ALL HIKE, NO HYPE

GETTING THERE

The hike begins to the right of a wide gravel path. Walk past the Provincial Park map and toward the Mystery Peak Express chairlift. There will be a post with green signs that point to the right. You begin climbing right away, and soon pass a pond with a boardwalk. Cross it and continue climbing the dirt trail. Watch out for loose rocks and tree roots. Soon you’ll pass an open section, and within minutes be on the edge of Mystery Lake. When the lake does get busy, cut to the left of the trail. It continues around the lake, so finding a spot isn’t a problem. After you’ve had enough excitement, go back down the way you came up.

All Hike, No Hype Mystery Lake is Vancouver’s best-kept secret hike and thankfully, almost Instagrammer-free. by CAROLINE HARRIS

Natalie puts her white 1990 BMW convertible in park, and the booming sounds of the stereo silence. Drake: a Canadian classic. After a scenic drive to the top of North Vancouver’s Mount Seymour, we’re here to begin a hike that’s both mystery in name and to many Vancouverites. From the park map at the northernmost end of the parking lot, we walk underneath the Mystery Peak Express chairlift to the start of a narrow trail. Loose rocks tumble beneath our feet as we begin our ascent. “I’m glad I wore my running shoes,” says Natalie, a 23-year-old North Van local. This is Mystery Lake, a three-kilometre hike where beginner and intermediate hikers alike climb a vertical elevation of 150 metres, exploring the alpine switchbacks of Mount Seymour to arrive at a lake ideal for swimming and picnicking near the water’s edge. With less than 5,000 hits on Instagram, it’s also one of Vancouver’s most underthe-radar hikes.

Hiking has seen a boon in popularity in the last

A hike of 150 metres of elevation will lead you to this breathtaking view of Mystery Lake

decade, and while in some cases it may be an altruistic love of the outdoors, other elements are at play. Call it the Wild effect: Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir (with a film adaption starring Reese Witherspoon) saw an explosion of tourists looking to emulate her journey into self-discovery via the Pacific Crest Trail—more than 7,000 of them in 2018, compared to just 1,879 in 2013. Vancouver is a little different: no one has written a New York Times bestseller detailing his or her trek along a Vancouver hike. But social media has taken its toll. Alpine trails like Garibaldi Lake, Panorama Ridge and Joffre Lakes have experienced a new wave of popularity recently from Instagrammers wanting to get that turquoise-blue water shot: person posts photo, photo goes viral, everyone tries to

get a similar picture. Joffre Lakes has been particularly hard hit by the phenomena: in 2020, there are 78,391 photos hashtagged #JoffreLakes on Instagram.

But with a mere 4,000, Mystery Lake on Mount Seymour seems to have missed the memo—and that’s a good thing on our hike today. The views of Vancouver’s skyline come about 700 meters into our climb. A yellow sign informing hikers that the trails are an amphibian breeding area is posted on the surrounding trees.

The next clearing reveals a lake enclosed by trees and rocks leading down to the water. It’s

RULES OF THE ROAD

While on the trail, remember these rules of thumb: dogs must be on-leash, hikers need proper footing attire, and, because it’s illegal to carry open alcohol, make sure it’s carried discreetly. The latter two probably won’t prove difficult: smart footwear and discreetly carrying around alcohol is something Vancouverites are used to by now. Right?

WHEN TO GO

The best season to go is between July and October. The views are spectacular, and the trail is much safer and easier to navigate.

THE SPECS

TRAIL LENGTH: 3km round-trip DURATION: 1.25 hours

1:30 p.m. on a warm Saturday in August, and Natalie and I are the only ones there. We roll out our towels, and jump into the water: it’s cold, rewarding and just ours for a few hours. n