over Seymour reservoir. There are fantastic views of Vancouver and Grouse Mountain, as well as Mount Baker to the south and the mountain wilderness between Vancouver and Squamish. The next morning we took the short hike over the summit and pitched our tents between Coliseum Mountain and Burwell Peak – this is a fantastic camping area. The rocky summit of Coliseum is huge and there is a fantastic cleft that has formed a lovely tarn. The all day exposure to the sunshine makes this a fabulous place for a swim. Obtaining water is a bit more of a challenge, since lots of people swim in the tarn – it’s essential to have a filter or water treatment to use some of the water from the other smaller tarns below the summit area. There are no toilets on the summit, so make sure you pack so that you can pack out your waste.

Later that day we took a short hike up to Burwell peak, a nice hike taking around two hours for the round trip, but allow lots of time to sit enjoy the views of Cathedral Mountain and Palisade Lake. We were a little surprised to see all the logging roads and clear cuts in the Capilano Reservoir watershed. Why ban hikers if you allow logging?

Overall, it’s a spectacular summit area with a fantastic swimming hole. However, there are not as many exploration options as Lake Lovelywater (Alpha Mountain or the shoulder of Mt Niobe) and the hike is not as spectacular or epic as Mamquam Lake. It’s also quite exposed on the summit – no shade. It might make a great destination for the cooler Labour Day weekend, when the bugs will also be gone.
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