Malin at Elfin Lakes:
“The weekend started out with a blizzard, but ended with beautiful sunshine, warm temperatures and magnificent views. Danette, Brandon, Dennis and I left Vancouver early on Saturday morning and headed towards Squamish. The logging road up to the trailhead was in much better condition than three weeks earlier and no chains were needed. There was however lots of snow on the trail. Around lunchtime the sun teased us by letting a bit of light through the heavy clouds, but after lunch in Red Heather Hut the snow was coming down quite heavily and the wind picked up. The hike along Paul Ridge offered no views and we were quite happy to reach the Elfin Lakes shelter in the late afternoon. The shelter was half covered in snow and had to be entered through the balcony door. The first task after having reserved a bunk bed was to dig out the outhouse, which was completely covered. The shelter filled slowly, but by the time we finished supper every bunk bed was filled. The next morning the fog and clouds had all unexpectedly blown away and the Gargoyles and surrounding peaks were clearly visible against a blue sky. This area is so full of surprises and every visit is a new experience. Due to the gloomy hike up the previous day, we took our time and appreciated every minute of our trip back.”
Tag Archives: Squamish
Cheakamus Canyon 06/02/10
Michelle in Cheakamus Canyon:
“Green mountains and spandex-clad road cyclists cruising down the Sea to Sky, you know – just your typical winter scenery. The only signs of the impending WINTER Olympics were the Olympic Lane signs starting one block East of Kootenay Loop on Hastings St (FYI – may be a tad trickier than anticipated using this meet spot during the games), sign boards blinking about upcoming road restrictions and the two million metal pole lane dividers hiltied into the asphalt at every single set of curves in the road (basically the whole thing). Traffic was light, but lanes are narrow, and driving wasn’t super speedy. Neither was the hiking – we just ambled along the easy trail happily taking pictures all the while. An enjoyable spring like outing whose only hint of winter was the frosty wind that occasionally blasted through the canyon.”
Elfin Lakes 23/01/10
Chris M. at Elfin Lakes:
“Eight snowshoers and a skier left the parking lot before 6 am! The clouds came in but there was still some interesting alpenglow. Enough soft snow to keep us all happy. We went out over the humps of Pauls Ridge then took the regular trail back. Home to Vancouver by 3 pm after a stop at Galileo Coffee in Britannia Beach.”
The Chief 01/11/09
Ahmad on the Chief:
“Almost no people when we started at 10 am. It was the first time I’ve seen the Chief that empty especially on a nice day like today. Not much of a difference than it was one month ago except things seemed wetter and colder. The scramble is easy with ropes and all of us managed without a problem. The last one is difficult but the rope makes it easy. We went up also on the second peak and descended via the main trail. Dogs cannot get over the chained-steep section. We saw few dogs got stuck there. This trail is not obvious. It branches off in several places. It took us 6 hours at a luxury pace.”
Sigurd Creek 27/06/09
Steve following Sigurd Creek:
“I hiked with Ming, Dennis, Chad, and Jessica to the knoll on the Sigurd Creek trail near Squamish. On 2 attempts in previous years I got no further than Crooked Falls in May due to snow. This time, no problem due to snow or windfall. That being said, the trail was a bit buggy, and quite steep. Despite a more open view from the knoll, and more broad look at the huge cascading falls, the Crooked Falls viewpoint at the mid-point remained the highlight. This has to be one of the best falls viewpoints I’ve been to in the Lower Mainland, partially because you can get right next to them. Note that the logging road forces you to check in at a construction station, and the construction site saw fit to sign a short-cut for the trail: ignore it and follow the usual trail descriptions (we used 103 Hikes)”
Levette Lake 06/06/09
Su-Laine at Levette Lake:
“Lots of changes to this trail since the 5th edition of 109 Walks came out in 2002! Forget about trying to count how many private roads emerge on the left on the way to the lake, and just look for the trail entrance (which no longer looks like a road) that’s immediately before the red metal gate and next to the parking lot. The Skyline trail has few red triangle markers described in the books, but lots of yellow round ones now. And the “Blue Trail” connecting the Skyline trail to the road leading to the parking area appears to have been reopened, which considerably shortens the amount of time you have to spend walking on the road. However, the 109 Walks book was very useful on this trip, especially with its detailed map that we found to be accurate.
