Hiking Unnecessary Mountain in North Vancouver
Contents
Unnecessary Mountain Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 15.2Km
Elevation Gain: 1,074m
Highest Elevation: 1,548m
Average Gradient: 14.13%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~July – October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Unnecessary Mountain Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°23’36.6″N 123°12’05.2″W
Unnecessary Mountain Overview
The aptly named Unnecessary Mountain is a lesser hiked summit in the North Shore mountains along the Howe Sound Crest Trail, largely overshadowed by the nearby St. Marks Summit and the Lions. While many people hike to St. Marks, far fewer continue to Unnecessary Mountain, even though the views of the Howe Sound far surpass those from St. Marks, making the extra effort well worth the extra effort.
At 1,548m high, Unnecessary Mountain is only around 180m higher than St. Marks Summit, yet the elevation gain for the round trip hike is about 500m more. This is because after you have hiked to St. Marks Summit you quickly descend quite significantly before re-ascending up to Unnecessary Mountain. You then have to repeat this on the return to the trailhead. I like to think this is where the name comes from, because believe me, that descent and re-ascent feels very unnecessary when you’re doing it.
This is predominantly a summer hike, with the peak season between July and October. Very few people will tackle Unnecessary Mountain in the winter due to the avalanche terrain along the route. Depending on when you go the trail can be very muddy in certain sections and you should be prepared for this, especially in early summer.
The views from the summit are particularly exceptional out towards the Howe Sound and Bowen Island, but also of the Lions and Brunswick Mountain.
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Is Unnecessary Mountain worthwhile?
Unnecessary Mountain offers some of the best views of the Howe Sound for relatively little effort compared to some other hikes in the region. This hike is easier than the likes of Brunswick Mountain, the Lions and Mount Harvey. While the views from St. Marks Summit are good, they are even better at Unnecessary Mountain, and you’re not at all cramped at the viewpoint unlike St. Marks where hoards of people are trying to squish into a couple of tiny viewpoints. The views from the summit are exceptional, unobstructed and continue for a long time along the ridge. Overall, this is a great hike and a very worthy extension to any trip up St. Marks Summit.
How difficult is the hike to Unnecessary Mountain ?
At 15.20km and 1,074m elevation Unnecessary Mountain is a relatively difficult hike, probably on the lower end of difficult. With an average gradient of 14.13% it is actually a fairly steep hike overall, largely thanks to the descent and re-ascent after St. Marks Summit that has to be tackled in each direction. You’ll certainly be challenged on this portion of the hike as it can be very steep at times.
Technically the hike isn’t too difficult. The trail is fairly easy to follow but it does get very muddy at times so be prepared for that. There are no parts of the hike that will require the use of hands and there are no exposed parts either so it’s a technically straightforward hike.
Unnecessary Mountain Route Information
The hike begins at Cypress Creek Lodge, which has a paved road the entire way. In the winter you are legally required to have mud + snow tires, otherwise any car is fine to get up there.
From Cypress Creek Lodge you’ll follow the Howe Sound Crest Trail through the forest. Most of the trail stays in the forest and the gradient starts off fairly moderate but consistent. After around 2km you will reach a junction where you have the option of detouring to Bowen Lookout, but you probably want to skip this if you’re doing Unnecessary Mountain as this hike is already tiring enough.
Continuing in the forest the next portion will be somewhat mellow, you’ll pass over a few creeks and past the Christmas Gully junction leading to Mount Strachan, another good hike for a different day. Soon you’ll hit a few switchbacks that are somewhat steep, but they don’t last long before the gradient becomes flat once more. This section is usually very muddy even in the summer months so prepare accordingly with decent hiking boots. After around 4km you’ll reach the steepest section before St. Marks, though again it’s only short before mellowing out into a lower gradient hill. Soon enough after around 5km you’ll reach St. Marks Summit.
After stopping for a few photos and a snack it’s time to get back on the trail to Unnecessary Mountain. Once you head back to the trail you’ll continue forwards while most other people turn back to Cypress Lodge. The trail now is far less traveled and it soon becomes evident. Significantly narrowing and becoming pretty muddy and slippery. Navigation is also a little trickier but should still be straightforward enough. You’ll quickly start descending after St. Marks Summit, dropping from around 1,350m to 1,190m. This part is always annoying, knowing full well you’ll need to not only climb back up the other side (and more), but also face this uphill on the return leg.
Once you’ve reached the bottom of this descent, the fun is over. The hike from here is very steep and pretty relentless, ascending from 1,190m to 1,548m in just 1.5km. If it’s particularly muddy you might end up using your hands briefly to grab branches/roots but for the most part it’s never so steep you need to use your hands.
At around the 7km mark you will start to get views of the Howe Sound and this is where the payoff begins. The gradient will ease off at this point and the rest of the hike will be with unbelievable views over the Howe Sound, getting better and better as you keep going. It’s nice as people can spread out over this ridge rather than bunching up at the summit like they do at St. Marks. You might wonder where the summit is exactly as it’s not super obvious. If you keep going you will eventually reach a signpost that states you have reached Unnecessary Mountain’s south summit. This is where most people stop, you can keep going to the north summit, but it’s no higher than the south and the views are no better so you may as well stop here unless you plan to continue along the Howe Sound Crest Trail.
Now you can rest and take in the views, take a bunch of photos of not only Howe Sound but also the northern summit of Unnecessary Mountain and the views to the east as well. Unfortunately when I went it was cloudy in that direction and I couldn’t see a thing, but over the Howe Sound the views were splendid indeed.
After a good long rest it’s time to head back, unfortunately knowing full well you still have some steep terrain to navigate in order to get back up to St. Marks Summit before descending back down to the car.
When should I hike Unnecessary Mountain ?
Similar to St. Marks Summit I liked hiking Unnecessary Mountain during the shoulder season. Despite that, the summit typically has snow on it until early July. Ideally you want to go around this time, before the peak hiking season in late July/Aug. Either that or go in October/early November before the snow returns at these elevations.
Top Tip
Make sure to have excellent traction on your feet for this hike as it can be pretty slippery throughout. Do not make the same mistake many people do by wearing sneakers.
If you really want to push it you can also continue along the Howe Sound Crest Trail and reach the Lions. This only adds another couple of kilometers to your day with minimal elevation, though it would make an already long day that little bit longer. Personally I saved the Lions for another hike beginning at Lions Bay.
