Squamish

Squamish is just north of Vancouver.  We stayed there two nights.  As it is only a little more than an hour from Vancouver we were able to arrive fairly early (around 10:00 AM) at our first objective, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park.  Reviews of the hike stated “difficult but worth it.”  The reported time to reach the first peak was about one-and-a-half hours.  We generally double reported times, for planning purposes.  On the trail we saw two or three people running the trail.  I couldn’t help but wonder if these timings were factored into the estimated time to the top.  

The trails were very clearly marked, but generally quite step.  Often there were irregular stairs made of rocks, or stair cases made of wood.  In a couple instances there were ladders.  As we got close to the top, chains were strung to hold on to as one traversed the rock face.  

It took us about two-and-a-half hours to reach the top. It was worth it.