Hike Anvil Island — Leading Peak

 At the north end of Howe Sound is a remote and imposing island: Anvil. It is remote because there is no public transportation available to reach it. Yet it is close and familiar with less than 2 kilometres separating it from the Sea to Sky highway. As the glaciers of the last ice age retreated, Anvil must have been a sturdy nunatak that stood in the centre of the path of the glacier that carved the fijord that we call Howe Sound. No wonder it has such steep sides.

Yesterday, October 8, I was invited to join a group that was going to hike to the summit of Anvil: Leading Peak. The guide book promised a 5-hour return trip from the dock on Anvil. Since the vertical climb was only a little more than Mt. Gardner on my Bowen Island, it seemed like an easy hike. The truth is that, while it is just a hike, there are some steep scrambles, and the day is much more of a workout than the statistics would suggest. The weather has been wet. The forecast said that the rain would hold off until the end of the day. If you plan to do this hike, I suggest it will be much easier if you go when the many roots and slick rock are dry.

To see my pictures, please proceed to the next pane…