Mount Harvey

May 2021

I made last minute plans to move to Squamish for the summer, and after two weeks of government-mandated quarantine up North, I was chomping at the bit to get outside. I couldn’t think of many better ways to celebrate the end of quarantine than bagging a peak up in beautiful BC. I settled for Mt. Harvey, a mellow peak that would make for a great introduction to the area.

I headed out around 6:00am, and started my ascent around 6:45 from Lion’s Bay. Hikers be warned: the Village of Lion’s Bay has a militant team parking enforcement officers. Any and all violations of their strict parking rules will result in a ticket or worse, a tow. I was unaware of this, and found a nice place to park on the street.

The climb was steep but enjoyable. It followed a fireroad for several miles, and then split off to a steep single track to gain the ridge of Harvey. After some time slogging, I gained the ridge, threw on my microspikes to give myself some extra purchase in the snow, and cruised up to the summit. The top of Harvey offered spectacular views of Howe Sound, East and West Lion, Brunswick Mountain, and several other enticing peaks. The weather was perfect, so I took my time and enjoyed a sandwich on the summit.

The descent was steep enough that it was easier and more natural to jog or run than to walk. I made decent time heading down, and was happy to find that my knee, which has been the cause of so much trouble over the last year, felt relatively strong for the entire 5,000 foot descent.

I made it back to the car and had the pleasure of finding a $100 parking ticket on my windshield. I saw the by-law officer giving out tickets, chatted him up, but ultimately failed in getting my ticket waived (“lovely Rita, meter maid!!!”). He was a nice fellow though and likely a tactical friend to have for navigating future peaks in the area and unpaid parking tickets. Overall, Mt. Harvey made for a pleasant day, and I look forward to exploring more peaks in the area.