The trails we used were dry and, despite rumours on the Internet that they’re badly overgrown, well-maintained except for at least one small bridge that looks like it might collapse any day. A few of us walked over the dry creekbed instead of taking the bridge. Even in dry conditions, you need boots with good tread on this trail though. Views of the Tantalus mountains were good, especially from the shores of the attractive Levette Lake itself. Few wildflowers were blooming, but the forest itself, with its soft floor, was lovely to hike through.”
Brohm Lake 06/06/09
Michelle at Brohm Lake and Forest:
“This 2 for 1 hike offered a pleasant casual forest hike on a beautiful sunny day. Though the entrance to Brohm Lake Interpretive Forest doesn’t have its own sign/turning lane (unlike Brohm Lake) it’s easily spotted: after Alice Lake look for a yellow gate on your left with a signboard map right next to it. Signage/trail markers were excellent all along the two inter-linking trail systems (and nary a blow down!). The “fire lookout” offered by far the best views and proved to be a highlight and a most suitable lunch spot. The upper High Trail and Western shore trail of Brohm Lake (a surprisingly large and enjoyable lake) were the most pleasant in both terrain and lake views from above, although the easiest water access points were on the eastern bluffs close to the lake parking lot on the #99 side. You never know what’s hiding just off the shoulder of the highway.“
Levette Lake 24/05/09
Heather on the Levette Lake loop:
“Kitka, Paul, Janice, Bob and Heather had a great day exploring the Levette Lake loop north of Squamish. The sun was hot, the views fantastic, the air smelled of pine trees, and the wildflowers were in bloom. One of us even went for a breathtaking swim in Levette Lake during the leisurely lunch stop. A pleasant, relaxing hike with lots of variety in the forest and look-out spots.”
Cheakamus Canyon 09/05/09
Susie at Cheakamus Canyon:
“Susie, Angela, Louise and Noman met on a gorgeous Saturday morning for this very enjoyable hike. With Highway 99 open through the contentious Eagle Bluffs, travel to Squamish is now fast and easy. We drove to the end of the road in Paradise Valley (we had a 4×4, but saw 4x2s at the parking spot), and started up the trail to cross the BC Rail line. That dealt with most of the (minimal) elevation gain, and soon we were at Starvation Lake, very pretty on a sunny morning with a couple of Canada geese posing in the middle. Shortly after we entered the canyon area, via an exciting piece of trail where you are literally walking on air … fortunately over some sturdy netting securely fastened to the cliff. The sound of the Cheakamus River pounding through the canyon was with us for the rest of our trip. It is impressive looking down at the railway line below and marvelling at the engineering required to build it. The trail must pass through a rain shadow, because the vegetation is more reminiscent of the Interior than coastal rain forest. The trail eventually peters out at Highway 99, so we turned around before the traffic noise was too great. A lovely relaxing hike, although we agreed it probably should be classified as a “wike” (walk/hike). It’s worth noting that this trail is snow free 99% of the year.”
Levette Lake 09/05/09
Chris on the Skyline and Copperbush Trails near Levette Lake:
“Cara, Ivy, Jennifer, Susan, and Tao joined me on a leisurely ramble around the Skyline/Copperbush trails with a sidetrip to Levette Lake. Don’t believe the bad reports for this trail that you might read on the Internet. Granted, if you plan on going in a clockwise direction, the start of the trail is tricky to find and looks a bit overgrown but it’s fine after 100 m – just watch for the painted can lids nailed to trees. The lookouts have grown in a bit (like at Diez Vistas) but the views are still great (Tantalus in your face) and the trail is quiet. Levette Lake is popular and we encountered a large car-camping group up there. Hanging out at the lake is a bit cooler than at the bluffs (like Silver Summit) to the south.”