Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

Official Hiking Thread.


Armada

Recommended Posts

When I saw this thread this first place I thought of was Joffre Lakes. I have actually never been, but my friend went recently and she showed me pictures and it looked amazing.

I'd love to one day do something like that.

Wow.. You weren't kidding

joffre-lake3.jpg

You can touch the Glacier there too off the lake.

Thank god we live in the most beautiful place on this planet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Golden Ears is looong and difficult. Only attempt this as a day hike if you're crazy or super fit. Most people camp at Alder Flats part way up for one night.

Joffre Lakes is gorgeous but a little far to go for a day hike from Vancouver, it's about 30 minutes north of Pemberton so you're looking at close to a 3 hour drive. A good alternative to this is Garibaldi Lake which is just north of Squamish and about 1.5 hours from Vancouver.

Lynn Headwaters has already been mentioned. It's a nice spot because it's close to town, transit accessible and has a wide variety of trails to choose from (from really easy to difficult.) I really like Lynn Peak but it is becoming the alternative to the Grouse Grind so you'll have to watch out for trail runners on weekends.

If you're really feeling up for a challenge you can try the Hanes Valley Route which starts in Lynn Headwaters then goes up to Crown Pass, over Little Goat Mountain and eventually ends up on Grouse. Best to do this one with someone who knows where they're going as there are sections of steep, unmarked scree slope and you really wouldn't want to get lost up there. Also you need two cars for this one because the trail is one-way (or else take transit as both the starting and end point are transit accessible!)

There's also a couple of trails that start at the top of Grouse Mountain (Little Goat and Crown Mountain). Of course this means you have to get to the top of Grouse first. If you want to avoid the Grind you can hike up the BCMC trail instead. It's a little longer but less crowded.

Aaand just going to throw this one out there. If you really want to avoid the crowds or maybe take your significant other on a romantic walk in the woods, try Brother's Creek out in the British Properties. It's not really all that challenging but it's beautiful and very quiet. It's also a good place to find old growth trees!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do a lot of hiking around, so if you have questions/want to get into hiking/climbing more seriously, shoot me a PM.

The first thing you need to do is buy a book called Scrambles in NorthWest British Columbia by Matt Gunn, you can buy it from Cairn Publishing. It's an outstanding book with detailed route descriptions and driving details.

http://cairnpublishi...s/scrambles.htm

Some excellent day trips are:

1) Black Tusk (take the chimney and climb all the day to the top), should take around 8-10 hours

2) Wedgemount Lake - This is just a little past Whistler (a couple of kms), this is surrounded by massive peaks and glaciers. There's a really cool ice cave right there too. From Wedgemount lake you can climb Mt. Cook as an easy day hike, or Mt. Weart/Rethel/Parkhurst as more complicated climbs. However just getting up to wedgemount lake and exploring around the ice cave, the glaciers and the camp site is an outstanding way to spend a day as well.

Wedgemount_lake.jpg

3) Brandywine Mountain is awesome. Pretty easy quick day hike from Vancouver, I'm doing this in a couple weeks with a couple buddies. (Middle peak) The route to the top goes waaaaay left and then right along the ridge, you don't go straight up, it's just hiking on scree/talus)

1348610361_fe2d246995_z.jpg

4) Cypress Peak is another great one, it's near Brandywine, if you want to be really adventurous start climbing Cypress, head north along the ridges to Brandywine, and descend through the meadows to the Brandywine Parking lot.

967064369_95d2a6c80b_z.jpg?zz=1

5) There's always Manning Park too which has a ton of awesome trails that are pretty easy to follow.

Once you start getting more experience, you can start to do some really exciting hikes and climbs like Ashlu Mountain, Ossa Mtn, Tricouni, Skypilot, Welch, and a lot more. The BC Mountaineering Club and Alpine Club of Canada are great orgs to join to get into groups and get some experience. I did Skypilot with the BCMC last year and had a great a great experience. Let me know if you want more info! We need more people to get outside and enjoy the BC Parks and outdoors so the BC Parks budget isn't the first one to get slashed ever year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How do you get there^?

