Harper Mountain has good ski trails and bike trails, but we can hike or snowshoe some of them too.   Hiking on the mountain bike trails on weekends in season may not be the best idea.   Most trails are for downhill bikes and going up these steep single tracks is asking for trouble.   On the other hand, a combination of the double tracks and rolling single tracks makes a nice hike on a weekday and would make a good snowshoe route in winter.

The trails that start from the Ski Resort parking areas are well-used by skiers, cross country skiers, and snowshoers so starting lower down is a better choice in winter.   If we start lower in summer, the hike will be mostly up then back down, what hikers are used to.   A good start point is at a junction at N50 43.667 W120 09.713 (at 1000m) where there is lots of parking.

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The route follows a 2WD double track, but then we can veer off onto a single track on the edge of the ridge overlooking Harper Ranch Valley.   This is a pleasant trail used for the Enduro Race on Harper.  Some openings in the forest allow views south and west.

One viewpoint is above Scheidam Lake, hidden in the upper Harper Creek Valley.

After rejoining the double track, we can follow it up the mountain or go off onto one of the side trails.   All single track trails going north go steeply downhill so pick ones that go east-west instead.   Return the way you came or take one of the double tracks back down the hill.   The return route is about 7.5 km, climbing 331m to the turn-around point.

Back at the parking area, another side road heads west to a good viewpoint of the Scheidam Flats area.

Using a school’s grade scale, the Harper Mountain Trails are a C+ on list of hiking trails, but it is worth an outing on a warm day with a dip in Paul Lake to finish.