Trip Report by Janet Snell & Lyn Grants

This hike on, March 21, 2022, was scheduled to see the early evidence of spring emerging from the snow in the Yew Lake / Bowen Lookout area of Cypress Provincial Park. Instead, we were treated to 20 cm of new snow on top of another recent snowfall. All evidence of spring was obscured, and winter’s grip stayed strong.

The creek leading from Yew Lake was nestled in a canyon-like cradle of snow. With temperature just above freezing, water was still flowing downhill. This creek eventually intersects with Cypress Creek, passing through West Vancouver to the waters of English Bay. The snow that falls and melts on the boggy area just above Yew Lake flows in an entirely different direction, travelling northwest into Montezambert Creek and down to the waters of Howe Sound near Sunset Marina.

As the ground was still covered with snow and no new deciduous growth was apparent, we focussed on coniferous trees. The trail towards Bowen Lookout passes through old growth forest which includes Mountain Hemlock, Amabilis Fir and Yellow-cedar. The name, Cypress Provincial Park, is derived from the Yellow-cedar tree (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) which is a member of the Cypress family of trees. 

When we reached the viewpoint at Bowen Lookout, we could barely discern the shape of Bowen Island and Howe Sound below. The cloudy mist surrounding us had obscured the stunning view leaving us a good reason to come back another day.

As we returned along the snowy trail, we were happy to find a much clearer path due to the number of other hikers who had passed by.