The trailhead is at the Rubble Creek parking lot. It's really easy to get to and well signed along the sea to sky past Squamish. It's a paved road right up the trailhead with a MASSIVE parking lot. It opens up great hiking to Garibaldi Lake, Mt. Price, Black Tusk, Panaorama Ridge,helm peak and cheakamus lake (although there's another trailhead that closer for cheakamus. All of those are excellent hikes. I wouldn't really recommend over night camping up there on weekends though. It's a zoo on weekends and proper back country etiquette is not observed with people pissing into streams, lighting camp fires, and littering. They are all excellent day trips during the summer when you have lots of light though. During the week it's decent for camping, just purify the frack out of the water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thumbs up to Diez Vistas and Joffre Lakes. Both longish hikes too - 6-7 hours? Been awhile since I did them. Did Diez Vistas on an incredibly hot day and ran out of water 2 hours into the hike. Thw switchbacks were steep and not fun. Didn't really care about all of the 10 views after the 4th hour. I just wanted water. I'd do Joffre only if you're staying in Whistler the night before.

8-10 for Black Tusk? Yeah, no freaking way for me. 11 hours. Have a spotter if you climb the cone.

Wedgemont is difficult. Like 3 grouse grinds. AND you don't have a gondola to come down it all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thumbs up to Diez Vistas and Joffre Lakes.  Both longish hikes too - 6-7 hours?  Been awhile since I did them.  Did Diez Vistas on an incredibly hot day and ran out of water 2 hours into the hike.  Thw switchbacks were steep and not fun.  Didn't really care about all of the 10 views after the 4th hour.  I just wanted water.  I'd do Joffre only if you're staying in Whistler the night before.

8-10 for Black Tusk?  Yeah, no freaking way for me.  11 hours.  Have a spotter if you climb the cone.

Wedgemont is difficult.  Like 3 grouse grinds. AND you don't have a gondola to come down it all.

Ah the water problem, I have had that happen to me and ever since then I ALWAYS bring A+B solution from MEC. Although depending on where I am I don't always bother with purification. There are a few things you should always take when going hiking (unless you're doing the grind or something) 1) Headlamp (you might also decide that it's so beautiful where you are and you want to watch the sunset on top of a mountain which is ALWAYS epic)2) Emergency blanket (I was climbing Wedge Mountain a few years ago when the weather turned nasty really fast. My climbing partner and I found a gully out of the elements and had to space blanket it up until the storm passed, saved my life. I also know a guy who broke his leg hiking and SAR couldn't get to him the next day so he had to use his over night)3) Water purification4) A little extra food, i always have one of the dehydrated food bags that you buy from MEC in my pack, just add water and it's edible and gives energy. 4) A knifeDepending on where I am I may bring an insulating layer of clothing with me, however if it's a really tame area (Garibaldi lake) and I'm going for a day hike, I will likely just leave it in the car. If I get hurt and have to make an overnight stay, it wouldn't be difficult to have someone go get it for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like you go alone sometimes?? ^^^

The trailhead is at the Rubble Creek parking lot. It's really easy to get to and well signed along the sea to sky past Squamish. It's a paved road right up the trailhead with a MASSIVE parking lot. It opens up great hiking to Garibaldi Lake, Mt. Price, Black Tusk, Panaorama Ridge,helm peak and cheakamus lake (although there's another trailhead that closer for cheakamus. All of those are excellent hikes. I wouldn't really recommend over night camping up there on weekends though. It's a zoo on weekends and proper back country etiquette is not observed with people pissing into streams, lighting camp fires, and littering. They are all excellent day trips during the summer when you have lots of light though. During the week it's decent for camping, just purify the frack out of the water.

