About S.M.R.T Hike Series
The cache is part of what Teskelly & The Curnews have dubbed the S.M.R.T. (Sumas Mountain Regional Trail). This trail is located within the borders of Sumas Mountain Regional Park and branches off from a long forgotten part of the very elusive Centennial Trail(circa 1966).
You won’t find this section of trail in any of the hiking books, magazines, or websites. We had to research the trail in a very old book we found from the sixties. Some of the locals seem to still be using parts of the trail and other parts are less traveled and can easily become overgrown. We have had to go around quite a few obstacles and clear some sections a few times just to make it through. We’ve tried our best to put up flagging tape in most areas to help guide your way but it can be elusive at times to find.
The S.M.R.T. can be accessed from two different locations. However, we recommend starting from the North Parking (N 49° 07.553 W 122° 13.196) and traveling to the South Parking (N 49° 05.050 W 122° 13.945). The whole trail is about 9km long and can easily be done in one day provided that you park a vehicle on either side.
The North and South trailhead coordinates have been added for your convenience.
North Trailhead: N 49° 07.538 W 122° 13.168
South Trailhead: N 49° 05.050 W 122° 13.945
As we have mentioned the trail can get pretty overgrown at certain times of the year, so take that into consideration when deciding whether to bring the kids and the family dog. We left all ours at home.
You don't need to be super hardcore to complete this hike. TESKELLY and Mr. Curnew love hiking, but by no means are they "in shape" (well.. round is a shape..) However, they've enjoyed this hike and have done it more than 4 times.
Like all Long Day hikes, don’t forget to go prepared. We recommend the following:
- Hiking Boots
- Long sleeve shirt or sweater (stinging nettle and devils club present)
- Rain jacket (just in case)
- Water (at least 2L per person)
- Bag Lunch (1/2 way there is a nice spot to eat at the rocks)
- Backpack (to carry your stuff)
- Snacks (trail mix is highly recommended)
After you have finished the hike, make sure that you thank all those who helped with hiding caches and clearing the trails: Teskelly & Bestred, The Curnews, Grafinator, Restless10101, Gearhedd, Tabbywmn, Jim0429 and tite lines.