r/vancouverhiking • u/IndependentCrew8210 • Jun 25 '25

Conditions Questions (See Guide before posting) Brandywine mountain conditions this time of year?

Recent photos on alltrails indicate that it's quite snowy. Is Brandywine at this time of year a no-go? Should I bring snow/ice equipment? Any thoughts on the road up there too? I have a 4WD SUV but it's not a 4x4.

Any similar alternatives that might be doable this weekend?

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u/jpdemers Jun 25 '25

Any similar alternatives that might be doable this weekend?

What is your experience with winter hiking? How long (distance & elevation) would you like to hike?

What is the hiking experience and fitness level of your group?

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u/IndependentCrew8210 Jun 25 '25

Pretty basic experience with winter hiking, have used ice cleats before but nothing too technical. Anything that's doable within a day would be okay for my group, something like ~20km and ~1km of elevation. Everyone is above average fitness and we've all done comparable hikes in the past.

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u/jpdemers Jun 25 '25 edited Jun 25 '25

There's a lot of hikes that can be interesting. Some of them might be better done in snowshoes.

  • Review satellite images (Copernicus, Sentinel) to find the start of the snowline elevation. The snowline should be around 1200-1400m.

In Golden Ears Park:

Chilliwack:

  • Elk Mountain

  • Gloria Lookout

  • Mount Mercer

Whistler:

  • Mount Sproatt

Note: Anytime there is lingering snow and steep terrain (above 30 degrees slope), there is possible exposure to avalanche risks. Also, steep terrain + icy, snowy, or slippery trail = risk of slip-and-fall.

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u/elseany Jun 26 '25

FYI snow level in Golden Ears Park is around 1300-1400m right now. I've hiked Evans Peak (1100m) and Mount Nutt South (1200m) this June, both were snow free. Ran into people who did Alouette (1400m) and Panorama Ridge (1400m), there is still lots of snow up there.

Would not recommend Mount Nutt South to the summit until we've had a few days of dry weather for the plants to dry off. From the 1100m viewpoint to the 1200m summit is an unmaintained overgrown bushwack, and when I went in the wet I got completely soaked. I had a good time, but if you're averse to being cold and wet and dumping water out of your shoes, YMMV. 

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u/jpdemers Jun 26 '25

Great info! Thank you!

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u/book__werm Jun 26 '25

I went up the FSR a couple weeks ago and the road was clear to the parking area! Didn't hike up though. Edit - I have a small 4wd suv and it's fine. Couple steeps spots but fine

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u/IndependentCrew8210 Jun 26 '25

You made it to the top parking area hey?

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u/book__werm Jun 26 '25

The parking area with the little shack and the busted down sign I should say!!!! There's another steep spot after that that I didn't continue up.

And the other route that goes up to the right hand side earlier on, where there is another much larger parking area with trail head signs.

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u/StrikingAir399 20d ago

Is it doable with an EV?

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u/book__werm 20d ago

If your car has some stamina then you're fine, no other issues really, just the steep spots. Not sure the fact that it's an EV would change much.

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u/StrikingAir399 17d ago

Ok I just don’t want the bottom to get scratched lol. Yes I’ll fully charge it just in case haha

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u/book__werm 17d ago

I wouldn't say high clearance is a huge issue there, just watch for the pot holes and go around!

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u/StrikingAir399 15d ago

Hey thanks! I made it back alive. Did scratch the bottom and side once but it’s not obvious, and there were lots of Teslas in the lot

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u/rae_faerie Jun 26 '25

My partner was there 2 or 3 weeks ago splitbording. Road is dry. Will still be snow in the meadows onwards for a bit yet

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u/kaitlyn2004 Jun 25 '25

Everything at elevation is still snow-covered….?

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u/IndependentCrew8210 Jun 25 '25

At what elevation would you say? I was looking at Goat ridge and the pictures from the past week have all seemed pretty light on snow. Is there less snow in that region?