Thumbs up to Diez Vistas and Joffre Lakes. Both longish hikes too - 6-7 hours? Been awhile since I did them. Did Diez Vistas on an incredibly hot day and ran out of water 2 hours into the hike. Thw switchbacks were steep and not fun. Didn't really care about all of the 10 views after the 4th hour. I just wanted water. I'd do Joffre only if you're staying in Whistler the night before.

8-10 for Black Tusk? Yeah, no freaking way for me. 11 hours. Have a spotter if you climb the cone.

Wedgemont is difficult. Like 3 grouse grinds. AND you don't have a gondola to come down it all.

Now I really want to go to Black Tusk.

Hiking trip #1 next spring/summer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like you go alone sometimes?? ^^^

Now I really want to go to Black Tusk.

Hiking trip #1 next spring/summer.

I don't often go alone, maybe 1-2 day trips a year, occasionally I do a weekend trip alone. I enjoy the solitude and the simplicity of solo trips. It's just hiking, cooking, eating. I have my own schedule. I'll watch the sun go down on a peak, climb down, eat some dinner go to bed, wake up, make some hot chocolate, watch the sun rise or wake up super early and watch the sun rise from a peak, read, just sit there and soak in my surroundings, it's peaceful. Although it's a lot safer to go with someone else, and there are a lot of really awesome things about having someone with you too.

Black Tusk is one of my favorite trips. there are a lot of people but it's beautiful up there. Once you break out of switch backs (first 6-7km) and you hit the meadows it's amazing. Definitely add it to your to-do list. It's still doable next weekend if it's nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did a snowshoe trip up to garibaldi on boxing day one year. Stunning when the lake is frozen over.

Not so stunning waking up everyday to an iced over tent and frozen boots. Lol

Any pictures, that sounds amazing.

What's the altitude up there? +500 meters?

I don't often go alone, maybe 1-2 day trips a year, occasionally I do a weekend trip alone. I enjoy the solitude and the simplicity of solo trips. It's just hiking, cooking, eating. I have my own schedule. I'll watch the sun go down on a peak, climb down, eat some dinner go to bed, wake up, make some hot chocolate, watch the sun rise or wake up super early and watch the sun rise from a peak, read, just sit there and soak in my surroundings, it's peaceful. Although it's a lot safer to go with someone else, and there are a lot of really awesome things about having someone with you too.

Black Tusk is one of my favorite trips. there are a lot of people but it's beautiful up there. Once you break out of switch backs (first 6-7km) and you hit the meadows it's amazing. Definitely add it to your to-do list. It's still doable next weekend if it's nice.

Will do, too bad I work the weekend next week wonder what it's like going up there during the winter?

Crazy to think it used to be an active Volcano too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any pictures, that sounds amazing.

What's the altitude up there? +500 meters?

Will do, too bad I work the weekend next week wonder what it's like going up there during the winter?

Crazy to think it used to be an active Volcano too.

Garibaldi lake is 1500m, around the same as whistler. You can see Whistler from the top of Black Tusk. It's awesome in the winter, but you need snowshoes or skiis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did an overnight hike to the tusk, we started at Cheakamus Lake trailhead, dropped our bags off at camp (Taylor meadows) and proceeded up the tusk, it was a long day approx 13 hours and approx 25KM but well worth it. Woke up the next day and hiked out to one of our cars out the Garabaldi lake side.

Edit: We did it during thePerseid Meteor Shower and had fantastic views from our campsite @ Taylor meadows. An amazing end to a long day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

CDC,

I pose you a challenge, the girlfriend and I are trying to plan an overnight hike May long, 2-3 days preferably. Can any of you Smart hikers here lend a hand on a great overnight hike to do in May? We wanted to do Wedge mount, but sadly there's probably still too much snow.

The overnight hikes we have already completed: Tenquille lake, Joffre lakes, Black tusk (including the climb up to the top) Cape Scott. And are planning to do the Juan De Fuca trail this summer, and the West Coast trail next year.

Thanks in advance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...