Trail Brew

Norvan Falls – Lynn Headwaters Regional Park

Mental Floss Double Dry Hopped IPA – Beere Brewing

On May 6th I headed out with a friend for an early morning hike to Norvan Falls in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Vancouver. This is one of the more rugged parks in the Metro Vancouver Regional Park system and many trails do not open until late Summer due to snow pack. I am happy to report that the road inside the park gates has seen fixed and there is no longer slope instability so they have reopened the road to the parking lots and overflow parking. Like most places you really need to arrive at this park within the first few hours of the gate opening. As of writing this post the gates open at 7am.

This trail starts at the parking lot for Lynn Headwaters Regional Park. You can check out the BC Mills House to learn more about the history of this area or just hit the trail. The trail is 14km round trip with around 200 meters of elevation gain.

This is a perfect hike for both a sunny or rainy day as there are views to be had for both. Once you cross the bridge over Lynn Creek you head to the left and just follow the signs for Norvan Falls. The first portion of the trail is on what is called the Lynn Loop Trail. I prefer the lower trail that follows Lynn Creek but you can make a loop at a portion. You will make your way to Cedars Mill Trail and I recommend following this trail also as it keeps you on the creek but you can also head up the hill and do a loop further up the trail on the Headwatters Trail. You keep walking along the trail until you get to a large opening with a search and rescue cache. At this point head up the hill a bit and turn left onto the Headwaters Trail. This will bring you all the way to Norvan Falls. All along the trail you will find refinements of the logging and mining that happened around 100 years ago in this valley.

The real payoff of this trail is definitely Norvan Falls. Later in the Summer you can continue on from here to Lynn Lake or the Hanes Valley Route that goes all the way up to the top of Grouse Mountain from the back of the mountain.

But that is enough about the trail. This hikes trail brew was from Beere Brewing also in North Vancouver. The beer is called Mental Floss Double Dry Hopped IPA and is a New England style IPA.

The beer pours a murky orange colour with a white head. The aroma consists of orange, some tropical fruits, citrus rind and maybe a hint of wheat. The flavour is of bright citrus fruit, tropical fruit with hints of pineapple and maybe mango with citrus rind and pith, herbal notes and some dankness in the finish. There is little to no bitterness to this one much like most of the New England Style IPA’s. The alcohol content comes in at 7.9% with an IBU of 50. I had gone to Beere Brewing just after they opened up and the beer was pretty good but between this beer and their hazy pale ale I can tell you they are killing it now. This is a beautiful New England IPA and I recommend anyone head over to the brewery and pick up some of this Mental Floss. I also like the touch that the words on the can are raised.

WE BELIEVE IN FAMILY SO MUCH, WE NAMED OUR BREWERY AFTER IT.

Beere Brewing is built on a legacy of tradition, heritage, quality, and service. Our tasting room doors are now open in North Vancouver, BC. We’ll always save a seat at our family table for you to enjoy quality and hospitality that is truly second to none.

#HAVEABEERE

The last photo is of the beer when I got home. Why have one good beer when you can have two of them?

Disclaimer: Drinking while excising and hiking can be dangerous and can put you in serious danger or lead to your death. These posts do not recommend that you drink while you hike but if you decide too make sure to be a responsible adult.