Lions Trail

Condition: Well maintained as far as the footbridge across Harvey Creek. Deteriorating and poorly maintained beyond Harvey Creek.
General Route: Begins on Sunset Drive in Lions bay.  Then Departs Harvey Creek Spur to HSCT to provide a route up the Lions from Lions Bay.  Labelled as Lions Trail/Binkert Trail 
How to Find: The trailhead is reached from the top of Sunset Drive in Lions Bay, where it begins on a gated logging road.  Labelled as Lions Trail/Binkert Trail 

Trail Description: The logging road has branches to Brunswick Mountain, Magnesia Creek and Harvey Creek. Ignore the first overgrown spur on the right on the switchback above the water tower. After that, keep right at all intersections to stay on the Harvey Creek road and the trail to the Lions. After the road levels out near 600m, it swings south. Just after a big rock slide across the road and the shallow crossing of Alberta Creek, the route becomes more of a trail along the old road bed. The trail continues more or less level for ~1km before it climbs east above Harvey Creek. 

The old ford across Harvey Creek is now closed. A new footbridge was placed across the creek in 2002. The footbridge is reached by a new branch of the trail off the Harvey Creek road, at a point 300m past the old branch. The newer one descends about 50m to the footbridge, where it connects on the opposite side to the original trail. 

From the creek, the trail climbs through old growth forest to the subalpine shoulder west of the West Lion at GR859782, then southeast over a bushy, rocky route. At GR862778, it turns northeast to gain the ridge south of the West Lion via rocky slopes breaking the cliff system. Once on the ridge, the trail meets the Howe Sound Crest at GR864779 and carries on north for a short distance to the base of the West Lion. The Howe Sound Crest Trail goes down right (east) before the notch to gain the pass between the two Lions.

Note:

The West Lion itself is a class 3-4 climb from the south, begining with a descent into the notch; a fixed rope is often in place. Cross an exposed, sloping shelf rightward with good holds (technical crux, class 3-4) then scramble up steeply on vegetated ledges with good trail marking and minimal exposure (class 2-3) to the summit. Descend same route.  Do not attempt unless properly equipped and mentally prepared.  Fatalities have occured!