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u/Benneke10 Jun 26 '25

I was there last summer and the road to the upper trailhead would require a real 4x4 for me, although I’m sure some folks make it up there in real SUVs since it’s such a popular hike. The road to the lower trailhead is mellow.

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u/No_Difference973 Jun 27 '25

Hi, if you look on AllTrails, there’s a trip report from Ilia from 4 days ago. He said road to upper parking lot is snow free however you might want to park at the lower one if you don’t have 4x4. I did it a few years ago around this time as well and although conditions always wary, any leftover snow is typically consolidated by this time of year so if you go, spikes might come in handy.

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u/jpdemers Jun 25 '25 edited Jun 25 '25

Brandywine Mountain is Complex avalanche terrain.

Use the Avalanche Canada trip planner tool and zoom in on Brandywine Mountain.

Complex

Exposure to multiple overlapping avalanche paths or large expanses of steep, open terrain; multiple avalanche starting zones and terrain traps below; minimal options to reduce exposure. Complicated glacier travel with extensive crevasse bands or icefalls.

Review these trip reports:

Brandywine Mountain is basically a summer only hike, with the season typically running from Mid-July to Mid-October or so.

One needs a 4×4, high clearance vehicle to drive to the upper trail-head. Without the high clearance one can still park at the lower trail-head. From the upper trail-head the trail leads hikers into Brandywine Meadows and eventually into the alpine.

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u/IndependentCrew8210 Jun 25 '25

Thanks for the very good information! Do you have any alternatives for open-terrain types of hikes like this? I was looking into Goat ridge as a good alternative

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u/Asleep-Base-9081 Jun 25 '25

How about Elfin lakes? There's still snow at elevation, but most of the terrain is simple.

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u/IndependentCrew8210 Jun 26 '25

How's the difficulty to payoff ratio? From the outset it seems a bit too simple, what do you think?

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u/Asleep-Base-9081 Jun 26 '25

Yep, the terrain is not technical at all and puts you in the alpine after just a short bit. So you get the "open terrain" type views. I cannot compare to Brandywine, as I haven't been there, but Elfin is pretty popular so you should be able to find plenty of pics about the views on this hike. I think it's a great one for beginners. There's likely still snow there, but no fall/avalanche/exposure hazards.

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u/jpdemers Jun 25 '25 edited Jun 26 '25

The Squamish Goat Ridge is a long hike, but it's one of my favourite hiking experiences. The views from the ridge are fantastic. But you need to be really prepared, it's not a hike to be taken lightly.

I hiked it in mid-June two years ago. See my trip report.

I hiked via Petgill Lake and it took me 14 hours. It can be shorter hiking from Britannia Beach. Or you can 'cheat' and take the Sea-to-Sky Gondola to hike to Petgill Lake.

Edit: Based on your description, I feel that Squamish Goat Ridge might be quite advanced for your group.

Some advice for that trail:

  • Go with a group.

  • Start hiking as early as possible in the morning (at sunrise). You don't want to come back too late.

  • Download the offline map. The navigation on the ridge is very tricky. Bring a battery pack for the phone.

  • Bring the 10 essentials. Tell your emergency contacts where you are going and when your group is coming back.

  • Turn around if needed: if you are unsure about the hazards or about making it back in time. It took me 2 times to complete the hike.

  • Study the Strava Global Heatmap and download it if possible. Note: If you visualize the map in the Strava app, it will keep the heatmap in your phone memory.

Note: There is no link between the summit of the Goat Ridge and the Sea-to-Sky Gondola. There are cliffs in-between.

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u/Sedixodap Jun 25 '25

It sounds like Goat Ridge may be more climbing than you want (1500m not the 1000m you say you’re comfortable with). In that area I would consider Shlanay instead. You’re starting near sea level so it’s low elevation and snow isn’t a concern, plus you get great views of the Chief and Howe Sound.