Upper Perimeter Trail
I decided that it was time to hit up Seymour before the rain and eventually snow come and put an end to the middle elevation hiking season.
The weather was overcast and a bit cool when I rolled into the main car park around 11 AM – perfect hiking weather! My goal for the day was DePencier Peak via Goldie Lake.
Kyia and I descended to Goldie Lake within 15 minuets. Not record time but not bad when you include photo stops. From the lake I had originally intended to bushwhack up the drainage that runs out from the base of the Brockton area but I decided to head off to the north-east.
The forest was surpassingly dry. I am use to getting very wet very quickly from dew on the underbrush but besides a few wet and peaty spots it was fairly dry.
As bushwhacking goes it was very pleasant. The blue berry bushes are nearing the tail end of their fall colours with many of them starting to look a little bald. We followed one of the old nordic tracks for ten minuets before plunging back into the forest. It was after climbing up the first steep slope that we came across the Upper Perimeter Trail.
I have know of the trails existence for a number of years, I just haven’t ever bothered looking for it. The trail runs from the “Dead End” sign on the more traveled Perimeter Trail and continues up to Brockton. Overall it was an enjoyable hike with a number of steep sections but I would not recommend it to anyone not familiar with the area as it become hard to follow in places.
In no time at all we had reached the edge of the tree line and the final summit pitch. The summit its self is non remarkable but the bluffs at the north end make the trip worth while. From the bluffs you can see into Garibaldi Park, Indian Arm about 1300 vertical metres below, First Peak and De Pencier Lake which is 350 metres jump directly below the bluffs.
After a quick snack we continued on our way lopping around the unnamed summit into the Brockton area and from their, down the ski runs to the car park.
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