Rob M. at Garibaldi Lake:
“A delightfully challenging time was had by all, on this storybook day in Garibaldi Park. There were pods of hikers from many Vancouver clubs. Five of us set off on the Barrier stair-master for about 3 km, when crampons and snowshoes were donned for the slippery slope. Susanne, ski equipped, and I relented 1 km later. Just past the Taylor junction we went to breathe in the Barrier vista at its lookout. From there we gingerly descended into its gulley and out onto its lake. The lakes vistas were awesome. We followed some tracks across Lesser Garibaldi and gained the summer trail north of the creek. About 1 km later we descended directly onto Garibaldi Lake and immediately began to soak up its allure. Before the lake walk we ran into Club Treaders returning from the Burton Hut and on the return I ran into Jon and Chris heading up to Mount Price. Back to the parking lot, we kept mostly to the summer trail all the way to the local for a hoist.”

Rob M. at Garibaldi Lake:
“Today, the big white welcome mat was out for 4×4’s only. The only other vehicle in the lot was a tow truck that finally showed at 7pm. Slogging our way up the patchy Barrier trail through a temperature inversion, our body temperature was up and down like a toilet seat. Travel was gnarley in snowshoes until the Taylor Meadows junction when the snow pack began to lighten up. Sometimes waist deep in wind loaded powder we descended onto Barrier Lake staying in the treeline above the gully from the Barrier Lookout. The west face of the Barrier was an ominous frieze of textbook avalanche conditions. The absence of toques frozen into the lake gave us some assurance that the ice was safe. Each lake traverse gave us a greater retina jolt. The south end of Lesser Garibaldi was filled with large wind blown knolls. We followed its shoreline gaining the summer trail just past Taylor Creek. From here it was a cakewalk into that white icing spectacle we know as Garibaldi Lake. After a brief lollygag we were southbound and in the parking lot. This time we refrained from body surfing down through the switchbacks but I did a time-honoured face plant. Oh… did I mention the car battery was dead… Youch!!”